It’s never a good idea to show up at the ticket counter without preparing your luggage properly for a flight. The headache that comes on when you have to pay extra because your carry-on went way over the maximum weight limit isn’t worth it. That’s a world of extra worry when you simply want to get on that flight, especially if you have a child with you.
Then, if we are talking about Frontier, they do have a reputation for being stricter than others. The carry-on size they charge is no joke and if we count the fees for each lb added, you really do have to be careful before packing. Let’s take a look at the carry-on size rules for an easy, relaxed flight.
Frontier Carry-on Size
Frontier charges a hefty amount for a carry-on bag. You are only allowed one on the flight and if the overweight baggage limit is exceeded by any means, the charges are added for each pound that is overweight.
As such, remember that the carry-on weight limit is 35 pounds. You would have no choice but to pay more if it exceeds that. The length should be about 16 inches at most. For the width, it can be somewhere around 10 inches while the height should never be more than 24 height. These dimensions take into account the straps, handles, and wheels of the bag.
Where can you keep the bag? You can either find a slot for the bag in the overhead compartment or keep it somewhere under the seat in front.
For carry-on bags, most people tend to choose a duffle bag or a giant backpack with plenty of small compartments inside. In some cases, people choose a wheeled bag that is small enough in size to still fit beneath the seat.
Frontier Carry-on Bag Fees
Several factors affect the baggage fees you have to pay for your carry-on. The fees also depend on the route your flight would be taking. Still, if you were to pay for carry-on bags right when you are booking, the price range tends to be somewhere around $37 to $39.
Then, if you do so online, you have to do it before the 24-hour window of the flight departure time. Then, you have to pay about $42 in most cases. Web check-in is also in the same range, about $43. Booking from the call center can cost $25 if you purchase it close to when you first brought the flight ticket. The more you put it off, the higher the rate gets, reaching $55.
At the airport ticket counter, your carry-on bag will cost $55. If you happen to do it at the gate, then the cost won’t be below $60. For a short route, it might be $50.
Frontier offers Summit and Ascent pass as well as Classic Plus. These are all premium membership passes that you have to purchase. Since you are paying for an intimate relationship with the airlines, you are forgiven for the cost of the carry-on bag.
Frontier Airlines Personal Item Size
Unlike lots of Airlines that are a little slack on the personal item size, Frontier is serious about having proper limits on it. This means the space a personal item can take is about 14 inches or 35 cm in height. The length should never be more than 8 inches or 20 cm and as for the width, it should be somewhere around 18 inches or 45 cm.
On the bag sizer, there is a separate place for a personal item. Your one has to fit in completely within that. Now, you might ask what counts under Frontier personal item size?
For most people, this usually means the backpack of their kids, tote bag or purse, something briefcase or laptop bag. It could easily be diaper bags too. Then, if you actually have your infant with you, the diaper bag comes under another free-of-charge item you can carry along with your personal item.
If you have a CPAP device, some sort of support equipment, or crutches, you can add those as free items you can carry while you still get to keep another personal item.
Here is something to remember when it comes to Frontier personal item size. Compared to other airlines, both carry-on and a personal item isn’t free of charge. If the carry-on is full-sized, you have to pay a fee for it. If the carry-on exceeds the size limit, then additional charges are placed. This is not the case with personal items, which are completely free.
This leads to more emphasis being placed on the size limit on personal items. To save yourself the headache of paying extra fees for going over the size limit and having to turn it in for checked bags or actually leaving your personal item at the airport, it is better if you stick to the rules.
If your personal item passes the size limit even by a little, you should not have any plans of risking it. Frontier is extremely strict and since there is the matter of paying for full-size carry-ons, there is an even bigger ruckus made over personal items.
You are also allowed to carry gels and liquids as personal items. However, the container in which you keep them has to be under 100 ml. The bag you carry the liquid in has to be transparent and again, fit in the personal item size limit rules.
Frontier Checked Baggage Fees And Size
For checked baggage, anything other than 62 linear inches is a resounding no from Frontier. Linear inches mean they are counting the height, width, and breadth in it. The maximum weight must never go past 50 pounds either. If the bag weighs more than 100 pounds, the overweight baggage would not be accepted at all. If the bag has more than 110 linear inches, you will basically have to leave it at the airport or forget the flight altogether.
For those that exceed 50 pounds, a charge of $75 is added to the pre-existing checked baggage fees. You have to pay a separate $75 if the bag is bigger than the size limit too. In general, it is better to pay the baggage fee when you are buying tickets. You can use your credit card to pay. You at least save 50 percent this way, considering the fees only get higher close to the departure date.
Frontier Free Item Allowance
There are items that Frontier does not charge any fee for. Other than your personal item and carry-on, you can bring these items on board with you. Instead of having a size limit on these items, the allowance mostly depends on whether there is enough space on the aircraft and would it fit in the aircraft’s storage area. Some other items can be kept with you at all times and you would not be charged in any way for them.
Child Restraint Seat
If you don’t purchase a seat for yourself and your child, Frontier usually assigns a seat for you free of cost. In some cases, it can lead to families being separated. However, if you have an infant with you and a child restraint seat, it is better you purchase a seat for yourself beforehand. You would also have to purchase the seat beside you, where you can strap in the child restraint seat. However, booster seats can only be used during the flight and not when the flight is taking off or landing.
You can use a harness or FAA-approved car seat for your child the whole time. If your child is younger than two, then you do not need to purchase a seat at all if you do not wish to do so. Your child can travel in your lap and you would be allowed to bring a diaper bag on the airplane without any extra fee.
Stroller
Stroller, while it can be brought on the flight without any charge, has to be under checked bags. The same rule applies for a car seat unless the car seat is accompanied by an infant who will use it on the flight.
The stroller itself can be used around the airport. At the gate, one of the Frontier agents will check it. Then, when you arrive at your destination, another agent will bring the stroller back to you so you can make use of it around the landing airport.
A Wrap Of Any Kind
This could be a coat or a jacket. Anything that you can have on your body. In this case, we advise wearing something with lots of tiny pockets. You would be able to carry some small items this way. It should not be a purse or anything but if you want to keep a lip balm in your coat pocket, no one should pose any objections.
Support Equipment
If there is a person who has special needs and support equipment or assistive item is required to keep them safe during the flight, the airline won’t ask for any charge for it. Only, there should be enough proof to show the person actually needs it. The item can be brought in addition to the personal item and the carry-on bag.
CPAP Device
This falls under support equipment in some way. A portable oxygen concentrator or something similar can be brought on board as long as the passenger has adequate files and permissions to prove they need it. The person would also have to inform the airline hours before the flight since making last-minute arrangements becomes a hassle for Frontier.
Also, any device with an oxygen cylinder should have an empty canister. The valve also has to be disassembled before being brought on the airplane. The dimensions stated by Frontier can not be exceeded in this case. The airplane does not also come with electric power.
Books
Books or any other kind of reading documents can be taken with you along with the personal item and carry-on. However, it has to be a reasonable amount and not so many that you end up causing problems on where to fit those. For example, two paperbacks would not be turned away at the gate. If you have 4 heavy hardcovers though, they might ask you to leave those behind or keep them inside the larger baggage.
A Rug
There are certain religions that need to use a rug while praying. Frontier won’t ever stop you if you have a rug with you for that purpose and it will be free to bring on the flight. However, it can be 3 x 2 inches at most.
Braces
Cane, braces, or other similar material can be brought on the aircraft. Again, no one should charge you anything for it. This is also an assistive device in some way and it should not be a problem as long as you keep it away from other passengers.
Food
Frontier does not ask you to buy the airplane’s meals if you don’t wish to do so at all. You can bring food directly from your home or buy something from the airport and bring it to the airport. You won’t be charged anything in both instances by Frontier. It is not a replacement for your personal item at all and can be brought in addition to it.
Frontier Pet Policy For Carry-On
Frontier certainly does not let you transport your pets as checked baggage. That leaves us with carry-on. In the US, Frontier allows passengers to bring their pets on the plane with them. Usually, these pets are small. Maybe a hamster, rabbit, or guinea pig. Dogs and cats are also allowed in both domestic and international capability.
Here is the catch. You should have a pet carrier with you to keep your pet in and it should have a well-oiled ventilation system. The carrier should not be more than 9 inches in length, 14 inches in height, and 18 inches in width. For a single trip, the pet carry-on fee is $ 99.
Frontier Prohibited Items
Similar to all airlines, certain items are prohibited to be brought on the airplane, regardless of whether they fit in the carry-on, a personal item, or checked baggage fees size limit. Especially for carry-on bags, there are some rules the airlines have to follow legally. Transportation Security Administration discourages any item that can cause a panic or safety issue in the aircraft. The item could be explosive or an item that seems everyday, innocent material but could somehow be a threat.
An example would be a highly magnetized item that could interfere with the airplane’s devices. Let’s see what TSA has on its list. Sometimes, these items can be banned from carry-on bags but can be passed as checked luggage with proper labeling.
Insecticide
You should never have insecticide in your carry-on. However, you can pass it through the checked baggage box if you label it properly as HAZMAT. The HAZMAT here stands for Hazardous material.
Beverages with Alcohol In Them
If you have a quart-sized bag with you, a small bottle with alcohol content can be kept in the bag as long as the fitting is snug. The alcoholic percentage you can bring on the aircraft has to be under 70 percent.
Volatile Substance Of Any Kind
For carry-on, you can not bring ammunition of any kind. Volatile substances of any kind or anything that can be used to harm any of the passengers would not be allowed inside the carry-on bag. For baggage, complying with the airline’s laws, you might get permission to pay checked baggage fees for those items and let them be transported that way.
Sharp Objects
Something like a box cutter can’t be checked in as a carry-on. You can get it transported as checked baggage. However, remember to wrap the box cutter securely enough that any of the personnel handling it should not receive injury of any kind.
On the other hand, something like needles for knitting can be taken as a carry-on. Again, it has to be secured enough to not cause harm to any passenger.
Baseball Bat
This applies to any kind of potentially dangerous sports equipment in general. Anything that can be used to hit someone, this means clubs or baseball bats, would not be allowed as carry-on. You can easily list it under checked luggage.
Bicycle
While lots of airlines prohibit bicycles completely, that is not the case with Frontier. You can even check it as carry-on or luggage as long as you are willing to pay the checked baggage fees.
Frontier Military Member Exemptions
Military members who are on active duty get to enjoy some exemptions for their service. This includes being able to have one personal item, one free carry-on bag, and two checked bags for free.
Up to two overweight baggage and size than the standard limit can be passed under the first two checked bags and allowed for free.
For military members, they can not check-in the bag online if they want the bag entry to be free. They would have to do it at the airport. Additionally, these exemptions are only for the member who is on active duty. This does not extend to their family.
However, if a military personnel chooses to check-in a free carry-on bag under their name instead of their spouse, it should not be a problem.
Frontier Check-in
Frontier allows its passengers several facilities and ways to check in. This allows for a smoother, worry-free journey.
The online check-in window opens about 24 hours from the flight departure time. Then, it stops about 1 hour from the actual departure time. In the check-in window, you can see your entire schedule, get the options to purchase your bag check-ins and seats if you want, and also get your boarding pass printed at that time. For your bags, it would be better to check-in online since the airport carry-on and baggage check-in are much more costly.
Frontier happens to have a mobile app that can be downloaded for Android and iOS. From there, you can get your mobile boarding pass. If you don’t have to check-in any bag, your mobile pass allows you to forgo the line and show up directly at the gate.
There are lots of self-service check-in sections available from Frontier, depending on the airport. You can use your confirmation email, the code, ID, passport, and credit card information to check your itinerary, purchase checked baggage, or carry-on baggage. You can also get your boarding pass printed and get your seating upgraded.
You should have 2 hours in hand before your flight if you want a smooth departure. There is the matter of having your boarding pass printed, carrying your credit card, and checking in all your luggage and carry-on bag. You want to arrive at the gate with some time left in your hand so you can settle in for your flight.
If someone requires a wheelchair, make sure to add special services when you are booking your flight. After you reach the airport, you can inform the ticket counter of your requested service. The wheelchair would be brought to you. Then, when you are boarding, if you have any support device that has to be checked-in, please make sure the device has appropriate identification added to it.
There is also the matter of cut-off time. For domestic flights, baggage has to be checked-in 45 minutes prior. For international flights, the rule is 60 minutes.
You should be present at the gate 30 minutes from departure time.
Hopefully, you will have a smooth, easy journey.
I’m new to flying. Need clear instructions about rules for luggage, and any other info that would be helpful.
Thank you, Dale