Budget airline Frontier has discontinued its customer service helpline as it goes all in on digital.
Customers who need to contact the airline for changes to their flight will no longer be able to dial the helpline and will have to resort to the airline’s digital communication channels.
A representative for the low-cost airline said that their Customer Care department transitioned to a fully digital mode earlier this month to ensure delivery of information to customers expeditiously and efficiently.
“We have found that most customers prefer communicating via digital channels,” said Jennifer F. de la Cruz, the senior director of corporate communications. “Customers can visit our website and interact initially with a chatbot which provides answers to common questions.”
Cruz also said that if agent support is needed, the airline has a live chat bot available 24 hours a day throughout the week. Customers can also communicate via common social media channels and Whatsapp.
“At Frontier, we offer the lowest fares in the industry by operating our airline as efficiently as possible,” the airline rep said. “We want our customers to be able to operate efficiently as well, which is why we make it easy to find what you need at Flyfrontier.com or on our mobile app. We also have a chat service available 24/7.”
The airline was fined $2.2 million by the Department of Transportation earlier this month for “extreme delays” in providing refunds to customers since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the only US airline among six that were issued fines.
The airline is still popular among budget travelers for its competitive pricing, charging separately for advance seat assignments and for carry-on bags that exceed the carrier’s size rules. The airline also launched an all-you-can-fly annual pass for domestic flights.
Other budget airlines like Spirit and Allegiant still maintain helplines with live agents. But competitors like Breeze airways, a recent entrant into the market by JetBlue’s David Neeleman, does not have a customer service number listed.