Frontier Airlines is plotting an aggressive expansion into Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean — and it’s doubling down on fast growth at the world’s busiest airport.
The budget carrier this week announced a 22-route expansion, including brand-new service to the Turks and Caicos and a return to Nassau in the Bahamas for the first time in two years.
This barrage of nearly two dozen new flights came after the airline last week unveiled an additional 20 routes — many of which intersected with low-cost competitor Spirit Airlines, currently embroiled in bankruptcy proceedings.
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A Frontier Airlines aircraft taxis at Denver International Airport (DEN). SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
As part of this latest expansion, Frontier will add seven new and returning destinations out of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), which the carrier earlier this year identified as one of its biggest airports for growth.
The ultra-low-cost carrier will add other new flights to popular vacation destinations, such as Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta in Mexico and St. Maarten in the Caribbean, and bolster flights to a range of additional countries in Central America, including Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Costa Rica.
Among the more interesting additions is nonstop service between New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Normally, LaGuardia’s “perimeter rule” would prevent that 1,608-mile route from being added. However, Frontier will fly the route only on Saturdays — which are exempted from distance restrictions.
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Overlooking the beach at the Ritz Carlton in Turks and Caicos.
All of the flights will launch between November and December, with service to some tropical islands launching just ahead of the holidays.
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Frontier’s 22 routes announced this week
Here’s the full rundown of Frontier’s 22 new routes unveiled this week:
RouteLaunch dateFrequencyATL to Memphis International Airport (MEM)Nov. 20Twice weeklyATL to St. Maarten’s Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM)Dec. 6WeeklyATL to Nassau’s Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) in the BahamasDec. 13WeeklyATL to Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE)Dec. 19Twice weeklyATL to Providenciales International Airport (PLS) in Turks and CaicosDec. 20WeeklyATL to Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport (PVR) in Puerto VallartaDec. 20WeeklyATL to San Jose del Cabo International Airport (SJD)Dec. 20WeeklyDallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Guatemala City’s La Aurora International Airport (GUA)Dec. 20WeeklyDFW to San Salvador’s El Salvador International Airport (SAL)Dec. 21Twice weeklySpokane International Airport (GEG) to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)Nov. 23Twice weeklyWashington’s Dulles International Airport (IAD) to SALDec. 18DailyLas Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) to SJDDec. 20WeeklyLGA to SJUDec. 20WeeklyOrlando International Airport (MCO) to SALDec. 20WeeklyMCO to GUADec. 21Twice weeklyMCO to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in San Jose, Costa RicaDec. 20WeeklyMCO to Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport (SAP) in San Pedro Sula, HondurasDec. 20WeeklyMiami International Airport (MIA) to SALDec. 19Three times weeklyMIA-SAPDec. 20WeeklyMinneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD)Nov. 23Twice weeklyPhiladelphia International Airport (PHL) to Cibao International Airport in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican RepublicDec. 18Twice weeklyPHX to Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO)Nov. 22Twice weekly
Resuming flights
Several of these new flights are routes Frontier has operated in the past.
It last flew five of the 22 routes earlier this decade: ATL-NAS, LAS-SJD, MCO-SAL, MCO-SJO and MIA-SAL. Meanwhile, Frontier last operated another three in the mid-2010s: ATL-MEM, ATL-MKE and MSP-ORD.
Bottom line
This expansion comes as the airline is making a clear push to be the budget carrier of choice in a wide range of U.S. and Central American markets, especially amid Spirit’s precocious financial situation.
“The announcement further supports the airline’s commitment to become the leading low-fare carrier in the top 20 U.S. metros,” said Josh Flyr, Frontier’s vice president of network and operations design, in a statement.
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