Frontier offers free checked bag promotion to entice angry Southwest customers
Called "Your New Love," the limited-time deal includes a free carry-on plus a free checked bag with use of a promo code. Seat selection and flight changes are also free, according to Frontier.
"We've always had heart," Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle said in a statement Tuesday. "Some airlines are walking away from what travelers love, but we're running towards it. Think of this as the ultimate 'divorce your old airline' deal. If travelers show us the love, we'll make these perks permanent."
The deal is valid for flights departing May 28 — the same day Southwest says it will start charging customers to check in their bags — through Aug. 18. To take advantage of the deal, bookings must be made by March 24, using the promo code FREEBAG.
Biffle said that while the deal is temporary for now, it could become permanent if it proves to be a hit.
Frontier's pitch to travelers comes days after Southwest announced it would start
making customers pay for checked bags
, ending its free checked bags policy for the first time in the airline's 54-year history.
Beginning May 28, only Southwest's most elite Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred members and Business Select passengers will be able to check two bags for free. Frequent flyer A-List Members, Southwest-branded credit card holders and other select customers will be allowed one free checked bag.
All other passengers will have to pay to check in one or more bags on flights booked on or after May 28, according to the carrier.
Many Southwest loyalists lamented the move, which they say set the airline apart from its competition.
"Why would we still fly Southwest, because now they're just going to be same as every other flight," Southwest customer Howie Baker told
CBS Colorado
. "So whichever one is going to be cheaper and first is the one that we'll choose."
Budget airlines like Southwest and Frontier have struggled to appeal to customers following the pandemic, as consumer preferences shift toward more premium offerings.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Chicago Tribune
Officials: Portage IT changes are saving the city a bundle
Former Valparaiso Community Schools IT director Bill Moran is working with Portage's new one-person information technology department to arrange 'a tremendous amount of cuts and potential savings' for the city, Mayor Austin Bonta said. 'Everything that we're cutting or reducing here is something that we either no longer use or that we can get better or cheaper,' Portage IT director Trevor Cherechinsky said at Tuesday's City Council meeting. That will reduce spending this year, but next year it will make a bigger difference, Bonta said. Moran, who moved to Portage and asked how he could help his new city, is offering his services as a consultant. 'For all intents and purposes, this is our first IT budget,' he said, but he did many of them for the Valparaiso school district. Frontier 'has very little that we can use,' he said. Frontier uses 'antiquated copper wire that in many places is 60 to 80 years old,' he said. It's the same copper wire that dates back to Frontier predecessor Verizon and before that, General Telephone. 'We took a very deep dive into these services that we were looking at to make sure they were no longer being used,' Moran said. 'We wanted to make absolutely sure that the services we were going to cut were no longer being used or would not cause a deficit for that department.' That's especially true for emergency services. 'We made absolutely sure that was not the case,' Moran said. Reviewing the phone system took quite a bit of work. 'Frontier invoices are very confusing. It's like reading the DaVinci Code,' Moran said. The city is using voice over internet protocol instead of landlines, greatly reducing costs. 'I think we're looking at an annual cost of about $87,000 a year that we can reduce the IT budget by,' Moran said. Two months ago, the phone bill was about $3,000 a month but jumped to $7,000, so this was a good time to address it, Cherechinsky said. Going through all this took about a month and a half, he said. The city is working with Portage Township Schools on IT issues. The district pays about $700 a month for its phones compared to $4,500 for the city, and the schools have roughly four times as many phones as the city's 250, Cherechinsky said. Working with the school system as the city's IT provider will help costs drop dramatically, he said. Cybersecurity insurance premiums have dropped, too, because the city is no longer using a private company for its IT provider. That was a barrier to quite a few discounts through Microsoft and state government. Using a state grant, the city got antivirus software for free as well as training for employees on phishing scams. Portage has been safe from ransom attacks and cyberattacks so far, but municipalities and schools can be 'literally crippled' because someone clicked on a link and inadvertently allowed a hacker access to the system, Moran said. 'We're not in a safe world anymore.' Some employees might have been shamed during the training, but it's important to protect the city, he said. For the fire department, the city plans to buy more durable, more reliable tablets with a three-year warranty for $3,000 apiece, Cherechinsky said. The city will also switch from .com to .gov email addresses next year, he said. The IT department is also creating 'acceptable use' policies and determining how often devices should be replaced to keep everything current and functioning smoothly. In other business, the council raised fees for building permits and related work. It's been at least 10 years since the council last raised fees for the Planning and Community Development Department. The city is trying to get caught up on collecting the actual costs incurred by the city, Bonta said. In putting together the new fee structure, the city compared Portage's existing fees with municipalities in Porter and Lake counties and studied the department's actual costs. A permit for new construction will cost $600 plus 28 cents per square foot. A permit for a new industrial building will cost $800 plus 32 cents per square foot. The schedule of fees stretches across two pages. The council also tabled action again, this time indefinitely, a proposed fireworks ordinance that would aim to require safe disposal of used fireworks. Fine-tuning of the proposal, which began a few months ago, still isn't complete.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Shackleton Advisers acquires Chetwood Group
Shackleton Advisers has acquired the Chetwood Group, enhancing its footprint in the South West as part of its UK expansion strategy. The Chetwood Group comprises Chetwood Wealth Management, Chetwood Investment Management, Chetwood Private Wealth, Ermin Fosse Financial Management, and Darnells Wealth Management. This acquisition, the fourth for Shackleton in 2025, increases its assets under management by over £900m ($1.2bn), bringing the total to approximately £8bn ($10.9bn). Additionally, the deal brings 45 new employees to Shackleton, raising its nationwide workforce size to around 450. Chetwood Group executive chairman Mark Pendarves said: 'Our journey has brought us to a stage where further growth and evolution require significant investment in technology and infrastructure. 'As a privately owned family business, we've made the thoughtful decision to join a like-minded organisation that shares our values and commitment to excellence.' Shackleton recently disclosed a definitive agreement for a majority investment from funds managed by Lee Equity Partners, which will replace its current private equity investor, Sovereign Capital Partners. Sovereign first invested in Skerritts, a founding firm of Shackleton, in March 2021. The transaction awaits regulatory approval. The latest transaction is the 19th completed by Shackleton since Sovereign's initial investment. Shackleton CEO Paul Feeney said: 'At Shackleton, we bring together the most respected, professional financial advice practices and unite them under one approach and one set of values and I am really pleased that Chetwood Wealth Management and all group firms are joining us to strengthen our presence in the South West. 'I have been working with Mark, George and Richard closely over the last couple of months and I am excited about the wealth of experience and expertise they will be bringing to our team.' Shackleton CEO Paul Feeney said: 'At Shackleton, we bring together the most respected, professional financial advice practices and unite them under one approach and one set of values and I am really pleased that Chetwood Wealth Management and all group firms are joining us to strengthen our presence in the South West. 'I have been working with Mark, George and Richard closely over the last couple of months and I am excited about the wealth of experience and expertise they will be bringing to our team.' Last month, Shackleton acquired IM Asset Management (IMAM) from Irwin Mitchell, along with TWP Wealth, a financial planning business that IMAM purchased in 2022. "Shackleton Advisers acquires Chetwood Group" was originally created and published by Private Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Wall Street Journal
a day ago
- Wall Street Journal
Not Santa Fe. Not Taos. Why Albuquerque Is the New Mexico Trip to Put on Your Bucket List.
In 2001, when I told friends I was quitting my job to move from New York City to Albuquerque, I got some quizzical looks. Wasn't that where Bugs Bunny made his wrong turn? For most visitors to New Mexico, a stop in Albuquerque has long been a necessity not a choice: The city's 'Sunport' is the region's primary air hub. Destinations with cachet lay farther north—tony Santa Fe, the state's rhinestone-cowboy capital, or Taos, the high-desert outpost famous for luring boho legends like D.H. Lawrence and Dennis Hopper. Albuquerque ranks low on most travelers' to-do lists, even after its starring role in the series 'Breaking Bad' and hundreds of millions of investment from Netflix, including a 108-acre production facility.
