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Frontier and Spirit to merge creating 5th largest airline in U.S.

Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines, the two largest low-cost carriers in the U.S. have agreed to merge, creating what would become the fifth largest airline in the country. The boards of both companies approved the deal over the weekend, prior to the CEOs of both airlines announcing the agreement in New York City.

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miamiair wrote:

Frontier and Spirit to merge creating 5th largest airline in U.S.

Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines, the two largest low-cost carriers in the U.S. have agreed to merge, creating what would become the fifth largest airline in the country. The boards of both companies approved the deal over the weekend, prior to the CEOs of both airlines announcing the agreement in New York City.

Link

This just means I will have one fewer airline to avoid at all costs.

Nothing of value was lost

halls120 wrote:
This just means I will have one fewer airline to avoid at all costs.

Yup, although Frontier and Sprit have never had the pleasure of my asscheeks in one of their seats.

captoveur wrote: Nothing of value was lost

It'll be cool to see how many tenths of an inch those Spirit guys will squeeze out of a Frontier seat. Or vice versa.

Misery loves company!

I do hope they keep the Frontier tails though. The world doesn't need any more Spirit high-vis yellow.

JLAmber wrote:Misery loves company!

I do hope they keep the Frontier tails though. The world doesn't need any more Spirit high-vis yellow.

With Spirit's abysmal record of late flights and cancellations (and aircraft that catch fire - happened to my Brother/Sister-in-law last year) I'd be surprised if any "Spirit" identification remains.

Frontier is no prize but their livery and performance is better, IMO, than Spirit by a margin.

I do like the tails on Frontier

I did not see this coming! Maybe I've lost my avgeek touch?

Anyway, I do hope that the Frontier identity prevails, not just because it's "the home team."

JLAmber wrote:Misery loves company!

I do hope they keep the Frontier tails though. The world doesn't need any more Spirit high-vis yellow.

I agree, while I likely won't fly Frontier their livery is my favorite of current US liveries. It is nice to get different unique aircraft and I haven't collected each of the animals yet.

Maybe they could keep the Spirit name but Frontier animals - call themselves Spirit of the Wild or something.

What are the odds that the merged entity is called Frontier Spirit?

Think of the marketing opportunities!
- Flush lavs replaced by outhouses (basically the same thing minus the flush)
- Individual seats replaced by hard benches
- Seatbelts? What are they?
- Expensive IFE replaced by a random dude with a banjo.
- Buy on board options are beef jerky, beef jerky and beef jerky.

captoveur wrote:Nothing of value was lost

My wife and I have flown Frontier several times. Departed on time, arrived on time. Flight wasn't any different than many I've had on other airlines. They're going to fly through the same turbulence as everyone else, if there is an ATC program in effect they are going to take a delay hit same as everyone else, if there is a mandatory reroute they'll be assigned it just like everyone else.

As to Spirit, I've never been able to get past their bizarre home page but like so many others, I've heard more bad than good. Best of luck serving their customers. I don't think they are as bargain basement as many think they are. Once you start adding up all the add-ons, the price becomes comparable to what you can find on an internet search of the majors depending on how far out you are looking.

PA110 wrote:What are the odds that the merged entity is called Frontier Spirit?

Think of the marketing opportunities!

They could park their planes in a circle at night to stop other LCCs from attacking.

PA110 wrote:- Buy on board options are beef jerky, beef jerky and beef jerky.

Or a ladle of beans from the pot!

JLAmber wrote:

PA110 wrote:- Buy on board options are beef jerky, beef jerky and beef jerky.

Or a ladle of beans from the pot!

At least we'd get a hot meal somewhere that way with those beans....

Now the problem is, when those beans kick in and you have to pay to use the lav and the long lines those cause.

Seriously, are the airlines allowed to charge to use the loo`s?
I would have thought that was illegal.
Maybe for number 2`s, but if it`s just a number 1, it`s free.

paul mcallister wrote:Seriously, are the airlines allowed to charge to use the loo`s?
I would have thought that was illegal.
Maybe for number 2`s, but if it`s just a number 1, it`s free.

No airline currently charges to use the toilet. Ryanair thought about it, though. Ryanair, IIRC, requires you to ask a FA to use the loo... just like in school. Apparently, it's to prevent there being queues in the aisle.

That wasn't the case last time I flew Ryanair, though it could be a more recent COVID thing. A lot of airlines do ask people not to queue for front toilets though due to their proximity to the flight deck door (and presumably they don't want people lurking in the galley area either when it's there)

JetBlue says - not so fast

CO777ER wrote:JetBlue says - not so fast

Interesting. Saw that on the news this morning.

What motive does B6 have in grabbing NK. What do they have in common? Nothing.

B6 is a pretty decent airline. NK is a crap show. They compliment each other not at all.

Wonder what AA thinks of this, given their partnership in the Northeast with B6.

ANCFlyer wrote:Interesting. Saw that on the news this morning.

What motive does B6 have in grabbing NK. What do they have in common? Nothing.

Aircraft. Same fleet types. Average age of JetBlue 11.9 years. Average age of Spirit 6.9. Even younger if you eliminate the A319's.

https://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/JetBlue%20Airways.htm

https://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/Spirit%20Airlines.htm

That doesn't even begin to examine the long term benefits to the elimination of a low cost competitor.

As DXing says, a B6/NK merger eliminates a ULCC competitor right in their back yard, plus it gives B6 an expanded footprint in the Caribbean. It'll be interesting seeing how this plays out, what the regulators say. I suspect if B6/NK were to go through, it would probably require giving up some slots at FLL.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/s ... 2aea45b546

NK tells B6 to pound sand ...