Flying has become increasingly unpleasant. From strict TSA rules that make packing a nightmare to airlines continually trying to add new fees and take away benefits, passengers have to deal with a huge number of frustrations when they head to the airport.

Now, Frontier is trying to make air travel even more annoying by doing away with a major passenger convenience.

While Frontier had the most complaints of any passenger airline in 2024, according to the U.S. PIRG Education Fund, the airline is looking to make the travel experience even less pleasant for flyers – and it’s all in the pursuit of cost savings.

Frontier Airlines wants to make a change that could inconvenience passengers

Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle addressed the change that the airline wants to make, indicating that the goal is to eliminate jet bridges from as many flights as possible. 

A jet bridge allows passengers to board a plane directly from the gate within the airport, without going outside.

Simple Flying reports that at the Barclays 42nd Annual Industrial Select Conference, the CEO stated:

“One of the things that we’re going to do over the next few years is we’re gonna try to get as close to 100% ground loading as possible.”

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Frontier Airlines already made moves away from jet bridges at the airline’s main hub in Denver, Colorado, but is now trying to take the policy nationwide. 

In doing so, the airline is taking a page from the playbook of airlines abroad, as Biffle explained that many low-cost European carriers, including Ryanair, typically do not use jet bridges when flying.

Jet bridges: passenger convenience – or kiss of death?

Frontier’s war on jet bridges may seem confusing when you consider the benefits they provide.

Benefits of jet bridges for aircraft boarding:

• Allow passengers to get on and off planes without walking outside. Going outside to board isn’t ideal in bad weather, where passengers could find themselves getting snowed on, rained on, or baked in the sun.
• Can be better for handicapped passengers or those who cannot easily climb stairs, which are required for ground loading.

Biffle does not consider jet bridges a convenience, though. Instead, he has much harsher words for this popular boarding option. Here’s how the CEO referred to the passenger convenience:

“A jet bridge is just the kiss of death when you’re trying to turn an airplane really fast.”

Why does Frontier Airlines want to do away with jet bridges?

Biffle had numerous reasons for wanting to eliminate jet bridges, including the following:

• Airlines can do dual boarding and deplaning with ground loading, since they can put stairs at the front and back of the plane. This can reduce the turnaround time, since people get off and on planes faster.
• Ground loading with stairs is cheaper, as airports charge extra for jet bridges in many cases.
• Airlines can run more flights per gate because ground loading provides more aircraft positions.
• Jet bridges can fail and make it impossible for a plane to take off, and this is less likely to happen with stairs.

Here’s what the CEO had to say:

“If you have front and rear boarding, you literally double the speed that people get on and off the planes.” 

Since Frontier Airlines is focused on increasing efficiency, he believes these benefits outweigh the inconvenience of passengers having to board in poor weather.

Airline passengers pay the price for increased efficiency of ground loading

While Frontier Airlines may believe it’s in the airline’s best interest to make turnaround times shorter, customers are the ones who end up dealing with the hassle as they board their flight.

As Gary Leff of View from the Wing wrote in an article about the plan to eliminate jet bridges from the boarding experience:

“So snow, wind, rain, and summer heat are all now part of the boarding experience for Frontier.”

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Make a free appointment with TheStreet’s Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@postcardtravelplanning.com or call or text her at 386-383-2472.

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