Frontier scrambles to spin Southwest's AirTran acquisition in airline survival of the fittest

• Since the acquisition a year ago Frontier has added well over a dozen routes at Denver, including a second destination in Costa Rica. I'm not sure how that is the backburner.

• I don't think Denver was mentioned as there is not much more room for either airline to grow at DIA, it seems that gate space is not available and to grow the carriers need to cram as many flights as they can on the current gates they have. As far as Frontier not being the same airline, well, it isn't. Frontier is focused mainly on trying to complete it's merger which is a daunting task for any carrier. Once all their resources have been freed and the Frontier merger is complete, I would bet that Frontier's level of service will exceed all expectations once again. Don't give up on Frontier just because WAL-MART airlines came to town. Let Frontier finish the merger with Midwest and then judge them. Their website shows that the merger will be complete in December 2011.

• I can't see southwest surviving much longer with their current ways. They have the same expences every other Carrier has but yet, they don't charge the same fee everyother airline does. In fact they have the highest paid employees in the industry. Which leads me to wonder what conners are they cutting? I know the FAA has been on them for the subpar maitance program, also they have one the worst safety records for US carriers. You could not pay me to fly southwest while Frontier/Midwest may not be the same today, we need to look at this from a business end of things. Like any business they only have one goal, survive. And this is extreme dificult in an industry that has gone opposite of "inflation".

• While I realize it's not particularly realistic, can we at least hope that jetBlue might step up and buy Republic (and improve their western United States coverage in the process)?

• Frontier has gone downhill since the acquisition by Republic Airlines. The tone deaf PR response is typical of the "new" airline. Have flown Southwest a bunch in the last few months and I agree that they make flying a better experience than most other airlines. Flying has turned into a version of Greyhound with Wings. And the nickel and diming here and there with all the new fees is maddening. Simple proposal: tell me what the TOTAL cost of the flight is at the time of booking. Charge whatever you want for pillows, snacks, early boarding, etc. but DO NOT ask for an additional $50 at the checkin for baggage, another $10 to board early and $10 for a crappy prepackaged sandwich!!!!! Southwest has figured out that pissing off the customer at booking is not a good start of a relationship. I will fly Southwest again in the future. Frontier will be a last resort even though I have lots of miles with them. Too bad they have changed so much under new management. For the worse.

• Frontier is not the airline it used to be. I used to fly Frontier almost exclusively because its price was about the same as the others, the service was good, and I wanted to support a Denver airline. As of July, I won't fly Frontier again. It was the fourth consecutive flight in which there was a problem and that's four too many. In July I needed to return to Denver a few hours earlier than my booked flight because of a family emergency. Not only did I have to pay the difference in the flight prices, but a $150 change fee, making the changed ticket simply to fly home three hours earlier more expensive than the original round-trip ticket. The flight before that in March, I nearly missed my flight because I stood in a terribly understaffed check-in line for 45 minutes, while I watched roughly the same number of people zip through a Delta line. When I mentioned the long wait and apparent understaffing, the woman behind the counter was rude and suggested I fly another airline next time. Good advice. Frontier is no longer Denver's airline, and there is simply no point in taking on the cost and frustration of such a poorly run operation. Even the commercials have gone down hill. From now on I'll check Southwest first and Frontier last.

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