Dropped calls
Budget airline Frontier is hanging up on consumers — confirming this week that they’re cutting off their customer service call option and asking passengers with problems to use their online chatbot or even go to Whatsapp with inquiries they have for the airline.
After being slapped with a $222m refund order and a $2.25m fine from the Department of Transport earlier this month, ditching the phone line is certainly one way to save money, as finances remain balanced on a knife-edge for the ultra low-cost travel company. Indeed, in 6 of the last 11 quarters the airline’s operating expenses have exceeded revenues, so execs are on board with any measure to cut costs, even if it might frustrate passengers.
Low budgets
The move rounds off an eventful 6 months for Frontier, after a botched merger with fellow budget fliers Spirit, a clampdown on bulging baggage, and the launch of their new flight subscription service. The airline’s $599GoWild! pass offers subscribers (almost) all-you-can-fly benefits, as Frontier looks for any edge in the hyper-competitive space.
That competition has driven prices down for consumers, albeit likely at the cost of comfort and convenience. According to the US Department of Transportation, the average domestic airfare in the US has fallen by just over a third (when figures are adjusted for inflation) since the mid 1990s.
