Delays have become a norm in the US. There's probably a pilot shortage. They've eliminated flights. Probably a cutback in maintenance crews, catering crews, cleaning crews etc. We had the same experience as you, just last week, on one of the top rated airlines. A 1.5 hour flight turned into a 5 hour comedy of errors(nobody was laughing tho). Ever since the bug everything seems to have crumbled little by little in the US. By the way, we flew Ryan air a couple weeks ago from VIenna to Porto and it wasn't so economical. No such thing as a last minute deal during tourist season maybe? Plus the exchange rate didn't help. Your videos are great. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
The flight prices for Ryanair are always lowest when booking early - they sell a certain number of seats at a low price, then the price goes up, they sell a few more at that price, then it goes up, etc. So yea, last minute is not so economical, especially if you need to bring a bag! It does usually leave and arrive on time at least, in comparison to the US!
Glad you made it safe. Maintenance issues do happen and once they do there becomes a very complicated procedure that must occur in sequence. The pilot enters the problem in the logbook and call maintenance. The plane is taken out of service which involves a call to dispatch. Maintenance respond as quickly as possible but may be responding to other problems. They diagnose and fix the problem. Enter the fix into the logbook and coordinate that fix with the master logbook in the central maintenance office. Once the logbook is signed off dispatch must be notified and the plane is released back into service. Now the flight crew can proceed as normal. It is a major coordination of efforts that happens behind the closed gates as you are getting your sandwich. This is for the safety of everyone including flight crew. Hope this sheds light on a simple maintenance issue. It is universal at all airlines.
Any flight sucks if you have asholes around you. I have flown with frontier 4 times for the first time this summer the last two with my child. I experienced one large delay and one small delay. All 4 flights have been normal for a short US flight. The key is to be able to entertain yourself the old school way with wordsearches sudoku books crafts or a game with your flight partner/child. My child loved his first plane ride ever!! We had no problems.
Just flew my first roundtrip with Frontier between Atlanta and New York, ended up getting delayed for 8 total hours between the two flights. One didn't even leave until after 11pm and they didn't give us any updates for 3 hours. Was definitely frustrating, but I'd probably take my chances with them again if the price stays cheap lol
Delays Too common nowadays. Recent Delta flight late to gate so late taking off. Causes missed connection in Atlanta. Cust Service terrible. We grab last flight which will get us 2hrs from home. Are stranded when arrive after 1a.m. All car rentals closed, hotels $400 night. Lesson- Never start your flying late in day, it just gets worse.
That sucks that your return flight got so complicated, but at least the staff were nice. And as you said, the tickets are so cheap that it makes up for some of the hiccups! As long as I get to sit down in a seat with a functional seatbelt, get a pressurized cabin so I can breath, and the flight arrives on the same day I leave, I consider that flight with Frontier a success! 😅
The observations here could describe any airline. Mechanical issues arise. Delays occur. In some cases cancelations happen. Tray table size is irrelevant as there's often no need to use them. With respect to declining seats, options exist to pay more for more room - even to sit in the less tight emergency row. From this flight experience we learned some critical information to help judge which arlirlines to fly. For instance, did the pilots prioritize safety. Here, yes. Were updates communicated clearly. Here, yes. Was the flight crew professional. Here, yes. Did the crew offer meal assistance. Here, yes. These are huge pluses for any airline where many big time carriers fail. The conclusion "you get what you pay for" is a misnomer. Many frequent flyers will tell you "major" airlines often miss on several key points Frontier was successful with. Budget airline: Safe? Professional? Customer advocate? Yes, Yes, Yes. For those who believe these essential elements are compromised on budget friendly airlines, opportunities are lost to economically get from Point A to Point B safely, affordably, and with professionalism.
I've flown Spirit a few times & just tried Frontier for the first time yesterday. Delays seem common with these low cost carriers. They don't have adequate gate access to the terminals, so waiting for 45+ minutes after landing to exit the plane seems to be "normal" for these carriers. It's just not worth the hassel to me. Btw, Our luggage was lost on the non-stop from Houston to Charlotte last night. The flight arrived at 10:30 pm and we sat on the plane for almost an hour waiting for a gate. We also taxied in Houston for 20 minutes before taking off. This was our "first & last" time flying Frontier.
My flight on AlaskanAir was delayed over 1 hour at start (late arrival to gate), which caused me to miss my connection in Seattle & had to hang out in Airport 4-5 hours. I wanted to go wander in the city but was raining bad & no rain gear. Delays seem to be the norm now, staff never apologized, just oh well, get the next one like it was the subway.
I do not have my 1st flight with them till early Dec, fingers crossed. I have relatively good luck within USA, mostly bad weather delays that are expected if flying in winter. Perfect flights to and from any other country no matter season, continent or country.
So glad to hear you've had good flight luck overall! Like I said, I would still fly them again, the staff were really nice and while it is no-frills, it's still comfortable enough.
For the no recline situation, were you in front of the exit rows? And pressurization is an important part of cabin safety for the aircraft. Low budget carriers can be hit or miss.
I’ve flown Frontier before, my experience was probably more like your outbound flight, crowded no frills but perfectly acceptable for a flying bus. I take their baggage fees as a personal challenge to see how many pairs of underwear and clothing I can wear onto their planes. Also the personal item is fairly generous in terms of what you can bring onto the plane. It’s not exactly Lufthansa Allegris business class but for the price of a bus ticket Frontier seems like an acceptable way to get you where you’re going.
I bought tickets for my adult children to fly from Raleigh to Cincinnati on a Friday afternoon to attend a memorial service on Saturday afternoon. The flight was canceled at the last minute. Frontier didn't have a Saturday flight on the route and their best alternative was to fly them from Raleigh to Orlando or Atlanta with a 20 hour layover before a Saturday evening flight to Cincinnati. So I ended up getting refunds on the Frontier tickets minus a substantial nonrefundable portion of the price and paying 3 times what I originally would have paid for flights to Dayton (about 60 miles away). I wouldn't use them unless my need to arrive within 24 hours is not very important as in no event to attend and no nonrefundable reservations on the other end.
Yuck, discount airlines are discounted for a reason. 😝 Don’t you also love how Seatac airport is constantly under construction? I’ve lived in the PNW for over 30 years and dont recall a time when it wasn’t.
Today went all the way to the airport only to find out Frontier canceled the flight . Now I'm out air fair and the rooms I booked . I'm so pissed I'll never fly frontier ever again .
The worst airline with the worst seats - on both of my flights it was (kid you not) fabric stapled over plastic. Both times flight was delayed due to broken plane and we had to wait for Delta to fix it because Frontier didn't have anyone to fix the plane.
My and I have flown Frontier Airlines, and it was the worst experience ever! We had a round trip from Vegas to Seattle, and on their website, they said to arrive 4 hours early to check in our luggage. When we arrived at the airport, TSA told us that we're too early and made us wait at the frontier line. My wife and I waited 4 hours because the employees showed up late! After that, they gave us our boading passes, and then we went back in TSA line until the TSA officer checked my wife's boarding pass, and the employee at Frontier messed up my wife's date of birth on it! TSA made us go back to Frontier so they can correct their mistake. I was so pissed that we cut the entire line, and the frontier employee who messed up my wife's boarding pass told us to go back. Then I told him, "I'm not going back in line because people kept short cutting us all morning, so it's our turn, and second, you've messed up my wife's date of birth on her boarding pass, and TSA told us to come back to you so you can fix it!" I stood my ground until the Frontier employee fixed my wife's date of birth. When we were in Seattle flying back to Vegas, we arrived 20 minutes early and I asked the lady who works at the Frontier counter that if she could check us in early, and she said, "No!" After 20 minutes went by, my wife and I went back in line. The same woman who rejected us told her coworker, "Do you see these two, you deal with them!" When my wife and I approached the desk, I told her coworker how rude she was, and we've heard everything she's said. I just looked at the rude woman and told her, "I'll send you a Christmas card." The look on her face was priceless 🤣 I didn't care if I insulted her because I'll never see that bitch again. That was my experience with Frontier.
@@laura-bronner I hope you get to review that Michelin star taco stand in Mexico City real soon. Really looking forward to that. You are my favorite social media person! If you are ever in San Francisco my wife and I would love to take you sailing or to lunch or dinner. Best wishes.
My daughter recently flew Frontier from Florida to Myrtle Beach. Despite adhering to all baggage restrictions as confirmed by multiple Frontier flight agents, my daughter was subjected to unacceptable treatment by the Frontier agent in Philadelphia. On July 22nd, the agent repeatedly invaded my 15-year-old daughter's personal space by placing their hand in her face. This behavior was not only unprofessional but also deeply upsetting and alarming. Frontier’s failure to address this incident adequately is compounded by the lack of support provided to my daughter during this stressful ordeal. The thought of my child being stranded alone in an unfamiliar city is unimaginable. Given the traumatic experience, it is unlikely that she or anyone in my family will fly with Frontier again. Frontier has a responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of its passengers and employees. Frontier should review its staffing levels to prevent such situations from occurring in the future.
These budget airlines are great for short weekend flights where you only need to bring a small backpack with you. Otherwise you are not really saving any money.
Wow, you got all that, and a bag of chips. Very long-winded account of a plane with a maintenance issue. I didn't learn anything about Frontier Airlines from your anecdotal accounting of one trip. How does this help anybody?
Delays have become a norm in the US. There's probably a pilot shortage. They've eliminated flights. Probably a cutback in maintenance crews, catering crews, cleaning crews etc. We had the same experience as you, just last week, on one of the top rated airlines. A 1.5 hour flight turned into a 5 hour comedy of errors(nobody was laughing tho). Ever since the bug everything seems to have crumbled little by little in the US. By the way, we flew Ryan air a couple weeks ago from VIenna to Porto and it wasn't so economical. No such thing as a last minute deal during tourist season maybe? Plus the exchange rate didn't help. Your videos are great. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
The flight prices for Ryanair are always lowest when booking early - they sell a certain number of seats at a low price, then the price goes up, they sell a few more at that price, then it goes up, etc. So yea, last minute is not so economical, especially if you need to bring a bag! It does usually leave and arrive on time at least, in comparison to the US!
Glad you made it safe. Maintenance issues do happen and once they do there becomes a very complicated procedure that must occur in sequence. The pilot enters the problem in the logbook and call maintenance. The plane is taken out of service which involves a call to dispatch. Maintenance respond as quickly as possible but may be responding to other problems. They diagnose and fix the problem. Enter the fix into the logbook and coordinate that fix with the master logbook in the central maintenance office. Once the logbook is signed off dispatch must be notified and the plane is released back into service. Now the flight crew can proceed as normal. It is a major coordination of efforts that happens behind the closed gates as you are getting your sandwich. This is for the safety of everyone including flight crew. Hope this sheds light on a simple maintenance issue. It is universal at all airlines.
Thank you for taking the time to provide this explanation; it is appreciated.
Any flight sucks if you have asholes around you. I have flown with frontier 4 times for the first time this summer the last two with my child. I experienced one large delay and one small delay. All 4 flights have been normal for a short US flight. The key is to be able to entertain yourself the old school way with wordsearches sudoku books crafts or a game with your flight partner/child. My child loved his first plane ride ever!! We had no problems.
Just flew my first roundtrip with Frontier between Atlanta and New York, ended up getting delayed for 8 total hours between the two flights. One didn't even leave until after 11pm and they didn't give us any updates for 3 hours. Was definitely frustrating, but I'd probably take my chances with them again if the price stays cheap lol
Delays Too common nowadays. Recent Delta flight late to gate so late taking off. Causes missed connection in Atlanta. Cust Service terrible. We grab last flight which will get us 2hrs from home. Are stranded when arrive after 1a.m. All car rentals closed, hotels $400 night. Lesson- Never start your flying late in day, it just gets worse.
That sucks that your return flight got so complicated, but at least the staff were nice. And as you said, the tickets are so cheap that it makes up for some of the hiccups! As long as I get to sit down in a seat with a functional seatbelt, get a pressurized cabin so I can breath, and the flight arrives on the same day I leave, I consider that flight with Frontier a success! 😅
The observations here could describe any airline. Mechanical issues arise. Delays occur. In some cases cancelations happen. Tray table size is irrelevant as there's often no need to use them. With respect to declining seats, options exist to pay more for more room - even to sit in the less tight emergency row. From this flight experience we learned some critical information to help judge which arlirlines to fly. For instance, did the pilots prioritize safety. Here, yes. Were updates communicated clearly. Here, yes. Was the flight crew professional. Here, yes. Did the crew offer meal assistance. Here, yes. These are huge pluses for any airline where many big time carriers fail. The conclusion "you get what you pay for" is a misnomer. Many frequent flyers will tell you "major" airlines often miss on several key points Frontier was successful with. Budget airline: Safe? Professional? Customer advocate? Yes, Yes, Yes. For those who believe these essential elements are compromised on budget friendly airlines, opportunities are lost to economically get from Point A to Point B safely, affordably, and with professionalism.
At least you got back home Laura.. 🤗👌
Yes! Thankfully it wasn't cancelled and all was well in the end!
I've flown Spirit a few times & just tried Frontier for the first time yesterday. Delays seem common with these low cost carriers. They don't have adequate gate access to the terminals, so waiting for 45+ minutes after landing to exit the plane seems to be "normal" for these carriers. It's just not worth the hassel to me.
Btw, Our luggage was lost on the non-stop from Houston to Charlotte last night. The flight arrived at 10:30 pm and we sat on the plane for almost an hour waiting for a gate. We also taxied in Houston for 20 minutes before taking off.
This was our "first & last" time flying Frontier.
You got there safe, plane in 1 piece. All is good! 😊
Yes! It was all good in the end :)
My flight on AlaskanAir was delayed over 1 hour at start (late arrival to gate), which caused me to miss my connection in Seattle & had to hang out in Airport 4-5 hours. I wanted to go wander in the city but was raining bad & no rain gear. Delays seem to be the norm now, staff never apologized, just oh well, get the next one like it was the subway.
Yea, the staff are obviously so used to the delays I guess! It seems like a bigger problem than I even realized!
I do not have my 1st flight with them till early Dec, fingers crossed. I have relatively good luck within USA, mostly bad weather delays that are expected if flying in winter. Perfect flights to and from any other country no matter season, continent or country.
So glad to hear you've had good flight luck overall! Like I said, I would still fly them again, the staff were really nice and while it is no-frills, it's still comfortable enough.
For the no recline situation, were you in front of the exit rows? And pressurization is an important part of cabin safety for the aircraft. Low budget carriers can be hit or miss.
On Frontier only the first 3 rows slightly recline.
I live in Missoula and just booked with them to fly to Orlando in 2 weeks. . See how it goes.
how was it? im taking frontier in a few weeks
I’ve flown Frontier before, my experience was probably more like your outbound flight, crowded no frills but perfectly acceptable for a flying bus. I take their baggage fees as a personal challenge to see how many pairs of underwear and clothing I can wear onto their planes. Also the personal item is fairly generous in terms of what you can bring onto the plane. It’s not exactly Lufthansa Allegris business class but for the price of a bus ticket Frontier seems like an acceptable way to get you where you’re going.
I've traveled to Jamaica Mexico Dominican Republic and so on with just a backpack , totally doable
I bought tickets for my adult children to fly from Raleigh to Cincinnati on a Friday afternoon to attend a memorial service on Saturday afternoon. The flight was canceled at the last minute. Frontier didn't have a Saturday flight on the route and their best alternative was to fly them from Raleigh to Orlando or Atlanta with a 20 hour layover before a Saturday evening flight to Cincinnati. So I ended up getting refunds on the Frontier tickets minus a substantial nonrefundable portion of the price and paying 3 times what I originally would have paid for flights to Dayton (about 60 miles away). I wouldn't use them unless my need to arrive within 24 hours is not very important as in no event to attend and no nonrefundable reservations on the other end.
Yea, it's kind of like Amtrak - you need to plan a day ahead of time and assume you'll be delayed! That sounds like a terrible experience!
Yuck, discount airlines are discounted for a reason. 😝 Don’t you also love how Seatac airport is constantly under construction? I’ve lived in the PNW for over 30 years and dont recall a time when it wasn’t.
It's not a great airport haha Every time I go I am shocked at how dirty it is!
@@laura-bronner is Seattle home for you? We lived in Kirkland, Washington until 5 years ago.
Your lucky it went so smooth
haha yea happy to have arrived home safe and sound in the end!
Today went all the way to the airport only to find out Frontier canceled the flight . Now I'm out air fair and the rooms I booked . I'm so pissed I'll never fly frontier ever again .
legally airlines should accommodate you for flight cancelations
Hi Laura! You got tested with your patience on this one.For me it sounds terrible.Interesting vlog,see you in the next one.Better luck next time?
haha yes it definitely tested my ability to stay calm! Sitting at the airport now hoping for a better result with Delta!
The worst airline with the worst seats - on both of my flights it was (kid you not) fabric stapled over plastic. Both times flight was delayed due to broken plane and we had to wait for Delta to fix it because Frontier didn't have anyone to fix the plane.
Buenas tardes la aerolinea de frontier no sirve pq Esta en la tercera vez q ue me cancela El avion no viaje
My and I have flown Frontier Airlines, and it was the worst experience ever! We had a round trip from Vegas to Seattle, and on their website, they said to arrive 4 hours early to check in our luggage. When we arrived at the airport, TSA told us that we're too early and made us wait at the frontier line. My wife and I waited 4 hours because the employees showed up late! After that, they gave us our boading passes, and then we went back in TSA line until the TSA officer checked my wife's boarding pass, and the employee at Frontier messed up my wife's date of birth on it! TSA made us go back to Frontier so they can correct their mistake. I was so pissed that we cut the entire line, and the frontier employee who messed up my wife's boarding pass told us to go back. Then I told him, "I'm not going back in line because people kept short cutting us all morning, so it's our turn, and second, you've messed up my wife's date of birth on her boarding pass, and TSA told us to come back to you so you can fix it!" I stood my ground until the Frontier employee fixed my wife's date of birth. When we were in Seattle flying back to Vegas, we arrived 20 minutes early and I asked the lady who works at the Frontier counter that if she could check us in early, and she said, "No!" After 20 minutes went by, my wife and I went back in line. The same woman who rejected us told her coworker, "Do you see these two, you deal with them!" When my wife and I approached the desk, I told her coworker how rude she was, and we've heard everything she's said. I just looked at the rude woman and told her, "I'll send you a Christmas card." The look on her face was priceless 🤣 I didn't care if I insulted her because I'll never see that bitch again. That was my experience with Frontier.
I do assume every flight will be delayed. If I have to be somewhere I get there a day early.
Wild! It sounds like a sensible way to travel with all of these delays!
@@laura-bronner I hope you get to review that Michelin star taco stand in Mexico City real soon. Really looking forward to that. You are my favorite social media person! If you are ever in San Francisco my wife and I would love to take you sailing or to lunch or dinner. Best wishes.
delay a few minutes is not true like an hour landing the phoenix.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching! Hope you enjoyed it :)
My daughter recently flew Frontier from Florida to Myrtle Beach. Despite adhering to all baggage restrictions as confirmed by multiple Frontier flight agents, my daughter was subjected to unacceptable treatment by the Frontier agent in Philadelphia.
On July 22nd, the agent repeatedly invaded my 15-year-old daughter's personal space by placing their hand in her face. This behavior was not only unprofessional but also deeply upsetting and alarming. Frontier’s failure to address this incident adequately is compounded by the lack of support provided to my daughter during this stressful ordeal.
The thought of my child being stranded alone in an unfamiliar city is unimaginable. Given the traumatic experience, it is unlikely that she or anyone in my family will fly with Frontier again.
Frontier has a responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of its passengers and employees. Frontier should review its staffing levels to prevent such situations from occurring in the future.
How is it cheap when rhey charge you more than your flight each way just to have a regular size carry on.
That Is how they get you
These budget airlines are great for short weekend flights where you only need to bring a small backpack with you. Otherwise you are not really saving any money.
Wow, you got all that, and a bag of chips. Very long-winded account of a plane with a maintenance issue. I didn't learn anything about Frontier Airlines from your anecdotal accounting of one trip. How does this help anybody?
Wow laura my fave UA-camr 💯🙌
US Airlines over compensate for problems because, they don’t want any complications, from the public. Get use to it. Thanks
I'm actually flying into Seattle in a few weeks and frontier is the one who is taking me lol $108 round trip out of sioux falls , south dakota
Frontier is awful, including the hiring process. Try becoming a Flight Attendant for Frontier, it is just awful, they are all around AWFUL !
Frontier is the absolute worst!!!
It's the absolute worst airline I have ever flown on.
Worst airline! Shittiest service! Not worth it
Frontier sucks
Frontier is terrible, Spirit in my experience slightly better.... basically a bus in the sky. I can fly a family of 3 for $80 each