Frontier, spiritual scrap change, cancellation fees

Ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) travelers could save money in the future as two major ULCCs make major changes to their fare structures to offer travelers more flexibility and compete with other airlines.

Frontier Airlines announced in May that it would waive change and cancellation fees for travelers on flights in the week before their scheduled departure, meaning changes or cancellations can be made free of charge up until departure .

Shortly after Frontier revealed its changes, Spirit Airlines announced that it would also be waiving change and cancellation fees effective immediately.

Both carriers launched major additions to PIT this year, including Frontier’s new twice-daily service to Philadelphia (PHL) as well as flights to Atlanta (ATL), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Raleigh-Durham (RDU).

In May, Spirit launched daily, seasonal service to New York-LaGuardia, which will operate through the end of October, adding another low-cost option between Pittsburgh and New York. This week, Spirit will launch year-round daily service to Boston and daily, seasonal service to Houston-Intercontinental from PIT. This summer, Spirit also increased its service to Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando.

New frontier

Before the change, Frontier charged a $99 fee to customers looking to change or cancel their flights. It will only charge this fee to travelers looking for the carrier’s cheapest plan.

Frontier also announced a new fare structure that aims to be more transparent – ​​a shift in the carrier’s long-standing ultra-low-cost model that offered a la carte fares, seats and onboard amenities. It adds the following new fare classes:

• Basicstructured for budget-conscious travelers, comes with a personal item, and offers additional amenities available for purchase.
• Economywhich adds one free carry-on bag and one personal item, standard seat selection and no change or cancellation fees.
• Prime, which adds priority boarding and premium seat selection with additional overhead bin space.
• Business, which adds two free checked bags under 50 pounds. Business also adds Frontier’s extra legroom seats near the front of the plane and a guaranteed empty middle seat.

Additionally, Frontier will extend the validity of flight credits from three months to 12 months. It will also reintroduce live phone support for travelers in the 24 hours before the flight, as well as for Elite members of its FrontierMiles loyalty program.

Frontier CEO Barry Biffle says these changes mark the start of a new era for the airline.

“It’s ‘The New Frontier’ and we’re committed to more than just the lowest prices: we offer the best price for all the options you want and the customer support you need, when you need it.” , Biffle said in a statement. “No gimmicks, just really low prices and good customer service.”

The changes come shortly after Frontier launched the expansion of its network at Pittsburgh International Airport to the four new markets, which are also served by American (PHL, DFW, RDU), Southwest (ATL, DAL) , Delta (ATL) and Breeze (RDU). ).

The mind follows the movement

Spirit Airlines also reduces change and cancellation fees.

Previously, Spirit charged between $69 and $119 for changing or canceling a flight, depending on when travelers made the change, according to CNBC.

Spirit plans to introduce bundled fare plans, similar to Frontier’s, with options that were previously a la carte.

Spirit’s moves come after the airline signaled a shift in its first-quarter earnings release toward appealing to premium travelers. This includes a new merchandising strategy that the airline says will align with premium travel preferences that have gained popularity since emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s clear that we need to introduce some changes to reflect the new dynamics of the industry and make Spirit a more attractive option for the traveling public,” Spirit CEO Ted Christie said on the company’s conference call. airline’s quarterly results in March.

Amid these changes, Spirit is also expanding its PIT operations with the additions of New York, Boston and Houston. Larger carriers such as American, Delta and United also serve New York airports and Southwest serves Houston Hobby and United serves Houston-Intercontinental. JetBlue and Delta also fly to Boston.

Spirit’s additions bring the carrier’s network at PIT to 12 total destinations served nonstop year-round or seasonally.

ULCCs correspond to network operators

Frontier and Spirit now have change and cancellation fee policies that mirror those of larger network operators. American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have waived these fees during the pandemic.

Southwest Airlines does not charge its customers fees when changing or canceling tickets. Alaska Airlines also does not charge change fees more than 24 hours before departure. Travelers on JetBlue can also avoid change fees through the airline’s website before their flight’s scheduled departure time.

Additionally, the Biden administration has sought to strengthen enforcement by recently announcing new rules for airlines and travel companies, which include greater price transparency, disclosure of certain fees, and refunds in cash required.

The trade group Airlines for America, which represents major U.S. carriers, is challenging the administration’s new rules in federal court.

The industry believes Frontier’s changes are unrelated to the federal government’s new rules. Spirit said its price changes were also not related to the new rules, according to CNBC.