The Bad
We've all been there. We search for hours upon hours, days upon days and sometimes even weeks to try to finesse a sweet deal on travel. Whether it be an all-inclusive getaway to a 5-star resort in Jamaica or a cool bargain on a deal for...AS LOW AS $29, we're just wired to haggle and find the most feasible way to travel.
http://time.com/money/5094892/cheap-flights-frontier-airlines-flash-sale-miami-orlando-tampa/
Well, cheap doesn't necessarily mean a great experience. I happened to find a sweet deal back in November with a little-known airline called Frontier. Two two-way tickets for me and my younger brother ran me a whopping $287! Not a bad deal eh? Well, this is where things go downhill. I'm a traveler who likes to pre-check myself in with all of the necessary baggage and luggage included so I know how much I'm paying without the "gotcha fees" that some businesses surprise me with. I'm not sure who travels frequently, but typically there are dimensions and weight rules that carry-ons must follow or there is an extra cost.
So I think, no biggie. I'm the consolidation king! So I pack my smaller luggage for the weekend in Orlando, and I have my brother do the same. We get to the airport and lo and behold, there was the dread...DUH DUH DUH...GOTCHA FEES! Instead of paying the online baggage fee of $25 apiece for me and my brother, without a proper explanation, that fee ballooned to another $20. It was a blow, but I'm cool as a cucumber. I eat the $90 baggage fee for us but was confused about the lack of explanation. More on this later...
The Worse
Orlando ended up being a great trip for me and my brother. But we weren't out of the woods yet. Upon getting to the airport for our 2:15 flight, I get a notification that our flight had been cancelled. Confusing, considering that there wasn't a cloud in the sky that day. Maybe there's something to this I thought. But getting to the check-in line, I was no closer to getting this question answered. So there's about 100+ pissed off and confused people standing in line demanding refunds and whatever else to make the situation right. But in great Frontier fashion, there was no grand announcement that there was a mechanical malfunction, the part wouldn't be flown in for another 24 hours and that we'd all have to figure out other alternatives due to their lack of preparation. Now maybe I'm misguided, but shouldn't every airline have parts on standby in case of said situations occurring? But I digress. Luckily for me and my brother we ran into some buddies from back home and ended up making the 15 hour drive from Orlando back to Indianapolis which turned out to be a road trip for the ages!
The Good
Not everything ended up terrible though. This morning they made ammends and not only refunded me $200 cash directly into my bank account, but they also gave me a $200 flight voucher. I guess beggars can't be choosers or complainers so this was a great birthday gift! Moral of the story, don't fly with Frontier unless they cancel flights and refund you money for more than what you originally paid! LOL