Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle drew attention the day before the Senate held a hearing this week on airline practices, calling passengers who evade carry-on baggage fees "shoplifters."
"These are people that are stealing," Biffle told Reuters on Tuesday while criticizing a recent Senate investigation report. The report condemned Frontier's policy of incentivizing gate agents with bonuses of up to $10 for catching passengers attempting to avoid carry-on fees. Biffle defended the practice, arguing that fee evasion is unfair to passengers who comply with the rules.
He added that the industry stood to gain from President-elect Donald Trump's more lenient regulatory policies.
"There's going to be a kind of unshackling," Biffle said. "We'll focus on what truly matters, like safety, and move away from concerns over regulating prices and customer experiences."
On Wednesday, members of a Senate subcommittee criticized airline executives who appeared before the panel, citing their increasing reliance on fees for services such as early boarding and seat selection—perks once included in ticket prices.
The subcommittee's report revealed that airlines collectively earned $12.4 billion in seat fees from 2018 to 2023. Budget carriers like Frontier and Spirit Airlines were singled out for their strict enforcement of baggage policies. Frontier, for example, paid $23 million to gate agents during that period to catch passengers with unpaid or oversized carry-ons. Agents reportedly earn $10 for each bag a passenger was forced to check at the gate.
Senator Josh Hawley expressed frustration with the airlines' practices. "If people want to know why flying is such a terrible experience, they got their answer today," he said. "Your airlines are paying millions of dollars to your employees to harass people who have already paid."
The airline executives defended their fee structures, pushing back against the term "junk fees" and saying they simply offer consumers more choices.
Biffle argued that fees are essential for maintaining profitability while offering low base fares. According to Frontier's 2023 annual report, 64 percent of its $3.5 billion passenger revenue came from ancillary charges, including baggage fees, snacks and seat assignments.
"Our customers who prioritize affordability can choose a lower-fare product, avoiding additional services they don't need," said Andrew Nocella, United Airlines' chief commercial officer, in prepared testimony. "At the same time, customers who want more services retain the ability to pay incrementally for options like extra legroom or checked bags."
U.S. airlines generated over $7 billion from checked baggage fees in 2023, with American Airlines and United Airlines leading in collections. Airlines also earned $1 billion from ticket change and cancellation fees, a figure significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels, as major carriers eliminated many change fees during the COVID-19 health crisis.
English (US) ·