American ultra-low-cost-carrier Frontier Airlines is going on an expansion spree. The airline is adding 19 new routes and three new destinations, which will give the airline an even bigger share of passengers across the United States.
Frontier is adding 19 new routes
Frontier Airlines is adding the following 19 new routes:
From Denver International Airport (DEN):
- Cozumel International Airport (CZM), Mexico, 1x weekly from February 13th
- Oakland International Airport (OAK), 4x weekly from February 4th, increasing to daily from March 11th
- Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR), 2x weekly from February 11th
From Oakland International Airport (OAK):
- Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS), 2x weekly from February 5th, growing to 4x weekly from March 11th
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), 2x weekly from February 5th, increasing to 4x weekly from March 11th
From Ontario International Airport (ONT):
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), 4x weekly from May 13th
- Las Vegas (LAS), 4x weekly from February 11th
- Miami International Airport (MIA), 4x weekly from April 12th
- Orlando International Airport (MCO), 4x weekly from February 11th
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), 2x weekly from February 11th, increasing to 4x weekly from March 11th
- Sacramento International Airport (SMF), 2x weekly from March 11th, increasing to 4x weekly from May 13th
From Orlando International Airport (MCO):
- Cancun International Airport (CUN), 4x weekly from February 11th
- Cyril E. King Airport (STT) in St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands), 2x weekly from February 19th
- Miami (MIA), daily from February 11th
- Wilmington New Castle Airport (ILG), 3x weekly from February 11th
- Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ), Dominican Republic, 2x weekly from February 11th
- Santo Domingo Airport (SDQ), Dominican Republic, 2x weekly from February 11th
The final route is between Sacramento (SMF) and Phoenix (PHX), with 2x weekly service from February 11th and 4x weekly service from March 11th.
All of these flights are seasonal, and note that schedules may change depending on market conditions. These new flights are a continuation of previous leisure route expansions.
Daniel Shurz, Senior Vice President of Commercial at Frontier Airlines, stated the following:
“We’re excited to expand our network with these 19 new routes and bring our brand of friendly service and low fares to three great new destinations. Frontier is committed to protecting the health and safety of our customers on every flight and this new service will adhere to Frontier’s highest health standards, including enhanced cleaning, temperature screenings for all passengers and required mask wearing.”
The new cities
The following three destinations are new to Frontier’s route network:
- Cozumel, Mexico
- Oakland, California
- St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Cozumel is only getting a once-weekly flight to Denver. St. Thomas, meanwhile, is getting two weekly flights to Orlando. Meanwhile, Oakland is getting flights to three destinations, with an initial schedule of eight weekly flights, growing to 15 weekly flights from March 11th.
A growth spurt
Low-cost carriers have traditionally shied away from longer routes. There are a few reasons for this. First, on longer routes, having a competitive product matters, and most people are not very interested in spending four or five hours in economy with a pitch of 28 to 29 inches and no extras like food or bags.
However, now, low-cost carriers have an opportunity to tap into this market, and they are. Nowadays, most people traveling are going on leisure vacations either alone or with their family. Low-cost carriers are the ones who are capturing an outsized share of that traffic.
Whether these routes are successful, however, remains to be seen. Frontier has a pretty aggressive plan across the United States. So, while the carrier is not looking at transatlantic flights, the airline does have the planes (or will have with future deliveries) to engage in expansion. Whether it comes at a profit, however, is yet to be determined.
Are you going to fly any of these new Frontier routes? Let us know in the comments!