Frontier Airlines makes its seat selection, chooses style for new first-class product
Frontier Airlines has officially picked a first-class seat for its planes.
The Denver-based ultra-low-cost carrier announced April 8 that it’s partnering with Italian seat manufacturer Geven on its first-ever premium seats.
The new, spacious recliners are set to begin joining the airline’s fleet during the final months of 2025.
Pro tips: The biggest mistakes people make with travel rewards credit cards
Once installed, the new seats will mark a major new era for the budget airline — long known for its no-frills, all-coach cabins.
Last December, Frontier joined a growing trend of low-cost carriers revealing plans to launch premium seats, hoping to lure passengers who frequent its larger competitors — something the airline believes it will be able to do with the help of its new spacious seats, Gilles Bussutil, Frontier's vice president of inflight experience, said Tuesday.
“The goal was to design a seat that blends exceptional comfort, luxury and space, and making it available at Frontier’s trademark low prices,” Bussutil said while speaking at Aircraft Interiors Expo, a major industry gathering in Hamburg, Germany.
Frontier's new first-class seat
Frontier opted for Geven's premium product nicknamed "Comoda" for its new first-class seats. The airline plans to install them in a two-by-two configuration covering the front two rows of all its planes.
An uncustomized, off-the-shelf version of the seats sat on display just steps from the event's news conference, sporting all the extra space, storage and comfort you’d expect in a typical domestic first-class seat.
According to Geven, these seats offer a width of just under 21 inches, which is far better than the 16- to 17-inch-wide coach seats currently on Frontier's planes.
Know, though, that Frontier’s version of these first-class seats will look a lot different.
Renderings Geven shared showed the dark black seats with pops of green — including Frontier’s signature logo on the headrest.
Modifications will go beyond simple aesthetics, with the airline currently in deep talks about how it plans to customize the product.
We should point out that those renderings did not show seats sporting the leg rests or privacy wings surrounding the headrest Geven makes available on this product — as shown below.
Frontier is still deciding on whether to include those features and others, Bussutil said.
“We’re still finalizing all the trim and finishes of the seat, so, more designs will be provided a little bit later on,” he added.
Also still in discussion: What type of service the airline will offer around its new premium seats.
Historically, any food, beverages or other extras have cost more on Frontier — even in its UpFront Plus seats featuring a guaranteed empty middle seat that debuted in 2024.
“There’s still discussion on what that service will look like for our customers,” Bussutil said of its first-class offerings. “Watch out for news.”
Planning an 'aggressive' rollout
Yet, even with some big decisions still to be made on its first-class product, Frontier is still plotting an “aggressive” retrofit timeline that should see a substantial portion of its fleet updated with the new seats during the home stretch of this year, Bussutil said.
Last year, Frontier CEO Barry Biffle told TPG he believed the carrier could complete all of its retrofits within two months.
Frontier’s fleet spans 160 jets, and the airline has orders for 180 more aircraft over the coming years. All new jets, along with its current planes, will get the new seats.
It’s safe to say the airline is eager to get them installed. After the carrier announced the new first-class product last December — and revealed plans to offer complimentary upgrades for Frontier Miles elite status members — applications for the airline’s cobranded credit card spiked dramatically, Biffle revealed at a conference in February.
The airline is hoping to further entice travelers to join its loyalty program with a new companion pass for high-level elite status members set to launch later this year. It also recently took direct aim at Southwest Airlines by trialing free checked bags this spring after the Dallas-based carrier ended its long-standing customer-friendly bag policy last month, sending shock waves through the industry.
Read more: Why the Frontier Airlines Mastercard became the newest credit card in my wallet
'Colorado and Napoli' join forces
Frontier is the first U.S. airline to partner with Geven for first-class seats. The manufacturer is headquartered in Nola, Italy, east of Naples, resulting in a joining of forces that brought together “two companies from opposite sides of the world,” Alberto Veneruso, the seat maker’s managing director, said Tuesday.
“One from Colorado, and one from Napoli,” he added.
Among the less visible factors that drew Frontier to Geven's first-class product is its lightweight design, Bussutil said. Lighter seats help with fuel efficiency, saving money and helping to limit an airline's carbon footprint.
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.