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Frontier Airlines to launch 22 new routes in December, including first to Colorado’s Vail

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Even as Frontier Airlines executives say they’re seeing the budget carrier’s finances improve, the airline is making another sweeping network adjustment as the winter months approach.

The Denver-based low-cost airline announced nearly two dozen routes Tuesday, each of which will launch in mid-December.

As part of the changes, Frontier will launch a handful of new flights between New England and Florida. It’ll also double down on its fast growth in cities like Chicago, Houston, Cleveland and Cincinnati.

And it’ll begin all-new service to one of Colorado’s most popular skiing destinations: Just ahead of the holiday season, the carrier will launch three new routes from major U.S. cities to Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE) near Vail.

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Pool at the Grand Hyatt Vail. JENNIFER YELLIN/THE POINTS GUY

In all, Frontier is launching 22 new routes between Dec. 17 and Dec. 20. Among those routes, the carrier has previously flown about half within the past decade. The rest are entirely new to the airline.

The biggest winner? It’s a tie between Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which each get four new pins on Frontier’s route map.

The new service adds to already-fast growth for Frontier at both airports. This year, the airline’s total number of seats departing O’Hare will rise 125% over 2023, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. Meanwhile, Frontier will operate more than 4,300 flights from LAX this year after not serving the airport in 2023.

Another winner in Frontier’s latest update: California’s Palm Springs International Airport (PSP), which returns to the carrier’s route map for the first time since 2021 with flights to both Denver and San Francisco.

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Frontier’s 22 routes added

Here’s the full rundown of Frontier’s 22 new (or resumed) routes:

Route Launches Frequency Last served
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Miami International Airport (MIA) Dec. 17 Four weekly round trips 2023
BOS to Tampa International Airport (TPA) Dec. 17 Daily 2020-21
Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (BTV) to Orlando International Airport (MCO) Dec. 20 Four weekly round trips 2022
BTV-TPA Dec. 20 Three weekly round trips New
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) to Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) Dec. 21 Weekly 2020
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) to PBI Dec. 21 Weekly New
Denver International Airport (DEN) to PSP Dec. 12 Three weekly round trips 2021, and more regularly before the pandemic
DEN-EGE Dec. 19 Twice weekly New
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to EGE Dec. 16 Twice weekly New
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to EGE Dec. 21 Weekly New
Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) to LAX Dec. 17 Daily New
IAH-MIA Dec. 17 Three weekly round trips New
LAX to Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon Dec. 17 Daily New
LAX to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) Dec. 17 Daily New
LAX to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) Dec. 17 Daily New
ORD to Fort Myers’ Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) Dec. 17 Four weekly round trips Last regularly scheduled service in 2021
ORD-TPA Dec. 17 Daily Last regularly scheduled service in 2021
ORD-PBI Dec. 18 Three weekly round trips 2017
ORD to Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) Dec. 18 Three weekly round trips 2020-21
PSP-SFO Dec. 12 Three weekly round trips New
Portland International Jetport (PWM) in Maine to TPA Dec. 18 Three weekly round trips 2022
Washington’s Dulles International Airport (IAD) to TPA Dec. 17 Daily 2015

Just the latest network shakeup for Frontier

Frontier kicked off 2024 by announcing 54 new routes in January, and has not let up since. The carrier has announced one major network adjustment after another as part of an effort to boost profitability; the airline has been aiming to steer clear of surging competition on domestic routes.

Related: Frontier slashes midweek flying and delays new jets but insists things are looking up

SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

After consecutive quarters of lackluster financial performance, CEO Barry Biffle recently noted the carrier is starting to see some more promising results — which coincides with numerous U.S. carriers trimming their schedules to better meet demand from customers.

“We’re seeing, over the last six weeks, a pretty good improvement versus where we expected,” Biffle told Wall Street analysts at the Sept. 11 Morgan Stanley Laguna Conference.

To date in 2024, Frontier had announced 114 new routes as of early August — and the shakeup has continued since then.

The airline did not specify what, if any, route cuts might coincide with this latest tranche of changes by Frontier. The carrier has routinely slashed scores of routes so far this year as part of its larger network shakeup.

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