Frontier takes aim at Southwest by promoting free checked bags

• Frontier Airlines announced a new promotion on Tuesday that takes a direct swipe at rival Southwest Airlines over its recent move to end its long-standing perks of unassigned seating and a pair of free checked bags. Frontier now says that travelers can get an economy bundle that includes free seat selection, free flight changes and a fee-free carry-on bag, if they book now through March 24 on Frontier’s website or app.
• For trips departing May 28 through Aug. 18, Frontier says customers can include one free checked bag with the promo code “FREEBAG.”
• The promotion comes after Southwest revealed that starting on May 28, it will no longer offer two free checked bags.

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Where one airline has taken off, another has swooped in. Frontier Airlines announced a new promotion on Tuesday, March 18, that takes a direct swipe at rival Southwest Airlines over a recent move to end its long-standing perks of unassigned seating and a pair of free checked bags.

What do the new perks include?

Frontier now says travelers can get an economy bundle that includes free seat selection, free flight changes and a fee-free carry-on bag if they book now through March 24. The perk is for nonstop flights booked on Frontier’s website or app.

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For trips departing May 28 through Aug. 18, Frontier says customers can include one free checked bag with the promo code “FREEBAG.”

The promotion comes after Southwest revealed that, starting on May 28, it will no longer offer to check two bags for free. The policy was unique to the airline, and executives repeatedly promised they didn’t plan to change it.

What is Frontier’s CEO saying about the move?

Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle said, “Some airlines are walking away from what travelers love, but we’re running towards it. I think of this as the ultimate ‘divorce old airline’ deal. If travelers show us the love, we’ll make these perks permanent.”

How is Southwest responding?

Southwest dismissed Frontier’s jab and showcased its larger network of flights in a statement.

“You don’t need a promo code to avoid change fees, cancellation fees, view in-flight entertainment or bring along two carry-on items on Southwest,” the airline said. “We look forward to serving new customers in our unmatched network connecting more than 850 nonstop city pairs at 117 airports across the United States and 10 international countries.”

In Southwest’s announcement, the airline also says it plans to introduce basic economy tickets that don’t allow for changes.

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What are other airlines saying?

Executives at United and Spirit say they believe Southwest’s changes are welcome news to them. They say those customers are now “up for grabs” as the airline industry deals with a recent fall in demand for domestic air travel.