Frontier Airlines Carry-On Rules (Size & Weight Restrictions)

Budget travelers love Frontier Airlines for its incredibly low ticket prices inside and outside the United States. Their low prices come at the cost of small luggage allowances and stiff prices for basic needs. The size standards tend to surprise regular travelers with their lower limits. It is best to get a full understanding of this airline's rules and limitations for carry-on baggage.

Frontier Airlines carry-on bags must not exceed the dimensions of 24"H x 16"W x 10"D  or 50 linear inches. The carry-on bag costs at least $30 and personal items are free of charge. Your carry-on must weigh less than 35 pounds. You are allowed one personal item, such as a purse or backpack, and one carry-on item per person.

If you are traveling with assistance gear, specially sized suitcases, or on a long vacation you may run into extra fees or specific guidelines. Frontier is affordable initially, but if you are not careful you could easily find yourself paying extra fees. Follow along to get all the information on Frontier baggage guidelines to prepare for your upcoming trip!

What Are Frontier Airlines Baggage Restrictions?

For carry-on luggage, each passenger is allowed one personal item and one carry-on item if they pay for it. The personal item must be small enough to fit underneath the seat in front of you. This includes backpacks, purses, and other small bags. Your carry-on time must not exceed 50 linear inches, which includes the handle and wheels.

It should be noted that some items such as assistive devices (wheelchairs, crutches, or strollers) may not count towards your carry-on allowance. This is because they are either too large, awkwardly sized, or too personal to be placed in the overhead bins.

If you are traveling with a special item you may want to review the Frontier website. That way you can understand the specific rules pertaining to your belongings.

For those looking to check their bags, fees are set based on flight and ticket. The prices increase if you purchase at the gate, if the bag is oversized, and if there is limited space.

If your luggage is too large or too heavy there will be more fees per bag. The best way to avoid this is to be careful about what you pack and the dimensions of your suitcases before you leave for the airport.

Overall, the guidelines for Frontier Airlines luggage are rigid compared to other airlines. This budget airline is careful about weight and size in order to take advantage of those who break to rules.

The company is notorious for throwing extra fees on people whose bags are just slightly over the set limits. It is best to be quite careful with your baggage and be sure you measure correctly to avoid extra fees.

What Are The Size Limitations For Frontier Airlines?

Carry-on size limitations are quite strict on Frontier Airlines, so much so that even 1 point above the limit is a reason for an extra charge. An oversized carry-on can take space away from other passengers and cause problems for the flight. 

Your carry-on shouldn't exceed the measurements of 24"H x 16"W x 10"D  or 50 linear inches. There will be measurement bins around the airport to make sure your bag can fit, but it is best to measure beforehand to avoid any issues.

Personal items are less regulated than carry-on luggage. The primary rule is they should be able to fit underneath the seat in front of you. If you are worried about your personal item being too big, measure it! 

A personal item on Frontier shouldn't exceed the measurements of 14"H x 18"W x 8"D or 40 linear inches. Otherwise, you may get caught and charged extra. Typically a standard backpack, purse, briefcase, or laptop bag can fit in these dimensions without a problem.

For checked bags, you want to make sure the luggage does not exceed 62 linear inches. It's best to be safe and measure your luggage before you leave. These limitations are very strict with Frontier Airlines as they will seize opportunities to get more money from you. It is better to be safe than sorry and take the time to measure your luggage!

What Are The Weight Limitations For Frontier Airlines?

Weight limitations for Frontier are smaller than most other airlines. This is intended to upcharge those with larger bags to make up the difference from the cheap seat tickets. It is best to be quite particular and weigh your bag at home in advance.

This is to ensure you do not needlessly run into trouble at the ticket counter. It can be frustrating to find extra fees at the check-in counter, so it's best to avoid the issue altogether!

The official carry-on weight limit for Frontier Airlines is 35 pounds. You may run into any scales at check-in or before your departure gate, so keeping your carry-on light is important.

This is another opportunity for the airline to grab extra cash from you, so it is best to be mindful of this. This weight is helpful in the sense you will not be lifting a heavy bag above your head during boarding!

For checked bags, you can not exceed 40 pounds in weight to only pay the set price. The prices of both carry-on and checked bags depend on your flight and your ticket.

So it is best to check the price on the Frontier website and pay for it early to get a better price. Even if your luggage is 41 pounds, you will have to pay an overweight fee to check the bag.

What Is Not Allowed In a Carry-On For Frontier Airlines?

Frontier Airlines follows the TSA restrictions for carry-on liquids, gels, and aerosols. These substances are only allowed in containers with a maximum size of 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters). All containers also must fit into a single, sealable clear quart-size plastic bag. Anything over these restrictions is not allowed in their carry-on.

Drugs such as tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, or e-cigarettes are not allowed in your carry-on. Other more obvious items such as firearms and explosives will not make it through TSA and onto a Frontier Airlines flight. Some lesser-known items you can not bring are pepper spray, hoverboards, lithium batteries, bleach, or any form of lighters.

If you happen to pack one of these banned items, you will likely get flagged at TSA and they will confiscate the items. JetBlue Airlines baggage restrictions align with those of TSA.

So even though the airline itself does not take these items from you, TSA will do so on their behalf. Accidents do happen, so if you forget one of the minorly banned items in your bag you will likely not be punished.

Since these items are not allowed in your carry-on, they are also not allowed in your personal item. It is always best to make sure your liquids are in TSA-approved bottle sizes and there are no hazards in your luggage. Items such as a corkscrew or a screwdriver can be flagged, so be thorough!

How Many Carry-Ons Can I Bring On Frontier Airlines?

Carry-ons for Frontier can be both expensive and particularly exact in their measurements. You are only allowed to bring a single carry-on bag onto your Frontier Airlines flight if you pay the fee and it fits the exact dimensions allowed.

This is the bag you store above you in the overhead bin and can't be larger than 50 linear inches. However, you are able to bring a small personal item to keep by your side during the flight for free.

The personal item could be a backpack, briefcase, purse, or pillow to help keep you comfortable during the flight. This needs to be smaller than the carry-on and fit underneath your plane seat.

The size dimensions can not be larger than 14" H X 18" W X 8" D. So the personal item can not be too large or awkwardly shaped. Therefore, you are only allowed to bring two main items (carry-on bag and personal item) with you onto the Alaska Airlines plane.

Can I Bring a Purse and a Backpack On To Frontier Airlines?

You can certainly bring a purse or backpack along with you onto your Frontier Airlines flight! These items tend to qualify as your personal item, so you could have them at your feet during the flight.

The personal item is free to bring onto Frontier, but if the bag is excessively large it may be charged as a carry-on. So long as it does not exceed the set dimensions and the bag will not fit under the seat, you can bring it along for free.

Even larger than average backpacks and purses as be brought as a personal item, but if it gets too large you could run into some problems. However, if you are hoping to bring a traditionally sized purse or backpack with you on your Frontier Airlines plane, you will have no issues.

As long as the item is not too big, pretty much anything could be your personal item! You will run into problems if your backpack or purse is too large to fit under the seat in front of you.

A typical school backpack fits perfectly in this space. But if you are looking to bring an extremely large backpack, such as one made for long hiking trips, that will have to be checked.

Does Frontier Airlines Charge For a Carry-on?

Frontier Airlines does charge for carry-ons. Even if you buy an upgraded seat ticket, you will likely still need to pay the carry-on fee. This fee can reach $60 at the ticket counter in the airport, while online it ranges from $35 to $55 per carry-on. Meaning if you are planning to bring a carry-on you will want to pay in advance to avoid this price.

If you need to bring a special assistance item you should consult the Frontier Airlines website to see if you can avoid paying the fee for it. These items could be wheelchairs, walkers, or strollers.

Frontier has many particular rules and depending on which item you intend to bring you could avoid this extra fee. Additionally, if your personal item is too big you may be charged a carry-on fee to bring it on board.

What If My Personal Item Is Too Big?

If you happen to arrive at the airport with an oversized personal item and the Frontier Airlines agent catches you, they will likely charge you a variable amount.

Since it is too late to turn back they know you’ll pay up whatever they demand so you don’t miss your flight. It is hard to say what exactly you would be charged as the prices are inconsistent.

Seeing as your personal item must fit under the seat in front of you, it would be pretty tough to sneak by the attendants. You may get lucky and no one catches your oversized bag, but it is not likely as this airline is adamant about up charging for any reason possible.

It is better to be safe and only bring a reasonably sized backpack, purse, or briefcase as your personal item to avoid the possible fees.