A class-action lawsuit alleges that Frontier Airlines misleads customers with baggage fees and other “fraudulent and unwarranted charges” to appear as though it truly is an ultra-low-cost airline and that the airline engages in deceptive tactics to extract more money from its passengers.
Lawsuit Alleges Frontier Airlines Misleads Customers With Baggage Fees
Traveling with a bag that purportedly failed to fit inside the device which checks the dimensions of a bag at the check-in counter in Orlando International Airport, Amira Hamad was subsequently asked by an employee of Frontier Airlines to pay an additional $100.00 to check the bag. Hamad claims that the bag in question was within the dimension limits and weight limits that were published on the official Internet web site of Frontier Airlines but the device at that counter was purposely smaller.
In the class-action lawsuit which she filed, Hamad is currently seeking a total of $100,010,100.00:
- $100.00 as a refund of the baggage fee
- $10,000.00 for alleged violation of the Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act of Florida; and
- $100 million in punitive damages
As Case number 6:23-cv-01209 of the Orlando Division of the Middle District of Florida of the District Court of the United States, the allegation by Amira Hamad regarding Frontier Airlines, Incorporated, a Colorado Corporation, is as follows:
“FRONTIER is not a budget airline. FRONTIER does not have the lowest airfares. FRONTIER just breaks its fees into tiny little pieces and checkpoints to water down the appearance of what is actually an average airfare when combined and compared to the industry. Plaintiff brings this action, inter alia, to address misrepresentations and omissions committed by Defendant FRONTIER in connection with Defendant’s business operations. FRONTIER falsely misled the Plaintiff and numerous other consumers, and continues to mislead consumers, into believing that they are purchasing low airfare, when, in fact, FRONTIER makes up whatever discount it purports to give consumers in fraudulent and unwarranted charges. In some instances, a carry-on piece of luggage costs as much as four (4) times the cost of a checked bag. FRONTIER’s bait-and-switch and “gotcha” tactics are designed to confuse, trick, and trap consumers to the public’s detriment. As an example of this blatant arrogance, FRONTIER purports to allow one (1) “personal item” onboard “free” if it is no more than 14 inches tall, 18 inches wide, and 8 inches deep, but uses a measuring instrument at its gates that is drastically smaller than those dimensions, and charges consumers excessive fees to check items that do not fit inside the skewed bag sizer, even when the items are, undoubtedly, not in excess of those “personal item” dimensions that it advertises. FRONTIER even incentivizes its gatekeepers by providing them bonuses for each “personal item” that they charge at the gates. The actions and omissions of the Defendant constitute fraud, violate the Florida’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act and Consumer Protections Act, and are in material breach of the understandings between FRONTIER and the Plaintiff and similarly situated consumers.”
This case was first filed on Thursday, June 29, 2023; but interestingly, the deadline for Frontier Airlines, Incorporated to respond to the complaint was extended to include Monday, October 23, 2023. The deadline for the parties to file their case management report was extended to Friday, November 24, 2023.
Final Boarding Call
Although my personal experiences as a passenger with Frontier Airlines is limited, I have never had my baggage measured because I usually paid for one carry-on bag or had been upgraded to elite level status — of which an elite status match is currently active — but I have witnessed other passengers having the dimensions of their baggage strictly measured by employees of the airline.
Many people were pulled to the side and forced to pay for a carry-on bag — even if a mere strap suddenly fell out of place and suddenly “changed” the dimensions of the bag. At that point, those customers might have actually saved money if they booked their tickets with a legacy carrier.
Some passengers do routinely flout or ignore the rules and policies set forth by airlines and should pay if they are caught — but I would suspect that in many cases, the actual dimensions of each of the bags may be only slightly larger than what is stated by the airline. As law enforcement officers usually give up to nine miles per hour leeway to drivers who speed on roadways in motor vehicles, so should Frontier Airlines not nickel-and-dime their customers on such minutia, as that is usually no more than a “money grab”. If a passenger shows up with a bag that is significantly larger than what is allowed, then they should pay for that bag.
If Frontier Airlines advertised one set of the absolute minimum measurements allowed but significantly reduced those measurements at the time of boarding or checking in for the flight, that is clearly deceptive to me; and Frontier Airlines should therefore be punished to the fullest extent of the law. Customers do not deserve to be purposely deceived by companies with whom they conduct business.
All photographs ©2021 and ©2022 by Brian Cohen.
