Frontier Airlines adds 3 new San Diego routes, makes push against bigger rivals

Frontier Airlines will add three new flights to and from San Diego International Airport (SAN) this summer, bolstering its presence in Southern California.

Starting June 12, the budget carrier will fly between SAN and Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) daily. The next day, Frontier will begin operating four flights each week between SAN and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), as well as three flights per week from SAN to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC).

The new flights bring Frontier's total number of routes from San Diego up to eight. The airline currently operates service from SAN to Denver International Airport (DEN), Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

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"We are thrilled to announce these three additional routes as we continue to grow our presence in San Diego," Josh Flyr, Frontier's network lead, said in a statement.

While Frontier clearly believes there's plenty of demand between the city pairs, it's not alone; the carrier will face steep competition on each of the routes.

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For instance, there are already 220 flights in each direction between SAN and SLC for June, according to data from Cirium; the flights are operated by Alaska Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines and, most prolifically on the route, Delta Air Lines, which accounts for 146 of those flights. Meanwhile, there are about 270 flights in each direction between SAN and ORD, flown by American Airlines and United Airlines.

Still, Frontier often takes a strategy similar to fellow ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit, offering a stripped-down, bare-bones product at a low price while competing directly against legacy carriers. This differs from other airlines like Breeze Airways that prefer to avoid direct competition by operating between city pairs with no existing nonstop service.

However, the strategy of competing with no-frills and low fares has been hit hard in recent years, as the legacy airlines have introduced and fine-tuned their own basic economy options. In response, budget carriers, including Frontier, have taken a page out of the legacies' book, offering more options and services.

For instance Frontier allows passengers to pay to block middle seats in their rows, giving them more space, along with extra legroom. The airline also recently announced that it will begin offering first-class seats later this year. Spirit — which Frontier has expressed interest in acquiring — is shaking up its offering with new segmented fares and cabins.

Time will tell whether the new routes work for Frontier, though we likely won't have to wait very long: Frontier is famous for pulling new routes almost as quickly as it launches them, preferring to read initial market signs and cut its losses instead of taking time to see if a new market can develop.

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