How to Cancel a Frontier Airlines Flight

Sometimes you book a flight that you later realize you need to cancel. If you do so within 24 hours of booking a trip with Frontier Airlines, you'll be eligible for a full refund as long as you cancel your Frontier flight at least seven days before departure.

It’s a bit more complicated if you need to cancel once that initial window has passed, but as of May 2024, Frontier has eliminated change and cancel fees for most fares.

Frontier fare classes

There are four main fare classes available on Frontier flights that you can choose from when you book:

• Basic Fare: This is the most budget-friendly option. This ticket type comes only with a personal item, not a full-size carry-on.

• Economy Bundle: This offers a carry-on bag and the option to choose a standard seat.

• Premium Bundle: In addition to a carry-on bag, you also get to choose a preferred seat and get priority boarding and guaranteed overhead bin space.

• Business Bundle: This fare offers roomier UpFront Plus seating when available and a guaranteed empty middle seat. You also get the above, plus two checked bags.

All of these fare classes except the Basic Fare now come with no fees for changes or cancellations. The new bundles also have replaced Frontier’s the Works bundle, an optional upgrade that included perks like a checked bag and early boarding.

Can you cancel your Frontier flight?

You can always cancel a Frontier flight, but if you opted for the most budget-friendly fare, which Frontier calls its Basic Fare, it might cost you (but more on that below).

Of course, if you cancel a flight you booked within the last 24 hours, as long as you booked seven days ahead of your travel date, you can cancel for free for a full refund no matter what type of ticket you booked.

For every fare type besides Basic, cancellations and flight changes are now fee-free, so you can cancel or reschedule your flight if necessary with no penalty. Keep in mind that while you may no longer pay a fee, you will pay any fare difference involved if you choose to change your flight and won’t get a refund if the new fare is cheaper.

If you cancel, the value of your original booking, minus carrier charges and any applicable cancellation fees, will be added to your Frontier Miles account as a travel credit.

What are the Frontier flight cancellation fees?

If you booked any bundle, you can avoid change and cancellation fees. If you chose a Basic Fare, you won’t be so lucky. In fact, you might find that when flying Frontier, the cancellation fees amount to more than your original flight.

For cancellations, the fee if you booked a Basic Fare is $99 per passenger, per direction of travel, regardless of when you cancel.

If you have Frontier elite status, you get free flight changes and cancellations no matter what fare you booked.

» Learn more: The best airline credit cards right now

How to cancel your Frontier flight

The easiest way to cancel most Frontier flights is on the Frontier website or app. Log into your account, navigate to the “My Trips” menu at the top of the page and select “Manage Trip.” Then type in your booking confirmation number and last name to retrieve your booking. All that’s left is to select the “Cancel Booking” option.

As for getting a Frontier refund, there are few individuals who can expect a refund instead of a travel credit. In fact, the Frontier Airlines cancellation policy says after that initial 24-hour cancellation window, flights are not refundable. There does seem to be one exception: Elite Diamond members get fully refundable fares.

If you do cancel or want to change your flight then, you can expect a flight credit. Keep in mind that you must use the credit within one year of the original date of purchase.

If you canceled your flight within 24 hours of booking or think you’re entitled to a refund, fill out the Frontier refund request form.

» Learn more: Is a Frontier Airlines Discount Den membership worth it?

How to change your Frontier flight instead

Since change fees may be lower than cancellation fees, you may want to consider changing your flight instead of canceling it altogether, especially if you purchased a Basic Fare.

For Basic Fares, Frontier’s flight change fees per passenger in each direction are as follows:

• Flights changed 60 or more days before departure: $0.

• Flights changed between seven and 59 days before departure: $49.

• Flights changed six days or less before departure (including same day): $99.

All other fare bundles offer zero fees for changes.

Even though change fees are sometimes lower than cancellation fees, paying the fee isn’t always worth it. On top of paying the change fee, you’ll also owe any difference in fare if the new flight is more expensive. And if the new flight is cheaper, you won’t get the difference back.

Given how high change fees can be, especially at the last minute, it might make sense to simply eat the cost of the original ticket and book a new one, particularly if you can take advantage of one of Frontier's many fare sales or got a good deal on your original flight.

» Learn more: What to know about flight delay compensation

What if Frontier cancels your flight?

If Frontier Airlines cancels your flight, you have more power. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, travelers are entitled to a full refund if the airline calls off your flight, regardless of the reason, and you choose not to travel on another flight paid for by that airline.

Airlines must provide refunds promptly within seven business days if the passenger paid by credit card and within 20 days if the passenger paid by cash or check.

Those refund requests can be made directly on the Frontier website.

» Learn more: 10 credit cards that provide travel insurance

Other options for getting your money back

If Frontier won’t help you, travel insurance might. This optional insurance can be purchased separately from your airfare. Prices and terms of what’s covered vary by provider. It typically costs between 5% and 10% of your total trip cost, according to insurance comparison site Squaremouth, a NerdWallet partner.

But you might not even need to pay for trip insurance because many credit cards offer travel insurance as a built-in benefit to customers who pay for their trip on that card.

Sometimes not even trip insurance will guarantee a refund, though, unless you’ve purchased a Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) policy, which is usually more expensive. If you didn’t, you’re entitled to a refund only if you cancel for a covered reason. Covered reasons vary by insurer but generally include situations such as severe weather, severe illness, injury or death. And even in those scenarios, you can’t just fake a cough; you’ll usually need proof from a doctor.

So book smart, know what options you have if you need to change or cancel a Frontier flight, and don’t forget to use your travel credit before it expires if you get one.