Ultra low cost carrier Frontier Airlines has announced plans to completely overhaul its frequent flyer program as of 2024, including switching to a revenue based model, rebranding elite tiers, and more. The changes are a mixed bag, so let’s go over the details.
In this post:
Frontier Miles program changes as of 2024
Frontier Airlines is making updates to its frequent flyer program as of 2024. Here’s how Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle describes these changes:
“We are thrilled to announce some exciting new ways for our customers to ‘Get it All for Less’ when they fly with us. We are making the new FRONTIER Miles program like no other loyalty program in the airline industry when it comes to earning free flights and getting valuable status quickly and for less. If you are someone who travels three or four times a year, you can easily earn a free flight and status with great new benefits in no time.”
“Our enhanced program enables you to get free bags, seat assignments, and priority benefits rapidly. Plus, we are now rewarding customers for their add-on purchases, including bags, seats and other extras.”
Below is a chart giving you an idea of the new Frontier Miles program status perks, though I’ll go over all the details below.
Frontier Airlines introduces four elite tiers
Starting in 2024, Frontier Airlines will have four elite tiers, compared to the current three (and all of them will be rebranded):
- Frontier Silver status will require 10,000 qualifying miles per year
- Frontier Gold status will require 20,000 qualifying miles per year
- Frontier Platinum status will require 50,000 qualifying miles per year
- Frontier Diamond status will require 100,000 qualifying miles per year
Currently Frontier has the Elite 20K, Elite 50K, and Elite 100K tiers. So we’re seeing the introduction of a new tier at 10K miles, and are also seeing the other tiers rebranded.
Frontier Airlines moves to a revenue based program
Historically, Frontier Airlines has awarded miles and elite status based on how far you fly, rather than based on how much you spend. That will be changing, as Frontier will start awarding miles based on dollars spent on Frontier products, including flights, bags, seat assignments, and bundles.
The number of elite qualifying miles you earn varies based on your status:
- Non-elite members earn 10x miles per dollar spent
- Silver members earn 12x miles per dollar spent
- Gold members earn 14x miles per dollar spent
- Platinum members earn 16x miles per dollar spent
- Diamond members earn 20x miles per dollar spent
As you can see, this means that requalifying for elite status is easier than earning it the first time around, given the higher elite multiplier. This is similar to the American AAdvantage Loyalty Points system. As you can tell, you can earn Silver status by spending just $1,000 with Frontier, while you can requalify for Diamond status by spending $5,000 with Frontier.
Frontier Airlines adds new elite perks
Frontier Airlines is overhauling its elite perks. Ultra low cost carriers of course make a lot of money on fees, and elite status can help you avoid many of those. With the new program, all elite members — ranging from Silver to Diamond — will receive the following perks:
- A free standard seat assignment
- No change or cancelation fees, as long as you changes are made at least seven days in advance of flight departure
- Priority customer care
- Family mileage pooling
- Priority boarding
In addition to that, we’re seeing several new benefits added at a variety of tiers:
- Gold members and above receive free upgrades to Premium Stretch Seating, subject to availability
- Gold members and above receive free carry-on bags, and Platinum members and above receive free carry-on bags for everyone in their booking
- Platinum members and above receive a free checked bag, including golf, ski, or scuba gear, and Diamond members receive two checked bags for each individual in their booking
- Platinum members and above receive a free pet-in-cabin, subject to availability
- Diamond members can gift Gold status to someone, while Platinum members can gift Silver status to someone
My take on Frontier Miles program changes
We know that ultra low cost carriers in the United States are struggling at the moment, and Frontier Airlines’ CEO has even suggested that these airlines are “kind of the canary in the coal mine.” We know that in some ways ultra low cost carriers are trying to align more closely with legacy airlines, and I think these changes are a reflection of that.
Of course on the surface I’m not a fan of frequent flyer programs going from being distance based to being revenue based. However, I also understand why Frontier would go that direction, given the huge variance in ticket prices.
There are several things that I appreciate about these changes, which I think will make flying Frontier more compelling. I think the most most significant change is that all elite members will be able to change tickets at no cost up until seven days before departure. While still not as much flexibility as you get at the legacies on many fares, it’s a big improvement over the old “use it or lose it” system.
If you can qualify for a higher elite tier, it’s quite compelling to go for status with Frontier. When you combine the low base fares with just about all the major fees being waived for everyone in your party (carry-on fees, seat assignment fees, etc.), that’s pretty awesome.
The challenge for ultra low cost carriers remains that it’s hard to actually want to be loyal to them. Some people refuse to fly them, while others fly them when they offer the best value or most convenient schedule. However, can an airline like Frontier really be a carrier that people specifically seek out over competitors? That’s something I have a hard time imagining…
Bottom line
Frontier Airlines’ frequent flyer program is undergoing many changes as of 2024. The program is moving revenue based, we’re seeing the introduction of a fourth elite tier (plus the rebranding of all elite tiers), and some benefits are being changed up, including the introduction of no change fees for elites, when making changes at least seven days in advance.
Status with an ultra low cost carrier can be lucrative, and can score you an amazing deal. The challenge is just that most people don’t actually want to fly an ultra low cost carrier more than they have to, and typically not enough to earn status…
What do you make of these Frontier Miles changes?
I’d like to see Frontier frequent flyer program add Rewards Network so I could earn mikes for fining.
I'm an United 1k member and I actually found it compelling to do a status match to the Frontier Diamond (formerly Elite100). The process was very super easy with a first-time application fee of $149 but once you are an Elite100K, you get free "DEN" membership which will further discount all your future tickets. I live in SoCal (near Inland empire so far from LAX) and I commute to LAS and SFO all the time...
I'm an United 1k member and I actually found it compelling to do a status match to the Frontier Diamond (formerly Elite100). The process was very super easy with a first-time application fee of $149 but once you are an Elite100K, you get free "DEN" membership which will further discount all your future tickets. I live in SoCal (near Inland empire so far from LAX) and I commute to LAS and SFO all the time and most of the time it only costs me $19 one-way (with DEN membership), which is a no brainer (especially considering how painful to drive on I15 going back to SoCal from Vegas on Sunday). United airfare is either at least 4x or 5x more AND there is no direct flight from vegas or SF to my place. To me, the almost free Elite100K is a damn good deal to me.
It looks as if platinum/50k loses the ability to book family straight into Stretch Seating. That can only happen at checkin now.
Would be great if one of the status levels entitled you to a soda.
Yes, this. It seems like a couple of smallish things to make it more like legacy (soda/chips included?) would be nice.
Does every post really need a "bottom line" section?
@Lucky, I disagree that it's easier to requalify for status in subsequent years once you have it. Like other revenue-based frequent flyer programs, you'll likely only earn points on the base airfare, not the taxes and fees associated with flying Frontier (it will be interesting to see how the CIC falls into this category).
With ULCC's having their base fares so low as they are (I'm flying from DC-FL this weekend round trip for...
@Lucky, I disagree that it's easier to requalify for status in subsequent years once you have it. Like other revenue-based frequent flyer programs, you'll likely only earn points on the base airfare, not the taxes and fees associated with flying Frontier (it will be interesting to see how the CIC falls into this category).
With ULCC's having their base fares so low as they are (I'm flying from DC-FL this weekend round trip for ~$55) and the elite benefits eliminating many of the ancillary fees, I don't see how one can get too far above the thresholds listed for elite status and maintain it the following year.
@Nawald, what Lucky likely means is that solely in the revenue based program (and not comparing revenue-based vs miles-based), it's easier to requalify than qualify. Because starting as a base member means earning 10 points per dollar on the first $1000 to get silver, then another 12 points per dollar on the next $833 ($1833 total) to get gold, then 14 points per dollar on the next $2143 ($3976 total) to get platinum, then 16...
@Nawald, what Lucky likely means is that solely in the revenue based program (and not comparing revenue-based vs miles-based), it's easier to requalify than qualify. Because starting as a base member means earning 10 points per dollar on the first $1000 to get silver, then another 12 points per dollar on the next $833 ($1833 total) to get gold, then 14 points per dollar on the next $2143 ($3976 total) to get platinum, then 16 points per dollar on the next $3125 ($7101 total) to get Diamond. If you are a diamond, it only takes $500 to qualify for Silver the next year, $1000 for Gold, $2500 for Platinum, and $5000 for Diamond as you are earning 20 points per dollar on all of it.
Frontier did say CIC counts.
I also usually fly on cheap flights and it was only a matter of time before Frontier did this - your roundtrip was about $25 after the pass-through gov't taxes/fees, and as a 100K will earn about 3,000 miles. There is no way they can keep that pace up.
You can also earn elite status with the credit card, which seems to be the way more and more programs are going towards, so you don't need to be earning it solely with $55 r/t fares, but I'm guessing you would rather earn on a different card. At the end of the day, Frontier probably doesn't value people like you and me who are buying sub-$100 r/t fares almost exclusively without any ancillary or credit card spend, so this is their way of weeding us out.
I haven't flown on Frontier for many years but if it's like Spirit where a rollaboard carry on results in a fee, then elite status that eliminates that fee makes Frontier tolerable.
I find it absolutely hilarious that some people will go out of their way to get Frontier Diamond status for $5000 when simply getting a base cobrand with any of the big three global airlines will provide you with the same and more benefits on better airlines. Whatever the guys are Frontier are smoking must be pretty damn potent.
This comment is definitely from someone who has never flown Frontier.
United base card with no annual fee doesn’t give you jack. However, the $95 annual fee, one does, with carry-on, check bags, and group 2 boarding for you and others on the reservation. It also gives you two yearly passes to the club.
Still, spirit and frontier tend to not only have prices that are half as much, but they also may have more direct flights between non-hub cities for the big three.