Filed in the U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, flyer Amira Hamad is taking the company to court on claims that the airline is deceiving customers with their company model.
Lawsuit Focuses on Bag Sizers and “Misrepresented Fees” Aboard Frontier
“Frontier is not a budget airline. Frontier does not have the lowest airfares,” the lawsuit opens. “Frontier just breaks its fees into tiny little pieces and checkpoints to water down the appearance of what is actually an average airfare when combined and compared to the industry.”
The heart of the lawsuit focuses on the allowed personal item carry-on, which must fit within a baggage checker at the gate. According to Frontier’s website, the personal item included with a ticket must be a maximum of 14 inches high, 18 inches wide, and eight inches deep, including handles, wheels, and straps. The website states: “Personal items must fit completely within the personal item portion of the bag sizer. Think purses, totes, computer bags, briefcases, and kids backpacks!” While the website says every personal item will be checked for size at the gate, the lawsuit alleges anything that is above the allowed size could be subject to up to a $100 charge at the gate.
In the action, Hamad claims her “TSA-certified” bag meets those dimensions perfectly. However, when attempting to use the personal item check at the gate, her bag allegedly did not fit. The complaint includes a photo of the Frontier bag measurement kiosk against a Spirit Airlines baggage checker. At the Spirit kiosk, her bag appears to fit perfectly.
Hamad’s bag measured in Frontier’s bag sizer against Spirit’s bag sizer, as depicted in the lawsuit. Image courtesy Amira Hamad via lawsuit complaint
“Notably, Frontier does not identify the dimension of its bag sizer on the actual bag sizer, which, in effect, prevent the consumer from objecting to the bag sizer in-person and allows Frontier to induce the consumer into paying the additional fees under the duress of timely boarding their flight,” the complaint reads. “Furthermore, Frontier fails to adequately explain to consumers before purchase that bags are more expensive at the gates.”
As a result, the lawsuit accuses Frontier Airlines of “misleading” consumers about the personal items policy, including the fact that any bag that doesn’t fit is subject to an additional charge. Additionally, Hamad claims that the airline incentivizes gate agents to upcharge as much as possible with bonuses.
The suit seeks not only refunds for tickets and fees paid to Frontier, but also $100 million in damages. The airline has not commented on the legal action, noting that they do not speak about pending or active litigation.
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Source: frugal travel guy