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Tags: Checked Baggage Fees / Airline Fees / Airline News / Frontier / Republic Airways / → All Tags

Frontier Airways Joins The Club, Raises Checked Baggage Fees

Frontier Airlines, having recently been acquired by Republic Airways, is wasting no time making their new owners some money. The airline is adjusting their baggage fees upwards and will now charge even for the first checked bag.

We're actually kind of pleased that we get to write this story; it's been a few hours since we posted about an airline raising its fees, and we were starting to get a little anxious:

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Tags: Airline News / Southwest Airlines / Frontier / US Airways / Airline Bankruptcy / Northwest Airlines / → All Tags

US Air Travel Is Way, Way Down For First Half of 2009

Apparently we now have an answer to that question about whether people are flying more because of cheap airfare. Not so much, no:

U.S. airlines served 282 million passengers in the first five months of this year, a 9.5-percent decrease on a year-on-year basis, U.S. business news outlets reported Friday. Figures released by the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics also show that, in the current economic downturn, nearly all U.S. airlines, except Southwest Airlines and US Airways, suffered steep drops in the number of passengers during the period.

Major airlines were hit much harder than LCC's, with Northwest Airlines leading the decline by posting a -20.2% plastering. Southwest served the most passengers, but even they took a 5.3% hit.

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Tags: Airline News / Airline Bankruptcy / Frontier / Southwest Airlines / Republic Airlines / → All Tags

Who Bought Frontier Airlines If It Wasn't Southwest?

Have you got a spare $108 million dollars burning a hole in your pocket, just itching to purchase a bankrupt airline? Well, too bad you missed your chance; yesterday saw the sale of ailing Frontier Airlines to Republic Airways.

And now you ask: "Who/what/where is this 'Republic Airways?!?!'" We know, it's a surprise victor since Southwest was clearly the favorite and even bid $170 million to Republic's measly $108. Airline dorks who love this sort of drama—ok, ourselves—know Republic as the company behind airline brand extensions to smaller, regional service; they specifically run AmericanConnection, Continental Express, Delta Connection, Midwest Connection, United Express and US Airways Express.

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Tags: Frontier / Southwest Airlines / Airlines / Airline Bankruptcy / Travel News / → All Tags

Southwest Looking to Buy Frontier in Bankruptcy Court Bid

The bad news? Frontier Airlines is bankrupt! (Actually, they have been since April 2008.) The good news? Southwest is looking to buy the ailing airline next month in bankruptcy court for a minimum bid of $113 million.

Southwest has posted a Q&A with Ron Ricks, Executive Vice President Corporate Services and Corporate Secretary on their blog. Some highlights?

Southwest is still preparing the [bidding] proposal, so it's premature to comment on the specifics at this time. What we can say is that we are interested in a substantial investment in Frontier and to operate Frontier as a wholly-owned subsidiary, independently and separately from Southwest Airlines, for a period of time until the carrier could be combined into Southwest.

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Tags: Super Bowl XLIII / Super Bowl Travel / Southwest / Frontier / US Airways / Delta / → All Tags

Still Planning To Head To Tampa? Hurry Up!

Alright, so you just decided that you want to watch your hometown team battle it out in this year’s Super Bowl. Congratulations, since we’ll assume you just won the lottery. If not, be prepared to pay.

For Cardinal fans, your best bet is to leave this Thursday and return to the Valley of the Sun on the Tuesday after the game. Obviously this will increase the hotel budget, but the flight will only set you back $259 on Frontier. The more traditional Friday to Monday schedule is going to cost you at least $966 on US Airways, but at least the flight to Tampa is non-stop!

For those in the Steeler Nation, things are a little easier on the wallet. Again the extra long weekend plan of Thursday to Tuesday comes out as the best deal--only $280 on Delta. Friday to Monday is looking at a cool $578 on Southwest, and you’re return (party?) flight will be non-stop into Pittsburgh.

If you’re still on the fence about going, make a decision already--the fares may already be outrageous, but that doesn’t mean the seats won’t fill up. Oh, and if your wallet still isn't bleeding, find a place to stay over at Hotelchatter.

[Photo: NFL]

Related Stories:
·Super Bowl XLIII [Official Site]
·The Super Bowl Party Scene: Now With Fewer Parties [Jaunted]
·Super Bowl Travel coverage [Jaunted]

Tags: Airfare Sales / Five Airfare Sales / JetBlue / bmi / Delta / Frontier / V Australia / Air France / → All Tags

Five Airfare Sales We Like Right Now

We've always found rounding up air fare sales to be a rather hard service to do. Namely because so many people want to go so many destinations from so many places but only at certain prices. It would be akin to following the children, homes and vacations of Brangelina--but then trying to put limits on how much they can spend or how many children they can adopt.

Still, we don't want to deprive you of a chance to learn about a good fare to a cool destination that we've been talking about. So once a week, we're going to tell you how much it costs to get to a few places we have had our eyes on. These are the Five Air Sales We Like Right Now. Any tips on what you want to see more of or less of? Let us know. We're much nicer than Air India.

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Tags: Airline Fees / Frontier / Travel Insurance / → All Tags

Airline Fees: Frontier Airlines Sneakily Selling You Travel Insurance

At least other airlines admit they're hiking fees. But it seems Frontier will slip a travel insurance charge onto your ticket unless you deliberately opt out of it. Travel troubleshooter Chris Elliott has the scoop:

After finishing [a] transaction, [customer Angela Gross] discovered she had also signed up for a $10.95 insurance policy. How did that happen? A small box at the bottom of the booking screen was pre-checked, indicating she also wanted to buy the policy.

Seems pretty slimy, which is why we weren't surprised to find out that Spirit has been known to do something similar. Check those check boxes before booking, people!

Related Stories:
· Like It or Not, Airline Adds Travel Insurance [Elliott]
· Frontier Airlines: Another Fee-Friendly Carrier [Jaunted]
· Airline Fees coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Cubbie_n_Vegas]

Tags: Southwest Airlines / Frontier / JetBlue / American Airlines / Airlines / Airline Analysis / → All Tags

JetBlue Drinking American Airlines' Milkshake

Now that American Airlines is pulling back flights to the Caribbean, JetBlue is expanding its service to Puerto Rico. The low cost carrier is spinning the new flights to San Juan as part of its "commitment to the island," but this is obviously a cutthroat business decision to get AA's newly abandoned customers.

Not that we have a problem with that. American is more than halving its service to San Juan, making it harder to get to PR, and if JetBlue didn't step in, airfares would likely soar.

B6 isn't the only carrier swooping in to pick up capacity given up by another carrier. Southwest is slowly taking over Denver International as Frontier circles the drain.

Related Stories:
· American Airlines Flying Away from the Caribbean [Jaunted]
· JetBlue coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Aaron Gustafson]

Tags: Frontier / Airlines / Airline Bankruptcy / Fees / Airline Fees / → All Tags

Frontier Airlines: Another Fee-Friendly Carrier

Wallet up for an adventure? Frontier is your airline. Not only is the carrier flying under the dark veil of bankruptcy protection, but it also just bumped up fees on everything from scuba equipment to pole vaulting poles to dry ice. (There's also a new fee, as you've no doubt heard, for antlers.) Basically, when you arrive at the airport you'll have no idea how much it'll cost to board the plane--assuming it's still parked at the gate.

The ever popular second-bag fee is now present, too, meaning you'll pay an additional $25 if you've got a bunch of gear. Frontier has also eliminated the pets-in-the-cabin policy, and overweight or oversized bags will set you back $75. How soon before the carrier starts charging "combo fees," like the overweight, checked second-bag of antlers charge?

Related Stories:
· Fees--The Final Frontier [DMN]
· Frontier Airlines Baggage Fees Chart [Official Site]
· Frontier Airlines coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Cubbie_n_Vegas]

Tags: Frontier / Richard Branson / Virgin America / Chris Elliott / Airlines / Airline Bankruptcy / → All Tags

Commence Airline Bankruptcy Prognostication

So now Frontier has filed for bankruptcy, though the carrier won't be shutting down operations during its "restructuring." That means it's time for people on the WWW to start the guessing game as to who's next. Chris Elliott leads the way this morning with a few ideas--complete with odds of bankruptcy. (Sorry, Sun Country, but 2 to 1 is pretty bad.)

Noticeably absent from the list is Virgin America, which some industry analysts say is a candidate for closure. But maybe Elliott left VA off his list because Richard Branson is making the media rounds, talking up his American carrier:

They're doing well ahead of budget and we're very happy with the performance... If you sit here in three or four years time, it'll be flying to all the major American cities.

Well. We'll see.

Given how rapid the Skybus implosion was--and how up-and-down all this renewed Delta merger talk is--we're gonna sit out this round of speculation. If you've got any real info on what's next, you'll find us at the airport bar.

Related Stories:
· Airline Deathwatch: Place Your Bets Please [Elliott]
· Branson Says Virgin Will Not Fail [Reuters]
· Airline Investors Find They're Losing Altitude [Houston Chronicle]

Tags: Frontier / Airlines / Travel Hell / → All Tags

Bobby Vigil, Frontier Airlines Vigilante

We've taken our share of awful red-eye flights, but at least we haven't had to deal with passengers ripping open passenger doors. But fliers on Frontier's Flight 514 from Denver to New York had to duct tape a fellow passenger to his seat after he attempted to open one of the plane's rear doors.

Passenger Bobby Vigil (real name!) was sitting next to the man, who some characterized as mentally ill:

The whole rest of the flight, all the way in, he was yelling and trying to bite the tape.

The airline says the 127 other passengers and 5 crew members aboard were never in any danger. Not to make light of the mentally ill, but this summer of flying is making people nuts!

Related Stories:
· Psycho Tries to Open Jet Door In Air [NYDN]
· He Was Just Plane Nuts [NYP]

[Photo: NYDN]