From Denver to Milwaukee I had a chance to fly on a brand new Frontier Airlines A321neo. While Frontier packs a lot of seats into this narrow-body aircraft and there were some antics on the flight, overall it was another smooth flight.
Frontier Airlines A321neo Review
Frontier received its latest Airbus A321neo in August 2023 and now has five in its fleet (with two more yet to be delivered). The aircraft seats a whopping 240 passengers onboard in an all-economy class configuration and is powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF engines.
After a 3.5-hour layover in Denver, mostly spent in the Capital One Lounge, I boarded my flight to Milwaukee. The gate agent was very pleasant and did not check the size of personal items very closely for those boarding in front of me (some with bags that were larger than the published 8 inches x 18 inches x 14 inches limit).
Frontier Airlines 434
Denver (DEN) – Milwaukee (MKE)
November 2023
Depart: 12:21 PM
Arrive: 03:46 PM
Duration: 02hr, 25min
Distance: 896 miles
Aircraft: Airbus A321neo
Seat: 35C
I found a pleasant woman already seated in the middle seat who had a ball of yarn. She was knitting socks and also had a book…a perfect, quiet seatmate.
Seat
Per aeroLOPA, you can expect the following legroom onboard:
- Rows 2 to 3 (designated “Stretch” seats): 32 inches
- Rows 4 to 17: 28.2 inches
- Rows 18 and 19 (“Stretch”): 35 inches
- Rows 20 to 28: 28.5 inches
- Rows 30 to 41 ABC: 27.8 inches
- Rows 30 to 40 DEF: 28.5 inches
So in my case, my 35C seat had the tightest legroom at only 27.8 inches. But I’ve got to admit, it did not feel so tight. The seats are so thin and there is no recline so I suppose that gives the illusion of more legroom.
Compared to the A320 I flew out to Denver on, the A321neo featured a tray table that was nearly double the size (still smaller than standard), which allowed me to open it and place my 15-inch laptop on during the flight.
There are no power plugs, USB ports, Wi-Fi, or any sort of in-flight-entertainment. Come prepared! There are air vents, at least.
Lavatory
Despite the 240 seats onboard, there are only three lavatories onboard, one in the front and two in the rear. In order to maximize space, the rear lavatories are located behind the crew jump seats. They are quite tight, though at least have the water pressure set in such a way that it does not splash all over.
Food + Drink
Water is complimentary, but all other snacks and beverages are available for purchase from the “Fly Bar.” Soft drinks, coffee, and tea are on the pricier side ($4.39), while snacks and alcohol are about on par with legacy carriers. Bundles are available.
For the fun of it, I ordered a “Griz snack pack” that included:
- smoked Gouda cheese
- Madi K roasted almonds
- Mario Savory pepper snack olives
- Wheat Thins crackers
- Toblerone chocolate
It cost $9.39. Hardly worthwhile for the junk food, but it was nice to have something to nibble on.
Service
Seats are tight and while I don’t think the aisle width is any narrower than Frontier’s competitors, there was a flight attendant who marched up and down the aisle with the following admonition:
“Watch your head, watch your shoulders, watch your knees, watch your legs. I’ve got wide hips y’all!”
She was a big woman, but so good-natured about it (and yes, she did bump me…I was seated on the aisle and wasn’t even sticking out).
Then came the in-flight announcement:
“Please keep the alcohol you brought onboard with you, including the minis, in your carry-on bag. You are not allowed to drink them during this flight.”
Right.
But overall the service was efficient and fine.
CONCLUSION
We landed about five minutes ahead of schedule in Milwaukee and quickly pulled up to the gate. Thus concludes my Frontier Airlines report: two flights, both smooth and on-time with decent service and no real drama.
I’m not going to ever go out of my way to fly Frontier, but when it is 1/7 the cost of a legacy carrier and I am traveling light, it really makes a lot of sense. I hope that Frontier finds profit in its future because I think the carrier is good for America and good for competition.
What a coincidence,had to make a one day run to Chicago.,pulled the trigger,Frontier going,Spirit back.I was given a window on Frontier,empty middle seat,no complaints.Spirit I was in the middle , uncomfortable seat (and clearly someone didn’t use a feminine deodorant spray).Frontier staff very helpful at MCO,Spirit easy kiosk check in at Ord.Money saved paid for $400 Amtrak roomette back from Fll to home base.
Thanks for another great review. The gradual transformation at DEN has been so interesting, in particular the new lounges. We’ve come a long way from cup ‘o noodles at the dark United Club spaces in a short time. Frontier’s transition from normal-ish regional carrier to bizarro extreme LCC has been equally interesting. I used to fly them for work but my company (and others) banned it due to the fees and regular delays/schedule changes. United has slowly and efficiently chipped away at both Frontier and Southwest at DEN – in my opinion for the better, but obviously that’s arguable.
I’m laughing. You actually did it. A review with a photo of a cup of water.
And the napkin was included too!
It has a nice clean minimalist style reflecting what I would expect from LCC. And hey for basic transportation that is just fine.
Last January I booked a flight from MIA to ATL for $19 on Frontier. No luggage, only a personal item. I was a little nervous at the gate wondering if I was actually going to board for that price, lol. The gate agent was eagle eyeing everyone’s luggage and some passengers had to pay up for oversized personal items. But my Matein backpack was well within specs so no problem. Had a great flight!
And we thought Greyhound had vanished from the face of the Earth. Cheap airline grabbing every penny. I’ll take the bus before i fly them.