Frontier Airlines: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Frontier Airlines is a discount-fare airline (similar to Southwest Airlines). A different airline with the same name went bankrupt in the 1980s after an acquisition by People Express. The original Frontier Airlines was known for a high quality in-flight services. Frontier's original Hub Stapleton Airport in Denver, Colorado was highly contested with Continental Airlines, United Airlines and People Express all choosing that hub at one point or another.

Frank Lorenzo eventually merged the failing People Express, Frontier Airlines, Texas Air and Continental Airlines together. The combined entity went bankrupt with only the Continental Airlines brand surving.

A new Frontier Airlines was created in 1994 by former Frontier executives.

Frontier 737 in 1979

Frontier Airlines, like its predecesor, was launched using Boeing 737 jets but has since started switching to Airbus A319 and Airbus A318. Just like the original Frontier, it flies out of Denver, Colorado. Unlike the old airline, it is out of Denver International Airport, and not Stapleton Airport and directly competes only with United Airlines and not with Continental Airlines or the now defunct People Express. The planes used in the airline's reincarnation are noted for colorful depictions of wildlife on their vertical stabilizers. In the late 1990s, Frontier began purchasing Airbus aircraft and offering DIRECTV in-flight television (on its new aircraft).

The current Frontier has routes extending from coast to coast and to Mexico, with connections through Denver. It also operates a "Focus City" in Los Angeles and flies direct to Mexico in several smaller cities. Frontier currently uses Concourse A at Denver International Airport for most of its flights.

Fleet

• Boeing 737-300
• Airbus A319
• Airbus A318

Basically, an all white fuselage with charcoal black large billboard-style "Frontier" titles on the sides of the aircraft. Frontier uses nature photography on the stabilizers and winglets of the airplanes to produce a distinctive look touted in their advertisements along with their new slogan: "A Whole Different Animal."

Frontier Airlines is occasionally confused with Fairbanks, Alaska-based Frontier Flying Service, because of the similarity in name. Passengers at Anchorage International Airport are especially prone to this confusion, because both Frontiers fly out of this airport, albeit from different terminals.

Frontier Airlines uses the IATA designator code F9.