Frontier Airlines World Mastercard® review

Best for frequent flyers and foodies

• Rewards rate: 5X miles on Frontier purchases, 3X miles at restaurants and 1X miles on everything else.
• Welcome offer: Get 40,000 miles after you spend $500 on purchases within 90 days
• Annual fee: $79
• Purchase intro APR: None
• Balance transfer intro APR: 0 percent for 15 billing cycles
• Regular APR: 15.99 percent, 19.99 percent or 24.99 percent variable

The Frontier Airlines World Mastercard offers a generous rewards rate on Frontier flights and restaurant purchases, making it a great option for frequent Frontier flyers. It also has a welcome offer worth up to two round-trip flights. But you’ll have to pay a $79 annual fee, and there aren’t many partner airlines you can transfer miles to, which limits your redemption options. To decide if this travel rewards card is right for you, browse the full review below.

Frontier Airlines World Mastercard current welcome offer

Barclays is currently offering 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $500 on purchases within 90 days of opening your account. You must also pay your annual fee within that time frame, which will cost you $79.

Frontier award flights start at 10,000 miles, so depending on where you want to go, this generous welcome offer could get you one or even two round-trip flights.

Rewards

The Frontier Airlines card allows you to earn miles on dining out, Frontier flights and everyday spending.

Earning rewards

As a cardholder, you’ll be able to earn 5X miles on Frontier purchases, 3X miles on dining out and 1X miles on everything else. You’ll also get 1 Qualifying Mile for every dollar you spend, which helps you qualify for Frontier Elite Status.

The first tier of Elite Status starts at just 20,000 Qualifying Miles and offers benefits like seat choice and family pooling, which allows you to combine miles with friends and family to make redemption easier.

Redeeming rewards

Frontier Airlines doesn’t have many partner airlines you can transfer your miles to, which limits your redemption options. But you can still use your rewards to pay for rental cars, get magazine subscriptions, cover hotel stays and book flights through flyfrontier.com.

Additionally, you’ll have to make a purchase with your card at least once every six months to keep your miles from expiring.

Benefits

The chance to earn rewards isn’t the only perk you’ll get with your Frontier Airlines credit card—you’ll also receive priority boarding, free access to your credit score and more.

Priority boarding

As a cardholder, you’ll get free Zone 2 boarding on Frontier Airlines so you can get on board and settled sooner.

FICO score

Barclays gives you complimentary access to your FICO score and sends you an alert whenever it changes so you can keep an eye on your credit.

$100 flight voucher

If you spend $2,500 or more in a year, you’ll get a free $100 flight voucher on your account anniversary.

Award redemption fee waiver

If you book a Frontier flight with your rewards, you won’t have to pay an award fee as long as you use your card to cover any additional taxes and fees.

Fraud liability protection

If a fraudulent charge shows up on your credit card bill, you won’t be responsible for paying it.

Rates and fees

One of the main perks of the Frontier Airlines Mastercard is that there are no foreign transaction fees. You’ll also get a 0 percent intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening (then the ongoing variable rate of 15.99 percent, 19.99 percent or 24.99 percent applies), which is a benefit most airline cards don’t offer.

But remember that the intro APR doesn’t apply to purchases, so this card may not be the best choice if you need to carry a balance from month to month. The regular APR is 15.99 percent to 24.99 percent variable, which is higher than the national average rate for credit cards of 14.58 percent.

Another thing to consider is that you’ll have to pay a $79 annual fee every year, which will cut into your rewards.

Barclays also charges $39 for late and returned payments and a $5 or 3 percent fee on balance transfers, whichever is greater.

How the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard compares to other travel rewards cards

If you don’t want to pay an annual fee, the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card is another airline credit card that could be a good option for you. It offers 2X miles at restaurants worldwide and Delta purchases plus 1X miles on everything else. You’ll also get perks like 20 percent off in-flight purchases and $50 off flights for every 5,000 miles you redeem on Delta.com air travel. You’ll also earn 10,000 bonus miles after spending $500 within three months. But remember that it doesn’t have an intro APR.

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card allows you to redeem your rewards for flights on any airline and transfer your points to more than 15 partner airlines and hotels, which is a big perk. It also offers 2X miles per dollar on all purchases, so you’ll be able to earn a high rewards rate on flights that aren’t booked through Frontier. Enjoy a one-time bonus of 60,000 miles once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $600 in travel. But the Venture Card has a slightly higher annual fee and regular APR. It also doesn’t offer an interest-free period on balance transfers, which is something to consider.

Compare these cards against other leading travel credit cards.

Best cards to pair with the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard

Since the Frontier Airlines Mastercard doesn’t have an intro APR on purchases, you may want to consider pairing it with a card that does like the Citi® Diamond Preferred® card. It gives you a 0 percent intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 18 months, allowing you to save on interest (balance transfers must be completed within 4 months of account opening). After that, you’ll pay a variable APR of 13.74 percent to 23.74 percent, depending on your creditworthiness.

Bankrate’s take—Is the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard worth it?

If you don’t fly with Frontier Airlines, this credit card may not be worth it for you. It offers a high rewards rate only on Frontier flights — travel booked through other airlines will get you just one mile per dollar. Frontier doesn’t have many partner airlines you can transfer your miles to, either. So if you don’t fly with Frontier often, you won’t get the full benefit from this card.

But if you’re a frequent Frontier flyer and foodie, this card is a great option. It offers 5X miles on Frontier flights and 3X miles on dining out, plus a generous welcome bonus you can redeem for up to two round-trip flights. It also offers airline perks like flight vouchers and priority boarding to make your trips even more enjoyable.

Pros

• No foreign transaction fees
• Low intro APR on balance transfers
• High rewards rate on flights and dining out
• Chance to earn a solid welcome bonus
• Airline perks like flight vouchers and priority boarding

Cons

• Annual fee
• Limited redemption options
• Intro APR doesn’t apply to purchases