Frontier Airlines offers free bag deal after rival Southwest drops policy
Passengers prepare to board a Frontier flight at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma. Credit: Barry Sloan
Frontier Airlines is offering passengers a free checked bag in a promotion taking direct aim at Southwest after the rival budget airline dropped its longtime "bags fly free" policy.
On Tuesday, Frontier announced its "ultimate 'divorce your old airline' deal," which includes a free economy bundle for passengers booking through Aug. 18. The bundle comes with a free carry-on bag, free seat selection and free flight changes. For flights departing May 28 through Aug. 18, passengers booking by Monday can also bring a free checked bag.
The announcement comes a week after Dallas-based Southwest Airlines announced that checked bags would no longer fly free — ending a policy popular with customers for decades. The change will apply to flights booked on or after May 28, the airline said.
Southwest customers traveling on business select fares and certain rewards members will still be able to check one to two free bags, according to a news release.
Customers with a Southwest credit card can also still check one free bag.
Both Southwest and Frontier fly out of Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma.
In a presentation at the J.P. Morgan Industrials Conference last week, company officials said Southwest has faced “significant cost pressures” in recent years from factors such as new labor agreements and investments in information technology.
One of the reasons behind Southwest's decision to drop their checked bag policy may have been pressure from investors and shareholders to increase profitability, said Andrew Forman, chair of marketing, international business and legal studies at Hofstra University's Zarb School of Business.
The commercial airline industry raked in more than $5 billion from bag fees in the first three quarters of 2024, according to federal data. Southwest made a little over $62 million from bag fees in that same period, less than all but two of the 13 airlines included in the data set.
The airline’s share values jumped the same day as the announcement, from around $27.65 per share to $30.53, and has continued to climb since then. Competitors such as Delta and American saw their stock values drop in the same period.
But, Forman said, Southwest's "bags fly free" policy differentiated the airline from competitors and has been a centerpiece of the company's branding strategy for years.
Frontier's new promotion is a way to capitalize on the policy change, he said. "It amplifies the fact that Southwest no longer has this policy."
The budget airline is likely hoping that they'll see a big enough boost in passengers that will "more than offset the revenue that they will lose by offering free bag checking," Forman added.
Frontier made nearly $650 million in bag fees in the first three fiscal quarters of 2024, according to federal data.
Frontier Airlines is offering passengers a free checked bag in a promotion taking direct aim at Southwest after the rival budget airline dropped its longtime "bags fly free" policy.
On Tuesday, Frontier announced its "ultimate 'divorce your old airline' deal," which includes a free economy bundle for passengers booking through Aug. 18. The bundle comes with a free carry-on bag, free seat selection and free flight changes. For flights departing May 28 through Aug. 18, passengers booking by Monday can also bring a free checked bag.
The announcement comes a week after Dallas-based Southwest Airlines announced that checked bags would no longer fly free — ending a policy popular with customers for decades. The change will apply to flights booked on or after May 28, the airline said.
Southwest customers traveling on business select fares and certain rewards members will still be able to check one to two free bags, according to a news release.
Customers with a Southwest credit card can also still check one free bag.
Both Southwest and Frontier fly out of Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma.
In a presentation at the J.P. Morgan Industrials Conference last week, company officials said Southwest has faced “significant cost pressures” in recent years from factors such as new labor agreements and investments in information technology.
One of the reasons behind Southwest's decision to drop their checked bag policy may have been pressure from investors and shareholders to increase profitability, said Andrew Forman, chair of marketing, international business and legal studies at Hofstra University's Zarb School of Business.
The commercial airline industry raked in more than $5 billion from bag fees in the first three quarters of 2024, according to federal data. Southwest made a little over $62 million from bag fees in that same period, less than all but two of the 13 airlines included in the data set.
The airline’s share values jumped the same day as the announcement, from around $27.65 per share to $30.53, and has continued to climb since then. Competitors such as Delta and American saw their stock values drop in the same period.
But, Forman said, Southwest's "bags fly free" policy differentiated the airline from competitors and has been a centerpiece of the company's branding strategy for years.
Frontier's new promotion is a way to capitalize on the policy change, he said. "It amplifies the fact that Southwest no longer has this policy."
The budget airline is likely hoping that they'll see a big enough boost in passengers that will "more than offset the revenue that they will lose by offering free bag checking," Forman added.
Frontier made nearly $650 million in bag fees in the first three fiscal quarters of 2024, according to federal data.
Brianne Ledda covers the Town of Islip for Newsday. She previously covered Southold and Greenport for The Suffolk Times and is a graduate of Stony Brook University.
This is a modal window.
Social Security ending phone service ... St. John's tonight ... What's up on LI? ... Get the latest news and more great videos at NewsdayTV
Top Stories
This is a modal window.
Social Security ending phone service ... St. John's tonight ... What's up on LI? ... Get the latest news and more great videos at NewsdayTV
Most Popular
