Discount airlines Spirit and Frontier have eliminated a series of fees for passengers who change or cancel their flights.
It’s a big change for the airlines, which are close to merging in 2022. They have been known to advertise low fares but charge higher rates than the larger airlines.
Consumers choose from a menu of extras that increase the final price they pay – often by a significant amount.
Denver-based Frontier has struggled to recover from the pandemic more than any other U.S. airline. Executives said removing fees on some tickets would broaden its appeal to more travelers.
Before the change, passengers on Spirit had to pay between $69 and $119 to change or cancel their airline tickets.
Discount airlines Spirit and Frontier have eliminated a series of fees for passengers who change or cancel their flights
Given Spirit’s low fares, passengers often paid more for changes than for the ticket.
The airline has now abolished the charges.
For Frontier, the cost was about $99 to change a flight within a week of travel.
Frontier is switching to four fare classes: basic, economy, premium and business.
Those in ‘basic’ will still have to do that pay extra for matters such as taking hand luggage, selecting a specific seat and changing or canceling a reservation.
But the change fee is eliminated for passengers in the other three groups, who can also purchase perks such as seat selection and carrying carry-ons in bundles instead of individually.
Spirit and Frontier implemented the changes on the same day this month, May 17.
Larger rivals such as Delta, American and United have scrapped fare changes during the pandemic.
The budget carriers However, have struggled as major airlines created their own no-frills tickets to lure away the most price-conscious travelers.
Spirit said in a statement: “As we have said, our product and strategy will help us better compete, improve the guest experience and return to profitability.
“We are excited to introduce a no-change, no-cancellation fee policy for all guests from May 17.
“This new policy is among the best in the industry because it applies to every guest. We have many more improvements in the works and look forward to sharing more soon.”
Before the change, changing a Spirit flight could cost a traveler up to $119 in fees.
But customers who book now are entitled to full flexibility in changing their flight plans, but changes are subject to fare differentials and travel credits.
Frontier also said it is bringing back phone support for customers within 24 hours of their flight.
CEO Barry Biffle called the announcement “the beginning of a new era for Frontier.”
Frontier hasn’t posted a full-year profit since 2019 and has lost about $400 million since then. failed in an attempt to merge with the Spirit.
Denver-based Frontier has struggled to recover from the pandemic more than any other U.S. airline
Baggage charges on the largest global airlines are rising
The carriers, which were close to a merger in 2022, implemented the changes last Friday
The company’s shares fell 2 percent on Friday.
It comes after major airlines announced they would sue transportation officials over a new rule requiring advance disclosure of additional costs.
American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines filed suit late Friday in the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
This follows the release of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s final rules in April, which requires airlines and ticket agents to disclose service fees in addition to airfare. This would allow consumers to avoid unnecessary or unexpected costs.