QUESTION: HOW DOES FRONTIER AIRLINES STAY IN BUSINESS?
This isn’t criticism. It’s just the opposite. I just want to know — how does Frontier Airlines stay in business and presumably earn a profit?
We live in the age of discount airlines. However, no airline offers deeper discounts than Frontier, most of the time. I’ve seen $59 one-way fares between Chicago O’Hare and Las Vegas, $29 fares direct to Los Angeles, and I’ve even flown Frontier once myself — which I think was $49 to Dallas. The flight was perfectly fine. These fares seem preposterously low, yet they are in effect most of the time. Oh, and I can’t even park my car for $49 at the airport for more than a few days. Hell, you might not be able to park on the Las Vegas Strip for that, certainly not on weekends.
Just think of how ridiculously expensive it is to run a major airline. And — Frontier Airlines has been around for a very long time. Gate fees. Insurance. Pilots. Mechanics. The operating costs on running an airline must be through the sky. For any airline to offer $119 round trip on a 2,000 mile flight seems like an instant money loser, and even with some added income streams for “perks,” the profits can’t be much.
Yeah, I know they up-charge passengers on everything. Extra leg room….that will be an extra $30. Early boarding….$25. A bottle of water….$5. Check a bag….$45. I totally get it. But even with these added fees, I still can’t imagine this airline is making money. Yet, it’s been around forever. I constantly see “specials” and fares for what looks like a bus ticket. Example: I can fly to Denver right now, and pay $89 round trip. That’s what it would cost to fill me with a tank of gas.
So, let’s say 150 people in any given Frontier Airlines flight are all paying DOUBLE that amount (yes, let’s DOUBLE the fare to make things easier to understand), which is $89 each way times 150 = $13,350 for the flight. Are you telling me an airline can pay two certified pilots, 3 flight attendants, ground services and baggage, airport gate fees, insurance, plane maintenance, fuel, and other operating costs and ———- come out ahead? How?
I really do want to know. How does Frontier, or the other airline discounters, make a profit? Obviously, they do and I am missing something.
Educate me.