I saved $146 by not reserving seats for my kids on a Frontier flight, and still got a row to ourselves thanks to a policy many travelers don't know about

• I recently flew Frontier Airlines with my kids, 12 and 8, and didn't pay extra for reserved seats.
• The airline automatically seats children younger than 14 with at least one adult in their party.

For Mother's Day, I planned a weekend trip from Cleveland to Orlando with my two daughters, ages 12 and 8. Luckily, I found some affordable Frontier Airlines flights to get us there and back.

The budget airline isn't for everyone (I've heard some unpleasant stories), but my family has always had pleasant experiences flying with Frontier. It's all about following the guidelines and gauging expectations.

On this trip, I saved $146 by not selecting my kids' seats ahead of time, and it ended up being a fantastic decision.

When I booked our tickets, the total came out to $490

Each of the round-trip tickets cost about $127, and because that rate didn't include any checked bags or carry-ons, I paid $52 on the way to Orlando and $55 on the flight back to Cleveland to check one suitcase that we all shared.

In total, I spent about $490 getting us to and from Orlando. I might have been able to find a better deal if I'd waited to book, but I didn't have time to shop around.

Last year, I was a member of the Discount Den, Frontier's annual savings program that gives frequent flyers perks like exclusive access to low fares and free seats for kids on select flights.

I let my membership lapse because I wasn't traveling enough to justify the cost of the program ($60 a year). I also like to shop around for flights and found that Frontier isn't always the cheapest option.

I didn't pay extra to reserve our seats ahead of time since Frontier automatically puts children next to at least 1 adult in their travel party

I like to know my kids' seating assignments ahead of time since I don't want them sitting alone next to strangers. However, reserving spots in advance can be an expensive upgrade.

On our flights to and from Orlando, securing three seats ahead of time would've cost a total of $146. Since I was an adult flying with two minors, I figured there had to be a better way.

After conducting some online research, I found that Frontier automatically seats children under 14 next to at least one adult in their travel group at no charge. I confirmed the policy with the airline's customer service ahead of booking.

My friends who frequently fly with Frontier told me the airline always seats them with their child for free if they're on the same reservation. They don't even need to request it.

Those who have traveled in groups with more than one adult said the airline may split them up, but it always puts each kid next to a person 18 or older in their party.

Frontier sent me our seating assignments 4 days before our departure, and the whole process was seamless

Frontier's website says it assigns these seats before the check-in window opens (24 hours before departure), but when I asked an online customer-service agent for more details, I had a difficult time getting any answers.

The agent told me to arrive at the airport two to three hours early in case there was an issue with our booking, but I still wasn't sure when we'd get our seating assignment.

In the end, I had nothing to worry about. On the Sunday before my Wednesday departure, I got an email with our seating assignments for both flights. To be fair, I'm not sure if this advanced notice is standard or not.

I couldn't choose where the seats were located on the plane, but all three of them were together on both flights. Everything was all set, but if there was an issue, I would've had plenty of time to contact customer service and resolve it.

On the flight to Orlando, our seats were in the back of the plane, which wasn't a problem since I typically choose to sit there anyway

I didn't get to choose where our seats were on the plane, but the most important thing was that all three of us were together.

Our departing flight experienced a 30-minute delay, making me even more grateful to be next to my kids. Our luggage also went to the wrong carousel at baggage claim, but we eventually recovered it.

None of these mishaps were catastrophic, but the delays meant we didn't arrive at our hotel until well after midnight. Through it all, I was glad to be with my kids the entire time.

On our return flight to Cleveland, our seats were in the very last row, which didn't have a window

I didn't have an issue with these seats. In fact, I probably would've picked them myself. They were right next to the bathroom, which was convenient since my kids tend to use it at least once a flight.

The only thing I didn't like was that our row didn't have an exterior view.

My daughters usually take turns sitting in the window seat — my 8-year-old got it on the flight to Orlando, and my 12-year-old was supposed to have her turn on the flight home. Needless to say, they were disappointed.

Above all else, I was pleased to save money on seating upgrades and be with my daughters throughout both flights

Overall, both flights felt pretty standard for Frontier. They got us where we needed to go, and that's all I expected.

I was mentally prepared to have reservation issues, so I was extremely relieved that our seating assignments arrived in my inbox so far in advance, giving me one less thing to worry about before our trip.