Cutting off flight check-in at 60 minutes prior to departure is punitive and will lead to airport chaos, harm against employees, and many angry passengers. On the other hand, it might be that Frontier Airlines has valid grounds for such a change to check-in cutoff…I just wish it would explain them.
Strict New Check-In Cutoff For Frontier Airlines May Be Reasonable, But Will Not End Well
Within broad regulatory confines, Frontier Airlines is free to enact whatever customer-unfriendly policies it wants. In other words, if it wants to dig it own grave it is welcome to.
But its announcement that it will cut off check-in at 60 minutes prior to departure as of August 16, 2023 strikes me as the sort of “solution” that will only make the problem worse. And yet I am not sure…and therefore my initial concern is more with the way Frontier has communicated this new policy than the policy itself.
Since checked baggage costs less than carry-on bags, many Frontier customers choose to check bags. Currently, you must check your bags in between two hours and 45 minutes prior to your flight. With the new policy, passengers must check-in (whcih can easily be done online) or check baggage (which of course cannot not be
Frontier Airlines gave no justification for its new policy.
https://twitter.com/FlyFrontier/status/1686540343771312128?s=20
First, let’s look at the potential upside to this.
It could be that there were simply too many passengers showing up at the last minute, creating a bottleneck that delayed flights or led to confrontation at check-in counters.
Futhemore, perhaps there was simply not enough time in some airports for people to drop their bags off and then proceed through a long security line in a timely fashion to make their flights (Denver comes to mind).
I suppose at certain line stations the 60-minute cutoff would allow the same agents to work the counter and then work the gate, which saves on labor costs. It is not unreasonable to want to reduce labor expenses in order to keep ticket prices low.
On the other hand, it could just as likely be that Frontier wants more people to miss their flights so they have to buy expensive new walk-up tickets. After all, the entire business model is based upon upselling airfare via ancillary fees. You may think that is far-fetched, but this is from the airline that has baggage sizers at airports that are smaller than the dimensions printed online.
Whether justified or not, I do not foresee this policy change ending well. Perhaps this new rule will not be strictly enforced, but if it is I expect to be covering a lot more incidents of naughty passengers at the Frontier Airlines check-in counter in the weeks ahead.
A Slew Of Lawsuits On The Horizon For Frontier Airlines
Frontier Airlines already faces a class action lawsuit for its airport baggage sizers, which apparently are smaller than the dimensions online.
Other lawsuits are on the horizon (such as the lack of availability for its unlimited flying passes) and this check-in issue could be one too, as it defies consumer expectations and could implicate contractual concerns if it is retroactively applied to tickets purchased before this annoumcenet.
I think the bottom line with Frontier Airlines is that you do have the possibility to save a lot of money if you travel with only a small personal item and bring your own food and drink onboard.
But if you want the full service experience like a carry-on and checked bags, there is a decent chance you will end up paying for for your all-in air travel than on a full-service legacy carrier.
CONCLUSION
Frontier Airlines is enacting a strict new 60-minute check-in and baggage cutoff later this month. It is not clear what prompted this policy change nor is yet clear if the change is reasonable.
But reasonable or not, I predict it will not end well for Frontier Airlines, with a lot of angry customers denied boarding at check-in for showing up 55 minutes early to drop their bag off.
How do you think the new Frontier Airlines check-in policy will work out?
> Read More: Couple “Bum-Rushed” Onto Frontier Airlines Flight, Refused To Get Off
image: Frontier Airlines
I agree this ends badly, put probably not until after current mgmt have got their payday.
Stuff like this is also a trigger for regulatory intervention
You have a choice to fly other airlines. If you chose to fly Frontier, and have agreed with their rules, there is nothing to be angry about.
AGREED
However, my bet is Frontier still really needs only a 45 minute cut-off and they are publicizing a 60 minute cut-off to give the check-in agents a 15 minute “grace” period.
It all depends on the implementation.
No one would ever voluntarily choose to fly Frontier .
The clueless do…because of price. Most regret it.
But there is a huge pool of clueless customers to choose from, which also keeps Allegiant in business.
How about the slower disabled passengers ?
What’s even better is that Frontier doesn’t typically open its counter until 2 hours before departure time. Plus known issues with their kiosks won’t print more than one bag tag per reservation – so have to see an agent. Other things like military bag waivers require an agent.
Frontier touts this as improving on time and getting people to TSA faster. But is it really? It’s more like they aren’t set up with staffing to handle expediting people as time approaches cut off. Plus per the DOT, if you are in line, you are on time. That line can be 200 people long but you’re on time if you entered it by cutoff. I fly Frontier with some regularity only for a nonstop at the right time that’s so cheap if it’s late or I change my mind I just don’t show up, but seldom see all the kiosks working at my home airport nor anybody working the lobby.
I posit this is Frontier giving itself insurance against poor staffing and pushing that to passengers getting to the airport even earlier before the counter opens. They are trying to scare people into showing up much earlier than even today since they can’t handle the line clean-up at cut-off.
I wasn’t aware of that DOT rule and I’ll keep it in mind if we arrive at an airport and there’s a long line to check-in and get a photo of us in line timestamped and emailed to ourselves with an email time header.
While I don’t like it, I also don’t see the big deal. You need to check in for international travel 60 mins prior.
The problem isn’t the 60-minute cutoff, it’s the fact that you’ve now compressed the check-in period to only an hour, because the counters don’t even open until 2 hours before departure. How exactly is this going to work? If I get to the airport super early, join the end of a 50-person queue a good 15 minutes before the counter even opens, and then can’t get served before the 60-minute cutoff, I’d be justifiably angry. You’re right, this isn’t going to end well.
Not until DOT investigates and comes down on Frontier for denying service to those who were on time (in line = on time) or for making it impossible to check in within the window.
When an airline is already dead last in customer service, it’s clear they don’t care how this will turn out. On the other hand for LALF, I predict many new posts about hostile encounters. ; )
Many people pick purely on cost and complain if they don’t receive luxury service. Even if they receive bad service next time they will still pick the low cost option.
Spirit may be the butt of all jokes but Frontier truly is the worst airline in America.
It’s all about staffing. I guarantee they’re trying to find a way to hire only one set of customer service contractors for check-in and the gate. D-60 will give them just enough time to sprint to the gate.
I just recently flew frontier July 31. Flight was canceled then had to rebook at 530 am. The only choice they gave me was to go Atlanta to Miami the to destinations Dallas. Should gave be a 2hr flight to a 5 hour flight. The return flight was I check In the say b4, Luke I should. That morning at 530 am my flight is canceled. Next flight was the next day. Un the mean time I book Dallas to Atlanta with American airlines noon flight. The next morning I was to fly out with frontier, August 8th. Frontier canceled again. Frontier airlines put passengers in a very bad situation. Me and my mom could have been stuck in airport for 2 days. If we had of waited. THS GO WILD PASS is a rip off.