Point Systems Frontier Miles

Airline
Get a clear overview of this award program, including earning shortcuts, recommended cards, transfer options, sweet spots, and helpful booking tips.
Frontier Miles

Frontier Miles

#28 Among Airlines

Point Value

1.20 ¢

Hobby Score

3.5

View Ratings

Sweet Spots

Domestic US in Economy
US to Central America in Economy
US to the Caribbean in Economy
See More Sweet Spots

Top Transfers

3:1
Marriott Bonvoy
57% Value Retained
5:1
Wyndham Rewards
24% Value Retained

Booking Tips For This Reward Program

Be aware of promos
Use the calendar view
Avoid These Pitfalls

Key Takeaways

Frontier Miles is best for those who travel light and on a budget:

  • Find very cheap domestic flights and flights to and from the Caribbean.
  • Award flights can be as low as 20,000 points round trip.
  • Elite status can waive bag and seat fees, which keeps overall costs low.
  • No credit card transfer partners and only one co-branded card.
  • Frontier has no airline partners for earning or redeeming miles.
  • Fees for bags and seats can make cheap fares expensive, and the route network is limited.

Reward Program Ratings

1.20¢
Point Value
Yes
Points Expire
Yes
to Spouse
Yes
to Friends

Hobby Score

3.5
Brand Footprint 3
Real World Practicality 4
Earn/Redeem Efficiency 4
Policy Fairness 4
Ease of Holding 3
Product Quality 3

Travel Partner Transfers

Transfers In

Marriott Bonvoy
57% Value Retained
3:1
Wyndham Rewards
24% Value Retained
5:1

Transfers Out

No direct transfers out of Frontier Miles. Frontier Miles generally cannot be moved to other point programs.

Points Transfer Guide

5,500 Frontier Miles Points

Transferable Points

Transfer to
Spouse
5,219,403
19,000
74% Value Retained
No
125,000
45,000
85% Value Retained
Yes
34,950
2,000
12% Value Retained
Yes
Total Points Available Including all transfers
30,480

How to Earn Miles

There are only three ways to earn Frontier Miles. You can open and spend on their one co-branded credit card, earn Frontier Miles by flying on the airline, or book travel with one of Frontier’s travel partners.

Earn by Flying Frontier

Once you join the Frontier Miles program, you become a Member and earn miles based on how much you spend and your elite status level. Members earn 10x miles per dollar spent on Frontier flights and extras like seat selection and baggage. If you earn elite status, you’ll earn more miles on every dollar:

  • Elite Silver: 12x miles per dollar
  • Elite Gold:14x miles per dollar
  • Elite Platinum: 16x miles per dollar
  • Elite Diamond: 20x miles per dollar

Earn by Opening Their Co-branded Credit Card

If you open the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard, you can earn more miles to redeem for Frontier flights. This is the only co-branded card available, and with no credit card transfer partners, it’s the best way to earn Frontier Miles outside of flying.

Our Favorite Cards

Annual Bonuses & Big Spend Bonuses

Frontier Airlines World Mastercard

  • Spend requirement: Spend $2,500 or more during your cardmember year to earn a $100 Frontier Airlines voucher (valid for 180 days after issuance).
  • Spend requirement: Spend $3,000 in the first 90 days to extend complimentary Gold Elite status for the entire year (you receive 90 days of status when opening the card).
  • Our take: We’re usually not big fans of spend-based bonuses, but these thresholds are relatively low. If you fly Frontier several times a year, both perks could be worth pursuing.

Other Options to Earn

Frontier partners with a variety of rental car companies and hotels, giving you a few additional ways to earn miles. If you collect hotel points, you’ll usually earn more by crediting those stays to the hotel’s own loyalty program. Car rental programs, however, are less lucrative, so it may be worth crediting those rentals to Frontier to pick up extra miles. You can review all partners and earning rates here.

How to Redeem Miles

The only way to redeem Frontier Miles is for airfare on Frontier. The airline uses an award chart with starting rates across three tiers — Value, Standard, and Last Seat — with prices increasing at each level. You can view the chart here.

To search for award flights, log into your account, enter your trip details, and select “search by miles.” After results appear, you can also use the low fare calendar to see pricing by month.

Sweet Spots Finder

Discover your points' highest-value redemption options. Use the filters to find the optimal sweet spot for your next trip.

Booking Tips

Frontier often runs promos where flights are half what the award chart says.

Changing your flight with Frontier Miles

  • For award tickets, you can cancel or change your ticket 7 days in advance of departure for no fee.
  • If you book a bundle - economy, premium, or business, you can make changes to your ticket with no fee
  • No fee for changes more than 60 days before departure
  • Pay $49 per passenger for changing your flight between 7 and 59 days before departure
  • Pay a $99 change fee 6 days or sooner before departure (per passenger, per direction)
  • If you change your ticket and the ticket cost is higher than what you initially paid, you are responsible for the difference. If the ticket is lower, you will not get a refund.

Canceling your flight with Frontier Miles

  • For award tickets, you can cancel your ticket 7 days in advance of departure for no fee.
  • If you book a bundle - economy, premium, or business, you can cancel your ticket with no fee
  • No fee for canceling a flight more than 60 days before departure
  • Pay $49 per passenger for canceling your flight between 7 and 59 days before departure
  • Pay a $99 cancellation fee 6 days or sooner before departure (per passenger, per direction)

Who is it best for?

Frontier Miles is best for budget travelers who fly Frontier regularly. It’s a niche airline that makes it possible to travel cheaply within the U.S., the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. If you pack light and understand the extra fees for bags and seats, Frontier can offer excellent value.

The Frontier Airlines World Mastercard is the airline’s only co-branded card. While it’s not a top pick overall, it’s useful for earning miles and includes Gold status for the first 90 days (extendable to the first year by spending $3000 in that window). As long as you hold the card and your account is in good standing, your miles will not expire, which is a significant perk given that Frontier miles normally expire after 12 months of inactivity.

Because Frontier has no credit card transfer partners, the only real ways to build miles are by flying the airline or using its co-branded card. Frontier Miles ranks low on our overall loyalty program list, but it serves a specific group of budget-minded travelers very well.

Status Levels Explained

Frontier Miles has four elite status tiers. You earn status by collecting Status Points, which you earn the same way you earn miles - by flying Frontier or spending on the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard.

When you sign up for a free account, you become a Member and earn 10x miles per dollar spent on Frontier flights and extras. Higher tiers unlock additional perks, including waived fees and upgrade eligibility.

Elite Status Levels

Here are the four levels, requirements you’ll need to get to each level, and the benefits of each

  • 12x points and miles per dollar spent
  • No change/cancel fees (7+ days before departure)
  • Priority customer care
  • Family pooling
  • Standard seat at booking
  • Preferred seat at check-in
  • Group 4 boarding

What to Know Before Canceling

If you cancel your Frontier Airlines World Mastercard, your miles will once again be subject to expiring after 12 months of inactivity. The only way to keep them alive without the card is by earning additional miles from a Frontier flight. If you’re comfortable with that limitation, canceling the card isn’t a major issue.

FAQs

How many miles do I need for a free flight?
Frontier’s award chart lists redemptions starting at 5000 miles one-way during promos, but actual searches often show flights as low as 2500 miles one-way. Pricing varies by route and demand, so always check the low fare calendar for the best deals.
How to pool Frontier miles?
Frontier lets you create a Family Pool with up to eight people, and they don’t need to share an address. All members can contribute miles, and the pool head can redeem them. You must hold Silver Elite status or higher to start a pool.
Can you give your Frontier miles to someone else?
You cannot transfer Frontier miles directly to another person. The only way to share miles is by creating a Family Pool after earning Silver Elite status. Once eligible, you can add up to eight people and redeem pooled miles for anyone in the group.
How to avoid Frontier bag fee?
Frontier’s Basic Fare includes no bags, not even a personal item. The economy and premium bundles include a personal item and carry-on, while the business bundle adds a checked bag. Platinum status or higher includes a personal item, carry-on, and checked bag at no cost.