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94-525: Frontier Airlines is a major American ultra low-cost airline headquartered in Denver , Colorado . It operates flights to over 120 destinations in the United States, Caribbean, Mexico and Central America, and employs more than 3,000 staff. The carrier is a subsidiary and operating brand of Indigo Partners , LLC, and maintains a hub at Denver International Airport with numerous focus cities across

188-426: A cost of available seat mile (CASM) advantage in relation to the traditional and established, legacy airlines such as Trans World Airlines and American Airlines . Often this CASM advantage has been attributed solely to the lower labor costs of the newly hired and lower pay grade workers of new start-up carriers, such as ValuJet , Midway Airlines, and their like. However, these lower costs can also be attributed to

282-458: A holding company incorporated in Delaware to take advantage of favorable tax laws in that state. The corporate headquarters did not leave Colorado. In 2007, Frontier established a commuter airline subsidiary, Lynx Aviation , Inc., chaired by Dr. Paul Stephen Dempsey. Also that year, Jeff Potter left the company and was replaced by Air Canada's Sean Menke as CEO. On January 24, 2007, Frontier

376-753: A bankruptcy auction on August 13, 2009, Republic Airways Holdings acquired Frontier Airlines and its regional airline, Lynx Aviation , as wholly owned subsidiaries. On October 1, Republic completed the transaction, and Frontier officially exited bankruptcy as a new airline. In late 2009, Republic began to consolidate administrative positions and moved 140 jobs from the Frontier Airlines Denver headquarters to Indianapolis. Shortly after in January 2010, Republic Airways announced that it would move all of its executives to Indianapolis. Later in February,

470-463: A codeshare service with Frontier from the early 2000s, until the airline shut down in 2018. Great Lakes provided connecting service to many smaller cities from the Denver hub as well as several other focus cities, using Beechcraft 1900D and Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia aircraft. From 1994 to 2001, the airline's livery consisted of green script "Frontier" titles on the forward fuselage, a small "Spirit of

564-880: A domestic legacy airline and one or more foreign investors. By mid-2013, these new LCCs were operating at a unit cost of around 8 yen per seat-kilometer, compared to 10–11 yen per seat-kilometer for domestic legacy airlines. However, their unit cost was still much higher than the 3 yen per seat-kilometer for AirAsia in Malaysia , due to the higher cost of landing fees and personnel in Japan. By 2017, low-cost carriers had achieved market share of 57.2% in South Asia and 52.6% in Southeast Asia. Market share remained somewhat lower in Europe at 37.9% and North America at 32.7%. For

658-422: A flight on a full-service carrier. Most airlines charge additional taxes and fees on their tickets. Some low-cost airlines have been known to charge fees for the seemingly ridiculous, such as levying a credit card charge if credit card is the only payment method accepted. While tour and package operators have offered lower-priced, lower-frilled traveling for a large part of modern airline history, not until during

752-544: A greater number of add-on fees. In the US market, Allegiant Air , Frontier Airlines , Spirit Airlines , and Sun Country Airlines are considered to be ULCCs. In Europe, Ryanair and Wizz Air are the most prominent ULCCs. In Asia, AirAsia and Lion Air are the most prominent ULCCs. The pricing policy of the low-cost carriers is usually very dynamic as befits their business model, with frequent discounts and tickets in promotion. Like other carriers, however, even if

846-552: A higher age limit on unaccompanied minors than full-service carriers. Often these airlines do not offer connecting tickets, since the airline will have to pay for ground crew to transfer luggage. A customer may create a connection manually by purchasing two separate tickets, but these are considered separate contracts, and the passenger bears the risk if a delayed inbound flight causes a missed connection. When most countries had national monopolies, crews could negotiate pay raises and good pension benefits (something that costs money for

940-795: A large-scale reduction of its fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft and operations. In March 2017, International Airlines Group established Level , a long-haul low-cost virtual airline based in Barcelona Airport and serving destinations in North and South America. Long-haul low-cost carriers are emerging on the transatlantic flights market with 545,000 seats offered over 60 city pairs in September 2017 (a 66% growth over one year), compared to 652,000 seats over 96 pairs for Leisure airlines and 8,798,000 seats over 357 pairs for mainline carriers . Former American Airlines CEO Bob Crandall thinks

1034-519: A minimum set of equipment, further reducing costs of acquisition and maintenance, as well as keeping the weight of the aircraft lower and thus saving fuel. Depending on the low-cost airline seats do not recline and do not have rear pockets, to reduce cleaning and maintenance costs. Others have no window shades. Pilot conveniences, such as ACARS , may be excluded. Often, no in-flight entertainment systems are made available, though many US low-cost carriers do offer satellite television or radio in-flight. It

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1128-517: A new company livery. Frontier Airlines was the launch customer of the Airbus A318 in 2003. In mid-April 2005, Frontier officially became an all-Airbus fleet, retiring its last Boeing 737. Jeff Potter was appointed CEO in 2002. As part of its plan to stay competitive in reaction to the entry of Southwest Airlines into Denver, the company underwent a reorganization early in 2006. On April 3, 2006, Frontier created Frontier Airlines Holdings (FRNT),

1222-460: A page from the mainline, major, or legacy carriers' desire to reduce costs in all ways possible in regards regional route networks by outsourcing regional operations to the lowest expense airline bidder capable of operating regional aircraft, a new generation of low-cost airlines (in name only) soon evolved in the US with varying levels of success. Among these varieties of low-cost and discount operators were noteworthy starts-ups that managed to get off

1316-468: A simpler fare scheme, such as selling only one-way tickets. Typically fares increase as the plane fills up, which rewards early reservations. In Europe (and early in Southwest's history) luggage is not transferred from one flight to another, even if both flights are with the same airline. This saves costs and is thought to encourage passengers to take direct flights. Tickets are not sold with transfers, so

1410-449: A single aircraft type, so that cabin and ground crew will only have to be trained to work on one type of aircraft. This is also beneficial from a maintenance standpoint as spare parts and mechanics will only be dedicated to one type of aircraft. These airlines tend to operate short-haul flights that suit the range of narrow-body (single aisle) planes. As of lately, however, there is also a rise in demand for long range low-cost flights and

1504-401: 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 regional jet aircraft on these routes. In August 2006, Frontier and Horizon planned to end their partnership. While Frontier was generally pleased with Horizon's operation, the carrier decided that it needed to revisit

1598-461: A statement criticizing the companies' handling of the event, comparing the airline to a "house of cards." In 2020, class-action lawsuits against Frontier were filed after the company refused to refund airfare for customers who could not travel during the COVID-19 pandemic . The company accepted part of the $ 25 billion in U.S. government funds to offset financial damage to the airline industry during

1692-755: A week, and Melbourne thrice weekly. On 11 March 2009, AirAsia X started its first low-cost long-haul service into Europe, to London Stansted . The daily flights are operated by two leased Airbus A340 -300s. A one-way economy-class ticket often costs £150, and the premium-class one-way often costs £350. On 12 January 2012, AirAsia announced that it would be suspending services to London on 1 April 2012. Low-cost European airline, Norwegian Air Shuttle , started long-haul low-cost operations in May 2013 under their Norwegian Long Haul arm. Norwegian initially operated flights to Bangkok and New York from Scandinavia using leased Airbus A340 aircraft, switching to new Boeing 787s in

1786-575: Is also becoming a popular approach to install LCD monitors onto the aircraft and broadcast advertisements on them, coupled with the traditional route–altitude–speed information. Some allow priority boarding for an extra fee instead of reserved seating, and some allow reserving a seat in an emergency exit row (for longer leg room) at an extra cost. Like the major carriers, many low-cost carriers develop one or more bases to maximize destination coverage and defend their market. Many do not operate traditional hubs , but rather focus cities . Airlines often offer

1880-1050: Is often applied to any carrier with low ticket prices and limited services regardless of their operating models. Low-cost carriers should not be confused with regional airlines that operate short-haul flights without service, or with full-service airlines offering some reduced fares. Some airlines advertise themselves as low-cost while maintaining products usually associated with traditional mainline carriers’ services. These products include preferred or assigned seating , catering, differentiated premium cabins , satellite or ground-based Wi-Fi internet, and in-flight audio and video entertainment . The term ultra low-cost carrier ( ULCC ) has been used, particularly in North America and Europe to refer to carriers that do not provide these services and amenities. The low-cost carrier business model practices vary widely. Some practices are more common in certain regions, while others are generally universal. The common theme among all low-cost carriers

1974-400: Is the reduction of cost and reduced overall fares compared to legacy carriers. Traditional airlines have also reduced their cost using several of these practices. Most low-cost carriers operate aircraft configured with a single passenger class, and some low-cost carriers choose to operate more than one type and configure their aircraft with more than one passenger class, but most operate just

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2068-420: Is well known for using fuel hedging programs to reduce its overall fuel costs. Check-in at the gate of luggage requires fees, as it requires addition to the weight calculation and last-minute baggage handling. Online check-in is becoming common, again in the interest of avoiding personnel costs. Where permissible, some airlines have a disinclination to handle Special Service passengers, for instance by placing

2162-460: Is why Ryanair flies to Gatwick Airport , Luton Airport , and Stansted Airport in the London area and how easyJet is able to fly to Paris-Charles de Gaulle , and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol . In London's case however, low-cost carriers would not be able to use Heathrow as the airport is running at near capacity, so there is no room to build a base. The airlines tend to offload, service and re-load

2256-562: The Denver Business Journal stated that the headquarters would be moved "soon". Despite this, according to the Denver Business Journal , Frontier Airlines will still maintain a local headquarters in Denver to house Training, Marketing, Customer Reservations, and Scheduling & Planning teams after extending its lease on the building through 2020. In 2010, Frontier's then-CEO Bryan Bedford took part in

2350-855: The European Commission , the LCCs market share (44.8%) exceeded legacy carriers (42.4%) in 2012: between 2002 and 2017, LCC share of international seat capacity rose from 23% to 57% in the UK, from 10% to 55% in Italy and from 9% to 56% in Spain but have still room for growth in domestic seat-capacity In France with 19% and in Germany with 25% in 2017, compared with 66% in the UK, 48% in Spain and 47% in Italy. By early 2019, there were more than 100 LCCs operating 6,000 aircraft, doubled from 2,900 aircraft at

2444-828: The UK and Canada for £89. In August 2006, Zoom announced a UK subsidiary to offer low-cost long-haul flights to the United States and India, but suspended its operations from 28 August 2008 due to high fuel prices inducing financial problems. In 2005, Emirates ' Tim Clark viewed long-haul low-cost as inevitable, flights could be operated on 760 seats all-economy Airbus A380s , or 870 for an hypothetical A380 stretch. Since 2005, Australia's Jetstar Airways operates international flights, starting with Christchurch , New Zealand. In late 2006, others followed from Sydney , Melbourne and Brisbane , to popular tourist destinations within 10 hours like Honolulu , Japan, Vietnam , Thailand and Malaysia . With new aircraft deliveries, it hopes to fly to

2538-435: The chief executive officer role in January 2012. Siegel's tenure ran through May 2015, when he left for personal reasons and was succeeded by the company's chairman , Bill Franke , who would manage strategy and finances. In April 2014, Barry L. Biffle was appointed as the company's president, reporting to Siegel; after Siegel's departure, Biffle was charged with managing the company's day-to-day operations. In February 2002,

2632-546: The corporation 's assets and allowed restructuring to ensure long-term viability. After months of losses, Frontier Airlines reported that they made their first profit during the month of November 2008, reporting US$ 2.9 million in net income for the month. On June 22, 2009, Frontier Airlines announced that, pending bankruptcy court approval, Republic Airways Holdings , the Indianapolis-based parent company of Republic Airways, would acquire all assets of Frontier for

2726-540: The FAA. Lynx began passenger operations on the morning of December 6, 2007. After commencing operations, Lynx provided service to 19 regional destinations: Albuquerque, Aspen, Billings, Boise, Bozeman, Colorado Springs, Durango, El Paso , Fargo, Grand Junction , Hayden/Steamboat Springs (seasonal), Jackson Hole (Seasonal), Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Rapid City, Salt Lake City, Tulsa, and Wichita. Most cities were also served by mainline Frontier jets however Lynx provided

2820-478: The Irish Aviation Authority. As supply increases, this sort of differentiation by brand is an important criteria for the future success of low-cost carriers, since many experts believe price competition alone is not enough, given the number of carriers. As the number of low-cost carriers has grown, these airlines have begun to compete with one another in addition to the traditional carriers. In

2914-625: The Middle East and 12% within Africa. A long-haul low-cost operation would be harder to differentiate from a conventional airline as there are few cost savings possibilities, while the seat costs would have to be lower than the competition. Long-haul aircraft scheduling is often determined by time zone constraints, like leaving the US East Coast in the evening and arriving in Europe

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3008-504: The Trenton-Mercer and Wilmington-Philadelphia airports as low-cost, low-hassle alternatives to the existing nearby commercial airports. Frontier is the only commercial carrier at Trenton, and was the only carrier at ILG until it left in 2022. In October 2013, Republic Airways Holdings entered into an agreement with private equity firm Indigo Partners to sell Frontier Airlines for approximately $ 145 million. According to Indigo,

3102-506: The US and Puerto Rico . Frontier Airlines was created by Frederick W. "Rick" Brown (a United Airlines pilot), his wife Janice Brown, and Bob Schulman, the latter two having worked at the original Frontier Airlines (1950–1986) . In 1993, Continental Airlines was scaling back flights from Denver's Stapleton International Airport (which was closed and replaced with the Denver International Airport in 1995), and

3196-399: The US, airlines have responded by introducing variations to the model. In Europe, the emphasis has remained on reducing costs and no-frills service. A secondary term ultra low-cost carrier ( ULCC ) has been used to differentiate some low-cost airlines whose model deviates further from that of a standard low-cost carrier, with ultra low-cost carriers having minimal inclusions in the fare and

3290-501: The West" slogan, and wildlife photography on the tail of each aircraft. Most Boeing 737 aircraft featured different imagery on both sides. Beginning in 2001, a new livery was introduced on the airline's new Airbus A319s, with large silver "FRONTIER" titles on the sides of the aircraft, and the airline's "Spirit of the West" slogan, later changed to "A whole different animal." The animal tails were retained, although only one image per aircraft

3384-440: The advertised base prices are very low, charges and taxes are typically not mentioned. With some airlines, some flights are advertised as free (plus applicable taxes, fees and charges). Depending on the airline, perhaps as many (or as few) as ten percent of the seats on any flight are offered at the lowest price and are the first to sell. The prices steadily rise thereafter to a point where they can be comparable or more expensive than

3478-736: The agreement and find a provider with additional regional jets to grow the operation. The last of the CRJ-700s was returned to the Horizon Air fleet on November 30, 2007. As the service by Horizon Air was winding down in November 2007, Frontier had some flights operated by ExpressJet using Embraer-145 regional jets. On September 6, 2006, Frontier created a new division of the holding company, known as Lynx Aviation , to operate Bombardier Q400 aircraft beginning in May 2007. On December 5, 2007, Lynx Aviation received its operating certificate from

3572-673: The aircraft (turnaround) in shorter time periods and do not wait for late passengers, allowing maximum utilization of aircraft. Low-cost carriers generate ancillary revenue from a variety of activities, such as à la carte features and commission-based products. Some airlines may charge a fee for a pillow or blanket or for carry-on baggage. In Europe, it is common for each and every convenience and service to have an additional charge. Low-cost carriers intend to be low-cost, so in many cases employees work multiple roles. At some airlines flight attendants also work as gate agents or assume other roles, thereby limiting personnel costs. Southwest Airlines

3666-556: The airline announced it would open a new crew base in Las Vegas in fall 2017, to improve operational reliability and potentially create new jobs in Las Vegas. In December 2017, Frontier began service to Buffalo, New York , with service to Denver, Colorado, and Florida, including Miami, Fort Myers, Orlando, and Tampa. In May 2015, Indigo and Frontier announced the departure of David Siegel as CEO. He had already previously turned over

3760-676: The airline can avoid responsibility for passengers' connections in the event of a delay. Low-cost carriers often have a sparse schedule with one flight per day and route, so it would be hard to find an alternative for a missed connection. Modern US-based low-cost carriers generally transfer baggage for continuing flights, as well as transferring baggage to other airlines. Many airlines opt to have passengers board via stairs, since jetways generally cost more to lease. Often, low-cost carriers fly to smaller, less congested secondary airports and/or fly to airports during off-peak hours to avoid air traffic delays and take advantage of lower landing fees . This

3854-466: The airline launched its first regional product, Frontier JetExpress, initially operated by Mesa Airlines using CRJ-200 regional jets. Similar to the "express" operations of other carriers, Frontier JetExpress was targeted for markets to and from Denver that do not generate traffic sufficient to support Frontier's smallest mainline jet, the Airbus A318 , but could still offer lucrative business with

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3948-686: The airline was serving destinations from coast to coast in the U.S., having expanded its route network to include Atlanta ( ATL ); Baltimore ( BWI ); Bloomington/Normal, Illinois ( BMI ); Boston ( BOS ); Chicago (MDW, Midway Airport ); Dallas/Fort Worth ( DFW ); Phoenix ( PHX ); Los Angeles ( LAX ); Minneapolis/St. Paul ( MSP ); New York City (LGA, LaGuardia Airport ); Orlando ( MCO ); Portland, Oregon ( PDX ); Salt Lake City ( SLC ); San Diego ( SAN ); San Francisco ( SFO ); and Seattle ( SEA ), all served from its Denver hub. Frontier took delivery of its first Airbus aircraft (an A319) in 2001 and simultaneously launched with it DirecTV in-flight television along with

4042-748: The airline's existing bases. In late June 2015, Frontier announced it had ceased service in Wilmington, stating it was not profitable. In February 2015, Frontier announced that they would begin service to several destinations from Atlanta , adding the airport as a focus city. In July, Frontier began to decrease service from Washington Dulles International Airport , removing the airport as a focus city. In early 2016, Frontier announced major route expansion from airports nationwide, including Atlanta , Chicago , Cincinnati , Cleveland , Orlando , and Philadelphia . In June 2016, Frontier re-established service to John Glenn Columbus International Airport . In May 2017,

4136-573: The airlines only in the long term). During this period, most passengers were business travellers who paid high fares that covered these costs. After deregulation, which led to lower fares, many airlines remained bound to these salary agreements and pensions, whereas new low-cost carriers employed new staff with lower salaries, especially for cabin crew, keeping personnel costs low and allowing for competitive fares. In some cases airlines have gone bankrupt (e.g., Alitalia , Sabena , and Swissair ), and new airlines replaced them. Traditional carriers followed

4230-439: The amount of $ 108 million. Thus, Frontier Airlines would become a wholly owned subsidiary of Republic. However, five weeks later on July 30, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines announced that it would be making a competing bid of $ 113.6 million for Frontier with intentions to also operate Frontier as a wholly owned subsidiary, but that it would gradually fold Frontier resources into current Southwest operating assets. During

4324-664: The availability of next generation planes that make long haul routes more feasible for LCCs. In the past, low-cost carriers tended to operate older aircraft purchased second-hand, such as the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 and older models of the Boeing 737 . Since 2000, fleets generally consist of the newest aircraft, commonly the Airbus A320 family and Boeing 737. Although buying new aircraft is usually more expensive than second-hand, new planes are cheaper to operate in

4418-444: The carrier unveiled a new livery in 1978. The livery of 2014 also includes the traditional arrow used by the original Frontier prior to 1978. Each aircraft features the name of the animal featured on its tail near the nose of the aircraft for easier identification. Ultra low-cost carrier The term originated within the airline industry referring to airlines with a lower operating cost structure than their competitors. The term

4512-592: The continental US and Europe . In April 2006, the industry magazine Airline Business analysed the potential for low-cost long-haul service and concluded that a number of Asian carriers, including AirAsia, were closest to making such a model work. On 26 October 2006, Oasis Hong Kong Airlines started flying from Hong Kong to London-Gatwick . The lowest prices for flights between Hong Kong to London could be as low at £75 (approximately US$ 150) per leg (not including taxes and other charges) for economy class and £470 (approximately US$ 940) per leg for business class for

4606-973: The country. After announcing the proposal, JetBlue made a competing offer to acquire Spirit for US$ 3.6 billion in cash. On July 27, 2022, Spirit announced that its shareholders had rejected Frontier's offer. In November 2022, Frontier announced that it would establish a crew operating base at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) in early 2023, and would add a gate in DFW Terminal E for flights to additional destinations starting in April of that year. That month, it also eliminated its customer service phone line completely, referring customers to online channels. The key available trends for Frontier Group Holdings, Inc. over recent years are shown below (as at year ending December 31), although full annual accounts have not been published since Frontier has been owned by private equity firm, Indigo Partners. Dave Siegel took

4700-692: The end of Skytrain . In late 2007, Cebu Pacific , the Philippines ' largest low-cost carrier, announced non-stop flights from the Philippines to the United States West Coast and other US cities from mid-2009. The airline also intends to launch low-cost service to Middle East , where around a million Filipinos are based, and in Europe. Flights to Dubai — its first long-haul destination — started in 2013. As of September 2024, it operates flights to Dubai daily, to Sydney four times

4794-558: The end of 2009, while seat capacity reached nearly 1.7 billion in 2018. LCCs accounted for 33% of intra-regional seat capacity in 2018 with 1.564 billion, up from 25% in 2008 with 753 million, and 13% of seat capacity between regions with 101 million, up from 6% in 2009 with 26 million. In 2018, penetration rate was 41% of seats within Europe, 36% within Latin America, 32% within North America, 29% within Asia Pacific, 17% within

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4888-1399: The executive leadership team. Siegel and other Frontier executives moved to Denver where Frontier is headquartered in order to facilitate management of all aspects of Frontier during its separation process from Republic and continue its transformation into an ultra low-cost carrier (ULCC). In November 2012, Frontier started low-frequency service between Orlando International Airport and Trenton–Mercer Airport (TTN), located in Ewing, New Jersey , which at that time, had no commercial service. Frontier later expanded service several times from Trenton, and as of January 2023 services 9 destinations. Frontier currently bases three aircraft in Trenton. Trenton Mercer Airport lies roughly equidistant between Philadelphia International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport . In July 2013, Frontier started service from Wilmington-New Castle Airport (ILG) near Wilmington, Delaware , to five destinations, which Frontier markets as Wilmington/Philadelphia. Again, this airport had no commercial service prior to Frontier's entry. New Castle Airport lies roughly 30 miles southwest of Philadelphia International Airport and 75 miles northeast of Baltimore–Washington International Airport . As of 2022, Frontier does not serve ILG. Frontier marketed both

4982-440: The five worst airlines in the United States, especially due to its rate of customer complaints and bumped passengers. The airline had relatively poor on-time performance, and the waiting time for help when calling the airline on the phone was reported to have risen to two hours or more. In December 2016, a winter weather event disrupted fleet operations and caused Frontier to delay or cancel up to 70% of their flights suddenly during

5076-505: The fleets of the two airlines, swapping a portion of its higher-capacity planes from Frontier with its smaller-capacity planes from Midwest and vice versa. However, the move caused some confusion amongst the public, as the two brands did not offer the same amenities and did not match the amenities mentioned on the airfare. As a result, in the Spring of 2010, Frontier and Midwest Airlines announced that their brands would merge, with Frontier being

5170-561: The following morning, and the longer flight times mean there is less scope to increase aircraft utilization as in short-haul. The business model is financially risky , and many companies have entered bankruptcy , like Laker Airways . In 2004, Irish Aer Lingus maintains a full service on transatlantic flights while it lowered its prices to compete with Ryanair on short haul. Late in 2004, Oasis Hong Kong Airlines offered London to Hong Kong flights from £199, and Canadian Zoom Airlines started selling transatlantic flights between

5264-583: The full merger and integration of Frontier and Midwest Airlines in October 2010, Frontier and its regional partners operated over 100 daily flights from the Milwaukee hub. However, on September 9, 2011, Frontier notified the public of a 40% reduction of arriving and departing flights from MKE. Along with this reduction of flights, the company laid off approximately 140 employees from the MKE station. This included but

5358-401: The ground by using the larger aircraft services of established charter airlines. Among this group were the virtual airlines ; Direct Air , PeoplExpress , Western , and those that never began service such as JetAmerica . In Japan, low-cost airlines made major inroads into the market in 2012 when Peach , Jetstar Japan and AirAsia Japan began operations, each with financial sponsorship by

5452-517: The intent of its credit card processor, First Data , to withhold significant proceeds from ticket sales. First Data decided that it would withhold 100% of the carrier's proceeds from ticket sales beginning May 1. According to Frontier's press release, "This change in practice would have represented a material change to our cash forecasts and business plan. Unchecked, it would have put severe restraints on Frontier's liquidity..." Its operation continued uninterrupted, though, as Chapter 11 bankruptcy protected

5546-489: The job cuts that occurred between April 15 and 30, 2012. In an effort to focus on regional contract flights for major carriers, Republic Airways Holdings announced in January 2012 its intention to sell or spin off Frontier. On January 26, 2012, Republic Airways Holdings appointed former US Airways and Gate Gourmet CEO David Siegel as president and CEO of Frontier Airlines. Republic also added new senior officers for Frontier's finance and commercial team, among other changes in

5640-601: The jobs to call center company Sitel, which operates a large call center for Frontier in Las Cruces, New Mexico . Frontier Airlines joined Spirit and Allegiant in June 2015 by eradicating its toll-free telephone number for customer service. In June 2014, Frontier Airlines opened a crew base for flight attendants at Trenton–Mercer Airport . In January 2015, Frontier Airlines cut several flights from Wilmington and Trenton. It also resumed service to Philadelphia, casting doubt on

5734-670: The legacy carriers will force Long-haul LCCS to lose too much money and will continue to dominate. While Asian carriers like AirAsia X, Scoot , Cebu Pacific and Jetstar Airways are successful, the October 2018 demise of Primera Air and its $ 99 transatlantic flights illustrates the difficulties of the model, as the US World Airways will be relaunched in 2019. Norse Atlantic Airways was founded in 2021 and commenced operations in 2022, operating transatlantic flights as well as flights to Thailand beginning in 2023. Frontier Airlines Holdings Frontier Airlines Holdings, Inc.

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5828-712: The less complex aircraft fleets and route networks with which these new carriers began operations, in addition to their reduced labor costs. To combat the new round of low-cost and start-up entrants into the very competitive and deregulated United States airline industry, the mainline major carriers and network legacy carriers strategically developed no-frills divisions within the main airlines brand and corporate structures. Among these were Continental Lite , Delta Express , MetroJet , Shuttle by United , Song , and Ted . However, most of these "airlines within an airline" were short-lived and quickly disposed-of when economic rationalization or competitive pressures subsided. Taking

5922-485: The long run since they are extremely efficient in terms of fuel, training, maintenance, and crew costs per passenger. In 2013, ch-aviation published a study about the fleet strategy of low-cost carriers. They stated that major LCCs that order aircraft in large numbers get large discounts for doing so, and due to this they can sell their aircraft just a few years after delivery at a price high enough to keep their operating costs relatively low. Aircraft often operate with

6016-666: The low-cost carriers by enabling web check-in, encouraging machine check-in at the airport, and generally reducing ground personnel cost. The number of crew members follow international conventions that require one flight attendant per 50 passenger seats and two pilots. However, carriers can save money by reducing the amount of ground crew. Carriers hire pilots through third-party agencies based in low-tax countries without benefits for sick pay, pensions or health insurance. Traditional carriers have also started to try this, including starting their own low-tax agencies. These agencies can easily find less experienced co-pilots and cabin crew, as

6110-505: The main Denver hub. One reason for the change is to help reduce costs; the company hopes the change will allow Frontier Airlines to cut costs on routes 650 miles or shorter by 30%, allowing entry into new markets. by paying employees less. On April 11, 2008, Frontier Airlines Holdings announced that it and all of its subsidiaries has filed for bankruptcy due to its credit card processor withholding payment from ticket sales. On August 4, 2008, Frontier Airlines Holdings, Inc. announced it

6204-530: The only Frontier service to Aspen, Billings, Bozeman, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction, and Hayden. In 2012, the Lynx Aviation operation was folded into Republic Airways Holdings' subsidiary, Republic Airways . The remaining Q400 aircraft were withdrawn from Frontier service and placed in service for United Airlines , flying as United Express . Republic Airways operated Embraer 170 regional jets on behalf of Frontier in 2007 through mid-2008. Republic

6298-466: The outbreak. On April 1, 2021, Frontier went public with an initial public offering on the Nasdaq exchange. The company adopted the ticker symbol ULCC, a nod to the company's ultra low-cost carrier business model. In early 2022, Frontier attempted to acquire Spirit Airlines , another US-based ULCC in a US$ 2.8 billion cash-and-stock deal. The deal would have created the fifth-largest airline in

6392-401: The peak of the crisis. On the weekend of December 17, the storm caused major delays at Frontier's Denver hub. The effects of the storm were felt throughout the fleet. Flights were delayed or canceled at airports across the country; in some cases, planes were ready to depart, but the airline had no rested and available flight crews to service the flights. The head of Frontier's pilot's union issued

6486-424: The post– Vietnam War era did this business model escalate. Through various ticket consolidators, charter airlines , and innovators in lower-frills flying, such as Channel Airways and Court Line , the traveling public had been conditioned to want to travel to new and increasingly further away and exotic locations on vacation, rather than short-haul trips to nearby beach resorts. The world's first low-cost airline

6580-868: The profession is popular, but there are problems for low-cost carriers to recruit and keep captains who have to be experienced. At IATA , a LCC operation is defined as including the following characteristics, at least to some degree: While low-cost airlines differ in service offerings, by definition they feature most of the following: Not every low-cost carrier implements all of the above points. For example, some try to differentiate themselves with allocated seating, while others operate more than one aircraft type, still others have relatively high operating costs but lower fares. JetBlue , for instance, has in-flight entertainment in every passenger seat. Other airlines are limited on what points they can implement based on local laws. For example, Irish low cost airlines cannot remove window blinds from its aircraft, as they are required by

6674-602: The proposed airline pivoted to fill regional routes, and adopted the Frontier Airlines name. The company was incorporated in February and went public in May 1994.Scheduled flights began on July 5, 1994, using Boeing 737-200 jetliners between Denver and four cities in North Dakota. Around three-quarters of its 180 employees, and many executives, had worked for the original Frontier Airlines . By January 1995, Frontier had expanded its route network from Denver and

6768-418: The reality TV show Undercover Boss . As Republic Airways Holdings was in the process of bidding to acquire Frontier in 2009, it was also in the process of acquiring Milwaukee-based Midwest Airlines . Through the fall and winter of 2009, Republic operated its two new acquisitions as separate brands. However, to improve efficiency by better matching aircraft capacity to route demand, Republic began to intermix

6862-657: The remaining aircraft to other partners. In early 1997, Maverick Airways was operating codeshare service for Frontier with de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 STOL capable turboprops between Denver (DEN) and two destinations in Colorado: Grand Junction (GJT) and Steamboat Springs (SBS). From mid-1997 through mid-1998, Aspen Mountain Air operated codeshare service for Frontier from Denver to Aspen, CO, Bozeman, MT, and Sioux City IA. The carrier flew Dornier 328 prop aircraft. Great Lakes Airlines also operated

6956-515: The remaining six aircraft expected to join the fleet by December 2008. With the integration of Republic aircraft, the 'JetExpress' denotation was removed. Subsequent to the cessation of Horizon's services for Frontier in December 2007, all flights operated by Republic were sold and marketed as "Frontier Airlines, operated by Republic Airways." The first market created specifically for the Embraer 170

7050-405: The role of president to Barry Biffle, formerly of Spirit Airlines . Siegel was not immediately replaced; instead, his duties were split between Biffle and Indigo chairman Bill Franke. Biffle cited operational issues in connection with Siegel's departure. In 2015, in an airline quality rating report by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Wichita State University , Frontier was ranked amongst

7144-498: The same route. From 28 June 2007, a second long-haul route to Vancouver, British Columbia , was started. The company ceased operations on 9 April 2008, after over a billion Hong Kong dollars in losses. On 2 November 2007, AirAsia X , a subsidiary of AirAsia and Virgin Group flew its inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia, to Gold Coast , Australia. AirAsia X claims that it is the first true low-cost long-haul carrier since

7238-403: The second half of 2013 after Boeing resumed deliveries following extensive problems and delays. It served direct routes from the United States ( Los Angeles , Fort Lauderdale , New York City , Oakland-San Francisco , Boston and Orlando ) into Scandinavia ( Oslo , Stockholm , Copenhagen ). In January 2021 Norwegian announced the immediate cessation of their long-haul operations, along with

7332-464: The spring of 2011. New service began in 2011 on three subsidized Essential Air Service routes to the cities of Rhinelander, Wisconsin, as well as Ironwood and Manistee, Michigan. However, Frontier almost immediately began a pull-down of the Milwaukee hub and by the end of 2012, the only route that continued to operate with a Frontier Express ERJ-145 jet was Milwaukee to Rhinelander. Service to Rhinelander ended on January 3, 2013, and Chautauqua transferred

7426-445: The surviving brand. This was a merger of brands only—no Midwest Airlines aircraft was ever operated by Frontier, as by this time, all Midwest Airlines flights were operated on its behalf by other Republic Airways Holdings subsidiaries. On April 13, 2011, Frontier formed a new subsidiary, Frontier Express , that was planned to operate the airline's smaller aircraft with different services than those available on full-size aircraft. Upon

7520-400: The three proposed a charter airline named AeroDenver Travel Services to fill demand on international routes, potentially in partnership with Condor Airlines . To run the company, they brought in M.C. "Hank" Lund (ex-CEO of the original Frontier Airlines) as CEO and Sam Addoms as executive vice-president and treasurer (later CEO). As Continental's Denver drawback expanded in scope in late 1993,

7614-734: The transaction would further Frontier's evolution into an ULCC. In December 2013, Indigo Partners LLC, through an affiliate, completed the purchase of Frontier Airlines from Republic Airways Holdings. The airline's headquarters remained in Denver. On January 1, 2014, Republic Airways Holdings subsidiary Republic Airlines ceased its operation of Embraer 190 aircraft on behalf of Frontier. In 2014, Frontier announced it would be transitioning into an ULCC. Frontier also announced that it would cut several flights and jobs at its Denver hub and transition them to different markets. On January 16, 2015, Frontier announced that it would close both its Denver and Milwaukee call centers, laying off 1,300 employees and outsourcing

7708-523: Was Bill Clinton , later US President. The first airline offering no-frills transatlantic service was Freddie Laker 's Laker Airways , which operated its famous "Skytrain" service between London and New York City during the late 1970s. The service was suspended after Laker's competitors, British Airways and Pan Am , were able to price Skytrain out of the market. In the United States, airline carriers such as Midway Airlines and America West Airlines , which commenced operations after 1978, soon realized

7802-494: Was Pacific Southwest Airlines , which started intrastate flights connecting Southern and Northern California on 6 May 1949. PSA's light-hearted atmosphere and efficient operations were a runaway success early on, and inspired a number of low-cost start-ups across the United States, beginning in the mid-1960s. Herb Kelleher studied the success of PSA, and copied their culture closely when he established Southwest Airlines in 1971. The first airline to offer cheaper transatlantic fares

7896-499: Was Icelandic airline Loftleiðir in 1964, often referred to as "the Hippie Airline". Many young Americans travelled to Europe after graduation, to experience the "old-world culture", and they were more concerned with getting there cheaply than comfortably or even exactly on time. Loftleiðir were not famous for speed or punctuality, but flying with the company became a sort of rite of passage for those young "hippies", one of whom

7990-539: Was Louisville, Kentucky, which began on April 1, 2007. Service to Louisville was suspended in August 2008 but restarted in April 2010. Flights operated by Republic Airlines offered in-flight snack and beverage services similar to Frontier's mainline flights. Unlike Frontier's aircraft and due to the nature of contracting with regional carriers, these Embraer 170 aircraft were not fitted with LiveTV . On April 10, 2008, Frontier filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in reaction to

8084-473: Was a United States -based airline holding company . The company has headquarters in Denver, Colorado . The company was formed from a reorganization of Frontier Airlines on April 3, 2006. Frontier created Frontier Airlines Holdings, Inc., a holding company incorporated in Delaware to take advantage of favorable tax law of " Delaware General Corporation Law " in that state. The new corporate headquarters

8178-621: Was also providing feeder service for Midwest Airlines and as Frontier and Midwest began merging in 2009, retaining the Frontier brand, Republic resumed service for Frontier with the Embraer 170s and also introduced larger Embraer 190 jets. Chautauqua Airlines had been operating feeder flights on behalf of Midwest Airlines and began service for Frontier with the merger of Frontier and Midwest in October 2010. Chautauqua operated up to 12 Embraer 135 and Embraer 145 jets out of Milwaukee . Frontier began branding these flights as Frontier Express in

8272-512: Was designated as a major carrier by the United States Department of Transportation . On January 11, 2007, Frontier Airlines signed an 11-year service agreement with Republic Airways . Under the agreement, Republic was to operate 17, 76-seat Embraer 170 aircraft for the former Frontier JetExpress operations. At the time the contract was canceled in April 2008, Republic Airways operated 11 aircraft for Frontier Airlines, with

8366-583: Was located in Colorado. On September 6, 2006, Frontier Holdings announced that a new division known as Lynx Aviation, would operate 10 Bombardier Q400 aircraft beginning in May 2007 as Frontier Express. Service with the Q400's has been rescheduled to begin on October 1, 2007. The 'Lynx' name plays off of the tail pictures of its planes, specifically Larry the Lynx, and the fact that it "links" smaller airports to

8460-614: Was moving forward with an alternate transaction for post-petition debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing . Republic Airways Holdings , Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (through its affiliates), and AQR Capital offered Frontier up to $ 75 million in DIP financing, with an immediate firm commitment and funding of $ 30 million. This new DIP facility provides Frontier with lower financing costs, less restrictive covenants and greater flexibility to pursue strategic opportunities without being constrained by more restrictive DIP provisions. The alternate DIP facility

8554-419: Was not limited to: maintenance, grooming services, flight-line and gate. In February 2012, Frontier Airlines further reduced service to Milwaukee by cutting five more nonstop routes. This move "reduced Frontier's daily departing flights out of Mitchell International from 32 to 18," or 56%. Frontier announced further layoffs in conjunction with this route change: up to 446 Milwaukee-area employees were affected by

8648-431: Was now used. Though the airline's Boeing 737s remained in the fleet until 2005, none were repainted into this livery. In April 2013, Frontier introduced a modified version of that livery, keeping the iconic animals on aircraft tails, but dropping its former slogan and replacing "FRONTIER" with "FLYFRONTIER.COM", the company's website, in support of new marketing that focused heavily on the airline's web presence. This livery

8742-422: Was only painted on a few newly delivered aircraft. Aircraft in the older livery received "FLYFRONTIER.COM" titles on engine nacelles . On September 9, 2014, Frontier introduced an updated livery, as part of a rebranding that saw the spokesanimals' roles increase. The new livery reintroduced a green "FRONTIER" typeface to the fuselage, featuring the stylized "F" designed by Saul Bass for the original Frontier when

8836-643: Was serving destinations in New Mexico, Montana, North Dakota, Texas, Nevada, Nebraska, and Arizona. Like the original airline of the same name, the new Frontier operated a hub at Denver (DEN) and for the first nine years used the slogan "The Spirit of the West" which was displayed above the windows and just behind the cursive letters "Frontier" on the fuselage of their aircraft. In 1999, Frontier signed agreements to begin purchasing and leasing Airbus A318 and A319 jet aircraft and had also added Boeing 737-300 jetliners to its fleet as well. Also by September 1999,

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