Frontier Airlines announces more nonstops from RDU, most to the Northeast and Midwest
Frontier Airlines announced several new flights from the Triangle starting this spring, including nonstops to destinations in the Northeast and Midwest that aren’t now served by other airlines.
The new flights from Raleigh-Durham International Airport will begin in April and May. They include nonstops to two small airports in the New York metropolitan area, at Islip on Long Island and Newburgh north of the city on the Hudson River.
Other new Frontier destinations not now served by other airlines are Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Providence and Syracuse. Frontier will also join Delta in flying nonstop to Detroit and Allegiant to New Orleans.
All of the flights announced Wednesday are seasonal, meaning they may end when cool weather returns in the fall. The flights will operate from two to four days a week, depending on the destination.
Frontier’s announcement comes a day after low-cost rival Avelo Airlines announced it would begin flying year-round between RDU and New Haven, Connecticut, starting in May.
Frontier now flies to 23 destinations from RDU, more than any other airline. The low-cost carrier caters to leisure travelers. It jiggers its schedule each year as demand for vacation travel waxes and wanes, adding more northern cities in the summer and warmer destinations in the winter.
Despite its roster of destinations, other carriers fly more often from RDU and carry far more passengers. Frontier handled about 6% of RDU passengers last year, fewer than JetBlue, United, Southwest, American and the Triangle’s busiest airline, Delta, which served more than 30% of RDU travelers.
Frontier plans to merge with Spirit Airlines sometime later this year, but in the meantime the carriers are operating independently. It’s not clear when the merger will take place or what it will mean for travelers.
This story was originally published March 9, 2022 at 10:50 AM with the headline "Frontier Airlines announces more nonstops from RDU, most to the Northeast and Midwest."
