Frontier Airlines is under fire after it was revealed this week that employees receive a $10 bonus when they charge a passenger that pesky oversized luggage fee.
The incentive came to light after Salt Lake City journalist Dyana Villa went viral for filming herself and another passenger being told their carry-on bags didn’t meet the size requirements for a flight from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Denver.
The series of videos logged millions of views on TikTok, with one commenter claiming that Frontier Airlines employees get a commission each time they charge for an oversized bag.
Villa claims she heard from an unidentified Frontier Airlines flight attendant herself that it’s a $10 bonus.
The Post reached out to Villa and Frontier Airlines for comment.
A spokesperson for the discount airline told The Independent the bonus is “simply an incentive for our airport customer service agents to help ensure compliance with our policies and that all customers are treated equally.”
Villa’s story took off as she asked people to sign a petition to “stop Frontier Airlines from overcharging passengers.”
Her clips showed herself and another passenger near the DC gate placing their bags in the measurement bins, which are used to determine if luggage will fit in the overhead compartment or under the seat before boarding.
Arguing ensues between the women and the Frontier employees.
“I was told my bag was too big for a personal Item, yet when I put it in the measuring bin…It fit perfectly fine. This happened to two other individuals and we were charged $100,” Villa explained in her petition.
“One of the passengers even had to throw away all of her personal belongings to the trash in order to fly because they closed the gate on us. After paying I finally got on, but little did I know the nightmare I would live in Denver.”
She continued: “I was filming my bag to prove my bag fit in the bin, and I was denied the access to fly to Salt Lake City because of the video. I was told I could not film because it was private property and I did not have consent to film my bag.”
The Frontier spokesperson told the Independent the clips didn’t show the whole story.
“The video fails to show that the customer using the sizer box had an additional carry-on bag,” the spokesperson told the outlet.
“Each customer is allowed one free personal item that must fit within the smaller sizer box. This customer had more than one bag and they were not able to combine them into a single bag that fit in the personal item box.”
When flying Frontier, the size of a carry-on bag should be less than 24 inches tall, 16 inches wide, and 10 inches deep and under 35 pounds, including handles, wheels and straps.
A personal bag should not exceed 14 inches tall, 18 inches wide and 8 inches deep including handles, wheels and straps.
If a bag does not meet those requirements, flyers can be charged anywhere from $50 to $100.
Villa’s heated interaction comes after President Biden called out airline fees in his State of the Union address in January.
He referred to them as “junk” fees and promised to push the airlines, resorts, and even ticket sellers to make their pricing systems more “transparent.”
The Department of Transportation recently proposed a rule that would make it mandatory for airlines and online booking platforms to show the total ticket price upfront. That price would include baggage fees and other necessary payments.
“We’re making airlines show you the full ticket price upfront and refund your money if your flight is canceled or delayed,” Biden said during the address.
“And we’ll prohibit airlines from charging up to $50 roundtrip for families just to sit together. Baggage fees are bad enough — they can’t just treat your child like a piece of luggage.”
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