Frontier Is Adding a First Class, and It Is Smaller Than Expected

Frontier Airlines, long the symbol of ultra-low-cost flying, is preparing to add a first class cabin. A memo reported by View from the Wing on October 21 sets the formal launch for March 5, 2027. Retrofits begin in late October 2026, and while aircraft are being converted the new seats will be sold as UpFront Plus. The memo says some passengers may fly in the bigger seats before the official launch, and that the fleet-wide conversion should be complete by March.

The cabin itself is modest. According to the memo, it is two rows in a 2-by-2 layout, for eight seats with no middle seats, supplied by Geven from its Comoda line. Frontier’s own FAQ describes the seats as pre-reclined, so they may not recline the way a traditional first class seat does. Food and drinks are not included, which keeps with Frontier’s unbundled approach. The memo adds that in-seat power and Starlink Wi-Fi are due to roll out during 2027, without saying whether every seat will get power.

The rules for getting into those seats are changing too. Beginning January 1, 2027, the memo says complimentary UpFront Plus and first class upgrades will require buying a bundle. Upgrade windows vary by status, opening 24 hours before departure for Diamond members, 18 for Platinum, eight for Gold and four for Silver. No price for buying the seats outright has been reported.

Frontier first promised first class seating for late 2025, so the date has slipped, and the details here come from an internal memo rather than a formal announcement. Treat the specifics as subject to change until the airline confirms them. For travelers, the larger point is that even the most stripped-down US carriers are chasing premium revenue, and the gap between the cheapest and priciest fare on one plane keeps widening.

Sources: View from the Wing, Travel Extra