Frontier Airlines of Denver is adding six new routes out of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport as it seeks to grab the title of America’s low-fare king from South Florida-based Spirit Airlines, a carrier it repeatedly has failed to acquire.
“Frontier is not just about delivering low fares — we’ve made major enhancements, from product upgrades to the most rewarding loyalty program, and investments in technology and service, as part of The New Frontier,” said CEO Barry Biffle in a statement made public Tuesday. “That’s why Frontier is America’s Low Fare Airline, delivering the best value every day.”
He added that as airlines around the industry revamp their networks in search of the most profitable routes, “we want to ensure consumers in those markets continue to have affordable flight options.”
The carrier’s latest route overhaul initiative is intended to attract new business in 20 U.S. metropolitan areas as well as in Latin America.
“We are aiming to be the leading low-fare carrier in the top 20 metros in the U.S., and are thrilled to announce these new routes from Fort Lauderdale as a key step towards that mission,” said Josh Flyr, vice president of network and operations design.
The nationwide and Latin America additions are scheduled to start toward the end of this year and during the front end of 2026 with some introductory one-way fares as low as $29. The Latin America add-ons are mainly from Houston to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The airline is adding flights to Cancun, Mexico, out of Baltimore and Detroit..
The new routes from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International are all to and from large U.S. cities.
They include:
Baltimore: Nov. 20, three times a week with a $39 introductory fare.
Chicago (O’Hare International): Nov. 20, three times a week with a $39 introductory fare.
Dallas: (DFW): Nov. 20, three times a week with a $39 introductory fare.
Detroit: Nov. 20, three times a week, with a $49 introductory fare.
Charlotte: Nov. 21, three times a week with a $49 introductory fare
Houston (IAH): Nov. 22, weekly with a $29 introductory fare.
From Miami International Airport, Frontier on Nov. 21 is adding three-times a week service to Detroit.
According to the airline, these are the terms for introductory fares:
Tickets must be purchased by 11:59 pm Eastern time on Sept. 1, 2025.
Sale fares are valid for non-stop travel on select days of the week, Oct. 20, 2025, through Jan. 5, 2025.
The following travel blackout dates apply: Nov. 23-30, 2025; Dec. 1, 21-31, 2025; Jan. 1-2, 2026.
Not all markets are available for all dates of travel. Round-trip purchase is not required.
Broad expansion program
As of June, Frontier ranked ninth in passengers served at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, with 1.7% of the local market, according to Broward County Aviation Department statistics. Spirit, despite its recent trip through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, remains in first place with 28.1% and JetBlue Airways second at 19%.
Over the years, Frontier has had an on-and-off relationship with Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International. It left the airport in 2017, returned in late 2018, and departed yet again in the spring of 2020, citing greater opportunities to draw domestic and international passengers via Miami International Airport.
Frontier, which now serves all three of South Florida’s international airports, returned to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood in 2022, the year it made a bid to take over Dania Beach-based Spirit. That initiative failed when it was outbid by JetBlue Airways. whose takeover of Spirit was blocked by a federal judge on antitrust grounds.
Frontier made another run to acquire Spirit while the latter carrier was in Chapter 11. But the Frontier bid was rejected amid opposition by Spirit’s leading creditors.
The anticipated new round of flights by Frontier at Fort Lauderdale comes as Spirit continues to struggle to right itself financially. Although both carriers are losing money, Frontier appears to be in a stronger position with more cash on hand and a shorter distance to profitability.
Earlier this month, Frontier Group Holdings inc., the airline’s parent, posted a second-quarter net loss of $70 million on $929 million in revenues.
Spirit had a net loss of $245.8 million for the period, issued a warning to investors of its ability to continue as a going concern, and drew down its entire credit line by borrowing $275 million. In the meantime, it is in the process of furloughing and demoting pilots.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Spirit also has hired three consulting firms to help plot its future.
Both budget carriers have added upgrades to their service menus in a bid to draw more passengers and fend off larger full-service airlines that are using their sheer size and pricing power to cut into the discount carriers’ market shares.
While Spirit has reduced flying and focused on routes that it hopes will yield more business, Frontier has been more aggressive by adding more cities, large and small.
Frontier’s latest move to add flying in 20 U.S. cities comes after a previous 15-city initiative in July that saw the airline schedule more flights this fall with debuts in Corpus Christi, Texas, and Richmond, Va., as well as a return to Tulsa, Okla.
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