If we are going to talk about Southwest and why we are no longer fans, it only makes sense to give an honest review of Frontier Airlines. As I mentioned in my Southwest review, Southwest was my go-to airline for domestic flights. They handled the majority of my travel needs, and for years, that relationship worked because it was simple, predictable, and mostly hassle-free. That trust is gone now, and once an airline breaks that bond, price alone is not enough to win it back.

With Southwest no longer a viable option, I had to step back and reassess what actually matters when I fly. Not marketing slogans. Not loyalty programs that only reward people who live at the airport. Real-world costs, real-world convenience, and whether an airline respects my time and my money. That search forced me to look at carriers I had previously ignored, compare fee structures line by line, and confront just how expensive “budget” travel has quietly become. Spirit Airlines was ruled out immediately, and not for emotional reasons, but because the math simply did not work.

Frontier Airlines entered the picture not because of brand loyalty, but because the numbers demanded a closer look. On paper, it looked almost too cheap, and that raised a bigger question worth answering: Is Frontier actually a smart alternative, or just another airline that lures you in and nickel-and-dimes you into regret? That is where this story really starts.

Why I Looked at Frontier Airlines

So how did I end up with Frontier Airlines after Southwest? The honest answer is Google Flights. Frontier showed up as cheap, not just affordable, but genuinely cheap. That alone was enough to get me on their website to see what the real cost would be to fly from Dallas-Fort Worth to McCarran Airport in Las Vegas. Yes, I will always call it McCarran. It is not Harry Reid International Airport to me, and it never will be. We really need to stop renaming everything for the sake of honoring politicians and let legacy names exist for places people actually use every day.

When I Book Flights to Las Vegas

Every year, I start looking for Las Vegas flights around October or November for my convention. That timing has consistently worked well. I have tried booking earlier, but the prices were rarely better. In many cases, booking too early actually costs more since airlines are still gauging demand. As the date gets closer, prices tend to drop.

Understanding Frontier Airlines Fare Options

Initially, Frontier’s Basic Fare caught my attention with a round-trip price around $100. Once I started digging into the actual costs with fees, the picture changed. Frontier offers four tiers:
• Basic Fare
• Economy Bundle
• Premium Bundle
• Business Bundle

Comfort on the trip matters to me, so checked bags make that easy. I do not want to stress about packing enough clothes or making room for convention swag. I also travel with camera gear, so a carry-on is non-negotiable. The goal was simple: checked bags and a carry-on without the baggage fees costing more than the flight itself.
The Economy Bundle gave me a carry-on, standard seat selection, and no change or cancel fees. Boarding order did not matter to me. I just want a seat. The Premium Bundle added priority boarding and extra legroom, but for someone not particularly tall, the additional cost was not worth it.

The Business Bundle finally checked every box:
• Personal item and carry-on
• Seat selection up front
• Empty middle seat PLUS extra legroom
• Priority boarding
• No change fees
• Two checked bags up to 50 pounds each
That was the deciding factor.

Booking and Cost Reality

I did not take screenshots of the original price breakdown since I was not planning to review Frontier at the time. Looking at comparable dates now, the Business Bundle runs about $358 round trip without discounts, roughly $100 more than what I paid previously.

Departure From DFW

I booked my flight, selected my upfront seat with extra legroom, and had my baggage sorted. This meant peace of mind. On January 18, I flew out of DFW instead of my preferred Dallas Love Field. While Love Field is still my favorite for domestic flights, DFW is a well-oiled machine and impressive for its size.

When booking, I opted to tag my own bags instead of paying someone to do what they were already doing for free. The process at DFW was less intuitive than expected, and the Frontier baggage agent was clearly annoyed when I tried to follow the posted instructions. I skipped printing my ticket since Frontier charges $25 for that, and I already had it on my phone. While I generally prefer printed tickets, I have not needed one in years. If you are flying internationally, always carry a printed ticket. Not every country operates like a modern airport.

TSA and Boarding Experience

Security line or TSA at DFW took about six minutes from ID check to security clearance, far faster than my usual experience at Love Field. TSA times vary, but you can always check current wait times online by searching DFW TSA times.
At the gate, we grabbed drinks for the flight since nothing is free on Frontier. I brought gummy bears and grabbed a Mr Pibb because Dr Pepper was nowhere to be found. Thanks to Coca-Cola’s exclusivity at DFW.
I asked the gate agent if my camera woman could board with me since I was Group 1 and she was Group 4. The Texas staff had no issue with that, and the flight to Las Vegas was quiet and uneventful.

The Return Flight and Minor Friction

On the way home, a Frontier baggage agent took issue with the half-pound difference between two bags. With no scale available until bag drop, we had to reshuffle items. It was annoying but manageable.
TSA at McCarran Terminal 3 was smooth, and I even picked up a challenge coin from Metro Police. At the gate, I again asked if my camerawoman could board with me. This time, the gate agent refused. The excuse felt like it involved an incoming Arctic storm in Texas, but it felt more like unnecessary rigidity.
Once onboard, someone was sitting in her seat and initially insisted he was correct. He eventually realized he was in row 13, not row 1. After that, the flight home was smooth. We even landed 30 minutes early, which I appreciated. I also crossed the Airbus A321neo off my list of aircraft I had never flown.

Final Thoughts – Frontier Airlines

Once we landed, the baggage claim was painless. No damage, no delays, and no surprises waiting at the carousel, which honestly says a lot for a modern budget airline. At the end of the day, that is the baseline expectation, and Frontier met it without drama.
Based purely on cost and overall experience, if Frontier continues offering two checked bags at a price that makes sense, I will keep flying them. As long as they avoid the kind of operational chaos and policy whiplash we have seen from Southwest, I do not see a reason to keep shopping around. Consistency matters more than branding, and right now, Frontier is at least predictable.

Would I recommend Frontier Airlines? Yes, with clear expectations. If your goal is getting from point A to point B on a budget, especially on flights under four hours, Frontier does exactly what it claims to do. This is not about luxury or being pampered. I am not chasing warm cookies, free drinks, or forced smiles. I want to land, grab my bags, and get on with the reason I traveled in the first place.
If you are a frequent flyer who practically lives in airports, this likely is not your airline. The major carriers still win when it comes to rewards programs, lounge access, and long-term loyalty perks. For someone like me who flies a handful of times a year and wants predictable costs instead of chasing points, Frontier fits the mission.

Could Frontier improve? Absolutely. Better business bundle perks would go a long way, and a little more consistency from ground staff would not hurt. That said, one bad attitude is not enough to derail a trip or ruin my mood. These short-haul flights are a tool, not an experience I need curated.
If you want more honest, no-nonsense breakdowns like this, from airlines to gear to decisions companies make that quietly impact everyday people, that is exactly what I cover here. The goal is not hype, it is clarity. Stick around, because this is far from the last time I will be pulling the curtain back on things most reviews gloss over.

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Have you ever sat there and absolutely dread writing something tied to your job? That knot in your stomach where you already know the conclusion and wish it were not true? That is exactly where I am with this article. I wish I did not have to write it. I wish Southwest Airlines had not forced my hand. But here we are.

To be fair, I could have written this a year ago when Southwest first announced their sweeping policy changes. Back then, the warning signs were already flashing. Loyal customers were angry, frequent flyers were confused, and the spirit of an airline that once felt different was quietly being dismantled. Herb Kelleher did not build Southwest to be just another airline, and yet here we are watching it drift directly into that territory. So let us get into it. The history matters. The policy changes matter. And where I am going from here for low-cost budget flights absolutely matters.

How Southwest Earned Its Reputation

For years, I used to say I was fortunate enough to live near two major airports. One handled my international travel. The other was my Southwest Airlines hub for domestic flights. It was a perfect setup. Southwest was reliable, affordable, and refreshingly simple. I did not have to play the airline shell game of fees, upgrades, and fine print. I booked a flight, showed up, and flew.
Southwest Airlines was founded in 1967 by Herb Kelleher and Rollin King with a simple idea that the rest of the industry somehow missed. Flying did not need to be miserable. It did not need to be confusing. And it did not need to nickel and dime people into submission. After years of legal battles just to get off the ground, Southwest began flying in 1971 on short Texas routes. That scrappy, no-nonsense approach became the airline’s DNA.

One aircraft type. Fast turnarounds. Open seating. Free checked bags. No change fees. These were not gimmicks. They were operational decisions that made flying faster, cheaper, and less stressful. Under Kelleher’s leadership, culture mattered just as much as cost control. Employees were treated like assets instead of liabilities, and customers felt it.
By 2024, Southwest had grown into the largest domestic airline in the United States. That alone is impressive. What made it remarkable was that they did it while still holding onto the principles that made them different. Or at least, they did until the policy changes began to roll in.

The Identity Crisis That Changed Everything

Starting in 2024, Southwest managed to do what decades of competitors could not. They broke their own identity. The first major crack was the move toward assigned seating. Open seating was not just a quirk. It was a core part of the Southwest experience. It allowed faster boarding, more flexibility, and a sense of control for travelers who knew how to play the system.
Assigned seating immediately slowed that process down and stripped away one of the airline’s most recognizable traits. Then came the change that truly crossed the line. The elimination of free checked bags.

Free checked bags were not a perk. They were a promise. A simple, customer-friendly commitment that said, “We are not going to squeeze you for every dollar.” Removing that erased one of the clearest differentiators in commercial aviation.
Layer on revised fare classes, tighter change policies, and an expanding menu of add-on fees, and Southwest began to look less like Southwest and more like every legacy airline travelers were trying to avoid.

Longtime customers were not confused. They were angry.
• Business travelers lost speed and flexibility
• Families lost value and predictability
• Loyal flyers lost the reason they stayed loyal
Operational hiccups, inconsistent rollouts, and tone deaf messaging only made things worse. By the time the new ownership group fully took control, decades of goodwill had been traded for a spreadsheet-driven strategy that ignored why people chose Southwest in the first place.

Watching the Backlash in Real Time

At this point, the reaction has been impossible to ignore. Scroll through Southwest Airlines’ social media posts and the comments tell the whole story. The comments are not positive. They are not constructive. They are raw, frustrated, and often brutal.
On one hand, I genuinely feel bad for the individuals on the marketing and social media teams. They are the ones catching the heat. On the other hand, they are still representing a company that chose to alienate the very customers who made the airline successful.
Southwest was worth flying because it was honest about being a low-cost airline without feeling cheap. That balance is gone.

The Reality of Finding a New Budget Airline

So where do I go from here? Every January, I make my yearly pilgrimage to Las Vegas for one of the largest gun conventions in the country. Historically, that trip was a no-brainer on Southwest. This year, it was not.
Instead, we flew Frontier Airlines.
Now, let me be clear. Frontier does not have a glowing reputation. I have heard every horror story. I agree that it is not the best airline on the market. But value is about math, not feelings, and the math made sense.
For Frontier’s UpFront Plus premium seating with two checked bags, the total cost was less than Southwest’s cheapest fare without bags. That alone should raise eyebrows.

A Practical Look at Frontier Airlines

I am not here to give a full Frontier Airlines review, but the experience deserves some context. I booked round trip with the Business Bundle. That bundle included:
• Personal item and carry-on bag
• Choice of UpFront Plus seating
• Extra legroom
• No change or cancellation fees
• Priority boarding
• Two checked bags up to 50 pounds each

The total cost for a nonstop flight from Dallas to Las Vegas, booked two to three months in advance, was just under $250 round trip. That was without Discount Den membership. That was the standard price.
This year, I was not flying solo. I brought my partner along, and we had to book her ticket later. She flew on a basic fare, but we made it work. She used one of my checked bags, we shared a carry-on, and I upgraded her seat to sit next to me in UpFront Plus. The result was a comfortable flight at a fraction of what Southwest would have cost.

Understanding the Frontier Fee Model

Frontier charges for everything. That part is true.
• Printed boarding pass at the gate
• Drinks on the plane
• Snacks
• Seat selection
None of that bothered me. Most of my flights out of Dallas are four hours or less. I can bring my own snacks and drinks from the airport. That is not a hardship.
I chose Row 1, right at the front of the plane. Some people complain about that seating, but I had zero issues. Plenty of legroom, fast boarding, and easy overhead access. Being first on the plane meant getting settled while everyone else dealt with bin space chaos.
Yes, I got dirty looks. Yes, I enjoyed every second of it. For a $250 round trip flight with premium seating and checked bags, I earned that moment of quiet smugness.

Point A to Point B, and That Is Okay

Frontier is not about experience. It is about transportation. If you want champagne service and warm cookies, this is not your airline. If you want to get from point A to point B while keeping your budget intact, it absolutely works.
When Southwest’s price for the same trip, before bag fees, was pushing $400, the choice became obvious. Saving money without sacrificing safety matters.

Travel Reality for Gear-Heavy Trips

Traveling to Las Vegas for this conference means hauling camera gear and leaving room for swag on the way home. Normally, I pack light on the outbound flight and fill the suitcase on the return. This year, my second checked bag was taken over by my partner so I was not able to get the SWAG I wanted, but knowing it was less than a Southwest flight made it all okay in the end.
Two free checked bags on a budget airline at that price point is hard to argue with.

My Verdict on Frontier Airlines

If I book early next year and secure a similar Business Bundle rate, I will absolutely fly Frontier again. No hesitation. No regrets.

My Final Word on Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines burned me as a customer. Plain and simple. I no longer even want to look at their prices because I already know the outcome. It is not the Southwest with the smile. It is not the airline that felt like it was on your side.
In an era where everything is visible online, companies cannot hide behind marketing spin. When you tell customers no more free checked bags, no more open seating, and then fail to reflect that shift in pricing, you are no longer a low-cost airline. You are just another airline.
At that point, why not fly American, Delta, or another major carrier and leverage credit card perks, lounges, and better long-haul comfort?

A Texas Native Watching a Texas Airline Fade

Southwest was once the best way to get around the United States quickly and affordably. Over time, they have taken and taken while insisting it is progress. Customers are telling them otherwise, loudly and clearly.
I do not hope for any business to fail. But I do believe customers vote with their wallets. Southwest Airlines may learn the hard way that abandoning what made you special comes at a real cost.
As a Texas-born native with deep roots in Dallas, that realization stings more than I would like to admit.

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