Frontier Airlines has quietly told its flight attendants that the long-promised first class cabin finally has a launch date: 5 March 2027. An internal memo leaked to View from the Wing also reveals two perks nobody expected from the ultra-low-cost carrier — in-seat power and refreshed interiors.
The big picture: Frontier announced way back in December 2024 that it would add a first class cabin by late 2025. It slipped repeatedly, but the first set of seats has now reportedly been installed on an actual aircraft, and the full retrofit programme starts in late October 2026. The airline expects the entire fleet converted by March 2027.
What you actually get is two rows of 2-by-2 seating — eight seats, no middles — built by manufacturer Geven on its Comoda platform. Photos show grey seats with green trim, adjustable headrests and a wide shared centre armrest. One catch worth knowing: Frontier calls them "recliners" but describes them as "pre-reclined," so don't expect a button that leans you back. And in classic Frontier fashion, complimentary food and drinks are not included. You're buying the seat and the space, not a service experience.
Here's the transition wrinkle: once retrofits begin in late October 2026, those new first class seats will initially be sold as UpFront Plus. So until March 2027, booking UpFront Plus is a lottery — you might get a standard coach seat with a blocked middle, or you might score the new 2-by-2 seat, depending which aircraft shows up. Frontier's seating page now warns customers of exactly this.
The power news is genuinely new. In-seat power and Starlink Wi-Fi will roll out through 2027, with the first Starlink-equipped plane targeted for early 2027 and the full fleet potentially done before summer. That's notable because Delta still runs ViaSat and won't start on Amazon's unproven service until 2028, and even then only on about half its fleet. Frontier could leapfrog the whole legacy pack on connectivity, matching what United, American, Southwest and Alaska already offer.
There's also a catch for loyal flyers. From 1 January 2027, complimentary upgrades into UpFront Plus or first class will require buying a bundle. Elite members keep their upgrade windows — Diamond at 24 hours out, Platinum at 18, Gold at 8, Silver at 4 — but only after that extra purchase.
Why it matters: Frontier's cheap fares have always come with trade-offs — no power, no wifi, cramped seats. If the airline genuinely delivers a bigger seat, outlets and fast satellite internet, the maths on a short hop changes considerably, especially for business travellers who currently write the airline off. The bones of a decent product are appearing; whether the frontier (sorry) experience around it improves is another matter.
