Earlier this year, Frontier Airlines was all set to merge with Spirit Airlines to create, basically, a giant of budget air travel. Frontier had a ring, had a tuxedo, and was waiting at the altar, only to find out that Spirit had rudely absconded with a different suitor.
Spirit shareholders rejected Frontier's $19.99 per share bid for Spirit, and instead JetBlue got in there, sweeping Spirit off its feet for $33.50 a share, or $3.8 billion dollars, pending Federal regulatory review.
Now, JetBlue (JBLU) and Spirit (SAVE) are going to create the fifth-largest airline in the world. That’s gotta hurt for Frontier (ULCC), to have its entire future planned, only to get dumped by fickle shareholders. The heart wants what the heart wants, as they say. But Spirit will pay around $25 million in merger-related costs to Frontier, which said it was "disappointed" with the vote result, so hopefully, that will soothe the heartbreak a little.
"While we are disappointed that Spirit Airlines shareholders failed to recognize the value and consumer potential inherent in our proposed combination, the Frontier Board took a disciplined approach throughout the course of its negotiations with Spirit," said Frontier CEO William Franke.
Frontier has put on a brave face, and has been making moves lately, and has now introduced an offer its fans will love. But they’ll have to act fast.
What Is Frontier’s Latest Offer?
Members of Frontier’s Miles loyalty program who purchase two round-trip tickets are eligible for a bonus of 20,000 miles for a maximum of 100,000 bonus miles.
The offer is only good until the end of October, and the flight must be taken by 11:59 pm on December 16 of this year. The bonus miles will be awarded within 7-10 business days following completion of the final flight.
Frontier Is Flying More Places Than Ever
Frontier recently debuted several new international routes, which will all come with a base price that starts at $69 until 2023.
These new routes include flights out of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to the Bahamas, Costa Rica and Jamaica; the airline has now more than doubled its international flights out of Atlanta in less than a year. Frontier will also offer a route between Denver International Airport (DEN) to Houston’s William P. Hoby Airport (HOU).
In other Frontier news, the company recently unveiled the ultra-fuel-efficient Airbus A321neo aircraft at an event at Tampa International Airport (TPA). The plane, which is powered by Pratt & Whitney’s GTF engines, is being touted by Frontier as the most fuel-efficient commercial aircraft among any U.S. airline, one that generates much lower carbon emissions than normal planes.
“The addition of these new A321neo’s to our fleet will make the greenest airline in the U.S. even greener with these aircraft able to achieve 120 miles per gallon per seat,” said Barry Biffle, president and CEO, Frontier Airlines. “They are the most fuel-efficient aircraft in operation among major U.S. airlines and are capable of delivering immediate, tangible reductions in fuel consumption, carbon emissions and engine noise," he said. "Frontier continues to lead the way in reducing fuel consumption and lessening our environmental footprint and the addition of the A321neo to our fleet is another step in that journey,” Biffle added.
