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State attorney general urges federal investigation into Frontier Airlines

AG Phil Weiser said customers from Colorado and 29 other states have reported unfair or deceptive practices from the airline during the pandemic.

DENVER — Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser on Tuesday pushed for an investigation into Denver-based Frontier Airlines after his office has received more than 100 complaints about the airline's practices during the coronavirus pandemic.

Weiser wrote a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Elaine Chao urging her to investigate Frontier's flight change policies and customer service practices.

"Since March 2020, my office received and reviewed more than one hundred complaints against Frontier from consumers in Colorado and 29 other states — more than about any other company during that time," Weiser wrote in the letter.

Many of the complaints said that Frontier failed to provide refunds and didn't give customers a way to quickly redeem flight vouchers.

Frontier also didn't help sufficiently customers who called to try to resolve the issues, instead hanging up mid-call or putting customers on hold for hours, according to a press release from the Attorney General's Office.

For most customers who canceled their reservations because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Frontier offered vouchers that expired within 90 days of the cancellation, the release states.

Customers who complained to the Attorney General's Office said they were unable to redeem the vouchers because of Frontier's error-prone website and unresponsive customer service, according to the release.

Weiser said that the quantity of complaints his office has received prompted him to believe that Frontier violated federal law and USDOT regulations, which require airlines to provide refunds when they cancel, change or delay flights.

That requirement includes circumstances that are out of airlines' control, such as travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, the release states.

“The law requires airlines like Frontier to treat consumers fairly and honestly," Weiser said in the release. "During the COVID-19 pandemic, we received more complaints about Frontier’s conduct — failing to honor its commitment to provide refunds — than any other company. Companies cannot be allowed to take advantage of consumers during this time and must be held accountable for deceptive and unfair conduct. By raising our concerns with USDOT and asking it to investigate and enforce the law, we are requesting a collaboration to protect consumers during this globally precarious time.”

9NEWS reached out to Frontier Airlines for a response and was provided this statement: 

"Throughout the pandemic, Frontier Airlines has acted in good faith to care for our passengers compassionately and fairly. At all times we have remained in full compliance with DOT rules and regulations governing flight changes, cancellations and refunds. We strongly dispute any suggestion to the contrary."

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