Frontier Airlines has cut ties with two contract workers after a viral video showed them mocking a customer during a check-in dispute at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The incident, which occurred on May 2, involved a 45-year-old traveler trying to board a flight to Boston.
The customer arrived at the ticket counter 50 minutes before departure, missing the self-service kiosk’s 60-minute cutoff. When he attempted to check in with the gate agents, they informed him of a $25 “agent assist fee.” Despite initially questioning the fee, the customer ultimately agreed to pay it—only to be denied service by the agents.
Video footage captured by bystanders and the participants themselves showed the agents recording the customer while ridiculing him. One can be heard saying, “And you thought you was gonna get on your flight?” as the other laughed. When the man protested, they continued to mock him instead of completing his check-in.
The standoff reportedly lasted nearly 20 minutes, ending with the frustrated customer purchasing a $500 JetBlue ticket to make it home. “You’re literally not doing your job for a customer that has paid for a plane ticket to get home,” he said in the video.
Following public backlash, Frontier Airlines confirmed that the individuals involved, who worked for a third-party contractor, “are no longer associated with the Frontier account.” The airline added that it had been in contact with the customer and fully reimbursed him for both the original ticket and the JetBlue flight.
The airline’s agent assist fee policy and rigid check-in procedures have also come under renewed scrutiny following the incident, which has fueled broader frustration with low-cost carriers and their customer service practices.
