Frontier Airlines

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Frontier Airlines is a low-cost airline based at Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado, USA. The carrier operates flights throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada.^[1] Frontier is a major low-cost airline with two thirds of its US destinations west of the Mississippi River. The carrier maintains its primary hub at Denver International Airport, and provides regional service to the surrounding Rocky Mountain States through a code-share agreement with Great Lakes Airlines. In March 2007, Republic Airlines slowly began replacing Horizon Air as the operator of their feeder service, Frontier Airlines operated by Republic Airlines; Frontier JetExpress, which was operated by Horizon Air, ceased operations on November 30, 2007.

[edit] History

Frontier Airlines was founded in 1994 by a group that included executives of a previous incarnation of Frontier Airlines.^[2] Scheduled flights began in 1994 utilizing Boeing 737 aircraft. Like the original, Frontier flies out of Denver and competes with United Airlines and its subsidiary Ted, each of which use Denver as a hub. In the late 1990s, Frontier began purchasing Airbus aircraft and offering DIRECTV in-flight television on its new aircraft. Frontier Airlines was the launch customer^[3] of the Airbus A318 in 2003. In mid-April 2005, Frontier officially became an all-Airbus fleet, retiring its last 737.

As part of its plan to stay competitive the company underwent a reorganization early in 2006. On April 3, 2006 Frontier created Frontier Airlines Holdings, Inc. (FRNT), a holding company incorporated in Delaware to take advantage of favorable tax laws in that state. The corporate headquarters did not leave Colorado.^[4]

In November 2006, Frontier Airlines partnered with AirTran Airways, allowing frequent fliers to earn airline miles in its EarlyReturns frequent flyer program, or AirTran's A+ frequent flyer program. In addition, the airlines refer customers to each other when appropriate.

On January 24, 2007, Frontier was designated as a major carrier by the United States Department of Transportation.^[5]

[edit] Maintenance awards

Frontier has been awarded the FAA Diamond award for seven years straight, from 1999 through 2006. The Diamond award recognizes carriers whose mechanics and maintenance staff complete additional training and certifications beyond that required for normal FAA certification. In order to receive this award, a minimum of 25 percent of an airline's mechanics and maintenance staff must complete this additional training. Frontier is the only airline to have consecutively received this award for the last seven years, as well as the only airline to ever receive this award with 100% participation from its maintenance staff. Frontier's staff has maintained 100% participation for the last seven consecutive years during which it has earned this award.^[6]

[edit] Route structure

Unlike some low-cost carriers, Frontier operates a hub and spoke route system, with more than 90% of flights originating or arriving at its Denver hub. While the hub system can move people efficiently, it is also dependent on critical coordination at a single point. Hub-and-spoke systems like Frontier's, however, can simplify passenger connections. Long-distance itineraries between Frontier cities generally require no more than one connection (usually in Denver), whereas a linear carrier may require multiple connections to span a long distance. Hub-and-spoke systems can also simplify maintenance, as all aircraft transit a hub frequently.

The vast majority of Frontier flights operate through its hub in Denver. While the significantly larger part of its Denver operations utilize gates on Concourse A, Frontier will begin operating from two gates on Concourse C beginning in October 2007. Frontier did attempt to establish a focus city at Los Angeles International Airport during 2004, but retreated under heavy competition and the sudden spike in fuel prices at the time. In June 2006, Frontier returned to the California market with five daily nonstop flights between Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well as daily non-stop service linking San Francisco to Las Vegas. However, these routes were short-lived and eventually discontinued in July 2007. Internationally, the airline does offer a number of routes to Mexican destinations that do not begin or end at Denver.

Frontier has deferred expansion in the competitive East Coast cities such as Boston and Pittsburgh, but otherwise is expanding outside the US in Mexico and Canada. The airline operates seasonal service to Calgary with Frontier JetExpress, and began mainline service to Vancouver, BC on May 5, 2007. The carrier serves six Florida tourist destinations and the business essential cities of New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC along the East Coast, and has recently commenced new non-stop service between Denver and Hartford, CT. The remaining Eastern interior city destinations are in the Midwest along with Atlanta, Memphis, and Nashville in the South. Contrary to Southwest Airlines, Frontier uses only one alternative airport in the East with the Akron-Canton Regional Airport, which services the Cleveland and Pittsburgh markets. Service to Memphis began on May 12, 2007 from Denver, Orlando and Las Vegas.

On May 22, 2007, the airline announced its schedule for service to its fourth country, Costa Rica. Frontier began operating to San José four times per week from its hub in Denver on November 30, 2007. This marks Frontier's first entry into Central America.

[edit] Regional Carriers

[edit] Frontier JetExpress

In February 2002, the airline launched its first "express" product, Frontier JetExpress, initially operated by Mesa Airlines using CRJ-200 regional jets. Similar to "express" operations of other carriers, Frontier JetExpress is targeted for markets to and from Denver that do not generate traffic sufficient to support Frontier's smallest mainline jet, the Airbus A318, but can still offer lucrative business with a smaller jet.

The initial JetExpress partnership with Mesa ended in January 2004, when Horizon Air was selected to operate the routes. Horizon utilized slightly larger CRJ-700 aircraft on these routes. In August 2006, Frontier and Horizon announced that their partnership would end. While Frontier was generally pleased with Horizon's operation, the carrier decided that it needed to revisit the agreement and find a provider with additional regional jets to grow the operation. The last of the CRJ-700's was returned to the Horizon Air fleet on November 30, 2007.

On January 11, 2007, Frontier Airlines announced it had signed an 11-year service agreement with Republic Airlines. Under the agreement, Republic will operate 17, 76-seat Embraer 170 aircraft for the former Frontier JetExpress operations. Currently, Republic Airlines operates eight aircraft for Frontier Airlines, with the remaining 9 aircraft to join the fleet by December 2008. With the integration of Republic aircraft, the 'JetExpress' denotation has been removed. Subsequent to the cessation of Horizon's services for Frontier in December 2007, all flights operated by Republic are sold and marketed as "Frontier Airlines, operated by Republic Airlines." The first market created specifically for the Embraer 170 was Louisville, KY, which began on April 1, 2007.

Flights operated by Republic Airlines offer in-flight snack and beverage services similar to Frontier's mainline flights. Unlike mainline aircraft and due to the nature of contracting with regional carriers, these aircraft are not fitted with LiveTV.

[edit] Lynx Aviation

Main article: Lynx Aviation (United States)

On September 6, 2006, Frontier announced that a new division of the holding company known as Lynx Aviation, would operate 10 Bombardier Q400 aircraft beginning in May 2007.^[7]

[edit] Destinations

Main article: Frontier Airlines destinations

Frontier Airlines currently flies to 66 destinations throughout Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, and the United States. Upcoming schedule changes will decrease their destination count to 64 when they discontinue service to Guadalajara on January 14, and Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo on April 12, 2008.

[edit] Mexico

The carrier offers extensive service to Mexican resort cities.

From Denver, Frontier flies to Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas, Cancún, Cozumel, Guadalajara, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Mazatlán, and Puerto Vallarta

Frontier maintains focus cities at Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and Cancún, Mexico. From Cancún, Frontier offers point-to-point nonstop service to and from Indianapolis, Milwaukee (starting December 15, 2007), Nashville, St. Louis, Kansas City, San Diego, and Salt Lake City. The carrier also serves Cancún from its Denver hub. In cooperation with Apple Vacations, Frontier also offers non-stop, weekend-only charter service between Chicago's Midway Airport and Cancún, and Saturday-only service between Denver and Huatulco, Mexico.

The airline is expanding its nonstop, point-to-point routes to other Mexican cities. It currently offers service between Kansas City and Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas (in addition to Cancún), and between Los Angeles and Cabo San Lucas. Frontier also recently inaugurated nonstop service between Cabo San Lucas and Sacramento and San Jose, California.

On February 7, 2007, Frontier was given final authority from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to begin non-stop service between Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Mazatlán (MZT) three times per week, which was launched in June 2007. Also in June 2007, Frontier applied for authority for nonstop service between Albuquerque, New Mexico (ABQ) and Puerto Vallarta. The application was recently approved and service is scheduled to commence in December 2007. Combined with the further Mexican expansion announced by the airline in 2007, Frontier will serve 21 routes between 12 U.S. gateways and 8 destinations in Mexico (excluding Apple Vacations Charters). This expansion includes routes from California, Indiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin to Mexico.

[edit] Codeshare agreements

Frontier Airlines has a codeshare agreement with the following airline:

• Great Lakes Airlines: Connecting flights through Denver International Airport and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to 39 cities in 9 states.

[edit] Fleet

Frontier Airlines fleet consits of the following aircraft and aircraft orders/options as of January 2008:^[6]

As of January 2008, Frontier's average fleet age was 3.8 years.^[9]

[edit] Livery

The Frontier Airlines livery consists of an all-white fuselage with silver billboard-style “Frontier” titles on the sides of the aircraft. Frontier uses wildlife photography on the vertical stabilizers and winglets of the aircraft to produce a distinctive look, touted in their advertisements along with their slogan: “A Whole Different Animal.”

The concepts used in the livery extend into Frontier’s marketing as well. Animal aircraft used in their radio and television commercials include Jack the rabbit, Grizwald the bear, Foxy the fox (for whom Jack has a crush), Flip the dolphin (who always gets stuck going to cold climates instead of Florida), Larry the lynx, Hector the sea otter, and Sal the cougar. New additions are Penguins Jim, Joe, Jay, and Gary, a barbershop-style quartet, singing the praises of EarlyReturns to an audience of Frontier’s well-known characters from the “a whole different animal” campaign, and Hector the otter, advertising Frontier's expanded service to Mexico.

[edit] Tail art & names

Each animal on the tail of a Frontier Airlines Airbus, Lynx Aviation Q400, and Republic Airlines E170's has a name, the most famous being "Larry the Lynx," "Grizwald the Bear," "Jack the Rabbit", "Flip the Dolphin", "Hector the Sea Otter", and "Jim, Joe, Jay, and Gary the Penguins" for being heavily featured in Frontier advertising. When Frontier was promoting its then-new Mexico service, the airline launched its "Send Flip to Mexico" campaign, and Frontier's "Denver's Favorite Animal" campaign continues to shine attention upon their popular tails.

The names of all the tails are:

[edit] Airbus A318

[edit] Cabin

Frontier offers a single class of service. While Frontier does market itself as a low-cost carrier, it differentiates itself in the market by offering LiveTV, an in-seat satellite television service, for five dollars on all domestic flights, and in-seat movies for eight dollars. LiveTV service is complimentary on all international flights south of the U.S. border, as well as on all flights to/from Anchorage, Alaska (ANC). With the addition of aircraft to the fleet in June 2007, Frontier has begun a transition to incorporate an all-leather seat interior and the addition of four more seats in each aircraft. Along with the seat replacement project, Frontier is also adding in-flight text messaging and e-mail on all Airbus flights.^{[citation needed]}

Frontier was one of the first carriers to offer a virtual "mall", allowing passengers to spend accrued miles on merchandise and unique services. Frontier is not a member of any of the major air carrier alliances.

[edit] EarlyReturns

EarlyReturns is Frontier Airlines frequent flier program. It is a mileage-based program that contains three levels. Upon enrolling, members start at the first level, Base, and accrue miles commensurate with actual air miles traveled on Frontier or partner airline AirTran. Once a member accumulates 15,000 miles in a calendar year, they reach the Ascent level and receive free DIRECTV service, priority boarding and ticketing, priority seat assignments, a 25% mileage bonus in addition to miles accrued, and other perks. The third level, Summit, is awarded for the accrual of 25,000 miles in a calendar year and adds a 50% mileage bonus in addition to miles accrued on each flight. Besides receiving the same benefits as Ascent members, Summit members also receive complimentary alcoholic beverages.^[11] Free round trip tickets between all destinations in the contiguous U.S. as well as between the U.S. and Canada require 15,000 miles, and round trip award tickets to and from Anchorage, Alaska and all Mexican destinations require 25,000 miles, Costa Rica requires 35,000 miles.^[12]

[edit] Confusion with Frontier Flying Service

Frontier Airlines is occasionally confused with Fairbanks, Alaska–based Frontier Flying Service, because of the similarity in name. Passengers at Anchorage International Airport are especially prone to this confusion, because both Frontiers fly out of the airport, albeit from different concourses (Frontier Airlines uses Concourse B, while Frontier Flying Service uses Concourse A).

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Frontier Airlines
• Frontier Airlines Fleet Age
• Frontier Airlines Fleet Detail
• Frontier Airlines Fleet Photos and Tail Closeups

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