Frontier Airlines will resume its seasonal service from Durango to Denver on May 16, but for customers, it may be a mixed bag.
Get ready to pay $25 online to carry on your bag if you bought an Economy ticket. Don’t pay ahead of time and need to do it at the counter? That’ll cost $35. Carrying it to the gate before paying will cost $50.
Frontier announced Monday it has “unbundled” its tickets from other services the airline offers. The move is designed to lower entry-level ticket prices – then charge fees for everything else.
Frontier’s strategy reduces base ticket prices by 12 percent on average for nonstop flights, airline officials said.
“They’re under new ownership, and they’re trying new and different things,” said Kip Turner, director of aviation at Durango-La Plata County Airport. “It doesn’t surprise me. It may be a good model for them – it may not be. We sort of have to wait and see how it unfolds, I think.”
Indigo Partners LLC purchased Frontier last year, and the airline began rolling out new fees, including for onboard beverages like soda.
“With an unbundled product, customers can save even more by choosing to pay for only the products that they want, allowing them to customize their flight experience for each and every flight,” David Siegel, Frontier’s CEO, said in a news release.
Customers also can choose a Classic Plus ticket, a more traditional airline fare that includes one checked bag, one carry-on bag and extra legroom.
Frontier previously charged a fee only for carry-on bags to people who booked the cheapest tickets through third-party sites such as Expedia and Orbitz. Monday’s change applies to everybody except those booking the most expensive fares.
The fares took effect Monday. Tickets purchased before Monday are not affected.
The seasonal route from Durango went on hiatus beginning Oct. 29.
Frontier tallied only 29,148 enplanements at Durango’s airport in 2013, amounting to 15 percent of the airport’s total traffic. United Airlines has a much larger presence in Durango.
Frontier is following a model pioneered by ultra-low-cost carriers such as Spirit Airlines.
Public reaction to the pricing announcement was mixed.
“About time,” said one Twitter user, identified as Kirk Wentzel. “Maybe people will stop trying to bring their entire house onboard.”
Another Twitter user, identified as Flo Patterson, asked, “When are the airlines going to charge me for carrying my purse? What about my false teeth?”
Frontier spokeswoman Kate O’Malley acknowledged it will take customers time to get used to the pricing model, which encourages passengers to pay for their carry-on bags from home before arriving at the airport.
“We’re working to educate our customers on the new way to fly with Frontier,” she said. “It’s something different, but we’re really allowing customers to choose what they want and pay for only what they use.”
cslothower@durangoherald.com
At a glanceNew Frontier fees
Carry-on baggage fees for Economy tickets
$25 to $50 depending on time of purchase
Personal items under the seat: Free
Checked bags
$15-75 depending on ticket level, time of purchase and number of bags
Seat placement
$5-15 for a seat in the front half of the plane
$15-50 for more legroom or the exit row (passengers on connecting flights must pay twice)
Standard seat fees for Economy tickets
Ticket booked on FlyFrontier.com: $3
At check-in (Internet, kiosk or airport): Economy: $8
Frontier chooses your seat: Free. Customers who bought multiple seats will be assigned seats together only if there are enough seats to accommodate that.
Source: Frontier Airlines
