In preparation for the launch of its Lynx Aviation subsidiary, Frontier Airlines is adding frequencies and/or capacity to 17 of its top performing domestic markets to and from Denver. Reinforcing its hub service will allow Frontier to take advantage of the greatest profit potential for its fleet, said the airline, and will be used to support the start up of Lynx, which is expected to begin service next month. The new Lynx service is expected to increase hub connections. The additional seats will come from closing unprofitable routes.
"We made several changes to our revenue management process back in March and those changes, combined with greater traction in customer loyalty and recognition, have created record load factors and revenue growth for four straight months," said Frontier President and CEO Sean Menke. "The schedule changes we are making are focused on leveraging the strong demand we have seen in these markets. The additional Denver capacity will be critical to the start-up of Lynx in mid-December as it will allow us to protect the current traffic volume while providing the greatest potential for system contribution from connecting traffic via Lynx.
"The decision to cancel or suspend service in certain markets was difficult,” he continued, “…but as we continue to focus on sustained profitability, we will continue making strategic decisions that will help us fulfill our objective. To that end, we continue to analyze our fleet deployment as well as our fleet requirements as it relates to capacity needs going forward. We have a tremendous asset in our Denver hub and we are focused on leveraging that asset to the fullest extent possible to extract the maximum profitability from every aircraft in our fleet."
Discontinued or seasonally reduced service, all of which are effective in January, include its recently launched service between San Jose and Sacramento to Los Cabos and Puerta Vallarta; Memphis to Las Vegas, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale; and Denver-Guadalajara. Daily service from Denver to Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo becomes Saturday-only service Jan. 5 through April 12, 2008, and will be discontinued after April 12, 2008. Service to Cancun from Indianapolis, Nashville and St. Louis will be reduced to weekend service for the winter schedule and will be seasonally removed for the summer and early fall. Daily service from Denver to Vancouver will continue through Jan. 7 and will be seasonally discontinued, returning on May 9 in time for the summer cruise season. Daily service from Denver to Mazatlan will become three times a week beginning Jan. 10 and will move to five times a week beginning March 6.
All of the mainline additions will be aboard Frontier's new all-Airbus A319 and A318 fleet. The airline will add frequency and/or capacity to Atlanta, Billings, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Louisville (which will have two regional and two mainline flights daily), Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, Rapid City, San Diego, Seattle, Spokane, St. Louis and Tucson.