Ever flier has come to expect a certain level of budget misery when flying with Frontier. You have seats that feel like church pews and a fee for every breath you take. But a recent TikTok video about Raleigh-Durham International Airport suggests the airline’s latest perk is literal extortion.
TikTok creator Darby (@fulltimeflosser) is putting Frontier Airlines on blast. While her mother was flying from North Carolina to see her, she was pressured into paying a $50 cash to an agent. And that was just to get her bag on the plane that she already paid $65 for.
The video is rapidly circulating as a warning to travelers, exposing a behavior that goes far beyond standard corporate greed. According to the creator, her mother arrived at the Frontier kiosk with a bag she had already weighed three times at 38 pounds. That is well under the 40-pound limit. However, Frontier’s scale miraculously decided the bag was six pounds overweight. And the employee decided that she owes him money.
What happened at the Frontier Kiosk?
After weighing the bag, the Frontier agent at the kiosk insisted that it was six pounds overweight. Once it was officially overweight, the employee them informed the woman that she would owe an additional $100. When the mother hesitated, the agent reportedly removed his earpiece, stepped to the side, and made a shady proposition. “If you give me $50 cash, I’ll push it through,” he whispered.
Taking cash under the table to bypass “overweight” fees is not just a policy violation; it’s a shakedown. It forces travelers into a high-stakes choice to either pay the $100 fine or hand over $50 in untraceable cash to a guy in a vest who might just be pocketing the difference. And Darby also raised an important question: “How do we even know that the bag is actually overweight?”
Are the Frontier Airline scales rigged?
So, the problem here isn’t just the bribe; it’s the questionable accuracy of the scales. The creator points out that her mother took extra care to weigh the bag at home. She even took stuff out to make sure it does not exceed the 40-pounds limit. Yet, Frontier’s equipment showed a massive discrepancy.
Now, travelers can’t help but wonder if the scales are intentionally calibrated to generate extra revenue. Or, extra bribes, in this case. Furthermore, Frontier’s own website reportedly lists the overweight fee at $75. Yet, the agent quoted $100.
This suggests that the employees might be inflating official prices to make their $50 “discount” look like a deal. The airline is essentially allowing its employees to run their own business of fees and bribes. Needless to say, the brand trust is officially dead.
Everyone wants you to avoid Frontier Airlines
Darby’s comment section turned into a support group for survivors of budget airline horror stories. Many travelers also shared how they avoid the Frontier Trap. “Delta is 50 lbs $35. Their scales matched ours on the money,” one user shared, highlighting the stark difference in reliability between airlines.
“Go to Amazon and get a baggage weight checker. I carry one with me whenever I travel. Just in case something like this ever happens to me. I’ve never had a problem. Also, you need to report this,” another suggested, proving that we now have to bring our own evidence to the airport. “Frontier is legit the ONLY airline I’ve ever had a problem with,” a third added.
Observers also noted that Frontier’s “sizing boxes” for carry-on luggage often feel smaller than industry standards. This further fueled the idea that the airline is designed to trick passengers into paying more.
Budget travel shouldn’t require a bribe
“Budget” doesn’t, and shouldn’t mean “lawless.” When a mother can’t visit her family without being shaking down for cash at the airport, the system is fundamentally broken. Frontier Airlines should immediately fire the “cash-only” agent. As even Darby called for it at the end of the video:
I want my mom’s money back. And I want that man fired. And I want the rest of y’all to know— don’t let this sh-t happen to you.
If Frontier keeps letting their employees run a black market at the kiosks, they’ll soon have fly empty planes. And for future travelers, carry a baggage scale, know the official fees, and never ever hand over cash to someone to get your bag checked in.
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