Frontier miles match launches, companion certificates added

Published on Aug 25, 2025, 7:46 pm CDT

6 min read

Frontier Airlines unveiled three loyalty offers aimed at budget travelers and frequent flyers alike. A new Frontier miles match lets new members mirror up to 1 million miles from multiple airlines after earning the same amount on Frontier within 12 months. Cardholders can also earn companion certificates with the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard through January 31, 2026. Finally, members of Southwest, JetBlue, Spirit, or Alaska can secure Elite Gold status for $69, valid through December 2026. Taken together, the carrier is making its low fares feel more rewarding. See our earlier coverage of the status offer in Frontier status match: $69 Elite Gold through 2026.

Key Points

Why it matters: Frontier miles match and companion certificates add real value to low fares.
Travel impact: $69 Elite Gold brings a free carry-on, early boarding, and seat selection.
What's next: Elite earn rates make higher tiers, and unlimited companion benefits, more reachable.
Companion certificates are capped at three, separate from unlimited companion at top tiers.
Miles match enrollment window runs through September 26, 2025.

Snapshot

Frontier's new Frontier miles match targets travelers with balances on other carriers. New Frontier Miles members can match up to 1 million miles from combined qualifying programs, then unlock the matched miles by earning the same number with Frontier within 12 months of approval. A companion-certificate promo lets Frontier Airlines World Mastercard holders earn up to three certificates based on spend posted between August 25, 2025, and January 31, 2026, each valid for one round trip within one year of issuance, with the companion paying only taxes and fees. Separately, members of Southwest, JetBlue, Spirit, or Alaska can buy Frontier Elite Gold for $69, valid through December 31, 2026. For more on Frontier's broader customer-experience push, see Frontier Airlines Rolls Out 'Disruption Assistance' Flex Benefit.

Background

Frontier has spent the past two years recalibrating its value proposition while keeping base fares low. The airline refreshed Frontier Miles with clearer earn rates, expanded family pooling, and a headline companion travel benefit for top elites. It teased first-class seating for late 2025 and introduced paid tools like disruption assistance designed to reduce pain during irregular operations. Loyalty, however, is the engine that converts occasional bargain hunters into repeat customers. With Frontier miles match, the carrier invites travelers to consolidate attention without abandoning other programs. With companion certificates tied to card spend, the airline gives non-elites a concrete way to share savings on select trips. And with $69 Elite Gold for rival program members, Frontier adds an easy on-ramp to perks that matter most on an ultra-low-cost carrier, namely a free carry-on, priority boarding, and seat selection.

Latest Developments

How the Frontier miles match works

New Frontier Miles members can submit combined balances from multiple qualifying airline programs for a Frontier miles match, up to 1,000,000 miles. After enrollment is approved, travelers have 12 months to earn the same number of miles on Frontier flights and eligible activity; once they do, Frontier deposits the matched miles. The application window runs from August 25 to September 26, 2025, and the airline notes that terms apply and not all programs may qualify. Importantly, you can choose to match only a portion of your outside balances if that is more realistic to earn on Frontier within the time limit. Example, submit 20,000 miles to match, then earn 20,000 Frontier miles within 12 months to receive 20,000 bonus miles. This structure nudges trial flying without forcing an all-or-nothing commitment to the maximum cap.

Card spend can unlock companion certificates

Frontier Airlines World Mastercard cardholders can earn up to three companion certificates on purchases posted between August 25, 2025, and January 31, 2026. Thresholds are $3,000 for the first certificate, $10,000 for the second, and $20,000 for the third. Each certificate is valid for one round-trip within one year of issuance and covers the companion's base fare on select bookings, while the companion pays taxes and fees starting at $5.60 each way. This promo is separate from Frontier's unlimited companion travel perk available to Elite Platinum and Elite Diamond members. Heavy card spend still helps, since every $1 on the card earns 1 Elite Status Point, accelerating progress to Platinum, where unlimited companion travel begins. Blackout dates apply, and certificates are not retroactive, refundable, or transferable.

$69 Elite Gold status for rival members

Frontier is offering Elite Gold status through December 31, 2026, to any member of Southwest Rapid Rewards, JetBlue TrueBlue, Spirit Free Spirit, or Alaska Mileage Plan who joined those programs before August 18, 2025. Applicants pay a $69 fee via the official portal and typically see upgrades within 24 to 48 hours. Gold benefits include a free carry-on bag, Zone 1 priority boarding, free seat selection at booking, and space-available upgrades to UpFront Plus seating. The promotion runs through September 9, 2025. Benefits cannot replace ancillaries already paid on existing bookings, and the airline may change or withdraw the offer at any time. For fee-sensitive travelers who still want speed and bin space, the math can work out on even one round trip.

Analysis

Frontier's trio of moves leans into a simple truth, value beats vanity for most budget travelers. The Frontier miles match lowers the psychological hurdle to trying a new program by recognizing miles you already earned elsewhere, while still requiring you to fly Frontier to unlock the bonus. That balances acquisition with real engagement. The companion-certificate promo extends value to non-elite households that want to bring a partner or child on select trips without chasing high tiers first. Capping certificates at three keeps liability predictable, while the parallel earn of Elite Status Points nudges cardholders toward Platinum, where unlimited companion travel lives. Finally, the $69 Elite Gold offer is a classic ultra-low-cost hack, a low entry fee that delivers high-impact perks, notably a free carry-on that often exceeds $69 by itself on a round trip. The limitation to four rival programs, plus the prior-membership-by-date rule, keeps the funnel targeted. Risks remain. Travelers must watch blackout dates on certificates, confirm miles-match eligibility, and remember that status benefits do not retroactively refund paid ancillaries. Still, for Frontier, these offers strengthen "The New Frontier" narrative, adding tangible rewards without abandoning the low-fare model that defines the brand.

Final Thoughts

For travelers eyeing cheaper base fares with fewer compromises, Frontier's updates land well. The Frontier miles match lets you leverage miles you already hold, then double them by flying the airline within a year. Cardholders can shave real dollars off select trips with companion certificates earned by everyday spend, while the $69 Elite Gold shortcut makes Frontier's most valuable perks easy to access quickly. If you are willing to plan around terms, blackout dates, and timelines, these changes make a strong case to sample, or even shift, future trips to Frontier. The headline opportunity remains the Frontier miles match.