By Benjamin Pham
Frontier Inaugurates Flights to Phoenix And Las Vegas
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 plight and the fierce pursuit to receive more revenue while minimizing operational costs and losses, airlines have announced and begun an unprecedented number of inaugural flights out of their major hubs or focus cities. The COVID-19 crisis and its effects have not stopped airlines from starting a number of flights for historical expansion and competition.
Passengers from Ontario, Calif. and the greater Los Angeles area will have even more options to travel to Nevada and Arizona after Frontier – an airline who has announced and inaugurated a significant number of routes like any of the legacy, major carriers – officially began flights to Las Vegas and Phoenix,
“We’re delighted to expand once more in Southern California with nonstop flights to Las Vegas and Phoenix,” Daniel Shurz, Senior Vice President of Commercial, Frontier Airlines, said. “Frontier’s affordable service is a faster alternative to driving from the Los Angeles area to Las Vegas and Phoenix and will give travelers more time to spend at their destination. Like all Frontier service, these new flights will adhere to our highest health standards, including required mask-wearing, temperature screenings and enhanced onboard cleaning.”
The Denver-based carrier will operate four weekly flights to Las Vegas, while the airline scheduled two weekly flights to Phoenix which will increase to four beginning on March 8. Furthermore, the ultra-low-cost carrier plans to increase its presence in Phoenix with 2 weekly flights to Sacramento, Calif. as well which will rise to four starting on March 7.
Frontier’s expansion of its route network in the southwestern U.S. and the west coast, specifically the Golden State, is not the only opportunity to strategically reach new markets. The carrier – known for its variety of animals with names on the tails – operates a point-to-point model compared to the legacy carriers who follow a hub and spoke route map.
In late-January, Frontier officially announced its return to Wilmington, Del. after ending flights to the airport in 2015. The airline first began flights to Wilmington in 2013 but pulled out due to lack of profitability.
However, recently, the carrier officially returned to Delaware with flights to Orlando, after postponing the start date three times due to COVID-19. Flights will operate three times a week. Additionally, its flight operations will align with the summer travel season – usually when travel demand is at one of its peak throughout the year.
“We’re thrilled to bring our unique brand of low fares and friendly service to Wilmington – New Castle Airport and offer the only commercial service from Delaware,” Shurz said. “We recognize the demand for affordable air travel in Delaware and are happy to offer nonstop flights to Orlando this summer, making trips to the most popular leisure destination in the U.S. even more convenient and attractive,” a philosophy accurately portrayed by the airline’s decision to return to one of the only airports in the U.S. that was without commercial air service and pump hundreds of additional seats into other markets in its route map.
Clearly, Frontier has strategically recognized and unveiled several new routes to overcome the lack of travel demand by serving new markets. The airline has capitalized on focusing and marketing itself towards leisure travelers, as business travel has also been on the decline. So if the airline continues to make these game-changing decisions and transform its low-cost model, the carrier will set itself up for success when the industry returns to its normal conditions.
Benjamin has had a love for aviation since a young age, growing up in Tampa with a strong interest in airplane models and playing with them. When he moved to the Washington, D.C. area, Benjamin took part in aviation photography for a couple of years at Gravelly Point and Dulles Airport, before dedicating planespotting to only when he traveled to the other airports. He is an avid, world traveler, having been able to reach 32 countries, yearning to explore and understand more cultures soon. Currently, Benjamin is an Air Transporation Management student at Arizona State University. He hopes to enter the airline industry to improve the passenger experience and loyalty programs while keeping up to how technology is being integrated into airports.
