Flying on Frontier Airlines is painful and expensive

On Monday I finished my business meeting early and decided to jump on a non-stop flight home from Las Vegas to Omaha on Frontier Airlines. I found a cheap one-way airfare of $169 so I made the reservation and headed to the airport. I had not flown on Frontier for at least 10 years but was quickly reminded why I have avoided them like the plague. After paying $69 for a carry-on and $75 for a seat assignment my blood pressure rose to the height of Mt Everest. That was only the beginning. They were going to charge me $25 to print out a boarding pass so I was forced to download their app. At the gate I learned they would charge anyone $100 if they did not pay for their carry-on luggage in advance. The best part of my flight was that the flight was only one hour late departing, plus they provide FREE water. 

If Frontier Airlines gives you a FREE airline ticket it could still cost you $434 in fees for your round-trip flight – This is crazy. As I was sitting on my Frontier flight home last night fuming at all the ways Frontier Airlines could nickel and dime you to death I decided to add up all the possible fees Frontier could charge you. Here are my estimates of the cost of your free round-trip ticket on Frontier if you checked one piece of luggage ($50×2); had one carry-on ($67×2); chose an extra legroom seat assignment ($75×2), and had the agent checking you in print out your boarding pass ($25×2). Your FREE round trip fees add up to a whopping $434. So if anyone ever offers you a free ticket to fly on Frontier Airlines tell them to go jump in a lake. 

Las Vegas is no longer a value vacation – Twenty years ago Las Vegas was the perfect cheap weekend getaway.  Glitzy hotels and low airfares allowed you to fly to Glitter Gulch and have a blast for around $300pp. Today the airfare alone may run $300 to $500RT. Add in a nice hotel along the Strip and you are more likely to spend $1000 pp or more for a few days in Sin City. 

Does anyone remember the $3.99 buffet in downtown Las Vegas? – Those days are long gone.  Today Good buffets in Vegas can now run you $29 -$39.  One of my all-time favorites (1990’s) for visiting downtown Las Vegas was also the $1 Shrimp cocktail that was in a parfait glass. Ah, the memories. 

Renewing your passport online is now a reality – The painful and time-consuming process of renewing your passport is now moving online. No more mailing in an application and praying you got your new passport back before your international trip left in 60 days. Three cheers for the U.S. State Department for simplifying and expediting this process for normal U.S. citizens. CLICK HERE to read more.