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Frontier goes head-to-head on a staple Southwest route
Zach Griff
Senior reporter
Zach Griff is a senior reporter at TPG. He writes travel and product reviews, deep dives into loyalty programs, news about the airline industry and more.
July 19, 2022
•
3 min read
Frontier goes head-to-head on a staple Southwest route
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Frontier Airlines just announced a new route between two of Southwest Airlines' biggest bases.
The Denver-based ultra-low-cost carrier unveiled plans on Tuesday to connect Denver (DEN) with Houston Hobby (HOU) beginning Sept. 7.
Frontier will operate once-daily flights between the two cities, with intro fares starting at $69 for the one-way travel (excluding ancillary services, such as bags and seat assignments).
Frontier's new Denver-to-Houston Hobby flight will join the carrier's existing service from the Mile High City to the larger George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston, which already operates on an up-to-daily frequency.
Frontier's decision to start serving Houston's secondary airport from Denver is based on strong demand, according to Daniel Shurz, the carrier's senior vice president of commercial. "There is strong consumer demand for flights between these two destinations and consumers can now enjoy the convenience and affordability of Frontier's 'Low Fares Done Right.," Shurz said in a statement.
Frontier last connected Denver and the William P. Hobby airport in July 2012, according to Cirum schedules, so the carrier seems to believe there's enough demand to warrant adding flights between the two airports once again.
Southwest has been the only airline in the market for the past decade, offering up to eight daily flights between the two airports.
Back in 2019, Southwest commanded an average gross fare of $137 for flights between Denver and Hobby and that number dropped to $99 for 2021, according to Department of Transportation data analyzed by Cirium. Southwest enplaned over 225,000 passengers on the route in 2019 and just over 175,000 in 2021.
Without any other competitors, Frontier could see an opportunity to muscle in and take some of the existing market share between the two cities, possibly by undercutting the competition with its low base fares.
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Related: Frontier adds 2 new airports in 13-route expansion
In fact, that seems to be what's been happening on the route between Denver and Houston Intercontinental.
Both Frontier and Spirit, the nation's two largest ultra-low-cost carriers, operate the route with average gross fares of $34 and $42 in 2021, respectively.
Compared to the $143 average fare that United charges and $104 that Southwest charges, these discounters aim to attract more customers with their lower fares. (Note that these figures exclude additional ancillaries, such as bags and seat assignments.)
Frontier's presence in Hobby is growing to four nonstop routes with the addition of Denver. Earlier this year, the carrier (re)added the airport to its route map, with three routes that all commenced in late May.
In addition to Denver, Frontier flies from Hobby to Cancun (CUN), Las Vegas (LAS) and Orlando (MCO).
Featured image by ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Best for dining at restaurants
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Go to reviewCard Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | 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. |
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$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
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.Pros
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- 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.