Why is Frontier Airlines taking a "Haitus"? Anyone know why or for how long? (Birmingham: live, pricing)

[bfmx1]

I know they're doing this in Huntsville and Mobile, but are they doing it in any other cities? I want to known when they're planning on restarting operations.

The good news, they only represented under 2% of BHM traffic if my very quick googling research is correct.

Given such a small %, I'm not sure why they ever tried.

https://www.al.com/business/2019/09/...-november.html

[TimCity2000]

is frontier the airline with all the planes parked on the west side of messer-airport highway? seems like there are more and more sitting there each time i fly.

[mcalumni01]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

is frontier the airline with all the planes parked on the west side of messer-airport highway? seems like there are more and more sitting there each time i fly.

Those are Alliegent planes that are out of commission..

[bfmx1]

I thought those were the Allegiant planes.

[MinivanDriver]

Truthfully, they didn't fly enough out of Birmingham to be convenient. What's more, because they charged you for everything, they weren't even very cost effective.

[cooldiver]

Originally Posted by bfmx1

I know they're doing this in Huntsville and Mobile, but are they doing it in any other cities? I want to known when they're planning on restarting operations.

The good news, they only represented under 2% of BHM traffic if my very quick googling research is correct.

Given such a small %, I'm not sure why they ever tried.

https://www.al.com/business/2019/09/...-november.html

Hopping markets and putting service on hiatus is just what Frontier does as part of their model.


If you were to look at Frontier service announcements over the past couple of years, your head would spin.


When Frontier enters markets such as BHM, HSV, and MOB with limited service days (usually 2 or 3 days a week), they contract out everything at the airports. So they make very little investment in a location and can drop it with few regrets if it doesn't meet expectations.


I guess HSV to MCO is doing okay, as it was not suspended and will go 3x weekly later in 2020.


I can't find when HSV to DEN will restart, as it not showing on the website. Except starting in March you can do HSV-MCO-DEN with some dreadful overnight connections.


Hopefully Frontier will return to BHM in good time. If not, eh no big loss, BHM has a large Southwest operation that gives you guys decent fares to lots of places.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by cooldiver

Hopping markets and putting service on hiatus is just what Frontier does as part of their model.


If you were to look at Frontier service announcements over the past couple of years, your head would spin.


When Frontier enters markets such as BHM, HSV, and MOB with limited service days (usually 2 or 3 days a week), they contract out everything at the airports. So they make very little investment in a location and can drop it with few regrets if it doesn't meet expectations.


I guess HSV to MCO is doing okay, as it was not suspended and will go 3x weekly later in 2020.


I can't find when HSV to DEN will restart, as it not showing on the website. Except starting in March you can do HSV-MCO-DEN with some dreadful overnight connections.


Hopefully Frontier will return to BHM in good time. If not, eh no big loss, BHM has a large Southwest operation that gives you guys decent fares to lots of places.

I seem to recall Huntsville to Denver restarts in April. You'd think if it was seasonal, they'd fly in the winter for skiing instead of summer, but I suppose they have their reasons. United flies to Denver several flights per day, but much more expensive.

[JesseRohr]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

I seem to recall Huntsville to Denver restarts in April. You'd think if it was seasonal, they'd fly in the winter for skiing instead of summer, but I suppose they have their reasons. United flies to Denver several flights per day, but much more expensive.

BHM has terrible service given the metro’s size. I fly nearly weekly from BHM on DL (Delta) and if you’re not going East or North the route coverage is quite terrible.

While Frontier was never going to attract a business flier like me, it should have been attractive to recreational travelers and was at first. The problem was that United engaged in some serious predatory pricing during Frontier’s tenure at BHM. United lowered their western route fare to DEN by quite a large margin making Frontier hardly a bargain. Especially so when you factor in United’s much better time slot.

My hope was that not only would Frontier thrive, it would also do the following:
- Encourage other low cost providers like Spirit, Allegiant and more Frontier flights.
- Encourage more mainline or express routes from legacy carriers. Delta has a Salt Lake City hub not served here but is literally serviced by 48 of 50 other top metros seasonally or yearly. United has a SFO (San Fran). American has a LAX hub. Etc...

The BHM airport situation and leadership has many, many short comings IMO for people and employers like myself. I live here and driving to ATL or BNA to catch a flight is not the answer.

[magiccity3]

Originally Posted by JesseRohr

BHM has terrible service given the metro’s size. I fly nearly weekly from BHM on DL (Delta) and if you’re not going East or North the route coverage is quite terrible.

While Frontier was never going to attract a business flier like me, it should have been attractive to recreational travelers and was at first. The problem was that United engaged in some serious predatory pricing during Frontier’s tenure at BHM. United lowered their western route fare to DEN by quite a large margin making Frontier hardly a bargain. Especially so when you factor in United’s much better time slot.

My hope was that not only would Frontier thrive, it would also do the following:
- Encourage other low cost providers like Spirit, Allegiant and more Frontier flights.
- Encourage more mainline or express routes from legacy carriers. Delta has a Salt Lake City hub not served here but is literally serviced by 48 of 50 other top metros seasonally or yearly. United has a SFO (San Fran). American has a LAX hub. Etc...

The BHM airport situation and leadership has many, many short comings IMO for people and employers like myself. I live here and driving to ATL or BNA to catch a flight is not the answer.

Thankfully for my business travel, 99% of it has nonstop flights (LGA, CLT, MIA, DFW). I think my top three desired nonstop options are SFO, BOS, and SEA or AUS.

[JesseRohr]

Originally Posted by magiccity3

Thankfully for my business travel, 99% of it has nonstop flights (LGA, CLT, MIA, DFW). I think my top three desired nonstop options are SFO, BOS, and SEA or AUS.

My main office is where my business partner is, Austin. Delta just made AUS a focus city (complete with gorgeous new SkyClub) so I am hoping for the possibility of a non-stop.

My wish list on DL metal is as follows:
BHM - MSP (really hard to get to small midwestern cities without double connect)
BHM - SLC (really hard to get to small western cities without double connect)
BHM - CVG or IND
BHM - JFK (the LGA - JFK shuttle is a joke)
BHM - BOS
BHM - SEA

Wish list on any metal (frequent flyer lingo for airline):
BHM - LAX (how on earth do we not have a direct west coast flight??)
BHM - SFO
BHM - MSY (return of)