Hah: Frontier Targets Southwest With Free Checked Bags

Without robust credit card programs, the big 3 wouldn't survive. If Amex, Chase & Citi smarten up and drop the big 3, all hell would break loose. The fact that airlines still collect billions in annual baggage fees is hilarious.

Labor costs are high and only heading higher. It will all come full circle with a labor base that is primarily lazy, incompetent and ignorant.

Doesn't make any sense and reeks of desperation. Frontier has a profit problem not a demand problem. Moreover, the business model is built on fees not fares and giving away the biggest source of fees/ancillary service makes no sense.

The typical Frontier flyer isn't a FF to the level of achieving an elite level. This isn't like a status match where an airline is trying to capture elites of another airline.

It's still a flying lawn chair with abysmal reliability, and only marginally fewer violent fights onboard than Spirit.

Maybe they're trying this as a loss-leader. Losing money today in the hope of building customer's faith in the future.

Which also makes no sense. Loss-leaders only work under a concept of brand loyalty, which has vanished among the flying public. People will take advantage today, and walk away tomorrow.

Smart marketing to insert themselves into the news cycle for some free advertising.

SWA frequent fliers are traumatized and working through the classic stages of grief. There is a strong anti-Big 3 vibe in that community. So at least some of that segment is ripe for picking if one can get their message through the clutter.

5 years out both airlines may well be toast.

But being publicly listed means living life in 30 to 90 day increments.

We need a new word for “permanent” in airline language.

Smarten up?

You think those big banks are being taken advantage of by airlines?

lol

WN is not exactly in a great position to fight back against the competitor assaults that are certain to come but, in the case, of F9, all WN has to do is point out that F9 in 2024 was dead last in both on-time and cancellation rates as well as involuntary denied boardings.

Looks to me like this could also be a Frontier merger overture to Southwest, as an opt out for Paul Singer and the mess that has been created.

Elliot exit strategy, Frontier growth prospect, Southwest reputation rehab? Ding Ding we have a winner! We all thought it could be JetBlue that might prosper. However, Indigo’s F9 has just one upped NK, B6, WN and Elliot all at once, even though this may have been by pure luck rather than any real strategic foresight.

Nope, but I do think they're overpaying just to get more "customers" in hopes they carry balances on their airline cards or to cross sell them.

Just from what I've heard in meetings and on earnings calls.

It could also be a Frontier negotiating tactic with Spirit. Spirit rebuffed Frontier's merger offer while it was in bankruptcy. This move signals that Frontier has other outside options should Spirit continue to refuse to accept an offer.

Airlines can change. "What have you done for me lately?" is more relevant than past mishaps. Many former Southwest loyalists are so enraged about Southwest breaking its implicit promise to never end the free checked bags policy that they might give an airline showing an effort to improve a chance.

Perhaps Frontier management has had a change of heart and is "throwing the ball to where is going" after getting grilled by Senator Hawley in the Congressional hearing a few months ago. There is increasing bipartisan momentum to crack down on carry-on bag fees at the gate. Perhaps Frontier is trying to build good will before such a bill passes knowing that their former business model may become illegal anyway.

*to where the receiver is going*

The thing is that most people checking in bags are families with young children, who aren't really frontier's clientele. I suspect frontier's revenue from checked luggage was minimal to begin with and the airline decided that it wanted to attract different customers.

stupid promo. I would do a status match with frontier maybe. never tried them