Frontier Airlines

Review by eFreeware

Airline travel gets complicated in the details: which fare you booked, whether a bag is included, what gate your flight leaves from, and how close you are to the next tier of status. Managing all of that through a browser on a phone is workable but clumsy, especially when plans change at the last minute. The Frontier Airlines app, from Frontier Airlines itself, puts those tasks in one place on Android.

It is a free download in the Travel & Local category, with no ads and no in-app purchases. That combination is unusual for a travel app. With more than five million installs and a 4.7 average across 218,543 ratings, it is clearly doing something right for a large number of people.

What I find most useful about an app like this is the way it collapses several separate tasks into one session. Rather than hunting through emails for a confirmation number or opening a browser to check a gate, everything is in one place. The app covers a broad set of travel features, from booking to managing a trip.

Booking, routes and trip management

You search flights, book a trip and browse a route map showing where the airline flies. For anyone who plans around a specific destination rather than a specific date, that map is a sensible starting point: see whether Frontier serves the place you have in mind, then work out dates around it.

Once a trip is booked, the app is where you view and manage it. Upcoming trips can be pulled up and adjusted, which matters because air travel rarely stays fixed. A change of plans, an added bag or a seat you would rather not sit in are all things you want to handle without a phone call or a wait on hold.

The route map and destination browsing are the parts I would expect to use before booking, and trip management is what keeps the app on your phone afterward. Together they cover the two moments when an airline app earns its space: deciding where to go, and dealing with what you have already booked.

Seats, bags and airport shortcuts

Seating is handled in tiers. Seat choices range from standard to Preferred, Premium and UpFront Plus. The names suggest a ladder from basic to more spacious, and the app is where that choice is made rather than at a counter.

Bags and extras work the same way. Carry-on bags, checked bags, bundles and priority boarding can be added through the app. Bundles are worth a look if you know you will want more than one extra, since grouping them is usually simpler than adding each item separately. Priority boarding is there for anyone who would rather settle in early.

The airport side is where the app saves real time. Flight status shows departure time, arrival time and gate information, so you can check before you leave for the airport and again once you are there.

Miles, Discount Den and what you need to join

Frontier Miles is the airline's loyalty program, and the app is where you join it, earn travel miles and collect elite status points. Miles can then be used to book award travel. If you fly Frontier more than once or twice, having that account tied to the same app you book with keeps the earning and spending in one place.

Discount Den is a separate membership that the developer describes as offering the lowest fares along with exclusive savings and offers. One of those offers is Kids Fly Free, which the developer notes comes with restrictions. I would treat that as a program to read the terms on before counting on it for a family trip.

The app itself is free, carries no ads and has no in-app purchases. The costs that matter are the ones attached to your travel: seats, bags, bundles, priority boarding and any Discount Den membership. Those are purchases you make deliberately, and the app is the place where they are added to a booking.

Getting the most from it

The most practical habit is to set up your Frontier Miles account early rather than at the airport. Joining early means your miles and elite status points are set up, and award travel becomes an option you can actually use later. Waiting until after a trip means starting later.

Checking that kind of detail before you leave home is more useful than discovering it on an airport board. If you have no checked bags, going straight to the gate is the fastest path through the airport.

When you book, decide on seats and bags in the same session if you can. Adding a carry-on, a checked bag, a bundle or priority boarding at the time of booking keeps everything on one reservation. If you travel with children and are considering Discount Den for the Kids Fly Free offer, read the restrictions first so you know what applies to your dates.

The developer's most recent update focused on resolving issues for smoother, more reliable performance, which is the kind of maintenance a booking app needs. It does not add features, but a travel app that behaves predictably when you are trying to check in is worth more than one with a longer feature list.

A booking tool for regular Frontier flyers

The Frontier Airlines app is a focused tool rather than a general travel companion. It books flights, manages trips, sells seats and bags, shows flight status and runs the Frontier Miles and Discount Den programs. Everything in it serves flying Frontier, and it does that work without ads or in-app purchases getting in the way.

It suits travelers who fly Frontier with some regularity and want their bookings, add-ons and miles in one account. Occasional flyers will still find booking and flight status useful, but the loyalty features only pay off with repeat travel. If your plans involve several airlines, this app covers one of them.

The app covers the parts of a trip that are yours to manage, and I would install it before the next booking rather than after.

What's new in version 3.7.7 Build-1063

We’ve resolved several issues to ensure smoother performance and a more reliable experience. As always, we’re continuously working behind the scenes to enhance your experience.