Frontier Airlines Overbooking: What to Do if You’re Denied Boarding

Joanna Teljeur

By:  Joanna Teljeur

Last Updated:  12 November 2025

Have you been denied boarding by Frontier Airlines? If you have, you’re certainly not alone. According to the US. Department of Transportation, Frontier had the highest involuntary denied boarding rate of all US airlines from 2023 to 2024.

So, if you’ve been bumped, you’re in the right place. In this guide, we’ll explain what it means for passengers, your rights, and how to get as much as $2,150 if Frontier prevents you from boarding an overbooked flight.

What You’re Owed if You’re Bumped from a Frontier Flight

First, if you are denied boarding a flight for which you have a confirmed ticket, Frontier must offer you the following:

• A written explanation explaining why you were bumped and your passenger rights 
• A seat on the next available flight to your destination at no additional cost
• A refund, if you don’t want to continue with your journey, which must be issued within 7 days for flights purchased with a credit card, and 20 days if you paid for your ticket another way.

How Much Does Frontier Owe You for Involuntary Denied Boarding?

If you were bumped from an overbooked flight, Frontier is required by law to provide cash compensation in addition to the rebooked flight or a refund mentioned above. The amount you receive is based on your arrival time at your final destination, as you can see in the table below.

You might be offered a flight voucher in place of cash, but these usually come with restrictions and short expiration dates. An example of this is a TripAdvisor review written by Phil B. in March 2025. He was denied boarding a Frontier flight because it was overbooked. He said:

The only response/offer I have received to date is a 250.00 voucher to fly them again that I have to book within 90 days.

If you do want to accept a voucher, be sure to read and understand all the details before accepting one. Also, remember you have every right to demand cash if that’s what you prefer.

What to Do if You’re Bumped from a Frontier Flight

1. Get written confirmation of why you were denied boarding. You should be given a document stating this, but if not, ask for one. Also, it should include the amount of compensation you’re owed.
2. Request a replacement flight or a refund, if you choose not to continue with your journey.
3. Ask for care and assistance if you are forced to wait for hours at the airport for your new flight, ask Frontier for meals and hotel accommodation if you have to wait overnight. Airlines in the US are not required to provide these, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
4. Start collecting evidence. Collect as much supporting documentation as possible, including communication with Frontier agents, any documents you were given, and any other information to prove you were bumped. If, for some reason, you don’t get the compensation you’re owed, you can use this to file a claim.

Bumped from a Frontier Flight?You might have a right to compensation - up to $2,150.Check Your Flight

Why Frontier Overbooks Flights

Frontier wants to make sure that each flight is booked to capacity to maximize profits. So, they carefully calculate how many passengers are likely to miss a particular flight. Some passengers don’t make it to the airport in time, others cancel at the last minute, while others miss their flight because of earlier flight cancellations or delays. 

In theory, the calculations should overbook just enough passengers to account for no-shows, but if all ticketed passengers arrive to board, then someone will have to be denied boarding.

Voluntary and Involuntary Denied Boarding

Frontier states on their website that, if a flight is oversold, they will first ask for volunteers to give up their seats for a later flight and a compensation package, but this doesn’t always happen. 

Phil B also stated in his TripAdvisor review that Frontier did not call for volunteers:

At the gate to my flight is when I learned that they overbooked the flight. That is a common thing that many airlines do but frontier does not ask for volunteers to take another flight. They decided to remove me, my son, and my 7 year old daughter from the flight. They also removed another family with two boys about the same age as my daughter. Again, they didn’t ask for anyone to volunteer to change flights; they removed us.

This shows what happens when the flight is too close to departure. It’s unclear whether no one came forward to offer their seat or if the airline started bumping passengers immediately. Either way, Phil B. and his family were involuntarily denied boarding an overbooked flight and should have been compensated accordingly. 

When You Won’t be Compensated for Denied Boarding

Not every denied boarding situation will be eligible for compensation. The following list provides a few circumstances when you will not be compensated for denied boarding.

• Intoxication or acting under the influence of illegal drugs
• Failure to have the correct travel documents
• Presenting communicable health issues 
• Posing a security or safety concern
• Engaging in unruly behavior towards the crew and other passengers. An example is physically assaulting a passenger or threatening airline staff.
• Interfering with the duties of the flight crew

Need Help with a Claim?

If you’ve been bumped from a flight and need help getting compensated, AirAdvisor is happy to assist. We’ve been protecting air passengers’ rights since 2017, and our legal team has a 98% win rate for airline compensation claims. See if your flight is eligible by entering your basic flight details into our free compensation checker. 

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Author:

Joanna Teljeur

Job/Position: Senior Editor & Content Lead

Joanna Teljeur is a senior editor and writer with 15+ years of experience in editorial leadership, journalism, and content development with a focus on consumer rights, aviation law, and public-interest reporting. Her work centers on transforming complex regulatory and legal topics into clear, accurate, and accessible content for international audiences.

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