Is Frontier Airlines’ the Works Bundle Worth It?

Frontier Airlines is an ultra-low-cost carrier, typically offering very low base fares with no extras. If you want to choose your own seat, bring a checked or carry-on bag, or the flexibility to change or cancel your flight, you will need to pay extra. So Frontier’s extremely low fares are great for the low-maintenance traveler who can fly with just a personal item. But for a family that must pay for bags, seats and other basics, those $19 tickets can get expensive fast.

For these travelers, Frontier offers a solution in its bundle deals, called the Perks and the Works. These deals include bag fees, seat selection and some other perks for one flat fee. Here, we're going to focus specifically on the Works bundle, which has variable pricing, making it hard to nail down a value.

About the Works Frontier bundle

What's included?

The Works offers a carry-on bag, a checked bag, seat selection and priority boarding. The Works bundle also offers the ability to change or cancel your flight up to 24 hours before departure, as well as the ability to select stretch or exit row seating.

Both the Works and the Perks bundles apply to every passenger on your reservation. So if you purchase the Works bundle, your travel companions will be able to bring one carry-on and one checked bag, plus select their seat without any additional charge.

You can purchase the Works bundle only at the time of booking on Frontier’s website. Alternatively, you can add the Perks bundle after you book or even on a third-party booking site (though it will be cheapest to purchase during your initial booking).

How much does the Works cost?

The cost for the Works bundle varies per destination and time frame. The easiest way to deduce how much this package deal costs is to do a sample booking for your dates and route. After you fill in your passenger information, you will see the price for adding the Works bundle to your journey.

This test search will give you a ballpark idea of potential costs, but keep in mind that the price could change between your test search and the time you confirm and pay for your flight.

Typical Frontier Airlines fees you can otherwise expect

Baggage

The personal item you’re allowed with most Frontier fares must be no more than 8 inches deep by 18 inches wide by 14 inches high. The fees for checked and carry-on bags vary depending on the route, the date you’re flying and when you pay for them.

Frontier offers a bag fee checker on its website, where you can enter dates and routes to get an idea of how much bags will cost for your flight.

Seat selection

Frontier charges a fee for selecting any seat — even a middle seat in the last row of the airplane. If you do not pick and pay for a seat, you will be assigned a seat. Frontier seems to try to keep members of a party seated together, but it's not guaranteed.

» Learn more: Your guide to Frontier baggage and other fees

The other way to save on Frontier fees: Elite status

You can save money on Frontier Airlines fees by having elite status. Even the lowest of Frontier's three status levels, Elite 20K, offers the ability to select a seat and take a carry-on bag for free.

Top-tier Elite 100K members get the Works bundle included on all flights with Frontier, which is why Frontier elite status can be valuable. The Frontier Airlines World Mastercard® can help you earn elite status, since you earn 1 elite qualifying mile for every dollar that you spend on the card.

The bottom line

So is the Works worth it? Without hard numbers like bag fees, seat selection fees and the cost of the bundle itself, it’s hard to tell. Your bottom line will depend on how many people you’re traveling with and where you are going.

Because the Works applies to every passenger on your reservation, the more people you have flying together, the more it can make sense to bundle. If you have companions and bags flying a greater distance, a Frontier package deal could be cheaper than paying for seats and bags separately.

When you book your tickets, compare the costs of paying for each add-on individually with the cost of the Works and the Perks. This is the only way to ensure the Works bundle is worth it.