Frontier Airlines admits staff get BONUSES for charging customers for oversized luggage
Frontier Airlines admits that it pays staff a $10 BONUS every time they charge customers extra for oversized bags, even when their bags aren’t too big!
- Budget airline incentivizes staff to charge customers for oversized baggage
- Passengers on social media claim they have been charged extra for bags that clearly fit the airline’s requirements.
- The revelation comes as President Biden vowed to crack down on fraudulent flight fares.
Frontier Airlines has admitted to giving staff $10 bonuses every time they charge customers an extra fee for oversized bags.
The budget airline has felt the wrath of passengers on social media who allege they received fines for bags that clearly met the airline’s size requirements.
And after a woman went viral for her video complaining about the scam, a Frontier Airlines staffer got in touch to reveal that they receive financial incentives to slap customers with extra baggage fees.
Frontier Airlines confirmed the allegation, stating that the bonus was to “help ensure compliance with our policies.”
The disclosure comes after Biden vowed to crack down on what he described as “junk fares” that airlines use to squeeze money out of customers.
The president is considering a law that would require airlines and booking sites to display the full price of tickets in advance on their websites to prevent customers from getting caught up in hidden fees.
Frontier Airlines charges between $50 and $100 for overweight bags.
Its restrictions state that personal luggage must measure 18 x 4 x 8 inches, while standard luggage measures 24 x 16 x 10 inches and must not weigh more than 35 pounds.
The airline allows passengers one piece of personal luggage free of charge.
However, if the staff feel that the dimensions of the suitcase are too large to fit in a cabin, they may charge passengers on the spot.
But earlier this week, journalist Dyana Villa went viral after showing gate staff attempting to fine her group for bags that clearly fall within airline guidelines.
In the video, Villa’s friend is seen demonstrating that the bag can fit into a device designed to measure the size of personal items and carry-on luggage.
An agent can be heard saying ‘they don’t fit in, you’re forcing them down’.
Then a second airline employee walks up and says, “That’s our policy, ma’am.”
Villa uploaded a series of videos embarrassing the company, which drew the attention of former Frontier employees.
In one video, a message stands out that reads: “My cousin works for Frontier, she says they get a bonus for every bag they charge you.”
She said: ‘I’ve been getting a lot of comments like this.
“One of the Frontier Airline flight attendants texted me and said, ‘I’m so tired, we’ve been getting so many complaints.’
‘Based on what that person told me, they get a $10 commission for every person who charges that $100 per bag.
“They are on the prowl trying to see who has a bag that could pass as not fitting.
‘They’re just being very, very mean about it. This is how they get their commission.
Airline carry-on size requirements are listed on their website
The low-cost airline confirmed that it offers staff a bonus for each passenger who charges for extra baggage before boarding.
Now he has launched a petition for the company to stop “overcharging” customers.
It is not clear if the commission varies according to the amount of the fine.
A Frontier Airlines spokesperson told Dailymail.com the fee is “simply an incentive for our airport customer service agents to help ensure we adhere to our policies and that all customers are treated equally.”
On Villa’s complaint, they added: “The video does not show that the customer who used the size box had an extra carry-on bag.
Each customer is allowed one free personal item that must fit inside the smallest box.
‘This customer had more than one bag and was unable to combine them into a single bag that would fit in the personal items box.
“The second customer’s bag would not fit in the free personal items meter box without removing much of its contents.”
The statement added that most customers “pay for their bags in advance, in accordance with our policies.”
“Allowing these customers to board without paying would be unfair to all other customers who were already on board with paid baggage,” the statement said.
There are currently no laws about the extras that airlines can charge customers.
It means there is no consistency between flight guidelines and prices.
Consumer experts recommend that the best way to avoid fees is to take out the airline’s co-branded credit card.
Often these cards come with offers that waive fees for at least the first item of baggage.