First, the most common day-one question: yes, you have a real seat on the plane. Booking a GoWild fare, as we covered in the booking walkthrough, gets you a confirmed ticket. What it doesn't get you is a say in which seat, unless you pay.
How free assignment works
Skip seat selection and the system assigns you a seat at check-in, for free. Statistically you'll land in a middle seat toward the back more often than not, because those are what's left. For a two hour hop that cost $15, most passholders shrug and take the middle.
What paying gets you
Seat prices start at $15 per segment for standard rows on the current fee schedule, with extra legroom, exit rows, and the front of the plane climbing from there. Two situations where we think paying makes sense:
- Flights over three hours where legroom changes your day
- When you need to sit with someone (though read the family rule below first)
| Option | Cost | When it makes sense |
|---|---|---|
| Free assignment at check-in | $0 | Short hops, solo travel, any flight where you just want to get there |
| Standard seat pick | From $15 per segment | Sitting with a companion on a longer flight |
| Extra legroom / exit row | more | Flights over 3 hours, tall travelers |
| Front rows | most | Tight connections where deplaning first matters |
The family seating guarantee
If you're traveling with children 13 or younger, Frontier guarantees adjacent seating with an adult at no cost, with conditions that matter:
- Seat selection is all or nothing: either pick seats for the entire reservation or pick none at all. A partial selection can void the guarantee.
- One adult is guaranteed adjacent to the children. Other adults in the party may be seated elsewhere.
- Assignments are confirmed no later than the day before departure, so don't panic if they don't appear the moment you book.
Counterintuitive but true: to sit with your kids for free, the move is to do nothing and let the system handle it. We go deeper on flying the pass with kids in the next post.
Aircraft swaps and paid seats
One quirk worth knowing: if you pay for a specific seat, say an exit row, and the airline swaps aircraft types before departure, your seat map can change and your paid pick may not survive the swap. If an agent can't move you to an equivalent seat, you may be eligible for a refund of the seat fee. Keep your receipt and ask.
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WildFares is an independent tool and publication. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Frontier Airlines, Inc. GoWild! is a trademark of Frontier Airlines, Inc. Where this article mentions third party products or services, including other GoWild search tools, those names are trademarks of their respective owners and we have no affiliation or relationship with them. Program rules, prices, taxes, and dates change often. Always confirm current terms directly with the airline before you buy or book anything.