In a move that would create the fifth largest airline in the United States, Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines announced their intention to merge in the near future, pending United States government approval which is expected.
If all goes well the merger will close in the second half of this year and will have a combined more than 1,000 daily flights to more than 145 destinations and a fleet of nearly 300 planes.
The two low cost carriers both operate flights to Costa Rica from the United States. Frontier, being based in Denver has a large presence in the west and Spirit, based in Florida a large footprint in the east, so on this level the merger makes sense for both airlines.
The combined companies would leave Frontier Airlines with a majority share in the 6.6 billion dollar joint venture.
There has been no news on the name of the new airline or where it will be headquartered and of course, it’s still way too early to know what effects this will have on flights to Costa Rica with either their pricing or schedule.
However, airline analysts say that nothing will change for travelers any time soon due to anti-trust considerations and that the actual integration of two major carriers may take years. Both airlines operate Airbus narrow body jets which may help the merger, if approved.
While Frontier and Spirit often charge what seem like bargain fares, sometimes their rates are not as cheap as they appear as they charge fees for everything from seat selection to drinks and snacks. A carry-on bag cost, for example, cost $44 on a Frontier flight.
