Frontier Airlines baggage policies and fees

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Budget airline Frontier is known for being very picky — and pricey — when it comes to baggage. Not only will you pay for each bag (except a personal item), but the prices drastically increase if you decide to pay the fees at the airport rather than when you book. The Frontier baggage policy is also very strict when it comes to the size requirements for bags, and it won’t even let you bring a bag that’s over its size limits. Before your next trip, familiarize yourself with all of Frontier’s fees so you don’t get stuck paying too much. We’ll give you tips to lower your fees, and even show you how to minimize costs by simply using the right travel credit card.

Frontier airlines baggage policies

Frontier’s bag policies are fairly strict. For checked luggage, the dimensions can’t exceed 62” collectively. That means it can be whatever shape you want, but the length, width and height can’t exceed 62”. The weight also must be under 50 lbs., or you’ll pay a $75 fee. Frontier Airlines’ carry-on size is 24”x16”x10” so as to fit in the overhead bins, and they can’t be more than 35 lbs. You may also bring a personal item onto the plane, and those measurements can’t exceed 8”x18”x14” so it’ll fit under the seat in front of you. Pieces like baby needs, medical devices and prayer rugs may be brought in addition. Carry-on bags, as well as checked luggage, will cost a fee, but the good news is that by purchasing a carry-on bag for your flight, you’ll get Zone 1 boarding so you can get your bag into the overhead compartment.

Baggage fees

Everything beyond a personal item will cost you when you fly Frontier Airlines. Your personal item is free, but the cost of a carry-on starts around $37 and the Frontier checked bag fee starts around $32. Prices vary based on when you pay for your bags and what your flight route is, but here are the basics of what you need to know. The absolute cheapest option for baggage fees is to pay for them when you book the flight. Every missed opportunity to pay for them means you’re paying more and more, and paying at the airport will cost a pretty penny. The prices are also, of course, just for one way, so keep in mind you’ll most likely be paying these fees twice. Pay early. It’s also worth noting that if you bring a carry-on to the gate that is overweight or doesn’t meet the size restrictions, you’ll be forced to gate check it, which will cost the maximum fee of $60, so be careful. For a better breakdown of prices, check out the table below, but for an accurate price for your next trip, check Frontier’s price page. 

Frontier Airlines baggage fees for military

Active duty military with a Common Access Card are welcome to bring one personal item, one carry-on bag and two checked bags at no cost. This courtesy does not extend to military families or travel companions. While military bags must also adhere to baggage size guidelines, the oversize fee is waived for the first two checked bags.

Excessive baggage fees

Frontier Airlines restricts the size and weight of bags. Your bag size must fit both the dimension and weight allowance. Bags over 50 lbs. are subject to a $75 overweight baggage fee, and bags over 99 lbs. cannot fly at all.  Bags that are larger than the size allowance are also subject to an oversize fee. Again, checked bags must be under a cumulative 62” when you add up the length, width, and height. If you exceed the 62”, your bag is subject to a $75 fee. Bags cannot exceed 110” when all side measurements are added up. So to sum that up, if your bag is over 62” and weighs more than 50 lbs., you’ll be paying two extra fees of $75 each.

How to avoid some of the baggage fees

The good news about Frontier is that there are ways to avoid baggage fees—  or at the very least, pay a little less. Here are a few tips to save money when paying for bags.

• Pay early: The best strategy — the earlier you pay for your checked bags, the more money you’ll save. By paying for a carry-on or checked bag when you book your flight, you’re going to get the lowest possible cost. Even paying for the bag ahead of check-in will save you money. The longer the wait, the more you pay
• Book The Works: You can only book The Works bundle when you book your flight, but it will grant you a free carry-on and a free checked-bag (in addition to seat selection, priority boarding, and more). Depending on your route, this could — and most likely will — save you some money on what you would pay if you did everything separately
• Book The Perks: Similar to The Works, The Perks is another bundle deal that you can book even after your initial booking. It will also grant you a free carry-on and free checked bag, though not at as steep of a deal as The Works. However, this could still save you money over paying for the bags separately
• Use credit card benefits: Though Frontier Airlines offers its own credit card, it won’t necessarily help you bring down the cost of your bags (it accrues miles, but doesn’t offer waived bag fees), but there are plenty of other travel credit cards that will! Popular cards like the Bank of America®️ Premium Rewards®️ credit card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express all offer yearly credits toward flight incidentals (some with up to $300!), which includes baggage fees. If you have any of these cards — or other travel cards — check to see if you have a benefit that will cover the cost of your bags on Frontier. Read our post on ways to avoid checked baggage fees. The information for the Hilton Aspire card has been collected independently by Million Mile Secrets. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
• Ship your bags: This plan works especially well if you know you need to bring a lot of stuff with you and you’re staying somewhere awhile. You can ship your bags with a service like LugLess and you’ll most likely save money over checking the bags. Bonus: you won’t have to deal with your luggage throughout the airports and the trip, so that’s less stress

Bottom line

The most important piece of info to remember when it comes to Frontier’s baggage fees is that the earlier you pay, the less you pay. So if you must check a bag or bring a carry-on, pay for it when you book the flight. Otherwise, try to cut the cost down by using a travel credit card or one of the airlines’ bundle deals. If nothing else, you can just ship your bags and not deal with any of this at all.

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