Frontier Airlines announced 20 new routes, looking to win new customers as Spirit struggles

Over a third of Frontier's capacity overlaps with Spirit.DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty ImagesFrontier Airlines announced 20 new routes on Tuesday.All but two of them are currently offered by its struggling rival, Spirit.Spirit borrowed $275 million after warning that it might not survive another year.Frontier Airlines is looking to capitalize on its rival's financial woes.The budget carrier announced 20 new routes on Tuesday, with some fares as low as $29. They include key Spirit Airlines hubs like Fort Lauderdale, the beleaguered carrier's home base.Starting in late November, Frontier said it will fly from Fort Lauderdale to Baltimore, Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Chicago, and Houston.It also announced six routes from Detroit, which ranks fourth for Spirit's passenger capacity, according to Deutsche Bank research. Some flights aren't planned to start until February.Earlier this month, Spirit announced it might not survive another year without extra cash."As industry capacity adjusts, we want to ensure consumers in those markets continue to have affordable flight options," Frontier CEO Barry Biffle said in Tuesday's press release.The airline stands to benefit the most from Spirit's difficulties. A Monday Deutsche Bank research note said 35% of Frontier's capacity overlaps with its rival.When Spirit warned of its financial problems earlier this month, Frontier's stock jumped 29%.Spirit had reported a second-quarter loss of $246 million and said its credit-card processor was demanding collateral.However, in a filing last week, Spirit said it had paid $50 million to extend its card processing agreement until the end of 2027. It also said it had borrowed $275 million under a revolving credit facility with Citibank and Wilmington Trust.This comes after the airline filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last November before exiting the process in March.Spirit Airlines could not be immediately reached for comment. In January, Spirit rejected a takeover proposal from Frontier, calling it "woefully insufficient financially."The two airlines previously discussed merging in 2022, but that deal collapsed when JetBlue made a higher offer. The $3.8 billion Spirit-JetBlue deal was then called off after being blocked by a federal judge over antitrust concerns.When asked about another potential merger in a Tuesday interview with CNBC, Frontier's CEO said, "I'm not here to talk about M&A."Biffle added that he expects Frontier to take over the majority of Spirit's market share if the latter goes out of business.The budget airline business model has come under scrutiny in the US since the pandemic, with travellers more willing to spend extra for premium experiences.That's prompted huge changes at Southwest Airlines, while Frontier and Spirit have also introduced more upgrade options and revamped loyalty programs. Frontier lost $70 million in the last quarter.Based on September schedules, Spirit does not offer just two of Frontier's 20 new routes: Houston to Philadelphia and Houston to San Salvador, El Salvador.The full list of Frontier's new routes is:Baltimore to Cancún, MexicoBaltimore to Fort LauderdaleBaltimore to HoustonBaltimore to New OrleansCharlotte to DetroitCharlotte to Fort LauderdaleDallas/Fort Worth to Fort LauderdaleDallas/Fort Worth to New OrleansDetroit to CancúnDetroit to Fort LauderdaleDetroit to HoustonDetroit to MiamiDetroit to New OrleansFort Lauderdale to ChicagoHouston to Fort LauderdaleHouston to Guatemala CityHouston to New OrleansHouston to PhiladelphiaHouston to San SalvadorHouston to San Pedro Sula, HondurasRead the original article on Business Insider

Comments

Business News

Stocks dip amid Trump’s Fed move and French worry

Evening Standard

Comments

Business News

Stocks dip amid Trump’s Fed move and French worry

NCAA partners with Venmo to assist athletes who face harassment on the payment app

Trump family crypto empire expands with Crypto.com partnership

Trump threatens more tariffs on nations that tax US tech giants — and ‘give a complete pass’ to Chinese tech

RFK Jr.’s ‘sexting partner’ Olivia Nuzzi in talks for job at Vanity Fair months after scandal sunk career

What to know about Lisa Cook, the Fed Governor who Trump says he's firing

AT&T to buy wireless spectrum licenses from EchoStar for $23B in bid to lure more subscribers

Trump offers blunt advice to Cracker Barrel after controversial rebrand sparks outrage

Attorneys general warn AI firms that ‘if you knowingly harm kids, you will answer for it’

Millions set to face hike in energy bills this Autumn

US Is Considering A Stake In Lockheed Martin And Other Defense Firms, Lutnick Says

Van Halen’s Album Debuts As A Bestseller — 30 Years After It’s Release

ForbesBLK Returns To ATL: Morehouse Hosts Powerhouse Summit With Robert Smith, Kandi Burruss & More

‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Finally Dethroned In Netflix’s Top 10 List By A New Movie

Shawn Mendes Returns With A Familiar Top 40 Bestseller

New Orleans Pelicans’ Yves Missi Brought Heart And Skill To Cameroon’s AfroBasket Campaign

What Is The Future Of Anthony Volpe And The Yankees?

Fleetwood Mac Returns To The Band’s All-Time Chart Peak

Meghan Markle’s ‘With Love, Meghan’ Drops Second Season And Gets Torched By Critics—Again

IndyCar Teams Up With iRacing For A New Video Game

Netflix Has Good News For ‘True Detective’ Season 1 Fans

Rihanna’s Overlooked Album Cut Returns At A New All-Time Chart High

The Cost Of Pessimism: How Political Overreach Threatens American Prosperity

My Chemical Romance’s Classic Finally Becomes A Top 40 Bestseller

Devon Walker And Celeste Yim Leave ‘SNL’ Before Promised Shake-Up

Childe Dundão’s MVP Performance Ends Angola’s 12 Year Drought At 2025 FIBA AfroBasket

The Space Force’s Secret Weapon Launches Soon

What Time Does ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 3, Episode 8 Come Out?

Chris Burke, Beloved Star Of ‘Life Goes On,’ Turns 60

Keegan Bradley To Announce His Six Captain’s Picks

DOGE Uploaded All Social Security Numbers To Risky Cloud Server, Top SSA Official Says

Dozens of job losses as Guardian-backed research firm Streetbees collapse

UK residents spend almost three times more on trips abroad than inbound visitors

Debenhams Group considers sale of PrettyLittleThing amid turnaround efforts

Poundland saved from administration as judge approves restructuring plan

M&S launches the Lamington in claimed ‘first’ for UK high street

Trump vows retaliation against countries with digital rules targeting US tech

Trump threatens some California, Washington, New Mexico funding over enforcing trucker English rules

A US tariff exemption for small orders ends Friday

August consumer confidence dips with jobs, tariffs and high prices driving unease

Astros’ Hunter Brown’s Catching Dreams Didn’t Pan Out But He’s Done OK

Bob Marley Makes History As He Reaches An Incredible Milestone

Ewan McGregor Wanted Obi-Wan To Be In ‘Andor’ Season 3

Coldplay’s 20-Year-Old Album Finally Reaches The Top 40

President Trump Dictates 2026 FIFA World Cup Draw As Infantino Looks On

Northern Lights Forecast: These States May View Aurora Borealis Tonight

Cybever Rebrands As Utopai Studios With $110 Million In Revenue And A Hollywood Slate

Google Cloud And Inovalon Ink Deal To Build Prior Authorization Agentic AI System

Billie Eilish Misses Returning To No. 1 By One Space

Mega-Band Coldplay Takes Solar On Tour, Driving Portable Clean Energy

Maroon 5 Misses For The First Time Ever With New Album

Fox News Media Adds Wine Venture To Its Growing Lifestyle Business

Linkin Park’s Comeback Album Becomes A Bestseller Again

Why Anfernee Simons Isn’t A Realistic Trade Target For The Sixers

Niall Horan’s Acclaimed Album Returns To The Top 10

Several MLB Top Prospects Get Called Up In August

Taylor Swift’s Grammy-Winning Album Is A Top Seller Again

‘4-Minute Money Maker’ Turns Small Fixes Into Big Wins – Premieres Sept. 2 On VIZIO WatchFree+

Trump Approval Rating At 47% In Latest Polls As One Shows Majority Favor D.C. Crime Crackdown

U.S. Open Bling Watch: Here’s Who Wore This $180K Watch, Custom Diamond Necklaces And More