Holding elite status with an airline can come with a host of benefits to reward your loyalty and make the whole experience a lot more pleasant. That’s no different at Frontier Airlines, where frequent flyers can save big with free baggage, complimentary seat assignments, priority boarding and extra legroom seating.
For a small fee, Frontier Airlines is currently offering passengers who already hold elite status with another airline, or even a hotel chain or cruise line, to status match to Frontier’s corresponding elite tier without having to achieve the normal minimum flying requirements.
In this article, we explore exactly how you can go about getting a status match with Frontier and what the benefits are from achieving Frontier Elite 20K, Elite 50K and Elite 100K status will confer upon you.
What’s the deal?
Since September 15, Frontier Airlines has been offering anyone who already holds elite status with more than 45 different airlines, hotel chains and cruise lines the opportunity to status match into the Frontier Elite program at the corresponding level.
For example, a United Airlines frequent flyer with Premier Silver status can status match to Frontier’s Elite 20K tier while a United Premier 1K member can status match into Frontier’s top-level Elite 100K tier.
Another example is a Hilton Gold member or Royal Caribbean Diamond member who can status match into Frontier mid-level 50K tier.
There are 16 supported loyalty programs in the United States, Canada and South America, along with 15 supported hotel brands, and 15 supported cruise lines. The application process takes a few minutes and once approved, your new status should be reflected within 72 hours.
Once approved, your new elite status with Frontier will be valid until December 31, 2024.
How much does it cost?
There are three price points to be aware of if you want to status match with Frontier:
- The standard fee to achieve Elite 20K or Elite 50K is $99
- There’s an upgraded $149 fee to achieve Elite 100K (which is only available for airline programs)
- If you’ve status-matched with Frontier in the past three years, you can still apply but there’s an additional $50 fee.
What benefits do you get from holding Frontier status?
While Frontier’s boasts low base fares, the ancillary fees for things like baggage and priority boarding can quickly add up.
For example, without Elite 20K status, you could end up paying:
- $53 for a carry-on bag
- Up to $12 for priority boarding
- From $11 for an assigned seat
Total = $76 for a one-way flight. This means the status match fee has almost paid for itself with a single one-way flight.
Or how about this example as an Elite 100K member:
- $53 for a carry-on bag
- $53 for a checked bag
- Up to $12 for priority boarding
- From $11 for an assigned seat
Total = $129 for a one-way flight. Again, as a conservative estimate, you could have almost covered the status match application fee with a single one-way flight.
The full list of Frontier elite status benefits is listed below, and as you can see, it’s easy to find value even with the lowest Elite 20K status.
What airline loyalty programs are recognized by Frontier?
For this status match offer, Frontier Airlines recognizes status with 16 different airlines in the United States, Canada and South America.
The full list includes: Aeromexico, Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Avianca, Caribbean Airlines, Copa Airlines, Delta Air Lines, GOL, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue, LATAM, Southwest, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines and Westjet.
To see how your elite status corresponds with the Frontier Status, check out this table, here.
What about hotel or cruise line status?
You can also status match with 15 different hotel brands and 15 cruise lines.
Hotel brands: Accor, Best Western, Choice Hotels, GHA, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott, NH Hotels, Nordic Choice, Radisson, Shangri-la Hotels, Sonsesta, World Hotels, Wyndham Hotels.
Cruise lines: Azamara, Carnival, Celebrity, Cunard, Disney, Holland America Lines, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, P&O, Princess, Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean, Scenic, Stena Line.
⚠️ Remember, hotel and cruise line status can only be matched to Frontier Elite 20K and Elite 50K.
What if you’ve matched status with Frontier in the last three years?
Even if you’ve status matched with Frontier in the last three years, you are still eligible to sign up for this current promotion. However, there is an additional $50 on top of the application fees listed above.
