Frontier Airlines overhauls its membership program for 2024 to one based on revenue spend instead of actual miles flown — with a new elite status tier that will supposedly be easier to achieve than the current elite status tiers, which all have new names for 2024…
Frontier Airlines Overhauls Membership Program For 2024
…and you can earn elite status for 2024 with a current promotion in which you can earn ten miles for every one dollar spent on Frontier Airlines, which includes flights and assigned seats, bags, bundles, and other ancillary products. This promotion is in addition to earning miles based on mileage flown; and is valid through Sunday, December 31, 2023.
The current elite status levels and benefits of the FRONTIER Miles membership program are as follows:
The elite status levels and benefits for 2024 of the FRONTIER Miles membership program are as follows:
Many new features have been added overall to the FRONTIER Miles membership program — including:
- Silver, which is a completely new tier of elite status that is purportedly easier to earn but has fewer benefits
- No change or cancellation fee at least seven days prior to departure for all travelers on one reservation
- Priority customer care, of which no explanation has been given as to exactly what that means at the time this article was written
- Zone 2, which is a new priority boarding for members with Silver elite status and Gold elite status
- Pet-in-cabin fee waiver for members with Platinum elite status and Diamond elite status
- Gifting of elite status
Existing features in the FRONTIER Miles membership program which have been enhanced include:
- Earning a minimum of:
- 10 miles per dollar instead of a minimum of one mile per mile flown for members with no elite status
- 12 miles per dollar for members with Silver elite status
- 14 miles per dollar instead of a minimum of one mile per mile flown for members with Gold elite status
- 16 miles per dollar instead of a minimum of 1.25 miles per mile flown for members with Platinum elite status
- 20 miles per dollar instead of a minimum of 1.5 miles per mile flown for members with Diamond elite status
- At no extra charge for all travelers on one reservation who travel with members with Platinum elite status:
- Carry one bag aboard the airplane
- Premium seat when checking in for the flight
- First checked bag
Final Boarding Call
I currently have elite status with Frontier Airlines. The percentage of upgrading to a premium seat is high; I am one of the first to board; I can choose a seat at no extra charge; I can carry a bag aboard the airplane at no extra charge; and I collect miles faster. When elite status works, it can be worth the cost — especially when attaining it at a discount…
…but keep in mind the following disadvantages of Frontier Airlines versus the legacy carriers in the United States:
- Customers have been known to pay extra if the bags which they are carrying aboard the airplane are considered oversized
- Frontier Airlines does not exactly have the best information technology system of the airlines
- The number of destinations which are served are significantly fewer overall
- The frequency of flights between destinations served by Frontier Airlines are usually not as frequent as with the legacy airlines
- Delays can be frequent and lengthy
- Scheduling of flights may not be ideal — and customers do not have much of a choice
- Redeeming miles for an award flight may cost almost as much money as simply paying for a revenue flight
Other potential disadvantages include more:
- People will qualify for a limited number of premium seats when checking in for the flight
- Pets may be aboard airplanes as well
- Elite members due to both the new Silver tier and new elite status gifting option
- Money will need to be spent to earn elite status, which can potentially be difficult when the base airfare for flights is as low as $19.00 and when a minimum of $10,000.00 is needed to be spent to achieve Silver elite status
We shall see in practice whether the changes to the FRONTIER Miles membership program are positive than negative overall — but no entity ever overhauls a membership program solely to benefit its members…
Photograph ©2021 by Brian Cohen.
