Comments on: Frontier’s Van Leuven: Amid bidding war for airline, “we’re still in the service business” http://www.elliott.org/first-person/frontiers-van-leuven-we%e2%80%99re-still-in-the-service-business/ Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott's site. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:25:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: All we’re really asking for are fair fares http://www.elliott.org/first-person/frontiers-van-leuven-we%e2%80%99re-still-in-the-service-business/comment-page-1/#comment-23348 All we’re really asking for are fair fares Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:01:13 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=7506#comment-23348 [...] price options, called AirFares. I asked the airline’s head of customer service to explain in a recent interview. What we’ve done is create a fare structure that allows passengers to purchase just what they [...] [...] price options, called AirFares. I asked the airline’s head of customer service to explain in a recent interview. What we’ve done is create a fare structure that allows passengers to purchase just what they [...]

]]> By: Cliff Van Leuven http://www.elliott.org/first-person/frontiers-van-leuven-we%e2%80%99re-still-in-the-service-business/comment-page-1/#comment-23260 Cliff Van Leuven Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:12:21 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=7506#comment-23260 Jordan, Thanks for the nice comments...that means a lot to us, and no, the acquisition of Frontier by Republic shouldn't impact any of your future flight plans on Frontier. We hope that you'll continue to fly on us for a long time to come. Cliff Jordan,
Thanks for the nice comments…that means a lot to us, and no, the acquisition of Frontier by Republic shouldn’t impact any of your future flight plans on Frontier. We hope that you’ll continue to fly on us for a long time to come.

Cliff

]]> By: Jordan http://www.elliott.org/first-person/frontiers-van-leuven-we%e2%80%99re-still-in-the-service-business/comment-page-1/#comment-22943 Jordan Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:42:01 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=7506#comment-22943 First, I hate that you all are being sold...I have never loved an airline as much as Frontier. That said, will the changes impact my future flight plans? First, I hate that you all are being sold…I have never loved an airline as much as Frontier. That said, will the changes impact my future flight plans?

]]> By: Theresa http://www.elliott.org/first-person/frontiers-van-leuven-we%e2%80%99re-still-in-the-service-business/comment-page-1/#comment-22145 Theresa Sun, 02 Aug 2009 06:29:17 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=7506#comment-22145 Anne, I am so sorry that you have been given inaccurate information. Below you will find the amenities given to both the Ascent and Summit members (Frontier's Frequent Flier Program) I am a flight attendant for Frontier and I assure you that the information as stated above is incorrect. Please take the time to confirm the information I have given you by going to frontierairlines.com. Membership Benefits Base Ascent Summit Earn one mile for every mile flown √ √ √ Earn miles through partnerships *20,000 miles for a roundtrip award ticket to/from the contiguous U.S. *30,000 miles for a roundtrip award ticket to/from Alaska or Mexico *40,000 miles for a roundtrip award ticket to/from Costa Rica Free Confirmed seat on alternate flight for day of departure (fare difference + change fee applies for Base & Ascent members) Summit only Free DIRECTV® service on all Airbus flights Priority check-in and boarding Preferred seating assignments Priority lines at most airport security checkpoints Pre-reserved exit row seats for extra legroom Designated Customer Service toll-free number Exclusive Frontier & Partner offers Bonus miles per flight Ascent - 25% Summit - 50% *EarlyReturns® CHOICE+: (additional award seat option) Redeem 40,000 miles for a roundtrip award ticket to/from the contiguous U.S. *EarlyReturns® CHOICE+: (additional award seat option) Redeem 55,000 miles for a roundtrip award ticket to/from Alaska or Mexico *EarlyReturns® CHOICE+: (additional award seat option) Redeem 65,000 miles for a roundtrip award ticket to/from Costa Rica 2 complimentary checked bags Complimentary inflight cocktails Summit only Change fee waived Summit only Hope this information helps. Anne, I am so sorry that you have been given inaccurate information.
Below you will find the amenities given to both the Ascent and Summit members (Frontier’s Frequent Flier Program) I am a flight attendant for Frontier and I assure you that the information as stated above is incorrect. Please take the time to confirm the information I have given you by going to frontierairlines.com.

Membership Benefits Base Ascent Summit
Earn one mile for every mile flown √ √ √
Earn miles through partnerships
*20,000 miles for a roundtrip award ticket to/from the contiguous U.S.
*30,000 miles for a roundtrip award ticket to/from Alaska or Mexico
*40,000 miles for a roundtrip award ticket to/from Costa Rica
Free Confirmed seat on alternate flight for day of departure (fare difference + change fee applies for Base & Ascent members) Summit only
Free DIRECTV® service on all Airbus flights
Priority check-in and boarding
Preferred seating assignments
Priority lines at most airport security checkpoints
Pre-reserved exit row seats for extra legroom
Designated Customer Service toll-free number
Exclusive Frontier & Partner offers
Bonus miles per flight Ascent – 25% Summit – 50%
*EarlyReturns® CHOICE+: (additional award seat option)
Redeem 40,000 miles for a roundtrip award ticket to/from the contiguous U.S. *EarlyReturns® CHOICE+: (additional award seat option)
Redeem 55,000 miles for a roundtrip award ticket to/from Alaska or Mexico *EarlyReturns® CHOICE+: (additional award seat option)
Redeem 65,000 miles for a roundtrip award ticket to/from Costa Rica
2 complimentary checked bags
Complimentary inflight cocktails Summit only
Change fee waived Summit only

Hope this information helps.

]]> By: Anne Hudson http://www.elliott.org/first-person/frontiers-van-leuven-we%e2%80%99re-still-in-the-service-business/comment-page-1/#comment-22114 Anne Hudson Sat, 01 Aug 2009 01:39:19 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=7506#comment-22114 I hate the a la carte Air Fares, and in fact have quit flying Frontier because of them, although I have a frequent flyer #. The discount fare does not allow me to choose a seat. If I'm not allowed to choose a seat, I will fly Southwest which gives me the option of checking in online and getting in the first boarding group. Frontier does not give me that option. The DirecTV option does not appeal to me, but with the Air Fares I have to pay for it. And yes, I resent paying extra for my bags. Up the fare $15, let people choose their seats and whether or not they want to purchase DirecTV. I hate the a la carte Air Fares, and in fact have quit flying Frontier because of them, although I have a frequent flyer #. The discount fare does not allow me to choose a seat. If I’m not allowed to choose a seat, I will fly Southwest which gives me the option of checking in online and getting in the first boarding group. Frontier does not give me that option. The DirecTV option does not appeal to me, but with the Air Fares I have to pay for it. And yes, I resent paying extra for my bags. Up the fare $15, let people choose their seats and whether or not they want to purchase DirecTV.

]]> By: Richard Eastman http://www.elliott.org/first-person/frontiers-van-leuven-we%e2%80%99re-still-in-the-service-business/comment-page-1/#comment-22108 Richard Eastman Fri, 31 Jul 2009 22:35:39 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=7506#comment-22108 <> And right there Mr. Van Leuven, you have identified both Frontier's problem and the problem of most of the legacy airlines. Airlines are NO LONGER in the "service business." They once were in the service business; about 15 years or mor ago. In the 1990's the airlines found themselves in a branding game; i.e. no longer selling service but instead, selling "branded goods" like you see in retail stores. Then the new information age ... driven by increasingly widespread access to digital information and digital transaction processing ... matured; and the airline seat has now become a commodity! The "new entrant" carriers (i.e. Southwest, JetBlue, AirTran, etc.) have capitalized on both the technology enabled by Internet and web-based e-commerce tools; and the ability of buyers to seek out quality commodity airline seat product offerings where price overrides either brand or significant service differences (i.e. where the value-add of the service provided warrants the value of the added cost to have that service). The lesson in Frontier's bankruptcy can tied almost directly to its abandonment of its "new entrant" independence working with contemporary web-based technologies to management's decision to revert to the constraints and constructs of the embedded processed tied to the legacy travel distributon and airline operations model! The interesting aspect of the current bidding war for Frontier's assets in bankruptcy will be in what happens to Frontier as a function of which airline wins the bidding war. In Frontier's case, you have an airline with a "mixed" heritage -- beginnings (in this variant) as a "new entrant" carrier using more modern e-commerce technologies; followed by a reversion to legacy business processes and services tied to structured legacy airline platforms. USAir is more reflective of the legacy airline platform structures that emphisized "service" while Southwest uses a technology that enables it to blend its commodity-product offerings with today's e-commerce buyers. In either case, the "service" oriented Frontier that Mr. Van Leuven speaks almost longingly of ... will not likely long survive the resulting merger. The only real question in this current "commodity airline seat" environment is how long the new owners will, in the case of USAir, be able to sustain; or in the case of Southwest, tolerate; ... the costs of the perceived but unsustainable "service" levels that Frontier once offered. Respectfully, // Richard Eastman <>

And right there Mr. Van Leuven, you have identified both Frontier’s problem and the problem of most of the legacy airlines.

Airlines are NO LONGER in the “service business.” They once were in the service business; about 15 years or mor ago. In the 1990′s the airlines found themselves in a branding game; i.e. no longer selling service but instead, selling “branded goods” like you see in retail stores.

Then the new information age … driven by increasingly widespread access to digital information and digital transaction processing … matured; and the airline seat has now become a commodity! The “new entrant” carriers (i.e. Southwest, JetBlue, AirTran, etc.) have capitalized on both the technology enabled by Internet and web-based e-commerce tools; and the ability of buyers to seek out quality commodity airline seat product offerings where price overrides either brand or significant service differences (i.e. where the value-add of the service provided warrants the value of the added cost to have that service).

The lesson in Frontier’s bankruptcy can tied almost directly to its abandonment of its “new entrant” independence working with contemporary web-based technologies to management’s decision to revert to the constraints and constructs of the embedded processed tied to the legacy travel distributon and airline operations model!

The interesting aspect of the current bidding war for Frontier’s assets in bankruptcy will be in what happens to Frontier as a function of which airline wins the bidding war. In Frontier’s case, you have an airline with a “mixed” heritage — beginnings (in this variant) as a “new entrant” carrier using more modern e-commerce technologies; followed by a reversion to legacy business processes and services tied to structured legacy airline platforms. USAir is more reflective of the legacy airline platform structures that emphisized “service” while Southwest uses a technology that enables it to blend its commodity-product offerings with today’s e-commerce buyers.

In either case, the “service” oriented Frontier that Mr. Van Leuven speaks almost longingly of … will not likely long survive the resulting merger. The only real question in this current “commodity airline seat” environment is how long the new owners will, in the case of USAir, be able to sustain; or in the case of Southwest, tolerate; … the costs of the perceived but unsustainable “service” levels that Frontier once offered.

Respectfully,
// Richard Eastman

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