Frontier updates pricing bundles, removes cancel/change fees from most fares

Frontier Airlines made some changes this week which, on the face of it, appear to be positive. Not only have they revamped their bundle packages and how they’re priced, but they’ve also eliminated change and cancel fees for most of their fares.

As you can see above, when booking a flight you’ll get to choose either a Basic Fare or one of three bundles. Based on a few searches I’ve run, it seems like the Economy Bundle consistently prices out $30 more expensive than a Basic Fare. Considering the add-ons you get for that $30 include a carry-on bag, the ability to choose your seat and no cancel or change fees, that seems reasonably priced – especially considering their Basic Fares tend to be far lower than other carriers in the first place.

Premium Bundles seem to cost $10-$20 more than Economy Bundles. That’s not necessarily a bad trade-off seeing as you’ll get access to extra legroom seats and the ability to board first, thereby helping ensure you get space in the overhead bins for a carry-on.

The Business Bundle costs $50-$60 more than the Premium Bundle, or $100 more than a Basic Fare. For that additional cost, you get two checked bags, UpFront Plus seating and an empty middle seat. If you need to check one or two bags and don’t get a free checked bag with other airlines courtesy of status and/or a cobranded credit card, that $100 premium over a Basic Fare could still cost less than an equivalent flight with other airlines, while also providing a more comfortable seat for your journey than you’d be entitled to otherwise.

With the Business Bundle, I am a little surprised though that they’re not including a free drink and a snack with the package. I can’t imagine that including a soda and a bag of chips would add a tremendous amount to the underlying cost, but perhaps they’re hoping customers will feel they got such a good deal on their flight that they won’t mind splashing out on something to eat and/or drink.

It’s also interesting that with the three bundles you’ll get the ability to change or cancel your flight and not be charged a fee for the privilege of doing so. That’s a surprising – and customer friendly – development for a ULCC (Ultra Low Cost Carrier).

I’ve tended to ignore Frontier in flight search results in the past, because it’s always felt that while they have low fares, by the time you’ve added a carry-on and/or a checked bag and assigned seating, the pricing has no longer been a screaming deal. These new bundles have me reevaluating that, so I’ll definitely be considering them in the future if the price is right.

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