I've had more than 20 credit cards for several years now, and I take great care to maximize each one. Whether I'm transferring rewards to valuable partners, getting a jump start on elite status or leveraging free night certificates, I get thousands of dollars of value from these cards every single year.
But recently, I applied for a new credit card that I never really considered, and it's already punching well above its weight class.
Here's why the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard® became the newest credit card in my wallet — and why it may stay there for a long time.
The information for the Frontier Airlines Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
I'm a sucker for a solid welcome bonus on a travel credit card, and the Frontier Airlines Mastercard definitely has one. New cardholders can earn 50,000 miles after spending $500 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full within 90 days of account opening.
No, it's not going to get me a business-class flight to Europe, but based on TPG's October 2024 valuations, it's still worth $550. It's also among the easiest welcome bonuses to earn thanks to the reasonable spending requirement.
I earned these 50,000 miles in the first month of card membership, and I promptly put them to good use.
I'm traveling to New Orleans in February for Mardi Gras, and there was a perfectly timed return flight on Frontier from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) to Orlando International Airport (MCO). This would've been $133.98 per person, but the award flight was just 10,000 miles (plus the $5.60 U.S. passenger security fee). That gave me a value of 1.34 cents per mile.
Now, it's worth noting that this redemption is for Frontier's basic fare, which includes just the flight and no extras. Thankfully, I can avoid many of those added costs with another part of the card's current offer.
Related: Ultimate guide to Frontier Miles
Beyond the bonus miles, the Frontier Airlines Mastercard is currently offering instant Elite Gold status after the first purchase with your card in the first 90 days after account opening. This status will be valid for just 90 days after your account opening date, but you can extend it for a full 12 months by spending $3,000 in the first 90 days.
So naturally, that's exactly what I did.
Gold status on Frontier can effectively turn your basic fare into a more flexible ticket with many additional inclusions. Here's a snapshot of what I will get on every Frontier flight I take through August 2025:
To give you an idea of how valuable this can be, my one-way flight from New Orleans to Orlando has the Economy Bundle available for an
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