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Frontier Airlines admitted it pays gate agents bonuses for flagging oversized baggage. 2 months later, a video explaining it all on TikTok has people pissed all over again.

May 23, 2023, 08:29 IST
Insider
Illustrative photo of woman in an airport; Frontier Airlines.d3sign/AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images
  • A TikTok video said that Frontier was paying agents $10 for charging passengers on oversized bags.
  • Frontier told the Independent that agents did receive a commission but did not confirm the amount.
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A viral TikTok video has invoked the wrath of travelers worldwide — and this time, Frontier Airlines is in the hot seat.

A TikTok posted by the internet-drama commentator Noah Glenn Carter detailed how Frontier was "being canceled because of their bag policy." The video, which garnered more than 4.5 million views and thousands of comments, criticized Frontier and said that the airline was charging $99 for each item of baggage that didn't fit in the overhead bin.

In the video posted Saturday, Carter said Frontier gate agents were paid $10 in commission for each oversized baggage they charged for.

Frontier does not state exactly how much it charges for oversized baggage on its website, but says that suitcases "larger than the allowed dimensions are subject to an additional charge."

"You see, this commission has caused the agents to tell people that their bags do not fit, when their bags clearly do fit," Carter said.

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And there's proof to back up Carter's claim. In March, a Frontier representative told the Independent that agents got paid a bonus for each item of oversized baggage they charged passengers for — though the airline did not confirm the amount the agents earned from each charge.

The representative said the fee was "an incentive for our airport-customer service agents to help ensure compliance with our policies and that all customers are treated equally."

A Frontier representative also confirmed to Insider on Monday that the airline pays agents a commission for charging oversized bags.

"In the past, our carry-on bag size requirement was not consistently applied, which was unfair to the majority of customers who do pay for their carry-on bags in advance and comply with this requirement," the representative said.

The representative added that Frontier has investigated several complaints posted on TikTok about agents unfairly charging passengers and found "there is more to the story."

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"All complaints are taken seriously and consumers are encouraged to contact our Customer Care team with any concerns," she continued.

The issue of Frontier's unpopular bag policy first came up when Dyana Villa uploaded a TikTok in which she said she had been charged $100 for an oversized carry-on. Frontier's website says that carry-on baggage must measure 14 inches by 18 inches by 8 inches and weigh less than 35 pounds.

Many TikTok users didn't take Frontier's policy well, with some even dubbing them the "worst airline ever" in comments posted on Carter's video.

"Frontier has always been absolutely terrible," a user called @memes_n_laughs, commented.

Another user shared how they witnessed a passenger go to extreme lengths to avoid paying the oversized-baggage fee.

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"I seen a guy break his skateboard in half to make it fit in the thing," another user, @aidsboat, said.

Some users said Frontier's policy was justified because of its cheap ticket prices.

"with the $99 fee is the flight still really cheap?" the user @a_na94 commented.

"But the ticket is $29," another user, @undisclosedaccound00, wrote.

Carter did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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