Frontier Airlines
reviews and complaints

Our flight times were changed twice and the plane was 40min late leaving! Upon our return flight, the plane was 20 min late and had to be cleaned making it later! when we got on the plane to be seated the flight attendent was rude and unprofessional. The pilot was driving faster than normal. We travel Frontier a lot and never had these issues. I hope it was just this one time

Beware of deceptive pricing by frontier airlines. I have been monitoring airfare for possible spring break trips. Yesterday I received an email from frontier and it had very attractive prices for denver to cabo san lucas. I was happy to select flights (from their fare calendar for the cheaper flying days) and was happy to see the flights coming up as direct flights. I knew from previous experience that I will likely need to account in my head for additional costs to actually get seats assigned for my party, as well as additional costs to do carry on's as well as checked bags. Several times during the day, I double checked that tickets were available for our party of three for the selected cheapest days, each time it showed a total listing an approximate tax and fee amount that was similar to the amount I expected. Based on this, I shared this insight with my family and we all decided that based on the pricing we would select this trip instead of a couple other options, and furthermore, we decided to book on frontier airlines website instead of doing a package with the hotel as it was a similar price. So I went back online to actually purchase the tickets, and imagine my surprise, (and anger) when the booking screen - not the earlier pricing screens - show that $100 per ticket surcharge will be added (the ticket prices from the earlier totals were showing $260 per ticket - so this is quite a large bump). No description other than it could be fuel prices (ha - they are lower now than they have been in years!) - or that it is due to peak demands (what the heck do they show calendars guiding a person to the cheap travel days and times?) in my mind this is totally deceptive, fraudulent and unethical.

If your traveling on and airline and dont mind being late leaving the your gate, Frontier Airlines. If your traveling and dont mind missing your connecting flight, Frontier Airlines. If your traveling on an airline and dont mind being disrespectful flight attendants and gate staff, use Frontier Airlines. If you are traveling by air and want to be charged for your carry on and like to be charged extra for your "carry on" (such as a camera tripod $50.) use Frontier Airlines. If your traveling by air and dont mind paying $6 dollars for a can of soda, Frontier Airlines. Need I say more.

At Midway Airlines, at approx 6p on Tuesday, October 21, 2014, near the waiting area at C2, I entered a room designated for yoga. I didn't know Frontier offered such a service. Before entering, I asked an employee if the general public was allowed in the room. The employee to whom I spoke was not aware of the existence of the yoga room, but encouraged me to check it out if the door was not locked. I reviewed the rules posted on the wall: essentially, the only rule applicable to clothing prohibited the wearing of shoes. Also, a rule clearly stated that only the practice of yoga was authorized. I was wearing casual business attire; my bag was checked. Even if I had access to my bag, I did not pack any yoga clothing, only regular workout clothing. So, I removed my shoes, sweater, scarf and business trousers in order to practice. I was still wearing my business shirt and underwear (a bra - not visible and full panties - slightly visible when I stretched upward). Another woman arrived and we practiced yoga without incident. Two other woman arrived, briefly accompanied by a male officer, who stood in the doorway briefly, and left. The two woman began to practice calisthenics, in clear violation of the rules of the room. Some time later, a second officer - a woman - entered the room and announced that this was a co-ed yoga room, my attire was inappropriate and suggested that I purchase yoga pants. I pointed out the stated rules, advised that I was not prepared to search for and spend money on yoga pants for a 20 minute yoga workout, and declined her suggestion. I advised that, if a man entered the room, I would put on my business trousers and leave. She made a call, left the room, returned shortly thereafter and asked me to leave. I did so, got the name of the officer (Officer Tyse) and advised that I would file a complaint with Frontier Airlines. Incidentally, the officer said nothing about the fact that the two woman who came into the room were not practicing yoga, in clear violation of the clearly stated rules on the wall. Also, all three of the other woman in the room stated that my appearance was not offensive to them. Instead, Officer Tyse imposed her own neuroses upon my innocent and peaceful yoga practice. I was in practice alone, minding my own business. When the first woman came in, we were quietly practicing. The next group of woman were in violation of the rules by doing calisthenics; however, the mood was completely convivial and cooperative. If the rules stated that how I was dressed was inappropriate, I clearly would have complied. Obviously, the rules were not definitive, as the two woman practicing calisthenics were not even cited by Officer Tyse, as engaging in inappropriate behavior. Indeed, she was so frightened at the sight of a woman in a long, man-tailored shirt, with a bra and full panties underneath, that she indulged in clearly discriminatory and capricious behavior. More egregiously, she deliberately left the door wide open while announcing that I had to leave, thus, inappropriately exposing myself, as well as the other women in the room. At least one of the other women asked Officer Tyse to close the door; Officer Tyse pointedly ignored their request. If Frontier is going to offer a yoga room for the use of its customers - a great idea, which makes flying - an increasingly stressful activity, somewhat less stressful - it makes sense to have clearly delineated rules. Frontier's personnel should not be able to intrude upon a quiet exercise and 1. Make up a rule that doesn't exist, and, 2. Fail to enforce a rule that clearly exists. I visited Chicago to attend the American Association of Ophthalmologists. I recommended to all who inquired what a positive experience I had with Frontier. However, as we all know, while a recommendation may be communicated to a number of individuals in response to a particular inquiry, a complaint will be communicated to a wider range of individuals in unsolicited fashion. By the way, upon Flight #916's landing at the Trenton-Mercer Airport, our plane was detained on the runway for approximately 28 minutes. We were told a previously landed flight was still deplaning and dropping off baggage, and we had to wait. Really? There was no other hanger to which we could be directed? Ordinarily, I would have treated this snafu - sitting in an airless cabin full of angry passengers, including a screaming baby, a pregnant mother-to-be and a woman loudly exclaiming "this is an epic fail; this is my first and last Frontier flight!" - as just the cost of flying today. Unfortunately, this was the proverbial "cherry on the top of the cake".

I made reservation for my wife son and I to fly to Memphis TN.Reservation code DNVTON on Aug.

13th - Aug. 15th. After realizing that we were not going to have to stay over til the 15th I called a re booked to return on the Aug 14th...fully expecting there to be some charge for doing so. Surprisingly the Frontier airline ticket agent informed me that date I was switching to was cheaper than the original date.

I was being credited $$. She further stated that not only was I not being charged but that she could update us to "stretch" seats all seating together with a free beverage for only $48. She took my credit card and we were set to travel! I even received a confirmation via email Remember the change was made the night before our original departure on the 13th.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IS WHERE THE UNETHICAL AND ILLEGAL PRACTICES BEGIN.

When we arrived the next day to fly we could not be ticketed because Apparently a mistake had been made by the ticketing agent I had spoken to the night before. We were held hostage at the ticket counter (almost missing our flight) until I paid almost DOUBLE what the original cost of the fair was. The ticket agents were the rudest POS' I have ever experienced. I have complained numerous times.

To no avail.I have NEVER heard from the Airlines!

November 2013 - Flew from MSP to LAX, with a connecting flight in Denver. Our flight was with Frontier Airlines. At MSP, we were told about the baggage fee for carry on luggage. When my sister said she called and was told there was no fee, our tickets were updated to show carry-on luggage. The connecting ticket from Denver to LAX did not get update, and we were told that when we got to Denver we could show them our MSP to Denver tickets. When we got to Denver, we told the rep at the gate right away. She told us she would not let us go and would not update our ticket stubs. Called the manager over who was rude and even less helpful. Told us we needed to pay the $50 per person (there were six of us). This was a 3 day girls weekend and the 3 senior citizens in our group carried snacks and very little change of clothing. We tried to take out their clothes and put it $50. This is a horrible airline with very bad service. I will never fly with them again.

Frontier Airlines practices deceptive and unfair business practices in its online internet booking practices. On two consecutive occasions, I went to pay for a flight to have a notice jump up indicating that the selected fare price was no longer available. On the second attempt, I moved swiftly through all pages and fields, and the same result occurred. In both instances, the fares jumped by over $100. Left with no choice (my mother in law is gravely ill, we have to travel) I purchased. This is unfair, deceptive, and i believe is intended to manipulate people into thinking they are getting a good deal and then at point of purchase they hike the price. Please help. Diane Peters, [protected]@gmail.com

Frontier Airlines has established policies that make a traveler feel like they are a piece of luggage rather than a passenger. 1. Unless you are an honored guest of flyfrontier.com, a drink of water will cost you $2 (I can drive my car over 500 miles based on the equivalent price per gallon of fuel).
2. If you are late in arriving at a gate and had an unqualified carry-on (which they love to lead people to their sizing unit and discuss for everyone to see), they will charge you $100 to have it checked at the gate (which in my case was more that the value of the luggage and its contents at the time), or RUN down to ticketing to have it checked for another $20 and then return to through another long TSA screening.

3. These inconveniences were bad enough, but when a family emergency came up and there was a strong desire to get home more quickly, there was going to be a $165 per seat change fee on top of an additional air fare charge because we booked the original tickets through a third party. This would have more than doubled the original ticket prices to change only one side of the journey.

4. Then, during the flight they tried to get me to sign up for a Mastercard (having an annual fee) in order to earn miles for free flights, in theory with no black out dates. However, having been down that road before with them, I knew that they probably have a very limited number of seats available for any given route, so those miles are probably not very useful - but they'll have your annual fee for the credit card anyway.

Considering that I drove an extra 75 miles each way to fly with Frontier (did I say they dropped Dayton, Ohio?) to get a better fare, this experience has driven me away from Frontier rather than encouraging me with their slogan to join flyfrontier.com for better perks and better fares.

On July 1st, 2012, at 1:15 PM, I was on Flight #627 departing Denver for Kansas City when the aircraft left to taxi the runway. A short time later the pilot said we had to pull in to check out a possibly open cargo door...? Okay, not a problem because it was probably a loose connection or just taking the high road which I can appreciate. However, after leaving a second time, after a 20 to 30 minute stop at the terminal, and after leaving to taxi a second time, the pilot informed everyone we had to go back to the terminal a second time because we needed more fuel... Are you KIDDING ME?!? Do they not check the fuel level prior to departing the terminal for the runway?!? Good job totally inept pilots... We arrived back to Kansas City over two hours late.

I had a flight R/T to KC, MO but Frontier cancelled all service out of Boston eff/ 05/17.-They offered me travel on United or a refund-as I need to go, I chose the UNited flight BUT they then told me I couldn't go due to difference in class tickets so it will now cost me $150 extra a ticket to get another airline to fly me there. I had an agreement (contract?) with Frontier for the flight and they made a business decision to cancel further service out of Boston therefore they should be responsible for the cost of that decision to people with whom they have already agreed to fly to or from Boston. The additional cost of my flight on the new airline OR the additional cost on United because of the class difference should be picked up by Frontier.

This may be the only airline in teh world that will not allow you to change or cancel a reservation online. The phone took over an hour to connect with a person to cancel a reservation. My mother got sick and was hospitalized. She was scheduled to come visit so I tried to cancel her reservation on line - there is no option to do that. I called and after an hour I was told that they could not cancel as I was not the traveler. (Hint - claim to be the traveler) I had all her info, her credit card info used to make the reservation, her addresses, date of birth, all security criteria covered as it is my mother. I explained the situation and asked to cancel. They refused to help, did not offer any suggestions or accomodations and basically were hell bent on keeping the money - with no credit issue. They said they could not cancel because of privacy issues. I told them I was not asking for any personal information and supplied all info needed to book the flight. No use - upper level supervisors had the same - oh well attitude with major attitude to the cvustomer. PS - no remorse or well wishes for their hospitalized passenger / ex-customer...

Beware when you buy Travel Guard from the Frontier Airlines website. It appears to be a guarentee that you can be refunded airfare due to unforseen circumstances. (unfortunately the definitions link does not work - so really you have to just take the description on the FRONTIER website. However - the real fine print that you never get to read limits refunds to death, grave illnesses, and some other rarely seen occurances. So if you think this is a good idea - demand to see the fine print which will most likely cause you to pass. Oh and Frontier will not honor it in any way - again there is no Customer Service at Frontier - that is part of the Discount - Fly our way - or the highway. See other message boards for Custemer Service Issues.

I purchased a roundtrip ticket on Frontier Airlines to denver and back on Frontiers website. language on the website implies there are no change fees or bag fees to use Frontier. when one purchases a ticket, for $117, one then learns that one has to purchase a "package" to avoid change fees and baggage fees. I purchased such a package. called "classic" package. $25 dollars. I assumed it was for the entire flight. by purchasing it and paying $25 more, I avoided change fees and baggage fees. my cost was then $152 for the flight. later, I learned I had selected a date exactly one month more than I intended, returning on September instead of August 1, 2011. calling Frontier customer service produced a "susan" who refused any help becuase I failed to purchase the classic package for the return flight. ! DUH. I didn't even know I had to do that. Susan was snotty and argumentative. I asked for her supervisor. Mathew got online. another joy. Mathew doesn't care what Frontier's website says. he doesn't care that it is confusing. He is just as snotty and wants $50 to change my flight, not to mention the baggage fees I will have to pay on my return because I failed to fathom how the website worked to squeeze every last possible cent out of my wallet it could. I demanded a superviser, since it was clear, Mathew was NOT a supervisor. TA DA. "Kathy", a real supervisor with a normal voice and attitude got on the phone. ( this is now 33 minutes after I started this call to change my return flight). Kathy was pleasant to talk to. Kathy did try and help me though she instisted that I would have to pay more money for the cost of the new flight, but not the change. OK. I can live with that . I stated, I would even pay the $25 "classic package" again for the return flight since I now know one has to purchase both. with that crack in the ice, Kathy became more accomodating. she took some time and came back with the proposal that I could pay the "classic package" for the return, and avoid a change fee and baggage fees on my return flight. Hurray. only WHY does one have to go thru two beligerent jerks to finally reach someone who can help. and WHY is Frontier's initial website pages MISLEADING about NO BAGGAGE fees and NO CHANGE FEES, when they totally charge for both, unless one pays $25 package PER FLIGHT, more?

Frankly, I will not use this airline again. They don't give a care about the people who use their airline. they are all about $$$ and the penalties the airline can extract from unwitting or unsuspecting consumers who make a mistake and need to change a flight. or learn to their dismay on their return they are paying $50 more for two bags cause they didn't read the fine print they have to pay extra for departing and return flights! gary

Never before had I been this much let down and lied to by an airline. I will avoid Frontier Airlines/US Airways like a plague. Their flights are filty with crumbs left on seats and on carpet from previous flight. But that is a minor point. I lost $300 worth of luggage. After spending the best week of my life fishing in Alaska I flash froze king salmon and halibut and checked it in with my other luggage. Long story short, they failed to deliver the luggage, had no idea where it was for 18 hours. I placed dozens of phone calls, talked to multilple "paper pushers" at their luggage desk and got no help. One lady was extremely rude. Finally after 19 hrs of my luggage missing, my flash frozen fish which should have lasted 48hrs was delivered to my doorstep rotting, leaking being placed in multiple bags. It took driver 2 + hours to even deliver it even though the airport is only 40 miniutes from my house. I think they are worthless airline and people who work for the airline are the same. No regard for people's belongings/property, treating you like a cattle. Last time in my life I am flying this airline!

I booked a leg of a flight for a vacation I planned with Frontier. A week after booking, my Grandma who had been sick for awhile received a stage IV cancer diagnosis and was given 3 weeks to live.

I called Frontier to explain the situation and was also told that the economy ticket is non-refundable, no matter the circumstances. I basically felt like they were lecturing me that I should have bought the higher priced classic tickets or travel insurance. I guess this is how they keep their ticket prices lower, by not giving a crap when people have unforseen tradgedies. Business is business, but I personally will NEVER fly Frontier again.

Purchased a set of "Buddy Pass" Tickets, which are standby tickets. Missed a few flights, no big deal... I was then cursed at in front of 5 passengers and my girlfriend. Once I brought it to the managers attention, he shuned it and shook his head. He stated, " It's been a busy week."

I asked if I would make the next flight, the manager advised that it was full and I would not make it. He advised me to purchase a full price ticket to board. I did so, only to find out I was already booked with the standby tickets due to open seating.

I was told by the manager I would be refunded the full price tickets. It never happened.

I then emailed Bryan Bedford, CEO. He sent me a few emails and specifically stated that I would be refunded and he apologized. He never authorized the refund and I was given the run around.

Apparently, it is not enough anymore to have written communication from a companies CEO (secretary) promising something. These companies don't have to follow through and they don't.

Avoid Frontier and US Airways, although cheap... the service is terrible. Frontier was once a part of my organizations flyer program. I have since pulled Frontier and Us Airways from my corporate travel option. Although small I am sure, they will lose 600 flights a year over $300.00.

Issue at Hand. While at hotel with 15 minutes allotted on computer we got online to print boarding passes. Half my family flew out early on a 1-connection flight and the other half of family flew out 3 days later. Somehow one half of the family somehow booked Classic Plus seats for the first leg and sat in STRETCH Seating. They enjoyed Row 3 extra space and perks of snack, free TV and free baggage for BOTH legs of the trip there even though the 2nd leg was booked at the ECONOMY rate.

So... when it came time to QUICKLY printing boarding passes we were offered an "Upgrade to Stretch Seating" and my husband WRONGLY assumed he was upgrading to Classic Plus. 5 tickets were upgraded at $25 per flight and we all got seats in rows 2 & 3 for the trip. When it came to listing our baggage we realized that there may be a mistake because they were asking for our credit card again. So... we stopped the process of printing boarding passes and called customer service. It took over 15 minutes and Customer Service didn't answer and we had dinner reservations. Came back later and waited another 15 minutes for Customer Service to see if we could cancel the stretch seating due to our misunderstanding and go BACK to Row 20 that was still available. No. Can't do that. Talked to the supervisor who was quite understanding about how easy it is to ASSUME wrongly while on the website and she stated she would leave a note on our Confirmation information showing that we TRIED to change it back. She acknowledge that Row 20 (5 seats) was still available but could not make the change for us.
We checked in early morning and asked about our options and clerk told us we had no options, he doesn't work with any of the financial stuff other than to CHARGE us for the baggage we were submitting.

We have NO complaints about our flight. The plane was on time, flight attendants were pleasant, etc. Although we did have a non-working front bathroom and had to go to the rear of the plane for one leg of our trip (this normally wouldn't tick me off but we just spent $250 for something we wished we wouldn't have and despite spending ~45 minutes of our vacation time trying to haggle about it).

The day after our trip I called Customer Relations thinking they MIGHT just refund our baggage since we tried very hard to get out of the whole deal. Granted, we had already rode in our STRETCH seats and this kept out revenue that would have come from a customer who was quite willing to pay the $ for stretch seating. But despite our attempts to communicate, back out of stretch seating and the window-of-opportunity in knowing our seats were still available initially - we were UNABLE to rectify our stupid (in hindsight) mistake. Customer Service can SEE your dilemma but apparently cannot do a thing to help you out.

Other airlines have an upgrade available at the time of checking on boarding passes to Business Class for a smaller fee than it would have been to make Business Class reservations to begin with. We admit, we ASSUMED this was the case with Frontier. We also admit that we didn't read through all the information due to our rush to complete the boarding passes in 15 minutes. Our complaint... our BEEF... is that we didn't have even 20 minutes to rectify our mistake when we realized it. There was no recourse whatsoever DESPITE availability of our seats.

I am very disappointed in a business that takes advantage of less seasoned travelers tweak out extra fees. The website could have done a better job at leading us through the upgrade and, also, allowing charges to be reversed and changes made if done in a timely manner ... hours before the flight departs.

I had a baggage issue on my flight to California and back and after phone calls, going back to the aiport, filing a report online, and then calling the headquarters, they still haven't gotten back to me about my baggage claim! It's been over a month! I will never fly frontier again - both times I had issues, others had lost their baggage or it had been ruined in some way, and I had to wait while they filed their complaints too. Do not trust Frontier - they overpack, mishandle and lose their luggage, and then never get back to you after you've gone through every possible way to get a hold of someone that can't help.

In March, I signed up for the Frontier Airlines Early Returns Mastercard program. On the brochure, including all of its fine print, it mentions that a round trip flight within the continental U.S. will be rewarded to new cardmembers who spend $500 in qualifying purchases within 90 days. Essentially, 20, 000 points would be rewarded to card members upon meeting these terms.

I spent $500 (and then some) well within the time frame . To date, I have earned over 24, 000 points. The problem is that when I went to redeem my points I was told that I now need 25, 000 points because there's been a change in terms. Now, a round trip flight is worth 25, 000 points. I was willing to accept this! despite the fact the literature does not even indicate that the free flight is subject to changes in terms and conditions.

My complaint stems from the fact that on the Frontier website, the same Mastercard offer is being presented offering a free round trip flight, except now, new card members are rewarded 25, 000 points, for their free flight, upon spending $500 in qualifying purchases within 90 days. This is unfair because although I met all of the same qualifying requirements of spending $500 within the same time frame--new card members are rewarded a flight and I'm not.

Does anyone else find this unacceptable?

Dear Sir or Madam,
This ticket was purchased for my son(Joel) as a gift for him to travel to Denver to visit his friend by his friends mother Jill. Jill booked the ticket through Travelocity, so I am unsure of the information given to her, but I do know it was a $300 ticket and all I knew was that I was bringing my son to the airport to catch the flight. I was late for his booked flight which departed at 12.25pm because of a other family circumstance, and I did relay this to the Frontier Staff when I arrived and asked what I needed to do, they said that they could have him on standby on the next flight, then they asked how old he was and I said 14, they said oh in that case he can't anyway and you need to pay the $50 Unaccompanied Minor fee. I then asked what that was for and two members of the staff there said it was a FAA regulated fee that needed to be paid (I didn't ask who instigated the fee, I asked what I was paying for, one of them eventually said, it was for peace of mind. Peace of mind for what, if I didn't think my son could go to Denver and be safe, then I sure as heck wouldn't put him on the plane in the first place, plus he is a teenager going into high school). I then said I didn't think their information was correct because my other son had travelled several times since he was 13 to Reno on South West and we have never paid additional for a Minor fee. One gentleman left at that point and I was being helped by a lady who then proceeded to tell me I had no idea what I was talking about and that just because I didn't feel I should pay it didn't change how the rules were. I told her I was willing to walk down to Southwest and ask them with her, because I wasn't lying, then she said 'It isn't my fault that you were late', which had nothing to do with this, I had already apologized and I was not upset about that. I told her she was extremely rude, she then turned to my son and said I'm sorry you have to hear your mother like this, which was also extremely inappropriate. I told her she was rude and that I had never ever been so upset, which is not something I do, she said I had no idea what I was talking about said a few other words, said she wouldn't deal with me, gave me a slip for a Minor, tore up my airline ticket and left, without telling me what else was going to happen. After that, another gentlemen assisted me, I told him I was sorry that I was upset, but that I think there needs to be more information asked when booking these tickets, and when I checked in on-line I also paid an additional $20 already for the 1 bag my son had and now an additional $50 that wasn't planned, and in actual fact would have to pay an additional $140 to the ticket all up for there and back, which is alot of money when you are budgeting, no matter who is paying (and this is not our only nor my friends only child that we have put on airlines the past few days). Why not just charge a $340 ticket and be done with it, that way we know what you are charging.. He again said it was the rules that children 14 and under not traveling with an adult were unaccompanied minors and there was a charge and this was how all airlines operated, I told him it wasn't so, but I was through arguing. I paid the additional fee and this process taking nearly 45 minutes to do, that in itself seems crazy. Also, I had my other children with me, he pointed at them and said are they your children I said yes, and he said that they couldn't come with me to the gate because I could only go through. So then I called the 800 number on the brochure, the first person was nice, but said she had to put me through to customer relations, I then talked to Ryan, who I told the above story to, I said that my friend said when she booked she had given Joel’s age but there was no information given that additional monies were needed or about being an unaccompanied minor. He said that my friend needed to make a complaint to who she had booked with, and I have relayed on that information, then he told me that I should go back to the check in counter and tell both the Frontier Employees that had said I was wrong that in fact I was right, that it was not a FAA policy but Frontiers policy for minors age to be 14 and under and Southwest is 12 and under and United is 14 and under. I asked him if he was joking, right! I am not going back to say, I was right, you were wrong, that is why I called Customer Service. After that I took my son through security and to the gate. At about 2.40pm, I asked the flight attendant if I could leave my 14 -1/2 year old son (who is a Freshman in High School this year) with her because I had other children waiting in the terminal, that I didn't want to leave alone much longer, she then said, why didn't I bring them with me. Well, wow.. I was told I couldn't, what a nightmare. Plus if I am paying $50 for an unaccompanied minor fee and I can't even leave my son who can take care of himself with a Flight attendant for 10 minutes, what is the fee for. My friend Jill was awaiting him in Denver to pick him up at the gate where he got off the plane, and Joel tells me he wasn't asked anything or given anything special on the flight, so exactly what we are paying an additional $100 for. Do you lose children on the actual flight? Considering he will be attending High School this year, I would suggest that 14 maybe a little old to be an unaccompanied minor and that most kids entering high school are also 13 - 14 years old and this seems more of a way to make money than actually paying for an additional service, that really seems non-existent.
I am 43 years old and come from Australia. I have travelled all over the world on many many different airlines for business and pleasure and have had many different experiences, but today was by far the worst experience, not just with an airline but any business I have ever dealt with. Not only was your ticket staff poorly educated and rude, your customer service representative too was poorly versed and finalized our discussion with flat silence, until I said well I guess that's it then. He had no solution other than I should go back, then your flight attendant basically was the icing on the cake, although she did take Joel the extra 10 minutes early, although I was instructed to absolutely not leave the terminal until the plane had taken off, Why? (I did wait - nothing happened) What happens if he was on a connecting flight, would I need to call when he arrived and wait until that flight departed~~ What exactly is the $50 for? Does this mean that if 30 children go on a school trip with 1 Teacher that 29 of them need to pay an additional $50 because they are sitting on their own (basically unaccompanied minors)? Is there a cut off for how many children? This may seem ludicrous and childish, but if you are considering how to make money here, then maybe, not so crazy.
Finally after reading your review on Skytrax, I would never fly with you ever. Considering the state of the Economy we are in, I would think that all your staff members would better educated in your companies Policy's and that of the FAA. Never indirectly tell a customer that he or she is lying if they were unsure of the absolute facts. Understand that not all customers are out to get something for nothing and that we are all truly feeling the pinch, so have some understanding when customers are stressed with additional charges. It isn't about the additional charges it is about the how these charges are being administered, being directed, being asked for and so forth.
Considering all round the state of the Economy, the fact that nearly 3 in 4 families are blended families, meaning more and more kids are flying younger to see mum or dad or other family members due to court orders, this almost looks like a way to add to the hardship of families already in hardship. Understandably 12 and under or maybe Grade 6 and under, these children are young and need adult accompaniment (real assistance) not just a flight attendant on the plane asking once if they want a drink or need a colored book pack, but someone that is there instead of a parent or guardian for that time, that would be money well spent and should be a federal regulation, not up to the manipulative play of the airline looking to make additional revenues.

Katherine Miller