Frontier And Spirit Airlines Ditch Key Fees In Time For Summer

23.05.2024 - 15:28 / forbes.com / Spirit Airlines / Barry Biffle

With the busy summer travel season now officially upon us, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says it is prepared for the highest passenger volumes the agency has ever seen at airport security checkpoints from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.

Don’t be surprised to see flight disruptions. Weather-related delays peak in the summertime, and the airline industry is still challenged by Boeing delivery delays and sky-high demand for air travel. “Flight disruption remains above historical norms,” according to a recent report from global travel technology company Amadeus.

Importantly, this will be the first summer where virtually all commercial airline passengers who encounter flight cancellations and significant delays will have the flexibility to change their plans without incurring a fee.

This month, Frontier and Spirit eliminated nearly all change and cancellation fees, which lets travelers modify flights without penalty. These moves bring these ultra-low-cost carriers (ULCCs) in line with the larger airlines, which got rid of most change fees during the pandemic (except for the cheapest, most restrictive tickets).

Customers of these discount carriers are well-versed in the trade-offs inherent in their business models. In exchange for dirt-cheap fares, they get a bare-bones experience and are nickel and dimed for literally everything else. In many cases, the litany of add-on fees for services like carry-on bags, checked bags and seat selection could often add up to more than $120 per person.

But there’s been a shift at Frontier Airlines, which just rolled out three fare bundles — economy, premium and business — to join its unbundled basic fare. While bundles aren’t new to Frontier, they now appear at the front of the booking process. What’s more, the no-frills carrier’s economy amenities now look a lot like the economy offerings of legacy carriers. Seats can be selected for free at booking. Carry-on bags used to cost $64 a pop; now they are now included in the fare. Children age 13 or under and an accompanying adult are seated together at no additional cost. Change fees and cancel fees are gone.

In response, Spirit Airlines, another ULCC, also dropped its change fees (formerly $69-119) and cancellation fees.

“This is the new Frontier, and we are committed to offering more than the lowest fares — we deliver the best price for all the options you want and customer support you need, when you need it,” Frontier CEO, Barry Biffle, said. “No gimmicks. Just really low prices and good customer service.” Frontier is also bringing back phone customer service after a rocky 18-month experiment of trying chat-only agents.

On the downside, Frontier’s cramped seating (euphemistically referred