Frontier baggage fees, carry-on dimensions, the Discount Den, and how the GoWild pass changes the math.
How Frontier prices baggage
Frontier follows the standard US ultra-low-cost playbook with the basic Economy fare excluding everything except a small personal item. Where Frontier differs from Spirit is in the GoWild Pass (an unlimited-flying subscription) and the Discount Den (a paid loyalty programme that unlocks lower base fares and bag prices). The bundled Perks fare often ends up cheaper than building a fare with bags à la carte.
Personal item rules
Frontier's free personal item is 14 × 18 × 8 inches. This is the same as Spirit's published dimensions. Strict gate enforcement at Denver, Orlando, and Las Vegas in particular. The published rule explicitly states the bag must fit fully under the seat in front of you.
Carry-on (overhead bin)
Overhead carry-on is 24 × 16 × 10 inches (slightly larger than Spirit) and costs:
- USD 35–69 at booking with Discount Den
- USD 35–69 at booking standard rate
- USD 49–79 at online check-in
- USD 60–79 at the airport desk
- USD 99 at the boarding gate
Unlike Spirit, Frontier's 24-inch published length includes wheels and the top handle. A bag advertised as '22 inches' is in practice 23–24 inches with handle extended; choose carefully.
Checked bag pricing
Standard checked bag (40 lb / 18 kg) is USD 30–65 online for the first bag; second bag USD 40–80. Overweight USD 75 per bag (41–50 lb), USD 100 (51–100 lb). Frontier accepts bags up to 100 lb at the punitive fee, more lenient than some competitors.
The Discount Den and GoWild Pass
Discount Den (USD 99/year) discounts the base fare and bag fees enough to break even after about 2–3 round trips. The GoWild Pass (USD 599 annual or seasonal pricing) gives unlimited next-day flying on available capacity for USD 0.01 + taxes per flight. The pass is excellent for flexible solo travellers willing to fly off-peak; less useful if you need fixed dates or check bags every flight (the bag fees are extra).
Frontier-specific gotchas
- Boarding pass printing at the airport: USD 25 (waived for Discount Den members).
- Frontier consolidates many seats as paid; you can usually get a free assignment at check-in but it is often a middle.
- Frontier's flight cancellations on smaller routes can leave you without good replacement options. Build buffer days into international connections.
- The GoWild Pass blackout dates are real and often cover holidays.
Sources & further reading
The fees, allowances and procedures cited in this guide are cross-checked against carrier and regulator publications. For primary sources and official rulings, see:
- IATA, international airline trade body; canonical source for IATA codes, baggage tracking standards and industry statistics.
- ICAO, UN civil aviation agency; the authoritative reference for ICAO codes, safety standards and global aviation policy.
- OpenFlights public dataset, the open airport, airline and route dataset that powers the directory side of FlightHaven.