Frontier faces blowback after customers find out about extra surcharge.
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June
23, 2021
3 min read
In an attempt to keep up with the surging demand of passengers embarking on long-awaited summer travel, many airlines have been going to desperate measures, such as asking for volunteers to take on extra shifts. Other have flat out canceled flights during summer months due to lack of staff.
Even discount airlines, once reliable for lower fares (if more stressful journeys), are finding it difficult to reach equilibrium, and Frontier Airlines’ latest move is proof of just that.
Related: Delta Air Lines CEO: New Hires Must Be Vaccinated for Covid-19
The airline has quietly added a “Covid Recovery Charge” on its website among a long list of other arguably extraneous fees, including High Cost Airport Charge and Carrier Interface Charge. As the site explains, “The Covid Recovery Charge offsets added costs to Frontier due to implementing Covid-19 related measures.” (Never mind that the government announced a $25 billion bailout for the airline industry late last year.)
The measures call for “increased sanitation and cleaning” on planes and in the terminal, at ticket counters and for employee PPE.
According to the company, the fee was subtly integrated back in May, coming in at $1.59 per ticket.
Related: JetBlue Founder Launches Airline With $39 Flights
“The CRC is already added to the promoted total fare at FlyFrontier.com, therefore, it is not an unexpected charge later in the booking process,” a Frontier spokesperson told ABC News this week.
Understandably however, customers were not happy upon realizing the news.
Frontier Airlines, after all the bailouts the airlines got throughout last year, you’re going to NOW, start charging a Covid recovery fee!?!? Are you for REAL?!?!?
— Debby Miller (@debbymiller52) June 23, 2021
Frontier airlines adds $1.59 ‘COVID recovery charge’ to help cover the cost of disinfecting your pretzels with a Clorex wipe.@absrdNEWS
— gary georgevich (@garygeorgevich) June 23, 2021
Frontier Airlines is like a plastic fold up chair in the sky. Covid recovery charge to clean?? I know they got some government grant money, where’d it go? While I do love the animals on the plane, nickle and diming customers at every turn is a sure fire way to lose them.
— DelgadoChris (@Chrissydelgado8) June 22, 2021
“Nickle and diming customers at every turn is a sure fire way to lose them,” one customer wrote on Twitter.
The discount airline filed to go public this past March, raising $570 million in its market debut in April of this year.
Frontier Group Holdings Inc. (ULCC) is currently down about 5% year over year.
Related: American Airlines Will Let Travelers Use Digital Vaccine Passports