Frontier Airlines Passengers Pay ‘Covid Recovery’ Surcharge

Frontier Airlines passengers will notice that they paid for the “Covid Recovery” charge. It’s a unique service paid by Frontier Airlines passengers to cover for the “increased sanitation and cleaning on board the aircraft and in the airport”. Also, this will include “shields at the ticket counters and gate areas, and personal protective equipment for employees” according to the airline’s website.

The Covid Recovery charge amounts to $1.59. This charge started in May and is paid for by each passenger. According to an airline spokesperson, “The CRC is already added to the promoted total fare at FlyFrontier.com, therefore, it is not an unexpected charge later in the booking process”.

Budget Airlines and Additional Fees

Frontier is a Denver-based ultra-low-cost carrier. And historically, budget airlines tend to charge passengers with the smallest items possible that they could get away with. It’s common for low-cost airlines to charge their passengers for bags, seat selection, and other small items that can generate extra cash for the company.

According to Scott Keyes, “Budget airlines have historically been the most adventurous in testing out new fees”. He added that “And Frontier’s COVID Recovery surcharge is true to form”. Scott Keyes also asks “whether yet another fee will push some Frontier customers to book elsewhere”.

In May 2020, Frontier charged their passengers extra if they want to keep the middle seat next to them empty. Other airlines, on the other hand, were already blocking middle seats to ensure social distancing. This decision was faced with criticisms from Democratic lawmakers. Senators Ed Markey, Steve Cohen, and Jesus Garcia sent a letter to Frontier CEO Barry Biffle about their policy.

According to the letter, “the flying public should not be charged extra to stay healthy on flights”. Biffle at that time replied that “We recognize the concerns raised that we are profiting from safety and this was never our intent”. Biffle added that “We simply wanted to provide our customers with an option for more space”.