Frontier Airlines announces first-class seats, companion pass for high-level elite status

03.12.2024 - 14:05 / thepointsguy.com / Barry Biffle

One of America's quintessential budget airlines is wading into new, premium territory with first class-style seats set for takeoff next year.

Frontier Airlines will add "luxurious, spacious seats" in the first two rows of its jets beginning in late 2025, the carrier announced Tuesday.

It's also trying to ratchet up the allure of its frequent flyer program with a no-strings-attached companion pass for high-level elite status members — and by wooing travelers who already carry a credit card with another U.S. airline.

The series of changes outlined Tuesday represents a notable departure from Frontier's historic, no-frills approach — and a clear ploy to attract passengers currently frequenting its larger, full-service airline competitors.

"We've just observed what's happening in the industry and the truth is, we're a leisure carrier, and the affluent leisure customer would like to have a better product," CEO Barry Biffle said in an interview with TPG. "What we're seeing now is people are willing to pay for that experience and there's a lot of customers that won't fly without it."

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Here's what to know about each of the changes outlined by Frontier:

Frontier's new "first class-style" seats will begin appearing on its jets by late 2025, the Denver-based carrier said Tuesday.

The seats will occupy the first two rows of its airplanes — and they'll ultimately be available across every jet on the fleet, Biffle confirmed.

Renderings released by the airline show bona fide domestic first class-esque recliners with Frontier branding on the seat cushions.

Frontier hopes to begin retrofitting its jets with the new seats in September 2025 — after the peak summer travel season — Biffle confirmed, and the carrier believes it can equip all its planes with the new seats within roughly two months.

A key question sure to be on travelers' minds: how will Frontier's "soft product" — think service, food and beverage and other amenities that come with a ticket — measure up to the domestic first-class experience on a larger, network airline? After all, a ticket on Frontier (or its budget competitors) hasn't historically included much beyond a spot on the plane.

"We haven't made any decisions on that," Biffle said. "We are just focused on the seat itself."

Still, more comfortable seats should prove to be added incentive for travelers considering pursuing elite status in the Frontier Miles loyalty program.

The program has four tiers — Elite Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond.

Once the new first-class seats are installed, members who reach Gold status (and higher) will be eligible for unlimited complimentary upgrades to the cabin, Frontier said — space dependent, of course.

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