Frontier Airlines Introduces Updated Check-In Process for Better Passenger Experience

Frontier Airlines doesn’t want to see you. At least not at its ticket counters one hour before your flight.

The carrier is doing away with checking in at the ticket counter up to 60 minutes before your flight. The new edict begins on August 16.

Frontier is encouraging more passengers to utilize electronic check-in, but there is a cost-cutting element to all of this as well. The airline has to pay gate agents and ticket agents to service the counters. They do not have to pay if you check in electronically at home or use one of its kiosks at the airport.

In a tweet, Frontier wrote: Starting August 16th, all Frontier ticket counters will close for check-in and bag drop 60 minutes prior to your flight departure. We continue to be committed to getting you and your bags to your destination without interruption.

The new move is expected to start in Frontier’s home base of Denver.

It does take away some of the convenience and assuredness of checking in with a live person. One reader on Twitter did note that it will become even harder to deal with anyone from Frontier since the airline eliminated telephone customer service last year.

It will be interesting to see if other major airlines follow suit. But American Airlines has a policy in which you can check in up to 27 minutes before a domestic flight and check bags up to 42 minutes prior to departure.