By Maxx Robert 
Denver-based Frontier Airlines is one of the leading Ultra Low-Cost Airlines (ULCA) in the US. With its origin in 1994, the company’s service delivery concentrated on low-cost fare services that targeted cost-sensitive travelers desiring economical transportation for domestic and some international links in North America, the Caribbean, and Central America regions.
1. Business Model: The Ultra-Low-Cost Approach
Frontier Airlines is a ULCC provider; thus it has lower base fares than other airlines approximately $15 to $25 cheaper but charges fees for services. This model is planned to give the passengers the possibility to pay only for the extras they are willing to use. Services that might incur additional fees include:
Checked and carry-on baggage
Choice of a particular seat, especially, additional space or a specific row.
In-flight refreshments
Priority boarding
Because Frontier has decided to unbundle some of its services, ticket prices remain as low as possible, with the thinking going that consumers would be willing to pay for the extras. The fulfillment is an à la carte system of combining different products to create a travel experience that customers desire.
2. Fleet and Environmental Initiatives
Currently, Frontier Airlines has a young fleet comprised of aircraft of the Airbus A320 family, the particular type being Airbus A320ne Airlines has also invested in the newest version, the Airbus A320neo. To be more specific, the airline has long been associated with fuel efficiency, and the A320neo models are considered one of the handful of airplanes with the lowest fuel consumption in the current aviation industry.
The airline has also signaled its transformational intent to become the “Greenest Airline in America” as well. Frontier has spent in more efficient planes and in lighter weight cabin configurations that it claims enable the company to use 43% more fuel per seat than its competitors. This has placed the airline in a strategic position socially as well as environmentally defeating the set record for emissions per passenger mile.
3. Destinations and Route Network
Frontier Airlines is a domestic airline that has its operations in more than 100 cities in the United States and some cities in the Caribbean and Central America. It operates hubs which are major cities like Denver (DEN), Orlando (MCO), Las Vegas (LAS) and Philadelphia (PHL) agrees that the airline reaches a wide coverage while at the same time operating efficiently.
Domestic operation by the airline is robust covering large cities, regions, and other small airports. The company operates from cities that have secondary airports and this saves operation costs greatly which in turn enables Frontier to offer cheap fares.
4. Unique Branding: The Animal-Tailed Planes
For instance, what can be considered one of the key components of branding is the image represented on the tails of the airplanes, which is linked to animals. Essentially, every plane is painted with a different animal from the pack including wolves, bears, dolphins, and bald eagles. This form of design and sensibility has become a true hallmark of the Frontier brand; it is unique when compared to other airlines and simply fun for a passenger. The airline also incorporates these mascots in their products and services marketing, as they occasionally include them in their marketing strategies and those of customer service.
5. Customer Experience and Reviews
Frontier Airlines operates within a market niche that expects to pay less for its services than for a luxury airline and thus passenger expectation must reflect this reality of the ULCC model. However, due to the low prices of its fares, the company experiences high demand, especially from the low-cost audience, although there are limitations including fees for services and customer complaints. Another frequent complaint relates to fees for additional services such as baggage and seat selection, so passengers should read the information about it and not be surprised.
Frontier has focused on enhancing its service delivery to its customers by providing more choices regarding inflight services and an enhanced mobile application on the digital platform. It also provides the “WORKS” package consisting of services such as a choice of a seat, carry-on bag, checking in a bag, and option for refunds for passengers who prefer conventional flights.
6. Loyalty Program: Discount Den and FRONTIER Miles
Two primary loyalty programs that Frontier Airlines provides are for the clients who continually fly and those who don’t want to spend much.
- FRONTIER Miles: The commercial passenger airline also has a loyalty program that allows passengers to gain miles for the taken flights, which can be used for flying later. It also does not have an expiry date on Frontier’s points so long as the account has been activated, unlike most other airline loyalty programs to accumulate and hence use Frontier. There is also an oligarch’s program with supplementary privileges to get included in family sharing of points, free check of bags, and priority in seating.
- Discount Den: This is a paid service that will allow users to have dial-up access to special fare prices. The membership is very affordable to a minimal fee annually but for regular travelers, particularly the integrated family, it is very pocket-friendly because the prices cut across all passengers on the same booking reference number.
7. Challenges and Future Prospects
Probably like any airline Frontier Airlines has passed through its set of challenges. The global outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 which led to an unprecedented reduced demand on air travel affected Frontier and it was forced to cut its flight schedules. Nonetheless, because of the ultra-low-cost model, it was about to recover much faster than some of its peers because it mostly relies on leisure travelers who started flying in much plenty than business travelers.
Therefore focusing on the course in the future, Frontier Airlines is enhancing its route map and uplifting the aircraft fleet along with an emphasis on operational performance and environmental concerns. Whether it continues to post impressive results in the ULCC market sector with this specification of unbundled prices and model of operation has to do with maintaining a satisfactory scorecard on both customer satisfaction and the cost side of the equation of travel.
Conclusion
Frontier Airlines has been able to sustain a unique position considering that the competition in the United States is greatly intense through providing ultra-low fare with an unbundled service delivery system. Such consideration is important for cost-conscious clients as it is efficient and sustainable, especially for travelers who do not travel for business purposes. As you will soon see, certain inherent risks stem from an ultra-low-cost structure, but Frontier continues to be favored by consumers looking for low prices and more free choices.
As a result of more focus on environmental responsibility and new route expansion, Frontier Airlines should continue to be a dominant force in the ULCC industry for the next several years.