Major expansion: Frontier Airlines adds 9 new Atlanta routes, including new Caribbean destination
Frontier Airlines is making a splash at the world’s busiest airport.
The Denver-based ultra-low-cost carrier is planning to significantly increase its flights out of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) over the coming months.
That includes nine new destinations the airline unveiled Thursday — which will see Frontier go head-to-head on a handful of routes with Atlanta’s dominant hometown carrier (Delta Air Lines) and make the airport one of the largest bases in its network.
Calling premium flyers: Frontier Airlines announces first-class seats, companion pass for high-level elite status
As part of the expansion, Frontier will launch nonstop flights to a slew of new destinations from Atlanta.
Among those are two all-new international destinations for the carrier in Aruba and Honduras.
Along with those two new pins in its map, Frontier will launch nonstop service to a handful of large and medium cities, such as St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri; Columbus, Ohio; and Oklahoma City.
There are a few Florida vacation spots thrown in, too, including Jacksonville, West Palm Beach and Fort Myers.
“Frontier’s expansion is proof that ATL remains the airport of choice for airlines looking to scale as we are committed to providing the infrastructure, efficiency and passenger experience to support the growth," Jan Lennon, ATL's interim general manager, said in a statement announcing the news.
Frontier’s 9 new ATL routes
Here’s the full rundown of Frontier’s nine new Atlanta routes unveiled Thursday — each of which is planned to launch either just before or just after the start of the summer travel rush.
| Route | Launches | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
ATL to Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers International Airport (OKC) | May 22 | Three times weekly |
ATL to Kansas City International Airport (MCI) | May 23 | Three times weekly |
ATL to Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA) in Aruba | May 24 | Weekly |
ATL to Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport (SAP) in San Pedro Sula, Honduras | June 12 | Three times weekly |
ATL to St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) | June 12 | Four times weekly |
ATL to Fort Myers’ Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) | June 12 | Twice weekly |
ATL to Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) | June 12 | Twice weekly |
ATL to Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) | June 13 | Twice weekly |
ATL to John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) | June 13 | Three times weekly |
Most of these routes from Atlanta are entirely new to Frontier.
It previously flew three of these ATL routes within the past decade: St. Louis (last flown with regularly scheduled service in 2022), Kansas City (2017) and West Palm Beach (2023).
Meanwhile, Aruba and San Pedro Sula in Honduras are new destinations for Frontier.
Read more: Best all-inclusives in Aruba for a perfect Caribbean vacation
Frontier's larger ATL expansion
For Frontier, Thursday’s announcement signified larger growth hopes at ATL — an airport where Delta reigns supreme and there's little competition on the low-cost end of the airline spectrum.
Filling a void left by Southwest Airlines
As TPG has reported, Southwest Airlines has dramatically scaled back its presence at the airport in recent months, with many Atlanta (and Oakland, California) flights being shifted to cities where the Dallas-based carrier is focusing its 2025 growth, such as Nashville and Sacramento, Southwest executives said last month.
During the first half of 2025, Southwest’s total number of seats offered out of Atlanta will be down by 33% over last year, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. That’s after a nearly 10% drop in seats between 2023 and 2024.
Did Southwest’s pullback signal an opportunity for a budget airline to scale up in Atlanta?
Frontier sees opportunity in Atlanta
Frontier, for its part, was already on track — prior to Thursday’s announcement — to increase its Atlanta seats by more than a fifth during the first half of this year.
Related: I tried Frontier's UpFront Plus, featuring a blocked middle seat. Calling it 'premium' is a stretch
By summer, Frontier’s Atlanta departures will be up by around 40% compared to last year, with close to 60 daily departures, the carrier said when announcing the news Thursday.
The increased footprint at ATL will make the airport one of Frontier's top three bases in the U.S. — its Denver International Airport (DEN) home base and Orlando International Airport (MCO) outpost will be the other two, Frontier executives noted at a news conference in Atlanta on Thursday.
“We are thrilled to partner with the leadership at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to significantly grow our operations and bring more low-cost flight options to Atlanta consumers,” Frontier president James Dempsey said in a statement.
As part of its Atlanta expansion, the carrier plans to take advantage of the airport’s recently expanded Concourse E — which, we should note, is also home to ATL’s stunning new(ish) Centurion Lounge, perhaps the nicest airport club in the American Express portfolio.
How to get in: Everything you need to know about accessing Amex Centurion Lounges
Delta not backing down
We should note that despite Frontier’s gains, Delta isn’t ceding any of its Atlanta turf.
This year, its total number of departing flights will rise by around 11%, per Cirium, helped, in part, by the carrier bringing back more and more of its Delta Connection regional flights to smaller cities.
Delta is also planning to upgrade or expand a handful of ATL lounges in 2025, including an all-new Sky Club set to open later this spring.
Related reading:
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.