Customers who need flight information or want to make changes to travel plans can no longer call Frontier Airlines and speak with an agent, the company confirmed to CNN on Saturday.
As of last week, the ultra-low-cost airline said it had switched to fully digital communications. Customers looking for help or information from the operator must deal with an online chatbot, social media or WhatsApp. Those who need to speak with a live agent can use the operator’s 24/7 chat tool.
“We’ve found that most customers prefer to communicate through digital channels,” spokeswoman Jennifer F. de la Cruz said in a statement, saying they can now receive information “as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
Frontier is known for its cost-cutting measures, such as charging for pre-assigned seats and carry-on bags that exceed the carrier’s regulations. (He checks their dimensions when landing).
Customers who call the customer service phone number now are greeted with an automated message that reads: “At Frontier, we offer the lowest fares in the industry by running our airline as efficiently as possible. We want our customers to be able to operate efficiently, so that’s why we make it easy to find what you need on Flyfrontier.com or our mobile app. We also have a chat service available 24/7.”
Its low-cost competitors, Spirit Airlines and Allegiant Airlines, still use call centers staffed by live agents.
Not surprisingly, Frontier wants to get rid of customer service over the phone. The Department of Transportation said in November it was issuing $7.25 million in fines against six airlines for “extraordinary delays” in refunding passengers since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The only US carrier was Frontier, which was fined $2.2 million by the agency.
Frontier recently launched an unlimited annual plan that currently costs $799, but it comes with caveats, such as holiday blackout periods. Customers also cannot book a domestic flight more than a day in advance.
It is not the only carrier that does not have a call center for its customers. Breeze Airways, the airline founded in 2018 by JetBlue’s David Neeleman, doesn’t even have a call center phone number. Customers are encouraged to contact the carrier via Facebook Messenger, SMS, email, or they can make changes to their flights on its app and website.
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