Frontier Airlines have joined the ranks of Southwest, Spirit and others in implementing policies that are particularly hostile to online travel agencies and third party providers. Many airlines have implemented amenities only valid if travelers book direct on the airlines' websites and will charge higher fees, inhibit seat assignments if third parties are used to book. Some, such as Virgin America and Jet Blue will give discounts or extra miles for enticing travelers to book direct.
Why this hostility? These airlines want to control travel from A to Z. They see the agent as the enemy because the agent actually works for the benefit of the traveler. Agents will advocate for their travelers and charge a small fee to provide personalized services that these airlines are incapable of doing. They penalize agents for holding reservations that are ultimately not ticketed by charging up to $300 fee for a booking. Agents do not make any commissions off of these airlines and the cost of distributing these seats through agents are very minimal. What the agents do offer is the impartial display of all airlines and flights and shop comparison tools for best pricing, something these particular airlines absolutely resent. www.premieretravel.com
