Flying Frontier Airlines with Kids: UM Policy, Carry-On Fees & Family Boarding

Per Frontier Airlines' published policy, infants under 24 months at the time of travel may fly as lap infants without a base fare on both US domestic and international routes to Mexico and the Caribbean. There is no infant surcharge or tax added on these routes. The lap-infant add must be completed by phone — Frontier's online booking system does not support online infant addition. Visit the airline's official website after booking your adult fare to attach the infant. If your infant turns 24 months during a round-trip, the return leg requires a paid seat at the full adult fare. Always verify current policy at flyfrontier.com before booking.

Per Frontier Airlines' published policy, infants under 24 months may travel on a parent's lap without a paid seat on domestic and Mexico/Caribbean routes. A separate seat is not required for a lap infant. However, the FAA strongly recommends that all children under 40 pounds fly in a child restraint system (CRS) secured in their own seat for the highest level of safety in turbulence and emergency scenarios. Per Frontier Airlines' published policy, if you choose to purchase a seat for your infant to use an FAA-approved car seat, the airline charges the full adult fare — there is no infant seat discount. The car seat must display an FAA-approved sticker to be used in-cabin. Always confirm current policy at flyfrontier.com.

According to Frontier Airlines' published information, no bassinet or sky-cot service is available on any Frontier flight. The carrier operates an all-A320-family fleet — A320, A321, and A321neo narrow-body aircraft — which have no bulkhead bassinet attachment points on any aircraft configuration. This applies to every Frontier route, including longer domestic sectors. Parents traveling with infants who require bassinet service must choose a different carrier. Full-service international carriers such as Singapore Airlines, Emirates, and Lufthansa offer reservable bassinets on long-haul flights. For US domestic travel, no US carrier offers bassinets on narrow-body aircraft. Plan for lap-holding or bring a soft carrier for in-flight use on Frontier.

Per Frontier Airlines' published fee schedule, there is no child baggage discount — every passenger age 2 and older is charged adult-equivalent baggage fees. Carry-on bags are subject to fees of USD 30–95 depending on route, timing of purchase, and fare type — the highest published carry-on range in the US ULCC cluster. Personal item fees may also apply on certain Frontier fares. Lap infants under 24 months receive no individual baggage allowance; a diaper bag is generally exempt per Frontier's family travel policy, but parents should confirm the exemption when adding the infant by phone. To minimize fees, purchase carry-on bags at the time of online booking rather than at check-in or the gate. Always verify current fees at flyfrontier.com before booking.

Per Frontier Airlines' published policy, the airline does not transport unaccompanied minors under age 15. Children under 15 must be accompanied by a responsible adult on every Frontier flight — there is no unaccompanied minor program, no escort service, and no gate-pass for accompanying adults for this age group. This restriction is absolute and applies to all Frontier routes, including direct flights. Children ages 15–17 may fly as standard adult passengers with no escort or supervision. If your child is under 15 and needs to travel alone, Spirit Airlines offers UM service for ages 5–14 at USD 150 each way on non-stop flights. Always verify current policies at spirit.com or flyfrontier.com before booking.

Per Frontier Airlines' published policy, families with young children are called to board before the general boarding zones begin. Frontier is included on the US DOT Family-Seating Dashboard's commitment list for children age 14 and under, meaning the airline has committed to fee-free adjacent seating for children ≤14 on eligible fares. This DOT commitment puts Frontier ahead of Allegiant Air and Sun Country Airlines, which are not on the commitment list. The family pre-boarding benefit itself does not guarantee a specific seat configuration — families who want a particular row or window seat should pay for seat selection at the time of booking. Verify your fare class eligibility for the DOT adjacency commitment on flyfrontier.com.

Yes. Per the US Department of Transportation's published Family-Seating Dashboard (updated April 2024 and maintained at transportation.gov), Frontier Airlines is on the commitment list for children age 14 and under receiving fee-free adjacent seating with a parent or guardian on qualifying fare types. This places Frontier in the same regulatory tier as Spirit Airlines within the ULCC cluster — above Allegiant Air, Sun Country Airlines, and Avelo Airlines, which are not on the DOT commitment list. The DOT dashboard does not apply to all fare classes — verify eligibility for your specific Frontier fare at the time of booking. For the most current dashboard status, check transportation.gov/airconsumer/family-seating-dashboard directly.

Per Frontier Airlines' published fee schedule, carry-on bag fees range from USD 30 to USD 95 per bag depending on route, fare type, and when the fee is paid. Carry-ons purchased at the time of online booking are typically the cheapest option; fees rise at check-in and are highest at the gate. For a family of four each bringing one carry-on, this can add USD 120 to USD 380 per direction to the total trip cost — a material amount relative to the base fare. Personal item fees may also apply on certain Frontier fare types. Lap infants under 24 months do not receive a carry-on allowance. To minimize costs, purchase all carry-on bags at booking and compare the total cost against carriers with included carry-ons such as Southwest Airlines, which includes 2 free checked bags for all passengers. Verify current Frontier fees at flyfrontier.com.

Per Frontier Airlines' published policy, strollers are accepted free of charge at the gate or ticket counter on every Frontier flight. One stroller per fare-paying passenger may be gate-checked or counter-checked without a fee. Frontier's all-A320/A321/A321neo fleet provides jet-bridge return at most stations, meaning strollers are typically waiting at the aircraft door when you deplane — a structural advantage compared to carriers operating regional jets, where strollers frequently go to baggage carousel. To gate-check, obtain a tag from the ticket counter at check-in, walk the stroller through security, and hand it to the gate agent at the jet bridge before boarding. Pick up the stroller at the jet bridge on arrival. Always verify procedures for your specific station at flyfrontier.com.

According to Frontier Airlines' published policy, children under age 15 are not permitted to travel unaccompanied on any Frontier flight under any circumstances. This means a 12-year-old cannot fly alone on Frontier — there is no exception, no UM service available at any price, and no escort program for this age group. This is a hard policy restriction shared with Allegiant Air and Avelo Airlines, but not with Spirit Airlines (which accepts UM ages 5–14) or Southwest Airlines (which accepts UM ages 5–11). If your 12-year-old needs to travel alone, Spirit Airlines offers unaccompanied minor service at USD 150 each way on non-stop flights. Verify current policies at spirit.com or southwest.com before booking.

According to Frontier Airlines' published information, the carrier's fleet reached approximately 155 aircraft in 2026 and continues expansion with Airbus A321neo deliveries. The A321neo is part of Frontier's existing A320-family fleet profile and does not introduce any new family-facing policy changes — no bassinets, no in-flight entertainment, and no children's amenity programs are part of the A321neo configuration on Frontier. Family policies, including the no-UM-under-15 restriction, the DOT adjacency commitment for ages ≤14, and the free lap-infant policy, remained unchanged through the airline's recent restructuring period. Parents should verify current policies at flyfrontier.com before booking, as fleet additions may alter route coverage and boarding procedures at specific stations.

Per Frontier Airlines' published family travel policy, a diaper bag carried for an infant or young child is generally treated as exempt from the carry-on fee and does not count as your standard personal item or carry-on allowance. This is a meaningful benefit given Frontier's carry-on fees of USD 30–95 per bag. However, Frontier's fee structure is complex and enforcement can vary — parents should explicitly confirm the diaper bag exemption with the Frontier agent when calling to add a lap infant to the booking. Bring documentation such as the family travel policy URL at flyfrontier.com if there is any ambiguity at the airport. Note that the exemption applies to a diaper bag used for the traveling infant, not general luggage repackaged in a diaper-bag shape.