Personal Finance News
Frontier Airlines Adds Companion Travel Benefit for Elite Flyers
A budget airline is bringing a valuable new perk to its most frequent flyers.
About the New Benefit:
This week, Frontier Airlines announced the launch of a new unlimited companion travel benefit. Now, Frontier Miles Platinum and Diamond elite status customers will be able to book a (nearly) free ticket for a friend or loved one when booking one for themselves. Plus, this perk is unlimited for qualifying flyers.
As Frontier explains, to use this benefit, elite status customers can first select their flight and fare. Then, as part of the booking process, they’ll enter their companion’s information, including a required Frontier Miles account number. At checkout, flyers will see confirmation that their companion benefit has been applied and can view their trip total.
Notably, while this perk means that travel companions will enjoy fare-free flights, customers will still be required to pay applicable government taxes and fees. However, these fees can be as little as $5.60 per flight.
In celebration of this new perk, Frontier is also running a sweepstakes where 100 randomly selected entrants will win complimentary Platinum status for the summer. Entries are now open through May 21st, with winners being notified on or before May 30th. Those who are selected will enjoy their Platinum status — including the companion travel benefit — through August 31st. No purchase is necessary to enter this content, although a free Frontier Miles account is required.
Meanwhile, those looking to earn Elite Platinum status will need to earn at least 50,000 qualifying Frontier Miles points. Elite Diamond status currently requires 100,000 points. These points can be earned on the purchase of flights, baggage, seats, and more. Plus, the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard (issued by Barclays) allows cardholders to earn one Elite Status Point for every dollar spent on the card.
What They’re Saying:
Announcing the launch of this new benefit, Frontier Airlines’ Chief Commercial Officer Bobby Schroeter said, “Our Frontier Miles Elite Status members enjoy the most rewarding loyalty program in the sky – and now, our Platinum and Diamond members can share the benefits with a companion on every Frontier flight.”
Schroeter continued, “We are laser-focused on delivering real value and rewards to customers left behind by other airline loyalty programs, and our new companion travel shows our commitment to offering convenience, flexibility and our signature affordability.”
My Thoughts:
With this addition, it’s clear that Frontier is looking to go after the market that Southwest is slowly departing. This approach was even more evident when the airline ran a limited-time promotion that offered free checked luggage to travelers — the same week that Southwest revealed its free baggage perk was ending. For the record, at this time, Southwest is keeping its famed Companion Pass, but who knows if that could also change in the future.
Of course, Frontier is also going through its own evolution, including plans to launch a First Class seat product later this year. Despite that, the carrier is still an “ultra-low fare” option, which could be appealing to flyers on a budget. Plus, with the addition of this companion perk, those who do travel with Frontier often could now be saving even more.
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