Planning a trip from John Wayne Airport to the dazzling lights of Las Vegas should be exciting, but our recent experience with Frontier Airlines turned into a baggage check-in blunder that we feel compelled to share. What began as a simple flight booking quickly spiraled into a frustrating ordeal, highlighting the importance of vigilance when navigating budget airlines, especially for routes like John Wayne To Vegas.
Our troubles began online, during the check-in process via the Frontier app. It seemed straightforward enough until we reached the baggage options. To our surprise, the only option presented for checking a bag was bundled within the “business package.” This package, advertised as including two checked bags per person, appeared to be the sole pathway to checking luggage. Unsuspecting and needing to check our bags, we felt manipulated into purchasing this inflated package, even though we certainly didn’t require six checked bags for our group of three traveling from John Wayne to Vegas.
Arriving at John Wayne Airport (SNA), we hoped for a smoother experience. However, the baggage check-in line was already lengthy, and to our dismay, completely unstaffed. As the line grew and our flight time approached, panic began to set in. We were first in line, yet stranded, facing the very real possibility of missing our flight to Vegas due to absent Frontier personnel. Observing other increasingly anxious passengers, it became clear this wasn’t an isolated issue. Attempts to reach Frontier customer service proved futile, leaving us with no alternative but to contact the airport directly. Finally, after calling John Wayne Airport operations, we managed to page the baggage attendant and get someone sent to the counter to process our check-ins.
When we finally spoke with a Frontier agent at the counter, we explained the online baggage package issue and the fact we were forced to pay for double the baggage allowance needed for our John Wayne to Vegas trip. She acknowledged the issue and advised us to contact Frontier for a refund for the excess bags. Following her instructions, we attempted to contact Frontier again, this time through their automated online chat, as phone lines remained unreachable. The chatbot proved to be an exercise in frustration, looping us through irrelevant menus until we finally connected with a live representative. After recounting the entire John Wayne to Vegas baggage saga, we were met with a disappointing wall of “inability to assist.” Only after persistent escalation did they grudgingly issue a “customer service ticket,” which ultimately resulted in… a flight credit. A flight credit for an airline we vowed never to fly again after this baggage fee fiasco from John Wayne to Vegas! To add insult to injury, Frontier had charged us close to $500 to check just three bags – an exorbitant sum that felt like daylight robbery. The customer service agents remained inflexible, offering nothing beyond the unwanted flight credit, leaving us feeling unheard and deeply dissatisfied. Our experience with Frontier Airlines on our John Wayne to Vegas trip was a clear case of manipulative practices and abysmal customer service. Consider this a stark warning: think twice before choosing Frontier, especially when flying from John Wayne to Vegas, or risk falling victim to their baggage fee banditry.
