Different? Yes!!
Written: Jun 19 '06 (Updated Jan 13 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: New, clean planes; friendly, accommodating personnel; low, low fares.
Cons: Not many nonstops, unless you're flying to Denver, Frontier's hub.
The Bottom Line: I can feel good about recommending this airline. A whole different kind of animal indeed!!
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| faichick's Full Review: Frontier Airlines |
PLEASE SEE AN UPDATE TO THIS REVIEW AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.
ORIGINAL REVIEW POSTED JUNE 2006
I flew Frontier two times in the past six months, both times LAX to Denver.
I must confess, I was initially a little reluctant to fly Frontier as I wasn't really familiar with them, but would see their flights on Expedia and noted they were always the lowest priced option. I guess you could say I appreciate a good airfare, but don't want to "fly" with a "cheap" or unknown airline.
That said, the fares on Frontier LAX to Denver were priced so much lower than all other carriers at the time ($175 vs $400+), I had to give them a shot, and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised.
Frontier's fleet is comprised of new Airbus planes that are clean and seem to have a bit more leg room than some of the other airlines (compare to United and American).
I was also impressed with Frontier's personnel. The young man I encountered on the phone when I called with a special request (for a wheelchair to be brought onto the plane) was pleasant and helpful.
In the air, Frontier's in-flight personnel were friendly, accommodating, and fun, infusing their in-flight messages with a healthy dose of humor that results in one actually wanting to listen to the in-flight messages.
Another thing about Frontier that I really enjoy is that they offer Direct TV service ($5 charge) at each seat. If you don't want to spend the $5 for this service, the TV monitor displays a flight map showing the current location of the aircraft, airspeed, altitude, and other info.
The Frontier flights both departed on time and arrived on time or early, and their baggage handling seemed to be most efficient. This may be an element of Frontier's location in the DEN airport, which I believe places them in closer proximity to the baggage carousels and thus, enables them to get the bags out in record time. Literally, in the time it took to walk from the gate to the bag claim area, the bags were waiting on the carousel.
We did encounter two small problems, but they were not deal breakers. One had to do with my wheelchair, which is likely not a factor with most travelers. Frontier (on their website) states that they reserve room for one wheelchair onboard the plane and all others will be stowed in the luggage hold, and this is decided on a first come-first served basis. In fact, when I arrived early for the flight so I would be the first with a wheelchair, thus ensuring I could bring my chair on the plane, I was told the flight was sold out and they may have to stow my chair in the luggage hold. My position on this is that if your published rules state one chair can go on the plane, and if this requires an empty seat be available for that purpose, then they should not sell that seat under any circumstances. Just my opinion. As it turned out, they brought my chair on board, so no harm, no foul.
The other small problem was also not a deal breaker, but more of a lesson learned really. My friends and I checked our luggage curbside in Denver for the return flight. We were the only people at the counter at the time we checked our bags, so when the man handed us our tickets, we took them and headed into the terminal. It was only when we got to the security checkpoint that we realized the ticket I was holding had somebody elses name on it (lesson learned, always make sure the baggage handler has handed back your ticket and not someone elses). We were mildly annoyed to have to return to the Frontier ticket counter, but found the problem quickly resolved by a helpful Frontier ticket agent, so again, no harm, no foul.
If you're considering flying Frontier, a few things to keep in mind. Frontier is based in Denver, so many of their flights connect in Denver. You'll find a nice variety of flights to Denver, but not so many nonstops to other destinations. That said, their fares to most destinations are lower than many of the other carriers, so if you're not married to the idea of a nonstop flight, it may be worth a connection to get the lower fare and a more comfortable flight.
Frontier bills themselves as "a whole different kind of animal", with the idea being to offer no-frills service in exchange for cheaper airfares. I find this interesting because what they consider to be "no-frills" is nothing less than what the other airlines are offering.
Bottom line, I can feel good about recommending this airline.
UPDATE 1/13/07
Since writing the above review, I've had the pleasure of flying with Frontier on two more occasions so wanted to add a short update. Simply put, my opinion of this airline gets better with every experience.
As a frequent traveler to Colorado, I generally fly Frontier's LAX to Denver route. Frontier offers a nice variety of daily flights from LA to Denver and Denver to LA. Booked in advance, it's not unusual to find fares under $200 roundtrip, with last minute fares that won't break the bank.
What impresses me most about this airline is the friendly, helpful service. As someone who is physically challenged (my travel to Colorado is for medical purposes), the courtesy and kindness of the Frontier employees is invaluable. They have accommodated my seating needs (something United has flatly refused to do), have offered me ice packs and extra beverages, generally check on me during the flight (something I do not expect, but have greatly appreciated), and do it all with a friendly smile and have never once seemed put out by me (which has not been my experience with other airlines -- see my review on United). Having had some fairly bad experiences with United and TED, I have come to expect very little from the airlines in regard to traveling with physical limitations. Frontier puts the other airlines to shame. I look forward to flying them to Mexico once I'm well again.
With a combination of low fares and friendly service, Frontier has easily become my favorite airline. All the other carriers could learn a few things from Frontier's example.
FRONTIER AIRLINES... A WHOLE DIFFERENT KIND OF ANIMAL INDEED!!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
faichick
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Location: Los Angeles, CA -- USA
Reviews written: 20
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Reality TV addict, internet junkie, and great lover of films of most genres.
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