Frontier Credit Card Review: Fly Frontier Without the Fees

Frontier Airlines Credit Card Benefits

Welcome Bonus

The Frontier Airlines World Mastercard offers a strong bonus: Earn 50,000 Travel Miles after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.

Award pricing starts at just 5,000 miles one-way (plus taxes and fees starting at $5.60), so you could potentially redeem the bonus for several round-trip flights.

Earn Bonus Miles on Frontier and Restaurant Purchases

You earn 10 miles for being a Frontier Miles member and 5x miles for using a Frontier World Mastercard to pay for your flights. This is far more generous than most other airline credit cards.

You’ll also earn 3x miles on eligible restaurant spending, and 1x miles on all other purchases.

Get Elite Gold Status

You’ll receive Frontier Elite Gold Status instantly after your first purchase within 90 days of account opening, but to keep this status for 12 months, you’ll need to spend $3,000 on purchases within the same time frame. Otherwise, your status will expire 90 days after opening your account.

Normally, you’d need to earn 20,000 Elite Status Points in a calendar year to unlock Gold Status. This tier allows you to have a free carry-on bag and preferred seat selection at the time of booking. You can also receive free premium or UpFrontPlus seats at check-in or four hours from departure, respectively. Other benefits include priority customer care, Group 1 boarding and 14x points on Frontier purchases.

You can also earn higher levels of elite status through credit card spending, earning 1 Elite Status Point per dollar spent on your card.

Free Checked Bags and Priority Boarding

Primary cardmembers receive two free checked bags and Group 4 priority boarding on Frontier flights; however, companions on the same reservation don’t get the same benefit. First and second checked bag prices on Frontier vary by itinerary, starting at $59 and $69, respectively, so even using this benefit a handful of times can result in significant savings.

At a time when most airlines have increased checked baggage fees, this is more than nearly any other airline credit card offers. Just note that Frontier has a weight limit of 40 pounds per checked bag, while most airlines allow bags of up to 50 pounds.

Annual Flight Voucher

After spending $2,500 or more on purchases in a card membership year (measured from the date you opened your account), you’ll receive a $100 flight voucher. This must be used within 180 days of issuance and is valid only for airfare and taxes, not fees.

Introductory APR

New cardholders qualify for a 0% introductory APR for the first 15 billing cycles for balance transfers. After that, a 19.49% – 29.49% variable APR applies. A 19.49% – 29.49% variable APR applies for purchases.

A balance transfer credit card can save you money on interest and help you consolidate debt. If you’re carrying balances on other high-interest accounts, a balance transfer could be worth it; just be mindful of the balance transfer fee ( $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater).

Award Redemption Fee Waiver

When you use your card to pay the taxes and fees on a Frontier award ticket, the award redemption fee will be waived. That can translate to nice savings if you book a lot of Frontier award flights, but again, note this benefit only applies to the primary cardholder.

Frontier Airlines Credit Card Drawbacks

Frontier Is a Different Experience

Those who are used to flying legacy carriers should expect a different experience flying Frontier, with less legroom, food for purchase only and fewer daily flights on most routes. Frequent passengers adjust to this and consider it a worthwhile tradeoff for their low fares, but it is worth considering.

Even if your city has service to your favorite destinations now, that can change. And sometimes you can only book flights a few months in advance.

Annual Fee

The card’s $0 Intro Annual Fee for the first year, then $99 after the first year is competitive for an entry-level airline card, but there isn’t a no-annual-fee version. That said, the fee could be well worth it for regular Frontier flyers who frequently check bags and who meet the spending thresholds to unlock Elite Gold Status and an annual $100 flight voucher.

Elite Gold Status Requires Spending To Keep

While the card advertises instant Elite Gold Status after you make your first purchase within 90 days of account opening, you’ll have to spend more to keep it — $3,000 in the first 90 days. If you don’t hit that threshold, your status will expire once the 90-day clock runs out.

Bonus Category and Intro APR Limitations

The card has a strong earning rate on Frontier purchases, but its only other bonus category is restaurants, at 3x points. Everything else earns 1 point per dollar, which makes the card a poor choice for most everyday spending.

In addition, the card’s intro APR offer applies only to balance transfers, not to purchases. If you’re looking to avoid interest charges on new spending, consider one of the best low-APR credit cards instead.

Who Is the Frontier Credit Card Best For?

The Frontier Airlines World Mastercard can be a good pick for Frontier flyers who love the low fares but want to avoid high fees. By offering instant Elite Gold Status (which you must reach a spending threshold to keep) and free seat assignments, along with two free checked bags, travelers can receive more free perks than they would have with a traditional carrier.

This is also a great deal for frugal credit card users. Yes, it has a $99 annual fee, but that is waived the first year. And by using it to make only $2,500 in purchases, you can earn a $100 flight voucher, fully justifying the cost of the annual fee.

Is It the Right Card for You?

The Frontier Airlines World Mastercard may be right for you if you:

• Want to take advantage of Frontier’s low airfares, but you don’t want to pay fees for things like carry-on bags, checked bags and seat assignments
• Are familiar with Frontier’s service from your home airport and its schedule, knowing that schedules can and do change regularly
• Value Frontier Airlines miles
• Typically travel alone, since the card’s best perks don’t apply to travel companions on the same reservation

Alternatives to the Frontier Airlines Card

If you are thinking about other airline credit cards, here are two alternatives that could be a better fit, depending on your travel habits:

• Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®: The Citi AA Platinum Select Card, an advertising partner, can make sense for those who want day-of-travel benefits and a path toward elite status with American Airlines. It offers a generous welcome bonus, preferred boarding, and a free first checked bag for yourself and up to four companions on the same AA domestic reservation. The annual fee is $99, waived for first 12 months.
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card: The Amex Delta Gold, an advertising partner, is a good alternative for Delta Air Lines flyers. With a strong welcome offer, free first checked bag and priority boarding on Delta, savings on in-flight purchases, and a 15% discount on the miles required for Delta award bookings, it can be well worth the $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.