Frontier Airlines Delayed A Flight Until 2:50 A.M.—60+ Passengers Left Behind Because TSA Was Closed

A Frontier Airlines passenger says 60 people missed their Miami–Atlanta flight because they couldn’t get through airport security. They’d arrived before midnight for a departure that was pushed back to 2:50 a.m., only to find the checkpoint closed. Frontier and the airport told them there was nothing they could do. Replies to the passenger immediately pointed out that Miami has a security checkpoint open 24 hours. That’s true – but it doesn’t get you to the F Concourse. The flight was originally scheduled for 10:55 p.m. Video shows passengers near TSA Checkpoint 6 for gates F1–F23, then across Frontier’s check-in desks. In a follow up, the passenger says, We showed up 4 hours earlier than our flight time, we also showed up at the original time. He says they were subsequently told they should’ve arrived at 7 p.m. and waited until 2:50 a.m., without having been warned beforehand. In another reply, he puts the group at more than 100 people. He also says they’d checked and been told TSA would be open for their flight, and explains that 60 was just the number standing at the counter. Miami’s Open Checkpoint Doesn’t Get You To Every Gate The passenger identifies his gate as F9 and says they tried the alternative checkpoints but couldn’t use it to reach their flight. Frontier uses Concourse F. Checkpoint 6 serves the F gates. Its hours are 3:30 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. Checkpoint 9 is open 24 hours. It serves the H and J gates in the South Terminal. You can’t clear security in H/J and move airside to F9. Four Hours Early Was Too Late The flight’s history shows that on October 23 Airbus A321neo N667FR took off at 2:41 a.m. the next day and landed in Atlanta at 4:09 a.m. Four hours before 2:50 a.m. is 10:50 p.m. That’s five minutes after the checkpoint’s closing time. It seems they arrived for the flight’s original departure time, not at the original time they’d have shown up for a scheduled 10:55 p.m. flight. Frontier doesn’t control TSA staffing (they can communicate with but not control TSA). They do control the messages they send passengers and how they handle customers who can’t get to a delayed flight even though they outsource staffing at airports. In August, Delta passengers diverted to Fort Myers were sent to baggage claim, then couldn’t return to their flight because TSA had closed. Delta acknowledged a communication error. Passengers who’d stayed at the gate got to continue to Tampa. And I’ve covered a Frontier diversion to Miami where a passenger reported being warned not to leave the gate area because security had shut for the night. That’s precisely the kind of warning people need before they make a decision they can’t undo. The flight landed more than three hours after its scheduled arrival. Federal rules provide a refund when a domestic itinerary is significantly delayed and the passenger doesn’t travel or accept a replacement flight or credit. Frontier’s policy offers refund and rebooking options for significant delays. Refunds have to be claimed prior to departure. My guess is that most passengers didn’t do that. Topics on this page