Frontier opens first-class bookings as low-cost airlines court premium travelers

Frontier Airlines has opened bookings for the inaugural first-class cabin offering in its 32-year history.

The eight-seat first-class cabin went on sale on November 10, 2026, for flights beginning March 5, 2027, the same date the US ultra-low-cost carrier expects to finish installing the new seats across its Airbus A320 and A321 fleet.

The launch comes more than a year later than Frontier originally envisioned. When the airline announced plans for first class in December 2024, it expected to have the seats on all flights by late 2025. Its most spacious option at the time was UpFront Plus, which gave passengers extra legroom and kept the adjacent middle seat empty.

Frontier is fitting the first two rows with a pair of seats on each side of the aisle, giving each passenger a window or aisle seat and up to 37 inches of pitch. Rows three through eight will offer up to 34 inches of pitch. Frontier will continue to block the middle seat in select rows for passengers who buy UpFront Plus tickets.

The airline is advertising its First bundle starting at $129 additional one way, including the seat, two checked bags, a carry-on and priority boarding. Passengers will still pay for food and drinks on board. The Premium bundle starts at $90 one way and includes an extra-legroom seat, a carry-on and priority boarding. The airline said introductory prices apply to bookings made by November 16 for select nonstop domestic flights from March 5 through April 5, 2027.

Later in 2027, Frontier also plans to add USB-C power at every seat in first class and equip its aircraft with Starlink Wi-Fi.

Frontier’s move to entice more premium travelers to fly the budget carrier follows a broader industry trend. JetBlue’s BlueFirst cabin is scheduled to debut December 8, 2026, between Boston and Fort Lauderdale, and select flights between Fort Lauderdale and New York LaGuardia will follow within days of the launch. JetBlue has already opened bookings on more than 30 routes.

JetBlue also sells lie-flat seats in its Mint cabin. BlueFirst gives it a first-class product to sell on aircraft that fly without Mint, extending premium seating to more of its domestic network and, eventually, more flights to Latin America and the Caribbean.

Southwest Airlines has also given up seats to make room for passengers willing to pay more for extra space. The carrier introduced assigned seating and extra-legroom rows in the first quarter of 2026, removing six seats from each Boeing 737-700 to accommodate the new layout.

Southwest’s next move takes it into the airport terminal, where in partnership with Chase it plans to begin opening its first lounges in late 2027, with Austin, Baltimore, Honolulu and Nashville as the first four locations and at least seven more planned. A new premium Rapid Rewards credit card from Chase will include lounge access.

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