Frontier Airlines announced an expansion adding 21 new cities which will increase the number of destinations served by the low-fare carrier by 30 percent and double the number of total routes.
By next spring, Frontier will offer low fares to 90 percent of the U.S. population, which is expected to bring more than $1 billion in savings to consumers through lower airfares, a release stated.
The route additions do not directly affect Philadelphia service, although additional connections may be available. Service to points west of Denver is difficult even with low fares, due to long layover times at the Colorado airport.
Adding fares from Denver upset big three carrier United with its president vowing to win a fare war with Frontier and claiming the low-fare airline’s current strategy is not working. Bloomberg reported the comments led to a decision by Frontier to postpone is stock offering.
Highlights of the Frontier Airlines announcement include the following:
- Twenty-one new cities, a nearly 30 percent increase.
- Eighty-five new routes.
- Nonstop routes nearly double by Summer of 2018 to 314
- Total routes (including connections) grow to well over 1,000 by Summer 2018 (more than double the current number of total routes)
- Expansion of winter service to warm weather destinations in Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Fort Myers, and Cancun, Mexico
Much of the expansion will involve Denver, Frontier’s hometown. That drew a harsh response from United Airlines, which also operates a hub at that airport
The president of the carrier that has struggled with service and reputation issues, such as the dragging of a passenger off a jet, says it will win any battle against the much smaller carrier.
Frontier’s growth has been accompanied by ratings for customer service that rank near the bottom among scheduled airlines. That’s usually the case with discount carriers that offer low base fares in return for fees for everything but a small bag.
Frontier operates flights from many cities a few times a week, with some cities getting only seasonal service. That allows it to expand even with a relatively small fleet of Airbus jets.
Frontier also offers The WORKS. This bundle includes refundability, a carry-on bag, a checked bag, the best available seat, waived change fees and priority boarding.
Frontier briefly operated from the New Castle Airport, but as fuel prices dropped, opted to expand to Philadelphia, despite its congestion, delays and high landing fees. Click here for the release that lists Frontier’s expanded schedule.
