Frontier adds additional fees for SCUBA

[Waterskier1]

Here is the answer I received.



"Frank:
I have cut/pasted the part from the baggage chart that applies to scuba equipment. I’m interpreting this to mean that if your ticket is purchased after June 10th, it will cost $100 each time you check in (or each way coming and going). If your tickets are purchased BEFORE June 10th and that’s ALL you check in or if it’s your second bag, it wouldn’t cost anything. As long as it isn’t too big or too heavy, then it would be subjected to the regular overweight/oversized fees of $50. I don’t think including or not including the tank matters – only in terms of extra weight.
I hope this helps – thanks for visiting us at frontierairlines.com.
Beki Pineda

Customer Relations"

But the short answer is: No more Frontier.

- Frank, I got a resonse that is totally different. But it didn't make any sense, so I wrote back asking them to specifically address the problem. It seems they don't even have a consistent story. [I'm hearing "tha'ts my story and I'm sticking to it"] Here is, in part, what they wrote:

"I just spoke with the Baggage Supervisor who was part of the committee decision regarding the new fees for baggage and sports equipment. These new fees were developed to bring Frontier up to the industry standard. When I asked what other airlines charged, she quoted several airlines who have been charging $100-150 for quite some time. Only AirTran and Frontier were still charging $50."

She goes on to state that tanks are heavy, and that other items of over size and over weight also have additional fees attached. But she didn't address gear that has been (until June 10) free if packed in the free checked bag and didn't exceed weight or size limits. She ends her reply with:

"So please don’t feel like we are picking on you personally – we’re having to make changes that effect nearly every passenger in our struggle to survive in the face of $125/barrel fuel prices.
Thank you for visiting us at Frontierairlines.com."


She seems to think that all scuba gear, regardless lof weight or size, was always assess a $50 fee (which she claims is not $100). Clearly she is confused with over weight/size gear (typically scuba tanks, but I think you could check a whole scuba set (kit) including a tank for $50, and still have your free baggage allowance for other baggage. What I am (we are) address is the change from "free if packed in your checked bag and doesn't exceed size/weight limits" to "$100 fee after June 10".


I'll post the response when/if I get it.

Oh, my email was from the same person - Beki Pineda

 

[RonFrank]

After reading this thread, it makes my head spin! :11:

Frontier apparently can NOT clarify their position, which basically means that anyone carrying ANY scuba gear COULD be subject to a $200 fee to fly with gear.

I think in the vast majority of situations, if you fly with gear checked, you will be fine, but there is NO guarantee!

My thoughts, no more frontier for me!

 

[jtbland1]

As I am reading the print out copy in front of me everything seems to be based on check in luggage only, except for a pet in the cabin.

 

[jchull]

Well, unfortunately for Frontier, we can make a clear, consistent decision. And who the hell travels with bottles anyway? This is not the first time that a stupid corporate decision that is out of touch with reality will hasten the demise of a company. Perhaps they assume that since we already blow a whole lot of money on a vacation, that we can absorb the extra cost more easily...

 

[Waterskier1]

Well, I think our writing to Frontier worked!! Here is what I just recieved:

Rick:

Hey – look what just happened!! I wrote back to the policy makers and said that the website had to be straightened out and everyone’s understanding of the regulations had to be the same. After 24 hours, the NEW policy (cut/pasted) below was rendered from on high. It will be reflected on the website within about 48 hours.

Don’t think that you can’t make a difference by writing to Frontier. You can! Share this with your scuba friends.

Beki Pineda
Customer Relations
****************

We’ve listened to our consumers. We’ve changed the contract of carriage (copy attached) as follows:

SCUBA – Removed $100 fee

[FONT=&quot]One bag which may include fins, mask, knife, snorkel, regulator, safety vest, spear gun, pressure gauge, tank harness, empty scuba tank (with the regulator valve completely removed).[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]NOTE 1: Smaller items such as fins, mask, or snorkel may be packed within the passengers standard baggage.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]NOTE 2: Knife, spear gun, and tank must be checked.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]COST: Free – packed within or in place of one FBA [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]For tickets purchased on or after June 10, 2008: excess, overweight, and oversize fees will be assessed as applicable[/FONT]



Thanks to everyone who wrote!!

-Rick

 

[boulderjohn]

I was on the phone with Frontier customer relations when this last message about the change took place, and the person to whom I was spoken told me about the change. He said he was a diver himself, and that he had pretty much been doing nothing but dealing with this issue all day.

From the way he said it, it sounded like someone misunderstood an initial decision and wrote it up wrong, leading other people within the company to draw erroneous conclusions and pass them on to customers.

 

[boulderjohn]

One more thing...

Before I talked to the diving customer relations guy, I was first misdirected to a bozo whose response defending the policy may have explained everything. She quoted me the "one item" list mentioned earlier, which included a spear gun, scuba tank, etc. She could not accept the fact that I could include all that in my checked bag. She could not conceive of a world in which a scuba diver ever traveled with anything less than a full rig.

 

[jared w]

Good job, glad to see they cut this crap out, they were my favorite carrier and I hated seeing this.

 

[Noboundaries]

Woo Hoo! And Dang! Now I have to reactivate their credit card and get a new one to replace the one I cut up.

 

[Codyjp]

glad they fixed the problem but piss poor management will still drive them into oblivion.

noboundaries, be careful that any charges you make with your card will be refunded and backed by a regular credit card company (mastercard, visa etc). If you put an airline ticket on a debit card or something like that and the company goes under (like frontier probably will) you will lose your $$. I just had a friend lose about $6000 to Aloha (she paid with a gift card).