Frontier Airlines announces major changes, shifts to revenue-based earnings and overhauled elite tiers

If you live near an airport served by Frontier Airlines, listen up. Today, the low-cost carrier known for its a la carte pricing, frequent status matches and all-you-can-fly passes has announced a major overhaul to its Frontier Miles loyalty program. This includes a new revenue-based model for earning miles and status plus a revamped elite program. Most changes are set to be implemented in early January 2024, according to Frontier.

There's a lot to unpack here, so let's dive in.

New (and expanded) earning rates

The first aspect of the changes involves the program's earning rates. This applies to accruing both redeemable Frontier miles you can use toward future trips as well as how you qualify for Frontier Airlines elite status.

Under the current program, you earn mileage and credit toward Frontier elite status based on the distance you fly (an increasing rarity in the world of airline loyalty programs). In other words, 1 mile flown on a Frontier plane gives you 1 redeemable mile and 1 elite-qualifying mile — regardless of what you pay for your ticket.

For example, this one-way flight from Orlando International Airport (MCO) to Denver International Airport (DEN) would earn 1,545 miles.

Under the new program, this will change dramatically, as it's following the trend of shifting to revenue-based mileage accrual.

Starting in early 2024, you'll earn miles based on the dollar amount of your ticket plus any additional products you purchase — including bags, seat assignments and bundles of optional services. The earning rates start at 10 miles per dollar spent for non-elites and climb as high as 20 miles per dollar spent for top-tier 100K elites (though this is changing to Diamond status — more to come on this shortly).

However, this has the potential to significantly diminish the miles you earn (and progress you can make toward status) on low-priced itineraries, since the flight itself only earns miles on the base price of the ticket plus the "Carrier Interface Charge" of up to $23 per passenger, per segment.

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In other words, that Orlando-to-Denver flight detailed above would earn just 333 miles for non-elite travelers in the new program and just 666 for top-tier Diamond members who don't purchase any ancillary products.

And this is even worse for Discount Den members, as your earning rate is based on the same formula — and the airfare price for this flight drops to just $0.07 with the discount.

Of course, the calculus changes significantly for high-priced tickets — like this holiday flight on the same route (MCO-DEN):

For this itinerary, your earning rate would jump to at least 4,705 miles for non-elites and a whopping 9,410 for top-tier Diamonds.

A new elite status tier — and updated names

Beyond a new approach to earning miles, Frontier is adding a new tier of elite status and changing the names of existing tiers.

Starting in early 2024, the program will have four levels of status:

• Silver: 10,000 qualifying miles; boosts earning rate to 12 miles per dollar spent
• Gold (currently Elite 20K): 20,000 qualifying miles; boosts earning rate to 14 miles per dollar spent
• Platinum (currently Elite 50K): 50,000 qualifying miles; boosts earning rate to 16 miles per dollar spent
• Diamond (currently Elite 100K): 100,000 qualifying miles; boosts earning rate to 20 miles per dollar spent

As you can see, Frontier is taking a page out of American Airlines' Loyalty Points playbook, adding higher mileage multipliers as you climb the ranks of elite status. This means that reaching the next tier (or requalifying the following year) becomes easier and easier for higher-tier elites.

More: Everything you should know before flying Frontier Airlines

Of course, reaching the upper echelons still requires a fair bit of spending.

For example, let's assume you start 2024 with no Frontier status, which means you earn 10 qualifying miles per dollar spent. Here's what you'd need to spend in the calendar year to climb from no status to Diamond status:

• $1,000 x 10 qualifying miles per dollar = 10,000 qualifying miles (and Silver status)
• $833.33 x 12 qualifying miles per dollar = 10,000 more qualifying miles (and Gold status)
• $2,142.86 x 14 qualifying miles per dollar = 30,000 more qualifying miles (and Platinum status)
• $3,125 x 16 qualifying miles per dollar = 50,000 more qualifying miles (and Diamond status)

That's a total of more than $7,100 — though it could be less if you take advantage of the next part of this announcement.

Fast-track to status

As part of this program overhaul, Frontier has also announced a pair of fast-track opportunities for members.

• For flights booked between Oct. 24 and Dec. 31, 2023, you'll earn 10 qualifying miles per dollar spent plus 1 mile per dollar flown.
• For both new and existing holders of the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard®, you can spend $3,000 on your card between now and Feb. 29, 2024 to unlock Gold status from March-Dec. 2024.

The offer on the Frontier Mastercard is particularly appealing — especially for new applicants. That's because you can earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first 90 days. If you can add in another $2,000 in spending by Feb. 29, 2024, that unlocks Gold status through the end of next year.

In addition, a Frontier spokesperson confirmed that you'll still earn 1 qualifying mile for every $1 spent on the card (which jumps to 2 qualifying miles per dollar on all purchases in a calendar year once you've hit $20,000 in spending on the card).

The information for the Frontier Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

And if you do succeed in a fast-track to status, you'll soon enjoy some added benefits.

Expanded elite benefits

It isn't just the branding of Frontier's elite tiers getting a makeover. It's also updating the perks you'll enjoy at each level starting in January. And here, the news is almost entirely positive.

Here's a table that breaks down the new benefit structure compared with the current version.

As you can see, the majority of positive updates are being added to the Platinum tier (currently Elite 50K). Right now, the free carry-on perk only extends to 50K members, not companions. In addition, you'd need to pay for a checked bag — as would your travel companions.

However, starting in early 2024, you and your companions will be able to bring both a carry-on bag and a checked bag at no charge.

What does this mean for you?

Ultimately, your view of this overhaul depends on how you fly with Frontier. The updates to Frontier's elite status perks are mostly positive — with new benefits and enhancements to existing benefits. It's also nice to see the addition of a new, lowest tier of status — which you can earn with just $1,000 in total spending on Frontier in a calendar year.

However, the new revenue-based approach to accruing redeemable and qualifying miles may be tough for many travelers to swallow.

If you're a bargain hunter who frequently travels long distances with low fares, you'll likely come out behind — potentially far behind, as the inexpensive Orlando-Denver flight shows above.

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And while it's nice that you'll now earn additional miles (both redeemable and elite-qualifying) on optional purchases such as bags and seat assignments, this actually is a negative for higher-tier elites. After all, Platinum members will enjoy even more fee waivers under the new program, while Diamond members are effectively exempt from the vast majority of optional service fees. And opting for the lower-priced Discount Den fare will lower your mileage potential even further — which isn't the case in the current program.

In other words, that super-cheap, Discount Dent itinerary an Elite 100K member books for his or her family to enjoy all of the perks of status may suddenly result in notably fewer miles in 2024 — and slower progress toward qualifying for status.

Bottom line

Frontier Airlines has announced a major overhaul of its loyalty program for 2024, including a shift to revenue-based earning and status qualification. It's also adding a new elite tier and updating the benefits for (and names of) its existing tiers. Finally, the carrier has launched a pair of limited-time offers — one to earn extra qualifying miles on flights booked from Oct. 24 to Dec. 31, 2023, and the other to fast-track your qualification for Gold status via spending on the Frontier Mastercard.

Unfortunately, this means that lengthy, inexpensive flights will likely accrue miles at a lower rate, and while elites will earn miles at a higher rate than general members, that is partly offset by the lack of earning opportunities for ancillary fees (many of which are waived).

That said, being an elite member will become even more rewarding next year thanks to added (and expanded) benefits, so there are some notably positive aspects to this announcement.