We’re visiting family in the Chicago area this week, and we chose to fly Frontier Airlines for the first time. (My husband usually makes our travel arrangements, and his first criteria more often than not is who has the lowest fare.) We flew from Portland International Airport to Chicago Midway via Denver International (Frontier’s hub; there are no direct flights on the airline from Portland to Chicago). We booked online, checked in online (and paid for our one checked bag at the time; $20 instead of the $25 we would have paid at airport check-in) and dropped our bag at the ticket counter at the airport in just a matter of minutes. So far, so good.

Frontier boards its craft by zones, and I can’t say for sure what pattern that follows (maybe front to back — a system that’s never made sense to me). I do know that though we were in the fourth and last zone, we still had overhead bin space to stow our carry-ons. I observed that the gate and flight crew enforce the airlines’ baggage policy pretty stringently, making sure that only one “personal item” per passenger beyond the carry-on piece came aboard, and that all pieces fit the dimensions prescribed. Frankly, I’m happy to see that; I have little patience with those who come aboard with two bulging carry-ons, neither of which fit the posted parameters, nor airline personnel who don’t enforce the policy. Hmmmm . . . do you suppose there’s a direct correlation between the enforced policy and the fact that though we boarded last we still had room to stow our luggage?

Both flights departed and arrived on time, and I found the seats on the Airbus A319 craft as comfortable as any standard coach seat I’ve encountered, with slightly greater legroom than some. Each seat features a small, personal seat back screen with a variety of TV shows and movies available for a fee via a seat back credit card reader. Refreshments other than coffee and tea must also be purchased, with food offerings limited to a choice of three boxed snack assortments.

I would note that the gate area in Denver was more than a little chaotic. The end-of-the-concourse pod housed at least six gates (maybe eight?), and every one had a departing or arriving flight within a 45-minute span. It was jammed with passengers, most standing, as there was very limited seating. We had only about 15 minutes from the time we deplaned our Portland flight and boarded the one to Chicago, so the proximity of gates worked in our favor, but for those with a longer wait it made for a good deal of discomfort. The only option for a quick bite to eat was a Quiznos — not quick enough for our turnaround.

Overall, I found the Frontier experience to be a good one. Although I’d prefer a direct flight to Chicago — which Southwest offers from Portland and without the baggage fee — I think Frontier offers us a reasonable option in the future.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor