Will Jetblue, Spirit or Virgin America Bid for Frontier?

[PreContact]

Initial Bids due 8/3 - Who else will bid for Frontier?

Jetblue, Spirit and Virgin America all fly A320s and could benefit from a DEN base. JetBlue could be a Southwest killer with this. Just thinking out loud...

 

[ChinaClipper]

Tomorrow Grasshopper

all about what happens , tomorrow. The midnight oil is running short this week end in MANY places......

 

[Dogwood]

Jetblue, Spirit and Virgin America all fly A320s and could benefit from a DEN base. JetBlue could be a Southwest killer with this. Just thinking out loud...

I doubt there are any carriers who could be considered a "Southwest Killer". Certainly not JetBlue.

 

[maxblast72]

Don't rule out Airtran. We have 55 next gen 737s still on order that could be used to phase out the Airbus. ATL, BWI, MKE, and Denver hubs would be very complimentary for a good solid coast to coast network with costs 10% lower than Southwest's.

 

[bvt1151]

Airtran has already said they're not interested. They don't have the cash during a time when cash is king.

Virgin America can barely scratch enough money from US investors together to keep themselves legal, let alone themselves and a larger airline.

jetBlue is interesting, but I don't think they'll enter the bidding at a serious level if they do. They're the airline that could gain the most, and best fits with Frontiers current product, but this bidding war is going to get expensive pretty quickly. The new management at jetBlue is smart enough to avoid it and do what they do well.

My bets are no more bidders, but I'd love to see the drama from a B6 bid! That would almost beat daytime television.

...almost.

 

[HDA]

We will see by close of business today. I do believe that it will come down the Republic and Southwest though.

 

[clickclickboom]

Bidding for F9 could be the single best move that JB could make.. UNFORTUNATELY our management is balls out headed south.. Both MCO and FLL moving into intl terminals.

Neelemans AZUL getting more 190's and our SJU getting bigger everyday..

Just cant wait for the new S american cities that will be announced soon. ( sorry have no idea )

Issue with SWA/JB bid does not come down to a bidding war as much as which one is more compatable and likely to be approved.

I will add to above post that JB is no SWA killer with 150 jets and an operations plan that requires cancelling 40 flights everytime a thunderstorm gets east of chicago..

 

[flyin4jsus]

Doesn't AirTran have a codeshare with Frontier?

 

[Capn Butthead]

As a Southwest guy Id hate to see JetBlue put a bid in but I think It would make a lot of sense for them to do it! I dont think they are looking west right now ( from what Ive seen they are looking south) but It would be a great fit for them. And Ill say this.....Jetblue can be a Southwest killer. They have a great product and a great bunch of people working for them. We need to adapt at southwest to match Jetblue's service in a bunch of markets. The only negative Jetblue has is a JFK base......but they are making money out of there so its only a small negative. Good luck to all!

 

[Headfake14]

Bidding for F9 could be the single best move that JB could make.. UNFORTUNATELY our management is balls out headed south.. Both MCO and FLL moving into intl terminals.

Neelemans AZUL getting more 190's and our SJU getting bigger everyday..

Just cant wait for the new S american cities that will be announced soon. ( sorry have no idea )

Issue with SWA/JB bid does not come down to a bidding war as much as which one is more compatable and likely to be approved.

I will add to above post that JB is no SWA killer with 150 jets and an operations plan that requires cancelling 40 flights everytime a thunderstorm gets east of chicago..

why is that unfortunate. We are going where the $$ is. And as far as cxld flights. The name of the game...during an IROP...is to recover to 100% the next day. So, whats wrong with what we're doing now. If we don't cxl a handful each time...then you run into even LONGER EDCTs and waiting for gates in JFK. We cxl so many because we have two big bases in close proximity in one of the worst wx/atc delay arenas.

 

[Porch]

I hope not, I like what is going down right now with WN...

 

[clickclickboom]

why is that unfortunate. We are going where the $$ is. And as far as cxld flights. The name of the game...during an IROP...is to recover to 100% the next day. So, whats wrong with what we're doing now. If we don't cxl a handful each time...then you run into even LONGER EDCTs and waiting for gates in JFK. We cxl so many because we have two big bases in close proximity in one of the worst wx/atc delay arenas.

Actually headfake I have no idea why i wrote " Unfortunately"

I am actually really excited about our committment to go into new international markets which we are making money on..

Take a look at the route map for frontier.. We are fools not to buy them for the price......

Besides engines we have full compatability from tv's right down to culture..

http://www.frontierairlines.com/frontier/flight-info/route-map.do

 

[aewanabe]

why is that unfortunate. We are going where the $$ is. And as far as cxld flights. The name of the game...during an IROP...is to recover to 100% the next day. So, whats wrong with what we're doing now. If we don't cxl a handful each time...then you run into even LONGER EDCTs and waiting for gates in JFK. We cxl so many because we have two big bases in close proximity in one of the worst wx/atc delay arenas.

I think we've gone way too far in the cancellation direction, and we do it repeatedly in the short-haul to JFK markets where a business traveller might actually try to use our product!

Unfortunately until we get some interlining and another freakin hub other than JFK I'm going to continue to hear customers tell me they love our product but we just don't run a reliable airline.

 

[Headfake14]

clickboom:

I feel the same way about our southbound progression. But I'm surprised that we haven't jumped on this with Frontier. You know the boys in Forrest Hills have looked into it...

It may hurt us to aquire them...it hurt even more if SWA does.

What is the real lessor of two evils here.

 

[BigMotorToter]

The former CFO of Jetblue is the CFO at Frontier.

Frontier uses the Jetblue Live T.V. product of which Jetblue gets some $$ from every Frontier passenger who uses it.

Per the Q2 financial release, Jetblue is cancelling the 3 320 deliveries in 2010, and building cash for "any potential assests that come on the market".

Dave Barger wants to do on the west coast what B6 has done on the east coast in regards to "going south". In other words, he wants to go big out of LAX.

I've heard some interesting things from some of B6's mangagement folks on my plane since this Frontier/SWA thing was announced.

All I can say is it's going to get interesting. Enjoy the show.

 

[fiel12]

We will see by close of business today. I do believe that it will come down the Republic and Southwest though.

Today is the deadline for non binding offers only. Binding offers have until the tenth. FWIW.