Aaron Nathans

The News Journal

Recent schedule shifts and canceled flights are trying the patience of customers who tried booking their flights out of New Castle Airport on Frontier Airlines.

The airline said on July 21 it was suspending winter service as of December from New Castle to four of its six remaining destinations: Atlanta, Chicago, Denver and Fort Myers, Florida. But Frontier had not sold any tickets for that period, so no one's reservations were affected.

Late last month, Frontier confirmed it had moved up the winter suspensions to October, cutting into the period for which it had already sold tickets. Customers subsequently wrote The News Journal, complaining of hourlong waits on the phone to get their refunds, and facing costly changes to their plans.

Bill Pfaff of Stanton said he and his wife had flown Frontier from New Castle to Atlanta in May to visit family, and were so happy with their experience that they booked tickets to visit the same people over Thanksgiving.

But on Aug. 25 he received an email stating their reservation had changed, and were given a phone number to call. Pfaff said he called twice and encountered technical difficulties. He said he had given some thought to not calling a third time; he had seen the headlines, he said, knew his flight would be canceled and imagined he would receive a refund automatically.

But something told him to try again, and that's when he was told he needed to ask for the refund, he said. Had he not called, Frontier would have kept his money, he said.

Pfaff said he and his wife will stay home for Thanksgiving – airfares on other airlines were just too high, he said. They'll visit another time, he said.

Phebe Blades, who also planned to fly from New Castle to Atlanta for Thanksgiving, said she spent an hour on the phone twice, waiting to ask for a refund. She said she booked a flight with another airline at a much higher rate than had she booked that same flight in July, when she booked it with Frontier.

When Frontier acknowledged the changes in response to questions from The News Journal on Aug. 25, the airline did not volunteer that customers holding tickets to Orlando, the one route that did not experience any cuts and actually gained some departures, might face schedule changes as well.

But Marie Essex of Newark said that happened to her.

She said she was headed to a nursing conference in Orlando, and figured she'd turn it into a family vacation. She and her grown daughter, along with Essex's two granddaughters, had tickets on Frontier for October, as well as nonrefundable tickets to Walt Disney World. Essex said Frontier changed the flights so the family would need to miss one-and-a-half days at the theme park for which they had already paid for tickets.

They instead took refunds and rebooked out of Philadelphia on another airline, at a cost premium of more than $500 when parking is taken into consideration, she said.

Both Essex and her daughter spent close to an hour on the phone waiting to speak to a Frontier customer service agent, Essex said. Essex said she's not happy with Frontier, and won't buy another ticket from the airline, but there's not much that can be done about what's already happened, she said.

"They can do what they want to do, they're a business, unfortunately," Essex said.

Marguerite Eichelberger, of Chester County, Pennsylvania, said she made reservations to meet her sister in Orlando, but was notified by email about a change, and waited 30 minutes on hold before being told her flight was moved up a day. She told the agent her hotel was too expensive to book another night there; the agent told her to fly out of Trenton or take a refund. She took the refund and rebooked through Philadelphia on US Airways. She said she won't use Frontier or refer her friends there.

Frontier did not return inquiries seeking comment. Steve Williams, airport director, said he understands and appreciates the impact of airline schedule shifts on fliers' plans.

In an email, he wrote: "We are deeply disappointed that Frontier will be suspending some of Wilmington – ILG's current service, especially since the consumer response has been great and most flights are operating at or near capacity. The Region's travelers have been very supportive of the restoration of commercial service at the airport."

The airport, Williams said, remains committed "to offering our customers the combination of low fares and low costs, great destinations, and the hassle free experience that can only be found at secondary airports like Wilmington. We are hopeful that Frontier will introduce new destinations sought by our customers" this spring.

George Herker, of Wawa, Pennsylvania, said he has a ticket to Fort Myers, Florida, on Oct. 25, but his return trip was after the cancellation period appeared to begin. He said he does not have an email from Frontier notifying him of any cancellations, and that he was confused.

After The News Journal passed along his question, a Frontier agent called him to say there would be no change to his return flight. But he said he was disappointed to hear about the changes. Herker said he has flown the route seven or eight times this year, because he works in this area, and his wife spends the winter at their place in Naples, Florida, he said. He said he has appreciated the low fares and convenient parking.

He said he was shocked by the changes. "Usually the plane is filled every time I've been on it," Herker said.

Pfaff said he'd consider flying Frontier out of New Castle again, but wouldn't book that far in advance.

"It's hard to gauge how serious Frontier is about this, I guess," he said.

Contact Aaron Nathans at (302) 324-2786 or anathans@delawareonline.com.