- Frontier Airlines is expanding after the U.S. travel industry experienced a slump in airfare bookings earlier this year.
- Low-budget airlines are adding premium features to their services, such as first-class seats, to increase profitability.
- The new nonstop flight from Salt Lake City to Southern California will operate twice a week, starting on Oct. 9.
Frontier Airlines recently announced 15 new routes, including a direct flight from Salt Lake City International Airport to John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California, to start this fall.
The expansion move comes after the U.S. travel industry experienced a slump in airfare bookings in May, after the initial tariffs announcements, per Forbes. Low-budget airlines were the most affected.
Frontier’s new routes seem to be an effort to solidify the airline’s position in the domestic market, where most airlines are losing money, per Reuters.
Last year, the Denver-based airline introduced revamped policies under its flagship program — “The New Frontier." The changes, meant to provide an enhanced costumer experience, include transparent pricing, no change fees and perks for elite members.
Premium traveling offerings are a growing trend from low-budget airlines to combat the volatile economic changes and increase profits.
JetBlue, for example, announced last December plans to add first-class seats to shorter domestic flight, per CNBN.
Reuters reported the number of premium seats in the U.S. domestic market has increased by 14% since 2019, more than three times the growth in main cabin seats, according to data from Visual Approach Analytics.
Frontier is following suit with a retrofitting of the first two rows into first-class seats.
“Now is a better time than ever for travelers to make Frontier their airline of choice,” Josh Flyr, vice president of network and operations design at Frontier Airlines, said in a press release.
From Salt Lake International Airport, Frontier offers nonstop flights to Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Dallas, Portland, and Ontario, Canada.
The new nonstop flight from Salt Lake City to Southern California will operate twice a week, starting on Oct. 9.
Other direct flights in the West
Arizona, now has two direct flights to Texas: one from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to San Antonio, which will operate three times a week, and another one from Tucson to Dallas-Fort Worth, operating twice a week.
Out of Denver, the airline’s headquarters, travelers will be able to fly to four new destinations.
| SERVICE TO: | SERVICE START: | SERVICE FREQUENCY: |
|---|---|---|
| New York (JFK) | October 8, 2025 | 3x/week |
| Corpus Christi, Texas (CRP) | October 9, 2025 | 2x/week |
| Tulsa, Okla. (TUL) | October 12, 2025 | 2x/week |
| Richmond, Va. (RIC) | October 19, 2025 | 2x/week |