Is Frontier buying Spirit? Merge explained

FRONTIER and Spirit Airlines are known for their low-priced flying options.

In February 2022, the two airlines made headlines because of a new billion-dollar deal.

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Frontier Airlines has created a new business venture with Spirit[/caption]

Is Frontier buying Spirit?

In an attempt to create America’s fifth-largest airline, Frontier and Spirit have joined forces.

The airlines announced this new $6.6billion merger on February 7, 2022, however, it remains unclear what brand they will fly under or who is in control.

“This transaction is centered around creating an aggressive ultra-low fare competitor to serve our guests even better, expand career opportunities for our team members and increase competitive pressure, resulting in more consumer-friendly fares for the flying public,” Spirit CEO Ted Christie said in a statement, according to Fortune.

While the deal is a merger, Frontier is the purchasing airline and experts believe it will help bring more competition to the industry.

“This is the type of transaction the administration should in fact support,” Bill Franke, chair of Frontier’s board and the managing partner of Indigo Partners, Frontier’s majority shareholder, said in an interview Monday on CNBC, via CNN.

“It’s beneficial to the consumers. It’s beneficial to the employees. It’s beneficial to the communities that the airlines serve. And at the end of the day, even in combination, these two airlines will control less than 10% of the market.”

More details about the merger are expected to come at a later date.

Why are their airline tickets so cheap?

Frontier and Spirit are known for their low-fair options but it often comes with a catch.

While they may have cheap tickets, it often means that they do not include some of the features that are automatically included in other flights such as flexibility and carry-on luggage.

For example, most airlines allow customers one carry-on bag and one free personal item but Frontier only allows one personal item and a carry-on is an extra charge.

They also charge an additional amount for seat selection whereas other airlines will often let you choose some specific seats during the booking process.

The same standards go for Spirit flights unless you buy tickets through one of the company’s bundle options.

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The companies are merging[/caption]

How many routes are between the two airlines?

While the combination of two airlines may seem like it would increase routes, between the two airlines, there are only 519 routes that are served out of 2,832 combined routes, CNN reports.

Frontier’s main hub is located in Denver, Colorado, while Spirit’s is in Miramar, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area.

At this time, it remains unclear if this merge will offer new routes.