Frontier continues its expansion from Orlando to smaller cities

Frontier Airlines (2nd) (Denver) today announced two new nonstop destinations from Orlando, Florida (MCO), bringing the carrier’s nonstop destinations served from Orlando to 13. Nonstop flights to both Columbia, Missouri (COU) and Shenandoah Valley, Virginia (SHD) will begin on November 20, 2012.

Is Frontier taking a page out of Allegiant’s book of serving vacation markets (like Orlando) from smaller underserved markets like Columbia and Shenandoah Valley? It is a departure from the past of serving mainly the biggest markets from its Denver hub.

With Allegiant now adding Airbus A319s in the future, is Frontier making itself into a potential future acquisition for Allegiant?

Orlando-Columbia (beginning Nov. 20, 2012)

Route Departs Arrives Frequency Aircraft
MCO-COU 1:50 p.m. 3:35 p.m. Tues A319
COU-MCO 4:15 p.m. 7:35 p.m. Tues A319
MCO-COU 8:00 a.m. 9:45 a.m. Sat A319
COU-MCO 10:25 a.m. 1:45 p.m. Sat A319

Orlando-Shenandoah (beginning Nov. 20, 2012)

Route Departs Arrives Frequency Aircraft
MCO-SHD 7:30 a.m. 9:25 a.m. Tues/Thurs A319
SHD-MCO 10:05 a.m. 12:10 p.m. Tues/Thurs A319
MCO-SHD 7:00 a.m. 8:55 a.m. Sun A319
SHD-MCO 9:35 a.m. 11:40 a.m. Sun A319

The new service will operate on 138-seat Airbus A319 aircraft.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing. Approaching Los Angeles is Frontier’s Airbus A319-112 N948FR (msn 2836). N948FR displays the image of Pete, the Pelican on the tail.

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