Frontier Miles provides some benefits for those who fly this budget carrier regularly, though the value proposition varies depending on your travel patterns.
The program changed significantly in January 2024, moving to a revenue-based earning model that calculates rewards based on dollars spent rather than distance flown.
This transition makes earning award tickets potentially more challenging for some travelers, though Frontier does maintain a fixed award chart while many competitors use less predictable dynamic pricing.
Elite status with Frontier can help offset some of the carrier’s typical fees through perks like complimentary carry-on bags and advance seat assignments, which might appeal to families or frequent Frontier flyers looking to minimize extra costs.
If you frequently choose Frontier for its low base fares, understanding the basics of their loyalty program could help you manage the overall cost of your travel experience.
How to Earn Frontier Miles
In 2024, Frontier completely overhauled its loyalty program, changing how you earn both redeemable miles and elite status points. You’ll now find multiple ways to build your Frontier Miles balance—from flying with the airline to strategic credit card spending and partner activities. Frontier’s new revenue-based system rewards you based on dollars spent rather than distance flown. As a basic member, you’ll earn 10 miles and 10 elite status points per dollar spent on airfare and add-ons like seat assignments and baggage fees. Your earning potential increases significantly with elite status: This structure can be quite rewarding, especially when you factor in those extra purchases. For example, spending $118 on two checked bags would earn you an additional 1,180 miles as a basic member. Miles typically post to your account within three business days after your flight. The Frontier Airlines World MasterCard® offers a quick way to boost your miles balance. New cardmembers can earn a substantial welcome bonus after meeting minimum spending requirements within the first few months of account opening. The card’s earning structure is straightforward: You’ll also earn one elite status qualifying point for each mile earned through card spending. Additional perks include Zone 2 priority boarding, family pooling benefits, and a $100 flight voucher each anniversary year when you spend $2,500 on the card. Frontier offers several partnerships that allow you to earn additional miles, though these options only earn redeemable miles—not elite status points. Multiple rental car companies partner with Frontier, including Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, National, and Thrifty. Depending on the partner, you’ll earn between 50-100 miles per day or 500-1,000 miles per rental. You must provide your Frontier Miles number when booking to earn these miles. For hotel stays, you can earn miles with Marriott Bonvoy and Wyndham Rewards. Marriott offers 1-2 miles per dollar at participating properties, while Wyndham provides 1 mile per dollar for Blue and Gold members and 2 miles per dollar for Platinum and Diamond members. You’ll need to select Frontier Miles as your earning preference in your hotel loyalty account. Frontier Cruises lets you earn miles based on cruise duration: Additional partners include Teleflora (10 miles per dollar) and Vinesse Wines (4 miles per dollar). While you can purchase Frontier miles at 2.5 cents each, this generally offers poor value unless you need just a few miles to complete a specific redemption.Earn Miles with Frontier Purchases
Earn Miles with the Frontier Mastercard
Earn Miles with Frontier’s Partners
How to Redeem Frontier Miles
The primary way to use your miles is for flight redemptions, with more options coming in the near future. When redeeming miles for Frontier flights, you’ll encounter three different award tiers. Value awards start at 10,000 miles one-way for domestic flights (plus $5.60 in taxes and fees) and are comparable to saver awards on traditional carriers. You’ll typically find these on off-peak dates or less popular flights, though they can appear on other dates when demand is low. Standard awards cost twice as much as Value tickets, starting at 20,000 miles one-way for domestic flights (plus taxes and fees) and offer more flexibility with available dates. Last Seat awards, as the name suggests, are available until the last seat is booked, starting at 22,500 miles for domestic flights and exclusively available to Frontier elite members. For international destinations, you’ll need more miles. Flights to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, El Salvador, Guatemala, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, and Antigua start at 15,000 miles one-way for Value awards, 25,000 miles for Standard awards, and 27,500 miles for Last Seat awards. Booking your award flight is simple. Just visit Frontier’s website, search for your flight, toggle to the miles view, select your desired flight, and log in with your Frontier Miles account to complete the booking. Coming in mid-2025, you’ll be able to redeem your miles for bundled features like baggage, seats, and other add-ons. This will be a welcome addition considering how quickly Frontier’s fees can add up, even when booking award tickets. Currently, alternative redemption options like magazine subscriptions through MagsForMiles offer poor value at around 0.3 cents per mile, making flight redemptions almost always your best bet for maximizing value.
When Do Frontier Miles Expire?
Frontier Miles expire after 12 months of inactivity. This means you need to generate some kind of earning activity within a year to keep your miles alive. Simply redeeming miles doesn’t count – you need to be actively earning them to reset the expiration clock. However, if you have the Frontier Airlines World MasterCard®, your miles will never expire as long as your card account remains active and in good standing.
Frontier's Discount Den Membership
Frontier’s Discount Den membership offers exclusive access to lower fares on an already budget-friendly airline. For frequent Frontier flyers, this subscription-based program can deliver substantial savings throughout the year. The membership costs $59.99 annually for renewals, but new members (or those who let memberships lapse) pay $99.99 due to a $40 enrollment fee. While this upfront cost might seem steep, you’ll quickly recoup your investment if you fly Frontier regularly. The real value of Discount Den becomes apparent when booking actual flights. You’ll save approximately $20-40 per ticket compared to standard fares. One of the most valuable benefits for families is the Kids Fly Free program. For every adult Discount Den fare purchased, one child under 15 flies free on select flights. This benefit applies to qualifying flights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for round-trip, domestic, nonstop travel within the continental U.S. However, there are limitations to consider. Kids Fly Free requires nonstop flights, which aren’t available on all routes. The program also has blackout dates around major holidays and requires a 14-day advance purchase. You can stretch your Discount Den membership further by booking for friends and family. Members can purchase discounted fares for themselves plus up to 8 additional travelers on the same reservation. This feature makes the membership particularly valuable for group travel. Beyond fare discounts, members receive early access to promotions and deals. You’ll be among the first to hear about limited-time fare sales, giving you a head start on booking discounted flights before they sell out. Is it worth joining? If you fly Frontier at least twice yearly with multiple passengers, you’ll likely save more than the membership fee. A family of four might recover the entire annual cost with just one vacation. Solo travelers who rarely fly Frontier may find less value, as the savings might not offset the membership cost.
Frontier's Go Wild! Pass
Frontier’s Go Wild! Pass offers subscription-based flying with annual, seasonal, and monthly options ranging from $399 to $699. You can only confirm domestic flights one day before departure and international flights ten days ahead, with blackout dates around holidays and weekends. The pass doesn’t cover taxes, seat assignments, or bags, and you’ll still pay $14+ in fees per flight segment. Availability can be limited, especially on popular routes, and round-trip bookings require separate reservations for each leg. The pass works best if you live near Frontier hubs, can travel with minimal luggage, and maintain flexible plans. Getting Frontier elite status through their credit card significantly improves the value by eliminating some fees. For frequent, spontaneous travelers who can navigate the limitations, the pass can provide substantial savings over regular fares.
Frontier Airlines Elite Status
Frontier Airlines revamped its elite status program in 2024, offering travelers four distinct tiers with increasingly valuable benefits.
From waived fees to priority boarding and enhanced seating options, elite status can transform your Frontier travel experience into something much more comfortable and cost-effective.
Frontier Elite Status Levels
Frontier Miles offers four distinct elite status tiers, each requiring a specific number of Elite Status Points earned within a calendar year: Once you achieve a status level, you’ll maintain it for the remainder of the current calendar year plus the entire following year. For instance, if you earn Elite Gold status in October 2025, you’ll enjoy those benefits through December 31, 2026.
How to Earn Frontier Elite Status
You can earn Frontier Elite Status Points through several methods: Frontier Airlines purchases, credit card spending, status matches, or direct purchase. When you make qualifying purchases on FlyFrontier.com—including flights, baggage fees, seat assignments, priority boarding, and other extras—you earn both redeemable miles and Elite Status Points. Regular members earn 10 Elite Status Points per dollar spent, while existing elite members earn at accelerated rates: Elite Silver (12 points), Elite Gold (14 points), Elite Platinum (16 points), and Elite Diamond (20 points). The Frontier Airlines World MasterCard® provides an additional path to status. You’ll earn 1 Elite Status Point per dollar spent on purchases. This means spending $10,000 on the card in a calendar year would earn enough points for Elite Silver status. Certain purchases earn fixed amounts of Elite Status Points rather than being based on spend. GoWild! passes and Discount Den memberships have predetermined point values that increase with your elite level. For example, a GoWild! Annual Pass earns 6,000 Elite Status Points for regular members but 12,000 points for Elite Diamond members. Frontier occasionally offers status match opportunities for those with elite status on other airlines. Frontier has also been known to sell elite status outright during promotional periods, providing another potential shortcut to obtaining benefits. I’ve personally participated in a status match for just $99 and received approximately $400 in value through free seat selections, complimentary bags, and priority boarding.
Silver Elite Benefits
Frontier’s Silver Elite status offers a solid foundation of travel benefits that make your journey more convenient and cost-effective. You’ll enjoy freedom from change or cancellation fees when modifying plans at least seven days before departure—a benefit that extends to you and up to eight travelers on your same reservation with the same confirmation number. Your boarding experience improves significantly with Zone 2 priority boarding for your entire traveling party. When making reservations, you can secure standard seat assignments for yourself at the time of booking, with preferred seat options becoming available to you upon check-in, subject to availability. Communication with Frontier becomes more efficient through priority customer care online chat, giving you faster access to assistance when needed. Your miles accumulate more quickly thanks to a 20% multiplier on eligible purchases made on FlyFrontier.com, though this multiplier doesn’t apply to miles earned through the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard. The family pooling option allows you to combine miles with family members, making reward travel more accessible and helping you maximize the value of everyone’s miles. This combination of benefits provides valuable improvements to your travel experience even at this introductory elite level.
Gold Elite Benefits
Gold Elite status substantially enhances your Frontier travel experience with all Silver benefits plus several significant additions. One of the most valuable perks is the free carry-on bag benefit, which eliminates this common fee on every flight you take. Your seating options expand considerably with standard or preferred seats available at booking time and premium or preferred seats becoming accessible at check-in, all subject to availability. Gold members enjoy an improved boarding process with personal Zone 1 boarding priority, while maintaining Zone 2 boarding for companions traveling on the same reservation. Beginning in 2025, Gold members will receive complimentary upgrades to UpFront Plus seating when available four hours before departure. These special seats feature extra legroom and a guaranteed empty middle seat for additional comfort. Your earning potential increases significantly with a 40% mile multiplier on eligible Frontier purchases made through official channels.
Platinum Elite Benefits
Platinum Elite status dramatically elevates your Frontier experience with premium benefits that extend to your entire traveling party. Everyone on your reservation (up to eight additional travelers) receives a free carry-on bag and one free checked baggage item per person—including specialty items like golf or ski equipment—creating substantial savings for group travel. Seating assignments improve considerably with standard seats guaranteed for your entire party at booking time, while you personally can select premium or preferred seats at booking. Your companions gain access to premium or preferred seats at check-in when available, ensuring everyone enjoys improved comfort. The new unlimited companion travel benefit launching mid-2025 represents one of Frontier’s most valuable elite perks, allowing you to bring a companion of your choice on any Frontier flight for just the cost of taxes and fees (as low as $5.60 per flight). Your entire party enjoys Zone 1 boarding priority, moving everyone through the boarding process more efficiently. Your earning capacity increases with a 60% mile multiplier on eligible Frontier purchases. Additional benefits include a pet-in-cabin fee waiver subject to availability, 50% discount on Discount Den membership, UpFront Plus seat upgrades 12 hours before departure when available, and the ability to gift Silver status to another Frontier Airlines member annually (gifted between December 1-31, valid for the following calendar year).
Diamond Elite Benefits
Diamond Elite status represents Frontier’s pinnacle offering with comprehensive benefits that transform your travel experience. You and your traveling party (up to eight additional travelers) receive priority boarding ahead of all other passengers, allowing you to settle in before the main boarding groups. Flight flexibility reaches its maximum with fully refundable tickets up to 24 hours before departure for you and everyone on your reservation. Premium or preferred seating becomes standard for everyone in your party at booking time, ensuring comfort throughout the cabin. Your baggage allowance doubles to two free checked bags per person for you and your entire party, providing substantial savings on every trip and eliminating concerns about packing restrictions. The free carry-on bag benefit also extends to everyone on your reservation. Your mile earning accelerates dramatically with a 100% multiplier on eligible Frontier purchases, effectively doubling your earnings and helping you maintain elite status. The complimentary Discount Den membership provides consistent access to Frontier’s lowest available fares, enhancing the value proposition further. Diamond members receive UpFront Plus seat upgrades at check-in for their entire traveling party when available. Like Platinum members, you’ll enjoy unlimited companion travel starting mid-2025, allowing a companion of your choice to join you on any Frontier flight for just the cost of taxes and fees. Additional premium benefits include a pet-in-cabin fee waiver (subject to availability), family pooling options for miles, and the ability to gift Gold status to another Frontier Airlines member annually.
The Verdict
Frontier Airlines operates as a budget carrier, and its loyalty program reflects this positioning with modest benefits that may improve certain aspects of your travel experience.
The Frontier Miles program allows you to earn rewards toward future flights, though the revenue-based earning structure means your mileage accumulation directly ties to what you spend.
Elite status tiers offer practical benefits like free carry-ons and seat assignments that can help reduce some of the additional fees commonly associated with ultra-low-cost carriers. The program’s primary limitation is its lack of airline partners, restricting both earning and redemption opportunities exclusively to Frontier flights.
For occasional Frontier travelers, the program is worth joining since it’s free, but its overall value remains limited compared to more robust airline loyalty programs.
If you frequently fly Frontier due to its route network or pricing, the Miles program provides a basic framework to potentially reduce your overall travel costs, though expectations should remain modest.
