Hah: Frontier Targets Southwest With Free Checked Bags

Last week, Southwest announced that it’s completely changing its business model, including starting to charge for checked bags. This is a major departure from the carrier’s historical policy of giving all passengers two free checked bags. Well, an unlikely airline is taking aim at Southwest, and I can’t help but chuckle a bit at all of this…

Frontier trials the idea of free checked bags

Frontier has announced a promotion targeted at those who would ordinarily be Southwest flyers, which it frames as follows:

Some airlines have changed. They’ve raised fees, taken away perks, and made travel feel like a one-sided relationship. If your airline is treating you like an afterthought, maybe it’s time to file for divorce. Frontier is here for the rebound – offering a fresh start with an unbeatable deal.

So, what’s Frontier offering? For all bookings for nonstop travel between March 18 and August 18, 2025, customers can receive the Economy Bundle for free, with perks including a free carry-on bag, free seat selection, and free flight changes.

On top of that, the airline is throwing in a free checked bag for flights departing between May 28 and August 18, 2025. Tickets must be booked by March 24, 2025, using promotion code FREEBAG.

It’s interesting how the airline is framing this. Frontier claims that if enough travelers “love this deal,” the airline “might just make it permanent,” and that “the more people who jump on board, the better the chances of making this the new normal.”

Here’s how Frontier CEO Barry Biffle describes this:

“We’ve always had heart. 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.”

“At the end of the day, travelers just want to be valued. We’re bringing back the things people love about flying – free bags, free seat selection, and flexibility – without the extra fees. No games, just great value.”

This is a cute promotion, but also unrealistic

The past several years have been really tough for US airlines, with the exception of Delta and United. That’s because the industry has been dealing with higher labor costs, and so much of the profits in the industry are coming from premium demand, long haul travel, and loyalty programs, which puts smaller airlines at a major disadvantage.

I have to give Frontier credit for the extent to which it’s evolving its business model, going from an ultra low cost carrier, to one that’s responding more to evolving consumer demand. Now, I think perhaps Frontier has been overcorrecting a bit, and has been deviating too far from its core proposition, but I guess time will tell how that plays out.

But think about this for a second. If someone told me in 2019 that Southwest would eliminate free checked bags, and then Frontier would be like “yo, can you believe how stingy Southwest is, come fly us, we’ll give you free bags,” I wouldn’t have believed you. But that’s exactly what we’re seeing.

I am somewhat amused by Frontier suggesting it’s possible that free checked bags could become permanent. It’s cute as a limited time promotion, but that just isn’t realistic, no matter how you slice it. Fundamentally, the US airline industry has a bit of a crisis when it comes to yields.

Even with their strong premium demand and long haul route networks, carriers like Delta and United are barely able to turn a profit on actually transporting passengers (in terms of cost per air seat mile vs. revenue per air seat mile). So while Frontier could very well get more passengers if it offers free checked bags, I just don’t see how that could ever be profitable for the airline. But hey, I appreciate the creative promotion nonetheless…

Bottom line

Frontier is trying to poach disgruntled Southwest flyers, which is kind of funny to think about, given Frontier’s historical business model. For a limited time, the airline is offering all passengers its Economy Bundle, which comes with extra perks. On top of that, for a limited time, it’s possible to get a free checked bag for travel over the coming months.

What do you make of Frontier’s free checked bag promotion?