Though Frontier Airlines might be known for unbundled flight fares, instead choosing to offer a la carte options like checked and carry-on bags and seats with more legroom as add-ons, the airline is jumping back into the bundling arena with a new option that charges a flat fee for certain extras.
Frontier’s new package is called the “WORKS”, and charges anywhere between an additional $49 and $69 each way: Customers who choose this option will get the power to receive a full refund on tickets canceled 24 hours prior to departure; no change fees (usually $99 each change); seat selection power, including Stretch and Exit Row options; one carry-on bag (typically up to $60); one checked bag (runs up to $30 normally) and priority boarding.
If there’s no room for your carry-on bag on the plane (which would be tough if you board in the first group as you should), there’s also a money-back guarantee.
“There are a lot of people that love the unbundled model, but there are still a lot of people that don’t understand it,” Frontier Airlines president Barry Biffle told USAToday. “Instead of trying to tell everybody, ‘This is good for you, you’re saving money and the fare is cheaper than before,’ the new [bundled] package gives us the option of bringing back the works.”
The a la carte options do add up, which makes the WORKS an attractive deal for people who want the little frills in a travel experience. As an example, a trip from New York’s LaGuardia Airport to Denver on Frontier with nonstop flights both ways between Sept. 18-20 costs a base fare of $268 (non-club price), but when the WORKS is added, it comes to $384. In that case, the per-way fee for extras would be $58.
Going a la carte, choosing a Stretch seat each way ($90 roundtrip), a checked bag and a carry-on bag both ways ($110 total), a traveler’s fare would come to $418 for that same flight. And if something came up, that ticket wouldn’t be refundable, or change fees would be applied for any last-minute switches.
