Frontier Airlines (NASDAQ:ULCC) took a swipe at Southwest Airlines’ (NYSE:LUV) plan to start charging for seat assignments and checked luggage by doing the opposite.
Budget carrier Frontier said customers can receive a bundle that includes a seat assignment and a carry-on bag without an upcharge if they book Tuesday through March 24 for travel through Aug. 18. The promotion applies for nonstop trips booked on Frontier’s website or app.
For flights departing May 28 through Aug. 18, Frontier said it would include a free checked bag.
The change comes a week after Southwest shocked customers by announcing, starting May 28, it will get rid of its long-standing policy of allowing customers to check two bags for free. Southwest was an outlier with that policy among airlines, and executives there had repeatedly said they didn’t plan to change it.
“We’ve always had heart,” Southwest CEO Barry Biffle said in a news release, an apparent swipe at its rival. Southwest, whose home airport is Dallas Love Field, has a love-and-hearts motif as part of its branding and its stock ticker is LUV.
“Some airlines are walking away from what travelers love, but we’re running towards it. Think of this as the ultimate ‘divorce old airline’ deal. If travelers show us the love, we’ll make these perks permanent.”
ULCC docked 22 cents, or3.6%, to $5.93, while shares in LUV nicked up four cents to $32.17.
