Thoughts on flying Frontier (esp out of Trenton NJ?)

[Angeliki19]

Hi! I have heard mixed reviews about Frontier (cancellations, delays, etc.- all pre-Covid) but I am tempted to book it for my next trip. I am trying to take an early morning flight and getting to Trenton is much easier then Philly at that time of day. But I am scared of some horror stories I have heard. Can anyone share any experiences?

 

[Best Aunt]

I just spoke to someone who used them last month and was happy.

But she said she had been concerned because Frontier only flies out of her airport a few days a week. So if their flight have been cancelled, it would not have been easy to get on another convenient flight with that airline.

 

[Pooh2]

My son and his pregnant wife sat in an airport with a toddler for nearly 24 hours of delays, then finally a cancellation (citing mechanical issues).
Frontier refunded their money for that portion of the flight but did nothing to help their passengers rebook with another airline.

Everyone from that plane lined up at the Jetblue counter and my son was able to get his family the last three seats for a late night flight at 4 times the price of the Frontier seats that had been booked months ahead.

They missed their first day and a half of their disney trip with us.
He called it a loss on the return tickets on Frontier (they refused to refund that portion) and rebooked on Jetblue so they would not have to go through that stress again.
He said he would not fly with them again if the tickets were free!

 

[sam_gordon]

If everything goes fine, everything will be fine. However, most low cost carriers don't have the infrastructure in place to easily "pivot" when things go bad. Traditional airlines can possibly get you on the next flight, or possibly bring in another plane, or be able to "fix" whatever is wrong (obviously weather can't be "fixed").

I have never flown Frontier (the only LCC I have is Allegiant and there was a 3-4 hour delay on my return flight... NOT weather related), so take that for what it's worth.

 

[YachtClubWoman]

Frontier is the one airline I will never fly with again
Uncomfortable seats
Small tray table
Nickel and diming - payment required for a can of soda

 

[Lewisc]

Frontier is the one airline I will never fly with again
Uncomfortable seats
Small tray table
Nickel and diming - payment required for a can of soda

Those are known "features " of flying with a ULCC. For a short flight you can live with them.

You'll pay for a bin bag. An extra $50 charge if your checked bag weighs between 41 and 50 lbs.

The big issue. Frontier will not book you on another carrier. If your flight is cancelled you can accept a refund or wait until the next Frontier flight with available seats. From Trenton, at best a flight which lands late the same night or next day.
Are there other airlines out of Trenton? Would you drive to PHL? Cancel your trip? Book a R/T not 2 one ways, if you want to give it a shot.

 

[a1tinkfans]

My friend was literally notified that she was canceled ON her way to the airport. Not worth the cost nor the risk imho.

 

[Tomaso12]

I have. When it works; can't be beat. You theoretically can go from your car to the plane in a few minutes and vice versa. Terminal is small, but enough seating for a plane load, there's a small "cafe/bar". Its basically your local municipal airport that flying A320's out of.

 

[Lewisc]

A hint. Your plane is coming from West Palm Beach the night before. If the flight from West Palm Beach the night before is canceled there is a high probability, close to 100%, your flight will be canceled. Stay on top of it.
Go to flightaware.com Put in your flight number. Click on where is my plane now.

The airline would be out of business if it was as bad as some us would have you believe.

Some posters book a back up flight on SW using points.

 

[Lewisc]

Frontier tells you to get to the gate 15 minutes before departure. First flight of the day. Good chance the doors will close 15 prior to departure. You'll be in the air at your scheduled departure time

 

[_19disnA]

Have used Frontier on several flights in the past. Never had any issues and they seem to be a well-run airline. With other budget airlines, it always seems like the have no idea what they are doing or gate attendants don't show up on time, so boarding is always late. I think with many online reviews, you get the people who had a bad experience and then they post on every site they can find to complain about whatever went wrong.

Even with the major airlines, I always bring my own beverage/food/snacks with me since most of them offer a tiny bag of peanuts or pretzels or 'meals' I don't find appealing. If going on any long flight, a better plan is to eat in the boarding area before the flight departs.

 

[Angeliki19]

I have. When it works; can't be beat. You theoretically can go from your car to the plane in a few minutes and vice versa. Terminal is small, but enough seating for a plane load, there's a small "cafe/bar". Its basically your local municipal airport that flying A320's out of.

It's so tempting! It's only me (DH and kids staying home as this is a mom's only getaway) and to get dropped off it would be SO much easier at Trenton then Philly. But I am already arriving a day later than my other companions and if I got delayed or cancelled I would be crushed.

 

[Angeliki19]

Frontier is the one airline I will never fly with again
Uncomfortable seats
Small tray table
Nickel and diming - payment required for a can of soda

Thankfully this trip is only me (not the whole family), so I am not worried about being uncomfortable or food. I just want to know I am going to get to MCO when I think I am!

 

[sam_gordon]

I just want to know I am going to get to MCO when I think I am!

There's no guarantee on that with ANY airline.

 

[Lewisc]

There's no guarantee on that with ANY airline.

With "real" airlines you have a shot of getting to your destination same day if your flight is canceled, assuming not weather issues.
ULCC, if you're lucky, a few days.

 

[lorilori]

We fly fairly often Charlotte to Trenton as well as Charlotte to Orlando on Frontier, just can't beat the price. We've had a few delays, nothing major. Like others have said, there are definitely more comfortable planes but the ease of NOT having to fly into Philly or Newark works for us.

 

[Brocktoon]

If everything goes fine, everything will be fine. However, most low cost carriers don't have the infrastructure in place to easily "pivot" when things go bad. Traditional airlines can possibly get you on the next flight, or possibly bring in another plane, or be able to "fix" whatever is wrong (obviously weather can't be "fixed").

That's the key point!

I live in the Philly 'burbs and Trenton-Mercer is much closer than PHL, but I just can't bring myself to rolling the dice with Frontier out of Trenton. Currently if something happens with the morning flight there may be one more chance 12 hours later but that's about it.

Prices out of PHL are getting insane though

 

[Usty]

I've flown Frontier a bunch pre-pandemic out of Trenton, Newark and (mostly) Philly, this isn't a comment on Frontier - you know what you get with any ULCC - but the airports in general.

When Trenton goes smoothly, it's a great experience - super small airport, easy security and you're on your way. If there's a danger of bad weather (meaning your plane may not make it the night before) then your odds of being impacted are huge for delay or cancellation and you have no other options. You can look the night before because Trenton has restricted hours for planes - I believe the last flight is supposed to land by 11pm and can't take off again until 6AM.

We once had a 14 hour delay in Trenton because our plane didn't make it overnight, then by the time they got another crew up to us, they had timed out. Our 6AM flight turned into an 8PM departure - and we were lucky - the other flights that morning were all canceled.

When I had a bunch of $$ tied up in my hotel bookings, I made sure to use them out of Philly and go early morning. Never had an issue there but if they did, I'd at least be able to spend $ and get to my destination on another airline regardless of cost.

 

[lynnfitz]

Used them in Jan from a small airport in NY (Stewart in Newburgh) no problems at all. Past few years we've flown Jet Blue, and have had horrific delays flying down to MCO. Once they bused us from Stewart to Newark. Jet Blue has been so bad for us, that we had nothing to loose flying Frontier, all went well!

 

[EACarlson]

My son and his pregnant wife sat in an airport with a toddler for nearly 24 hours of delays, then finally a cancellation (citing mechanical issues).
Frontier refunded their money for that portion of the flight but did nothing to help their passengers rebook with another airline.

Everyone from that plane lined up at the Jetblue counter and my son was able to get his family the last three seats for a late night flight at 4 times the price of the Frontier seats that had been booked months ahead.

They missed their first day and a half of their disney trip with us.
He called it a loss on the return tickets on Frontier (they refused to refund that portion) and rebooked on Jetblue so they would not have to go through that stress again.
He said he would not fly with them again if the tickets were free!

If this was a roundtrip ticket than it should be a DOT complaint. By law when a carrier cancels a flight they are required to refund the entire ticket, not just one direction.

The big issue. Frontier will not book you on another carrier. If your flight is cancelled you can accept a refund or wait until the next Frontier flight with available seats.

Neither with Southwest, I believe JetBlue will only interline with American. Are you going to not fly those two airlines for the same reason?

Personally I won't fly any of the ULCC's to somewhere it really matters if and when I get there. I want options if things go sideways. For a purely pleasure trip, I would consider them.