In recent days, tens of millions of people have seen a video on a confrontation in a registration counter for frontier airlines. The airline has now taken measures, which seems appropriate. However, I think that it lacks the problem of the overview of Frontier with regard to customer service, which is too often overlooked.
Frontier airline registration agents are triggered on the customer
There was a wide coverage of a tense exchange that occurred on Friday May 2, 2025 between a client and representatives of Frontier Airlines at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU). A man would have arrived at the airport around 50 minutes before departure, for his flight to Boston (BOS).
He did not know that Frontier forces people to register at least 60 minutes before departure, because he had not registered via the website or the application. The agents proposed to check it for fees of $ 25, which are aid at the standard airport in Frontier (yes, there are costs for the airline to help customers).
The man did not like the tone of the agents, who told him that he should have known it, but he agreed to pay the costs. While preparing to pay the costs, he said: “I never pilot this Sh **** Y airline again”, and it was then that things became a little out of control, and he started to record the video below.
As you can see, two Frontier representatives are starting to film it. An employee said on several occasions “and you thought you were going to take your flight”, while the other employee stands there and laughs.
Given the public’s indignation on this subject, Frontier has apologized, declaring that employees no longer work for frontier and that the man was reimbursed for his frontier flight, as well as the replacement flight he reserved on JetBlue.
Look, the recording agents acted completely inappropriately, no matter how you cut it. It is possible that the customer is also out of line, but the level of mockery, disdain and laughing that he has shown towards the customer is completely unacceptable.
I realize that we are all humans and have bad days, but it just crosses the line. I would understand if they would take a step back and say essentially “I can no longer help you”, but they almost seem to be enjoying it.
This is missing the biggest problem with Frontier Airlines Service
Biggest Picture, Frontier Airlines has a real problem with hostile and useless terrestrial agents. Of course, you can dismiss these two individuals, but that does not get the deep cause of the problem.
Many people do not realize it, but frontier subcontracts practically all its jobs in airport operations, even at Hubs. On this page, you can find the business to which they subcontract at each airport. Obviously, this is a decision to save money, so the airline can pay as little as possible, without worrying about their unionization, etc.
I do not know if this is still the case, but historically, the airline has given employees airport operations a commission on the accessory income generated, including for the verification bags of the doors superior to the authorized size (taking into account the policy of punitive hand luggage).
Obviously, this creates a really spoiled incitement system when it comes to providing good customer service. Delta gives its employees the share sharing, while Frontier gives employees of its employees a contract a commission on the fees they can additional to customers. In other words, Delta encourages its employees to make customers happy, while Frontier encourages its employees to make customers unhappy.
Then combine this with the hostile policies really of Frontier customers. For example, assistance costs to the $ 25 airport agent from Frontier mean that the airline invoices $ 25 if you need help from an airport agent, even if it is just to print a pass.
The pre-pandemic, carriers and frontier could get away with this, because the airline had an incredible cost structure, and ultra-low cost transporters were profitable. But times have changed. While Frontier has trouble achieving a profit and tries to become more premium, he has still not abandoned many policies that lead to unpleasant experience. If the airline really wants people to be faithful, collect a credit card or fly the airline even if it is not much cheaper, then many must change.
End
An interaction of registration of frontier airlines has become viral, after two representatives made fun of and filmed a frustrated customer. The airline has taken measures and the two people are no longer associated with the border. The customer was also reimbursed for his ticket and the replacement ticket he had to buy.
Frontier did the right step here, but given the attention it obtained, the airline had no choice. The larger problem remains that Frontier exclusively uses contract employees for ground services, so they are not correctly encouraged to worry about customer service. On the contrary, at least historically, they were mainly encouraged to find a possible chance of invoicing customers. For them, unhappy customers have increased their pay checks!
What do you do with this border incident?
