I had two days in Cleveland and one thing I’d wanted to do for years: Visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The best flight option was with the budget carrier Frontier Airlines, and it was departing Denver at 6:45 a.m.
To make it on time, I’d have to wake at 3:30 a.m. and be out of the hotel by 4. I knew I’d be tired, and I was willing to put money toward (hopefully) fixing this problem.
So I started looking at Frontier’s premium option: UpFront Plus.
The extras cost more than the flight
Ash Jurberg
UpFront Plus seats are located in the front two rows of a Frontier aircraft. You choose a window or an aisle seat, and the middle spot beside you is blocked off — guaranteed to remain empty.
On my flight, there were only eight of these seats, and they seemed to be selling out fast.
I’d never flown Frontier, and I’d never paid to upgrade on a domestic flight, so I spent about a week reading about bundles and mixed reviews of a seat I wasn’t sure was worth buying.
Frontier’s base fare includes one free personal item and nothing else. Carry-on bags, checked bags, and seat selection all cost extra.
For what it’s worth, the UpFront Plus seat can also be booked separately, usually starting at around $50. When I first checked, it was priced just above that on this flight, and it kept rising as time passed.
Because I had a carry-on and a checked bag, though, a bundle made the most sense for me.
Prices vary, but for this trip, Frontier’s Economy Bundle was $25 and included a carry-on; then a checked bag was an additional $65. The Business Bundle was $159 and included a carry-on, two checked bags (I only needed one), no change or cancellation fees, the UpFront Plus seat, and the ability to board in the first group.
As I took my time reading more reviews, the flight cost went up, so I stopped overthinking and bought a Business Bundle.
Paid for separately, my carry-on and checked bag would have cost $90. So $90 of the $159 bundle covered bags I needed to pay for anyway, meaning the upgraded seat itself basically cost me $69, or $23 an hour on a three-hour flight.
In the end, flight and taxes came to $93.98, and my total with the bundle was $252.98, meaning I spent more on extras than on the flight itself.
My upgraded flight wasn’t very glamorous, but it got the job done
Ash Jurberg
Priority boarding was the first time the bundle paid off. There was a student group at the gate, sitting on their bags because there weren’t enough chairs.
With the confidence of someone who’d suddenly become Frontier royalty, despite only getting there by paying extra, I walked into the priority boarding lane. I probably looked a little more smug than usual. (I don’t get a lot of VIP treatment.)
Once I was on the plane, I didn’t have to walk back very far as I was in seat 1F.
There was no seat in front of me to stow a bag under, though Frontier gives the first row its own overhead bin. The UpFront Plus seat is already slightly reclined, but you can’t adjust it.
The row has about 4 to 5 inches more legroom than the rest of the plane. I’m only 5 ‘9″, and the extra room was noticeable but not dramatic. I wouldn’t buy an UpFront Plus seat just for that.
Ash Jurberg
Although I was in an upgraded seat, nothing else seemed to come with my ticket once I was in the air.
A cup of water from the galley is free, a bottle costs extra, and there was a small menu of snacks and drinks for purchase. I bought nothing. I was more interested in sleep than in snacks.
What I did get was an empty seat beside me, and on this flight, it was all I wanted. Nobody sat near me, climbed over me, or woke me up. And I didn’t end up in a wrestling match to get the armrest.
The man on the other side of the blocked middle seat had his laptop open before we pushed back, and it stayed open until we landed.
Before takeoff, I had my AirPods in, a sleep playlist running, and an eye mask on. I had paid for the best chance of sleeping, and I was not going to waste it.
Somewhere after takeoff, I rested my head against the window. The next time I looked at my watch, we were over Ohio. I’d slept for almost two hours, which amazed me, as I struggle to sleep on planes.
I’ve flown between Australia and the US more than 50 times and stayed awake for most of those flights.
In the end, I didn’t need a nap when I landed — and that was the whole point
We landed at 11:45 a.m. I checked into my hotel, dropped my bags, and went straight to the Rock Hall. I spent the whole afternoon there before heading out for dinner.
Since I’d slept on the plane, I didn’t need a nap or coffee to get through the day.
If this had been a 1 p.m. flight, I wouldn’t have bothered upgrading. I’d be awake anyway, and I’d rather keep the money. On a flight under two hours, it’s also probably not worth it.
Ultimately, I reason I paid $69 for about two hours of sleep in a chair that I couldn’t recline. On a 6:45 a.m. flight when I had plans on the other end, I’d make the same choice again.
Business Insider reached out to Frontier Airlines for comment.
