Introduction
For many, the dream of a career in the skies—swapping a desk for a window seat at 35,000 feet—is a powerful motivator. The allure of travel, meeting new people, and embracing a dynamic, ever-changing work environment is undeniable. A career as a flight attendant is not just a job; it is a lifestyle. Among the airlines offering this unique path, Frontier Airlines, with its distinctive animal-themed tails and ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) model, represents a significant and growing opportunity. But beyond the romance of the role lies a crucial question: What does a career with this airline actually look like financially? Answering the query "flight attendant salary Frontier Airlines" requires a deep, nuanced understanding of not just a single number, but a complex compensation structure, career trajectory, and the specific economic realities of working for a ULCC.
This guide is designed to be your definitive resource. We will move beyond simple salary aggregates to dissect the intricate components of a Frontier Flight Attendant's earnings, from hourly pay and per diem to seniority-based growth and career advancement. The average total pay for a Frontier Airlines Flight Attendant typically falls between $35,000 and $75,000+ per year, a wide range that is heavily influenced by seniority, hours flown, and additional responsibilities. Having spent years analyzing career data and speaking with aviation professionals, I've seen firsthand how a lack of understanding about pay structures can lead to disillusionment. A flight attendant once told me, "You don't get into this for the first-year salary; you get into it for the fifth-year salary and the flight benefits that change your life." This guide will equip you with that crucial long-term perspective, providing the clarity and data needed to make an informed decision about your future in the friendly skies.
### Table of Contents
- [What Does a Frontier Airlines Flight Attendant Do?](#what-does-a-frontier-airlines-flight-attendant-do)
- [Average Frontier Airlines Flight Attendant Salary: A Deep Dive](#average-frontier-airlines-flight-attendant-salary-a-deep-dive)
- [Key Factors That Influence a Frontier Flight Attendant's Salary](#key-factors-that-influence-a-frontier-flight-attendants-salary)
- [Job Outlook and Career Growth for Flight Attendants](#job-outlook-and-career-growth-for-flight-attendants)
- [How to Become a Frontier Airlines Flight Attendant](#how-to-become-a-frontier-airlines-flight-attendant)
- [Conclusion: Is a Career as a Frontier Flight Attendant Right for You?](#conclusion-is-a-career-as-a-frontier-flight-attendant-right-for-you)
---
What Does a Frontier Airlines Flight Attendant Do?
While often perceived as servers in the sky, the primary and most critical responsibility of any flight attendant is safety. They are highly-trained, FAA-certified safety professionals responsible for the well-being and security of every passenger on board. This core function governs every aspect of their job, from pre-flight checks to in-flight vigilance and emergency response.
A Frontier Airlines Flight Attendant's duties are multifaceted, blending rigorous safety protocols with the unique customer service model of a ULCC. Their responsibilities can be broken down into distinct phases of work:
1. Pre-Flight Operations:
- Crew Briefing: The journey begins on the ground, typically an hour before departure. The flight crew, including pilots and all flight attendants, gathers for a briefing. They discuss flight details, weather, potential turbulence, specific passenger needs (like unaccompanied minors or passengers with disabilities), and review safety and emergency procedures.
- Aircraft Security & Safety Checks: Once on board, flight attendants conduct thorough security sweeps of the cabin. They check emergency equipment, including fire extinguishers, oxygen bottles, life vests, and first aid kits, ensuring everything is present, functional, and accessible.
- Catering and Supplies: At a ULCC like Frontier, this involves checking the inventory for the "buy-on-board" service. They ensure the sales devices are charged and that there is an adequate stock of snacks, drinks, and other items for purchase.
2. Boarding and Pre-Departure:
- Passenger Greeting and Assistance: Flight attendants welcome passengers, help them find their seats, and assist with stowing carry-on luggage in a safe and efficient manner.
- Safety Demonstration: They perform the safety briefing, either live or by directing attention to a video, demonstrating the use of seatbelts, oxygen masks, and emergency exits. This is a federally mandated and crucial part of the role.
- Final Cabin Checks: Before the aircraft door closes, they conduct a final walk-through to ensure all passengers are seated with belts fastened, tray tables up, and luggage properly stowed. They arm the doors and confirm "cabin secure" to the flight deck.
3. In-Flight Duties:
- Customer Service and Sales: This is where the ULCC model is most visible. Frontier Flight Attendants conduct the in-flight service, which is an "a la carte" model. They process payments for all food, beverages, and other amenities. This makes them a key part of the airline's ancillary revenue strategy.
- Monitoring the Cabin: Throughout the flight, they walk the aisles, remaining visible and attentive to passenger needs and any potential safety or security concerns. They are trained to spot and de-escalate conflicts, identify signs of medical distress, and enforce FAA regulations (e.g., no smoking, compliance with crew member instructions).
- Responding to Irregularities: This can range from handling a simple medical issue like airsickness to coordinating a response for a serious medical emergency, managing severe turbulence, or preparing the cabin for an emergency landing.
### A "Day in the Life" Example
Imagine you're a Denver (DEN) based Frontier Flight Attendant. Your day might start at 3:30 AM for a 5:30 AM report time. You arrive at the airport, go through security, and meet your crew for a trip to Orlando (MCO). After the briefing and pre-flight checks, you work the three-hour flight, managing the boarding process for 180+ passengers, conducting the buy-on-board service, and ensuring a safe and orderly flight.
Upon landing in Orlando, you have a 45-minute "turn." This is a fast-paced period where you deplane the arriving passengers, perform a quick security check, and immediately begin boarding the next group of passengers for the return flight to Denver. There's no time to leave the aircraft. You work the return flight, landing back in Denver in the early afternoon. Depending on your schedule, this could be the end of your day, or it could be the first of a "two-day trip," meaning you'll fly one more short leg to another city for an overnight layover before continuing the next morning. It's a demanding, fast-paced rhythm that requires significant stamina and efficiency.
---
Average Frontier Airlines Flight Attendant Salary: A Deep Dive
Analyzing a flight attendant's salary is fundamentally different from analyzing a typical 9-to-5 salaried position. The compensation is not a single annual figure but a composite of several elements, primarily based on hourly pay for time spent in the air. This structure means that actual take-home pay can vary significantly from month to month.
According to data aggregated from various sources, the typical total compensation for a Frontier Airlines Flight Attendant presents a wide range.
- Salary.com reports a range for Flight Attendants in the US between $62,911 and $103,136 as of May 2024, though this is a national average and not specific to Frontier's pay scale.
- Glassdoor provides a more specific look, suggesting a total pay range for Frontier Flight Attendants of $38,000 to $69,000 per year, with an estimated average base pay around $47,000. This data is based on user-submitted information and gives a more realistic picture of the early-to-mid-career earnings.
- Payscale estimates the average base hourly rate for a Frontier Flight Attendant to be around $27.70, but this figure blends new hires with senior flight attendants, so it must be broken down further.
The most accurate way to understand their income is to deconstruct its core components.
### The Building Blocks of a Frontier Flight Attendant's Paycheck
1. Hourly Flight Pay (Block Hours):
This is the primary source of income. Flight Attendants are paid for "block hours" or "flight hours," which is the time from when the aircraft door closes at the departure gate ("block out") to when it opens at the arrival gate ("block in"). Crucially, time spent on the ground during pre-flight briefings, boarding, deplaning, and layovers is generally not paid at this full hourly rate.
The hourly rate is determined by seniority, as dictated by the collective bargaining agreement with their union, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA). The pay scale increases with each year of service.
Frontier Airlines Flight Attendant Hourly Pay Scale (Illustrative Example)
| Year of Service | Estimated Hourly Rate | Estimated Annual Pay (at 80 block hours/month) |
| :-------------- | :-------------------- | :--------------------------------------------- |
| Year 1 | ~$23.00 | ~$22,080 |
| Year 2 | ~$24.50 | ~$23,520 |
| Year 3 | ~$26.00 | ~$24,960 |
| Year 5 | ~$31.00 | ~$29,760 |
| Year 10 | ~$42.00 | ~$40,320 |
| Year 15+ | ~$55.00+ | ~$52,800+ |
*Note: These are illustrative rates based on publicly available contract information and may have been updated in recent negotiations. The annual pay is calculated purely on the hourly rate and does not include other crucial compensation elements like per diem or sales commission.*
2. Monthly Guarantee:
New flight attendants are often on "reserve," meaning they are on-call and do not have a fixed schedule. To ensure a stable minimum income, the union contract guarantees a minimum number of paid hours per month, typically around 75-80 hours, regardless of whether they fly that much. Flight attendants with a regular line of flying (a "line holder") will typically fly more than the guarantee.
3. Per Diem:
This is a critical, and tax-free, component of their income. Flight attendants are paid a small hourly rate for every hour they are on duty away from their home base. This is meant to cover the cost of meals and incidentals during layovers.
- The per diem rate at Frontier is typically around $2.00 - $2.50 per hour.
- Example: On a 30-hour layover, a flight attendant would earn an additional $60 - $75 in tax-free income. Over a month, this can easily add $400 to $700 to their paycheck.
4. Additional Compensation Components:
- Sales Commission: As a ULCC, on-board sales are a significant revenue stream. Frontier Flight Attendants earn a commission on the sales of food, drinks, and other items. This can add a substantial amount to their monthly income, sometimes an extra $200 to $500+ per month, rewarding those who are effective at sales.
- Lead/Purser Pay: The lead flight attendant on a flight, responsible for coordinating the cabin crew and communicating with the flight deck, receives an hourly pay override. This is typically an extra $2.00 - $3.00 per hour.
- Holiday Pay: Working on designated holidays often comes with premium pay, sometimes 150% of the regular rate.
- Training Pay: While in initial training, new hires are typically paid a small stipend or a minimum wage equivalent, not their full flight attendant hourly rate.
Putting It All Together: A First-Year vs. Tenth-Year Example
- First-Year Flight Attendant (on Reserve):
- Guaranteed 75 hours @ ~$23.00/hr = $1,725
- Estimated Per Diem = $450
- Estimated Sales Commission = $300
- Total Estimated Monthly Gross Pay: ~$2,475 (or ~$29,700 annually)
- Tenth-Year Flight Attendant (Line Holder flying 90 hours):
- 90 hours @ ~$42.00/hr = $3,780
- Estimated Per Diem = $600
- Estimated Sales Commission = $400
- Total Estimated Monthly Gross Pay: ~$4,780 (or ~$57,360 annually, before any lead pay or bonuses)
This deep dive clearly shows that the "flight attendant salary Frontier Airlines" is not a static number but a dynamic figure built on seniority and the ability to maximize flying hours and other pay components. The initial years are financially modest, but the earning potential grows significantly over time.
---
Key Factors That Influence a Frontier Flight Attendant's Salary
The wide salary bands for Frontier Flight Attendants are a direct result of several influencing factors. While some careers see salary fluctuate based on performance reviews or project success, an airline flight attendant's compensation is far more structured and predictable, yet highly variable. Understanding these levers is key to forecasting your own potential earnings.
###
1. Years of Experience (Seniority)
This is, without question, the single most important factor determining a flight attendant's salary and quality of life. At a unionized airline like Frontier, seniority is everything. It is calculated based on your date of hire (and sometimes your class number within training). A flight attendant who has been with the company for 10 years has higher seniority than one who has been there for 9 years and 11 months.
How Seniority Impacts Salary and Schedule:
- Higher Hourly Pay Rate: As detailed in the previous section, the union contract explicitly lays out a pay scale that increases with each year of service. A 15-year veteran can earn more than double the hourly rate of a brand-new hire. This is the most direct impact on gross income.
- Bidding Power for Schedules: Seniority dictates the order in which flight attendants bid for their monthly schedules.
- High-Seniority Attendants ("Line Holders"): They can bid for and receive "lines" with more desirable trips—for example, high-flying trips that accumulate 90-100+ hours a month, maximizing their pay. They can also bid for trips with longer, more pleasant layovers, or schedules that give them every weekend off.
- Low-Seniority Attendants ("Reserve"): New hires spend their first few months, and sometimes years, on reserve. This means they don't have a set schedule and are on-call. While they receive a minimum monthly guarantee, they have less control over their hours and income potential. They may be called for a single-day trip or a four-day cross-country sequence with little notice.
- Vacation Bidding: Seniority determines when you can take your vacation. Senior flight attendants get first pick of summer months and major holidays, while junior members often get less desirable slots.
- Base Transfers: If a flight attendant wants to transfer from one crew base (e.g., Orlando) to a more desirable one (e.g., Denver), their ability to do so is based purely on seniority.
The salary growth trajectory is a clear, step-by-step path. The financial struggle of the first year or two is a well-known "rite of passage," offset by the promise of steadily increasing pay and schedule control as one's seniority number climbs.
###
2. Airline Model: ULCC vs. Legacy and Regional Carriers
Where an airline sits in the industry ecosystem significantly shapes its compensation philosophy. Frontier is an Ultra-Low-Cost Carrier (ULCC), and this model creates a different financial environment compared to legacy carriers (like United, Delta, American) or regional carriers (like SkyWest, Envoy).
ULCC (Frontier, Spirit):
- Focus: Keeping operational costs, including labor costs, as low as possible to offer the cheapest fares.
- Pay Structure: Tends to have a lower starting hourly rate compared to legacy carriers. However, they heavily incentivize ancillary revenue. The commission on in-flight sales at Frontier can be a significant pay component that doesn't exist in the same way at legacy airlines. The pay scale may cap out lower than at a legacy carrier.
- Benefits: Often includes standard health and 401(k) plans, but profit-sharing programs may be less robust or non-existent compared to the massive profit-sharing checks seen at legacy carriers in good years.
- Growth: ULCCs are often in a high-growth phase, meaning more rapid hiring and potentially faster advancement from reserve to a line-holder status.
Legacy Carriers (United, Delta, American):
- Focus: Global network, premium cabin services, and corporate contracts.
- Pay Structure: Generally offer the highest starting hourly rates and the highest top-of-scale pay in the industry. A 20-year flight attendant at a legacy carrier can earn a substantial income. They also have higher per diem rates, especially for international flights.
- Benefits: Tend to have very strong benefits packages, including lucrative profit-sharing programs that can add tens of thousands of dollars to an annual salary in profitable years.
- Growth: More established and slower-growing, meaning it can take longer for new hires to move off reserve.
Comparison Table: Illustrative Pay Differences
| Feature | Frontier Airlines (ULCC) | Major Legacy Carrier (e.g., United) |
| :------------------- | :------------------------------ | :---------------------------------- |
| Starting Hourly | ~$23/hr | ~$30/hr |
| Top-of-Scale Hourly| ~$55-$60/hr | ~$70-$75/hr |
| International Pay| Limited (mostly near-international) | Significant, with higher pay overrides |
| Sales Commission | Yes, can be a significant factor | Generally no |
| Profit Sharing | Typically modest or none | Can be very substantial |
| Path off Reserve | Potentially faster due to growth| Can be slower |
Choosing Frontier means accepting a potentially lower base hourly rate in exchange for sales commission opportunities and potentially faster career progression in a high-growth environment.
###
3. Geographic Location (Crew Base)
Flight attendants are required to live in or near their assigned "crew base" or "domicile." This is the airport city from which all their trips will begin and end. Frontier Airlines has several bases across the country, including major hubs like Denver (DEN), Orlando (MCO), and Philadelphia (PHL), along with others like Las Vegas (LAS), Chicago (ORD), and Miami (MIA).
The base location does not affect the hourly pay rate—a Denver-based first-year and a Miami-based first-year earn the same hourly wage. However, it dramatically impacts the real value of that salary due to cost of living.
- High Cost of Living (HCOL) Bases: Being based in a city like Denver or Miami means a larger portion of a junior flight attendant's modest income will go toward rent and living expenses.
- Lower Cost of Living (LCOL) Bases: A base like Orlando or Las Vegas may offer more affordable housing, allowing a flight attendant's salary to stretch further.
Furthermore, some flight attendants choose to "commute," meaning they live in a different city and fly (using their flight benefits) to their base city to start their trips. While this allows them to live anywhere, it adds significant time, stress, and potential cost if they cannot get a seat on a flight and need to book a last-minute ticket or hotel. Seniority plays a role here too, as senior flight attendants can more easily hold a line in their desired base.
###
4. Additional Roles and Responsibilities
Within the flight attendant corps, there are opportunities to take on specialized roles that come with additional pay. This is a primary way to increase income beyond simply flying more hours.
- Lead Flight Attendant / Purser: As mentioned, the designated lead on a flight receives a pay override for the duration of that trip. This role involves extra responsibilities, such as handling all communication with the flight deck, managing the other flight attendants, and completing post-flight reports.
- Instructor / Check Flight Attendant: These are experienced flight attendants who are trained to teach new hires in the classroom or evaluate current flight attendants on the line to ensure they are meeting FAA and company standards. These positions often come with a significant pay override and a different type of work schedule.
- Language-Qualified Speaker: On airlines with significant international routes, flight attendants who are fluent in a needed language can become "language-qualified" and earn a pay override for every hour they fly. While Frontier's network is primarily domestic, this can apply to their routes to Mexico and the Caribbean.
###
5. In-Demand Skills and Performance
While not a direct "factor" in the union-negotiated pay scale, certain skills and performance attributes can indirectly boost a flight attendant's earnings and career trajectory.
- Salesmanship: At Frontier, the ability to effectively and personably sell on-board products directly translates to higher take-home pay through commission.
- De-escalation and Customer Service Excellence: Flight attendants who are masters of conflict resolution and customer service build a strong reputation. While this doesn't add a dollar amount to their check, it is critical for career longevity and for being considered for leadership roles like instructor or lead.
- Reliability and Professionalism: An attendance record free of blemishes and a reputation for being a reliable crew member can lead to better opportunities and a smoother career path. Management and schedulers notice professionalism, which can be beneficial in less-structured situations.
###
6. Level of Education
For the flight attendant role itself, the minimum educational requirement is typically a high school diploma or GED. An associate's or bachelor's degree is not required and will not result in a higher starting salary on the pay scale. Airlines are primarily concerned with your customer service experience, safety-conscious mindset, and ability to pass the rigorous FAA-mandated training.
However, a college degree can become a significant asset for long-term career growth. If a flight attendant decides they want to move out of the cabin and into a corporate role at headquarters—such as in training, recruiting, crew scheduling, or management—a bachelor's degree in business, communications, hospitality, or a related field would be highly advantageous, and in some cases, required.
---
Job Outlook and Career Growth for Flight Attendants
When considering a long-term career, understanding the future demand for the profession is just as important as the starting salary. For aspiring flight attendants, the outlook is notably positive, driven by industry growth and a constant need to replace retiring professionals.
### The National Outlook: Strong Growth Ahead
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook, the employment of flight attendants is projected to grow 11 percent from 2022 to 2032, which is significantly faster than the average for all occupations.
Here are the key data points from the BLS (as of September 2023):
- Projected Growth (2022-2032): 11%
- Projected New Jobs: Approximately 11,500 new positions over the decade.
- Total Employment (2022): 105,90