Frontier Airlines, TTN to ORD

I recently flew budget carrier Frontier Airlines on a trip to Chicago. Flying out of Trenton-Mercer Airport, only a short 20-minute drive from my home in Philadelphia, with incredibly low fares, it seemed like an easy option that would save me a few bucks in the long run.

While Frontier may offer somewhat unbelievably cheap fares at times (as little as $30!), they make up for it in fees for your carry-on and checked bags, with fees starting at $35 per carry-on online, 24 hours before your flight, and rising steadily as the time until your flight grows nearer. As I had plenty to take with me, I opted to skip the carry-on and paid $70 for two checked bags, well in advance of my trip.

Trenton-Mercer Airport is a small operation, so I was able to park in a lot within walking distance to the front entrance, paying only a few dollars per day to leave my car there. I checked my baggage at the front desk and was through security within half an hour. With only two gates, and three other flights leaving near the same time as mine, it was a bit crowded for the small size, but all of the airport employees were quick, efficient and friendly.

I boarded my flight on time, but, once seated, we were informed the flight was delayed due to fog. After about 45 minutes; however, we were in the air and on our way to Chicago, a short flight that only takes about an hour and a half, total.

The onboard experience was what you would expect from a budget flight. The interior was outdated and the seats were small; I found myself comparing the seating arrangement to being crammed in the back seat of a small car with two other people. The flight attendants were wonderfully nice, though, and we chatted for a bit about the book I was reading when beverage service came around. I ordered a Jack and Coke and had just enough time to finish the drink before we landed in Chicago, ahead of the scheduled time we had been pushed back to due to the delay.

Overall, while I wasn’t blown away by my flight experience with Frontier out of Trenton-Mercer, I would do so again for a quick weekend getaway to one of their highly discounted destinations. Due to the small seat sizes and crowded conditions, I would probably not choose to fly Frontier on a flight much longer than a few hours, however.