Frontier will launch 3 new routes this spring

Frontier Airlines has announced three new routes from six airports, including new international connections. All the routes will begin in May, with only one of the three routes not having any competition.

In a statement on February 3, Frontier Airlines announced that in May, it will begin flights between Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) and Tampa International Airport (TPA), and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) and Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ), the Dominican Republic.

• Las Vegas – Washington-Dulles will be a daily service starting on May 1
• Charlotte – Tampa will be a twice-weekly service starting on May 2, switching to four weekly itineraries on May 22
• Cincinnati – Punta Cana will be a seasonal once-per-week service starting May 17 (subject to government approval)

Josh Flyr, the vice president of network and operations design of Frontier Airlines, said that the trio of new routes were part of the airline’s mission to offer consumers affordable and convenient options to a wide variety of destinations across the US, Caribbean, and beyond.

“As we begin 2025, we are launching the next chapter of The New Frontier, providing consumers even more ways to enjoy the best value in air travel and experience a more seamless and comfortable journey.”

However, analysis of data from the aviation analytics company Cirium’s Diio Mi airline planning system showed that on two out of the three new routes, Frontier Airlines will face heavy competition from incumbent airlines.

In May, United Airlines scheduled an impressive 35 weekly flights between Las Vegas and Washington, ‘complementing’ Frontier Airlines’ daily services connecting the two cities.

The legacy airline plans to operate its itineraries on the route with either a Boeing 737-900, 737 MAX 8 , or a 757-300, averaging 187.4 seats per departure compared to the low-cost carrier’s average departure capacity of 240 seats (operated by an Airbus A321neo).

Unsurprisingly, with Frontier Airlines entering another legacy carrier’s hub, it will have to compete with American Airlines on flights from Charlotte to Tampa.

In May, the latter carrier scheduled a whopping 63 weekly flights with an average of 190 seats per departure.

All American Airlines itineraries between Charlotte and Tampa will be operated with the Airbus A321ceo , seating 20 domestic first and 170 economy class passengers.

The airline’s A321neos are configured with 196 seats, welcoming 20 domestic first and 176 economy class travelers.

However, Spirit Airlines, which had rejected Frontier Airlines’ third merger offer in three years, also has five weekly flights on the route during the month, operated by the Airbus A320neo.

Similarly, Frontier Airlines will also fly between the two cities with an A320neo, yet will offer an additional ten seats per departure compared to Spirit Airlines , Cirium’s Diio Mi data showed.

Frontier Airlines will claim a monopoly between Cincinnati and Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic. OAG Traffic Analyzer data showed that during the 12 months to July 2024, 22,883 one-way passengers were flying on the route, connecting via other airports to reach Punta Cana.

The low-cost carrier was the only airline to sell flights on the route in 2019, the last time anybody operated itineraries between Cincinnati and Punta Cana.

In 2015, Delta Air Lines , Frontier Airlines, and Canada-based Sunwing Airlines, which is now owned by WestJet .

While it might sound confusing, for several years during the 2010s, Sunwing Airlines offered flights from the US to various leisure destinations across the Caribbean.

The last flight the Canadian low-cost carrier offered from the US to the Caribbean was in October 2016, when it had a weekly flight from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) to Freeport Grand Bahama Airport (FPO).