Man Says Frontier Overbooked Orlando-To-St. Louis Flight. Then Tried To Charge Kicked-Off Customers $100 To Rebook: ‘Call Your Bank For Fraudulent Transactions’

One Orlando passenger says there’s yet another reason to not fly Frontier Airlines.

Across a series of four videos, TikTok user James (@sk8teboardpete) explains that, after waiting in line to check in for over an hour and a half, he and others were told that they were too late to board their flight from Orlando to St. Louis. However, they could rebook—for a fee.

“There’s like seven, eight people that they’re doing this to,” James says in the video.

According to James, when he told the agent about what happened, she advised that he should have come to the airport three hours earlier. While James says his flight was insured, that did not appear to matter.

Seeing the large group of people also being forced to pay to rebook their flights, James announces his theory to the employees.

“You guys overbooked the flight. … And now you guys are trying to charge people another $100,” he says. “All of these people are being scammed out of their money. … None of this is right or legal.”

In his final video, James is being asked to leave by armed police. James’s reaction is calm. He tells the police officer that he will simply rebook with another airline before thanking the officer.

“Frontier never reimbursed me or rebooked my flight. Instead they called airport police and I had to pay over $400 with another airline,” he summarizes in the caption of his final video.

Can An Airline Charge You $100 To Rebook?

James is only speculating that the flight was overbooked. Still, in an Instagram direct message conversation with BroBible, he reiterated his claim.

“When I spoke with multiple other airlines in that airport that day, they said many companies will try and make you pay for rebooking, but by law they have to take care of you in some way or they owe you money,” he wrote. “That plane was 100% full and overbooked and they were charging people to rebook.”

If that was the case, the bumped passenger is, legally, not supposed to pay. Instead, they would be entitled to significant compensation.

As noted by the Department of Transportation, if the airline is able to put the passenger on another domestic flight so that they land within an hour of their original arrival time, no compensation is required.

However, if the delay is between one and two hours, they are entitled to 200% of the one-way fare, up to $1,075. If the delay is two hours or more, they are entitled to 400% of the one-way fare, up to $2,150.

Delay compensation for international flights is similar. Though the delay time before these compensation rules kick in is longer.

Barring a very limited number of situations, there is no reason why someone bumped for overbooking would be required to pay for a replacement flight.

“I was not the only person they did this to. Many others were upset,” James said in a direct message. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the employees, especially the supervisor, received some kind of compensation for rebooking and baggage. Most large corporations like that give incentives to their employees.”

What Could Have Happened Here?

The TikToker assumes that the flight was overbooked. However, there could be something else at play. Specifically, the Frontier desk at the Orlando airport is known for being incredibly slow.

Frontier’s website suggests getting to the airport at least two hours early. In James’s video, he says he’s been waiting in line for an hour and a half. A clock in one of the shots shows that, if this is true, he arrived over two hours before his flight. That said, many internet users claim this is not nearly enough for Orlando’s MCO.

In a Reddit discussion about the airport’s Frontier desk in mid-2025, the poster complained that passengers missed their flights because the check-in desk was operating so slowly that they had to wait for well over an hour. Commenters were quick to tell him that those who only had to wait an hour were the lucky ones.

“Sometimes lines are literally almost out the door,” said one commenter about the Frontier desk at MCO. “So you can be there as early as you want but there will still be an extreme multiple hours long wait especially with the kiosks not working. Unless you get there 5 hours before maybe but even then, they probably won’t check your bag that early.”

Citing his own recent experience, another user wrote, “The kiosks run out of paper, don’t print the tags, you have to go to the problem line, if you are in that line for more than 55 minutes, you ‘Missed’ your flight and they rebook you at cost. You can’t control the line, you can’t control the bad machine, it won’t reprint on another machine, you are just f—–.”

If You Miss Your Flight Due To A Slow-Moving Line, Are You Entitled To Compensation?

Generally speaking, the answer is no.

Frontier Airlines’ website claims that one must be checked in and have their bags dropped off at least 60 minutes before the flight’s departure. Paired with the site’s recommendation that one get to the airport at least two hours before their flight, it would seem that the airline believes that one should be able to manage this entire process in an hour.

If a passenger can’t, however, the airline bears no legal responsibility. Even if you are still waiting in line, a passenger who has not checked in by 60 minutes before their flight is considered by Frontier to be a no-show cancellation.

Consequently, these passengers will need to rebook their flight—often with a hefty fee.

The TikToker appears to imply that the airline intentionally slowed the line or did not process passengers to cover up that they overbooked the flight. There is no direct evidence of this. That said, if the airline desk did not make an effort to prioritize check-ins for earlier flights or moved so slowly that they caused people to miss flights, it appears they would not be penalized under current legislation.

“It was sad watching so many people getting scammed right in front of me and no one saying anything about it. That’s what probably hurt the most,” James wrote in a DM. “The lack of empathy with the employees is sad as well. The world has lost its touch with one of God’s greatest commandments, which is to love thy neighbor as thy self.”

Bad Customer Experiences Are Normal On Frontier Airlines

James isn’t the only one to have a negative experience on Frontier Airlines.

A recent report from the United States Public Interest Research Group found that Frontier Airlines had the worst complaint ratio of any American airline: 23.3 complaints for every 100,000 passengers.

It also had the worst records for cancellations, delays, and involuntary bumping.

Not only that, but Frontier has historically been caught lying about bumping and has been fined for violations regarding bumped passengers.

One flyer said she was involuntarily bumped due to an overbooked flight. However, when she contacted the airline for the compensation to which she was entitled, she was told that she was a “no-show” for the flight, despite being checked in and on time.

Back in 2017, the airline was fined for, in part, failing to seek volunteers before involuntarily bumping passengers from oversold flights, as well as for not providing written notice of passenger rights and delaying required compensation—all actions that violated DOT regulations.

If one experiences an issue like this with Frontier Airlines, they should reach out to the airline. They can also file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and the DOT.

In James’ case, he wants more from Frontier Airlines.

“As of a resolution, obviously I would like for me, my friends, and for anyone else who went through this to be fully compensated,” he told BroBible. “I think it’s time they make a public apology, because it’s not the first time they have done their customers wrong.”

BroBible reached out to Frontier Airlines via email.