Frontier is adding new routes all over the place this spring. (Image: Frontier)
Ultra-low-cost Frontier Airlines has just unveiled an ambitious plan to add 42 new routes this spring — including nonstops between San Francisco and Atlanta (for just $79 each way!) — amid fresh speculation that it could be setting the stage for a possible merger with Spirit Airlines.
Denver-based Frontier was suffering hard times early last year as an ultra-low-cost carrier with dismal on-time performance and soaring passenger complaints. But last spring, Frontier replaced CEO David Siegel with Barry Biffle, who had been instrumental in turning around Spirit Airlines when he served as its executive vice president and chief marketing officer.
Since then, Frontier has made significant improvements in its operations, with better on-time performance and a drop in passenger complaints. To counter the image of Frontier as a airline serving just one market — the ultra-price-sensitive passenger — the carrier last summer came out with a new $49 add-on amenities package called The Works that targets business travelers. It includes a carry-on bag, a checked bag, beast available seating (including extra-legroom Stretch and exit rows), a waiver of change fees, priority boarding and full refundability.
Frontier has also been fine-tuning its route network, turning its focus to expanded operations at places like Atlanta and Los Angeles, while simultaneously shrinking operations from its Denver home base.
Added to all this came the news this week that ultra-low-cost rival Spirit Airlines has replaced CEO Ben Baldanza with Robert Fornaro, who previously ran AirTran Airways and shepherded it into a merger with Southwest Airlines. And the result is fresh speculation that a Frontier-Spirit merger could be in the works.
Anyway, to get back to Frontier’s big route announcement, here are some of the highlights: It includes new Atlanta-San Francisco and Cleveland-San Francisco service starting April 15, and Cincinnati-San Francisco beginning April 14. Other new routes from Atlanta and their starting dates include St. Louis, Memphis and Houston Bush Intercontinental (all April 14), and Raleigh-Durham, Phoenix, Milwaukee and Kansas City (all April 15). In most cases, flights will operate just three or four days a week — not exactly the kind of schedule that brings in business travelers.
Other new markets for Frontier include Raleigh-Durham to Philadelphia and Orlando; Phoenix to Detroit, Portland and Seattle; Cincinnati to Philadelphia, Houston and Los Angeles; Cleveland to Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Portland; Kansas City to Chicago O’Hare and Philadelphia; Portland to Chicago; Nashville to Chicago, Orlando and Philadelphia; and Milwaukee to Philadelphia and Dallas/Ft. Worth. You can see the full schedule of new services here.
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Not true, you can carry a bag ( 8″/14″/18″) that will fit under the seat for free. You can also put it in the overhead bin if there is space. I have used the underseat bag for a week in Denver and had fresh clothes everyday.
I don’t know about worst in the world… There is always is Ryan Air! Or possibly Air Koryo. (The national airline of North Korea.)
I feel sorry for those that will fly Frontier in the future and warn you it’s a terrible airline. It does make sense merging with Spirit making one really bad airline, probably the worst in the world.
I think this is another semi-random let’s try another strategy. Look how long TTN worked. That failed miserably because the frequencies were also 3 to 4x/week.
I think that’s a typo, but “beast available seating” may actually be more accurate anyway.
I have a friend who travels on one of these ultra-low-cost airlines to visit relatives. It sounds beastly. To save money, she gets the lowest possible fare with no add-ons. As a result, she can only carry her purse onto the plane, and when she arrives for the visit she has to wear her sister’s clothes and use her sister’s toiletries. I think she does manage to smuggle her own toothbrush into her purse, however.
I take the position that F9 is just throwing darts at a map to see what might work. With most of these routes flying only three days a week, I can’t imagine any other airline sees them as a threat.
All of the new PHL routes are super high fare non-competitive routes that AA currently has. PHL to CVG and PHL to MSY are always very expensive. I’m interested to see where this goes.