You’ve probably met the type: someone with just enough power to make your day miserable—and eager to use it.
That’s what happened to a father of three trying to fly home from Raleigh-Durham last week, and the story’s now gone viral for all the wrong reasons.
The Setup
On May 2nd, the passenger—just back from a business trip—arrived at the Frontier Airlines counter 50 minutes before takeoff.
Most folks would think that’s early enough. Not Frontier.
Their strict 60-minute check-in rule meant he couldn’t use the kiosk and had to go to the counter.
That’s when he hit the next wall: a $25 “agent assist” fee—just to talk to someone.
Yes, Frontier charges you for human contact.
The man didn’t like it (who would?) and voiced his frustration. After a short argument, he agreed to pay. But as he did, he muttered under his breath, “I’m never flying this sh—y airline again.”
The Meltdown
Instead of moving on, one of the agents took offense and refused to check him in, snapping, “How dare you curse at me?”
Then, incredibly, both agents pulled out their phones and started recording him, mocking him like middle school bullies: “You thought you were gonna get on your flight?”
The passenger recorded the scene too—and posted it online. Millions of views later, the story blew up.
Frontier Airlines worker refuses to let a man check into his flight, taunts him as he tries rushing so he doesn’t miss his flight.
Man: “I paid for a ticket.”
Worker: “You didn’t pay $25 for an agent assist fee. Hello? And you thought you was gonna get on your flight. And you… pic.twitter.com/A6m3rb1KsO
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 7, 2025
Consequences
Frontier’s response? The agents were “no longer associated with the account.” Translation: fired—and deservedly so.
Should the man have cursed? Maybe not. Did it just add fuel to a fire that clearly had been burning in the agents for a while? Seems like it.
But here’s the thing: the man paid for his ticket, and was prepared to pay the (frankly absurd) additional fee.
The employees are being paid to be there—and to provide customer service.
When your job is to help customers, mocking them on camera isn’t just bad behavior—it’s bad business.
Even airport police, who were called to the scene, were reportedly polite and sympathetic. One officer admitted this kind of thing with Frontier isn’t unusual.
That’s… not great.
A Pattern, Not a Fluke
Unfortunately, this isn’t Frontier’s first PR disaster.
-
In 2023, a baggage dispute went viral with 40 million views.
-
In 2024, gate agents allegedly tried to hustle a military member with a made-up fee.
-
Another incident saw agents threaten to call police on stranded passengers in Denver.
In each case, it’s the same formula: petty rules, poor training, and zero accountability.
The Bigger Picture
Some defenders say, “Well, the passenger should’ve followed the rules.”
Maybe. But being 10 minutes late doesn’t justify being humiliated by staff who act like TSA dropouts with TikTok accounts.
This is what happens when companies prioritize fee collection over customer service—and when you give just enough authority to people who clearly can’t handle it.
Bottom Line
The man ended up spending $500 out of pocket to get home on JetBlue.
Frontier refunded his original ticket, but the damage was done—to him, and to their already shaky reputation.
Rules are fine. But when they’re enforced with zero common sense and a side of attitude, people notice—and they book elsewhere.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
