As Florida-based Spirit Airlines struggles to recover from bankruptcy and a lost merger opportunity, Frontier Airlines is stepping up with 20 new routes.
In a news release Aug. 26, Frontier said it’s committed to being the "number one low-fare carrier in the top 20 U.S. metros." Some of the new routes, set to launch in the winter, are based at Spirit hubs including their main hub in Fort Lauderdale.
"As industry capacity adjusts, we want to ensure consumers in those markets continue to have affordable flight options," Barry Biffle, CEO of Frontier Airlines, said in a statement.
The new routes will take off from Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Detroit, Houston, Baltimore, Dallas and Charlotte, North Carolina. Fares will begin at $29, the company said, and the routes will launch from November through February 2026.
"With additional fleet and route expansion on tap for 2026, along with major investments in loyalty and product upgrades, Frontier is America’s low-fare airline, delivering the best value," the company said.
What are the new Frontier routes in Florida?
Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to/from Baltimore (BWI)
Service Start: Nov. 20, 2025
Frequency: 3x/week
Intro Fare: $39
Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to/from Charlotte (CLT)
Service Start: Nov. 21, 2025
Frequency: 3x/week
Intro Fare: $49
Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to/from Chicago (ORD)
Service Start: Nov. 20, 2025
Frequency: 3x/week
Intro Fare: $39
Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to/from Dallas (DFW)
Service Start: Nov. 20, 2025
Frequency: 3x/week
Intro Fare: $39
Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to/from Detroit (DTW)
Service Start: Nov. 20, 2025
Frequency: 3x/week
Intro Fare: $49
Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to/from Houston (IAH)
Service Start: Nov. 22, 2025
Frequency: Weekly
Intro Fare: $29
Miami (MIA) to/from Detroit (DTW)
Service Start: Nov. 21, 2025
Frequency: 3x/week
Intro Fare: $49
Baltimore (BWI) to Cancun (CUN)
Service Start: Nov. 22, 2025
Frequency: Weekly
Intro Fare: $89
Baltimore (BWI) to/from Houston (IAH)
Service Start: Nov. 20, 2025
Frequency: 3x/week
Intro Fare: $29
Baltimore (BWI) to/from New Orleans (MSY)
Service Start: Feb. 12, 2026
Frequency: 2x/week
Intro Fare: price not listed
Charlotte (CLT) to/from Detroit (DTW)
Service Start: Nov. 23, 2025
Frequency: 2x/week
Intro Fare: $49
Dallas (DFW) to/from New Orleans (MSY)
Service Start: Feb. 13, 2026
Frequency: 2x/week
Intro Fare: price not listed
Detroit (DTW) to Cancun (CUN)
Service Start: Nov. 22, 2025
Frequency: Weekly
Intro Fare: $89
Detroit (DTW) to/from Houston (IAH)
Service Start: Nov. 21, 2025
Frequency: 3x/week
Intro Fare: $49
Detroit (DTW) to/from New Orleans (MSY)
Service Start: Feb. 12, 2026
Frequency: 2x/week
Intro Fare: price not listed
Houston (IAH) to Guatemala City, Guatemala (GUA)
Service Start: Dec. 18, 2025
Frequency: 3x/week
Intro Fare: $49
Houston (IAH) to/from New Orleans (MSY)
Service Start: Feb. 13, 2026
Frequency: 2x/week
Intro Fare: price not listed
Houston (IAH) to/from Philadelphia (PHL)
Service Start: Nov. 21, 2025
Frequency: 3x/week
Intro Fare: $59
Houston (IAH) to San Salvador, El Salvador (SAL)
Service Start: Dec. 19, 2025
Frequency: 3x/week
Intro Fare: $49
Houston (IAH) to San Pedro Sula, Honduras (SAP)
Service Start: Dec. 20, 2025
Frequency: Weekly
Intro Fare: $49
Is Spirit Airlines shutting down?
The Florida-based budget airline is the largest carrier at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, the company said, and is scheduled to operate more than 100 peak day departures to more than 70 destinations by the end of 2025.
Spirit recently announced new flights between Fort Lauderdale and Macon, Georgia, nonstop flights from Fort Lauderdale to Belize City and Grand Cayman, and new service to Key West.
This year, the company has tried to market itself as the premium option among budget airlines with a new ticket lineup, an updated loyalty program, and extra legroom seating for the "Go Comfy" ticketholders (now called "Premium Economy").
However, Spirit, still struggling out of bankruptcy and a failed merger with JetBlue, announced plans to furlough nearly 300 pilots later this year, effective Nov. 1.
In Spirit Airlines’ quarterly filing from Aug. 11, the company said that while it was successful in satisfying its debt obligations, it has "continued to be affected by adverse market conditions, including elevated domestic capacity and continued weak demand for domestic leisure travel in the second quarter of 2025, resulting in a challenging pricing environment."
The filing continued: "As a result, the company continues to experience challenges and uncertainties in its business operations."
Company leaders are now taking measures to generate more cash, which may include selling aircraft, real estate and excess airport gate capacity.
In its filing, Spirit said: "There is substantial doubt as to the company’s ability to continue as a going concern within 12 months from the date these financial statements are issued."
Will Spirit and Frontier merge?
Biffle told CNBC on Tuesday, Aug. 26 that "I’m not here to talk about (mergers and acquisitions)."
However, he said he expects Frontier to pick up most of Spirit’s market share if the company shuts down. Frontier and Spirit share 35% of their capacity, more than any other airline, Deutsche Bank airline analyst Michael Linenberg said on Monday, Aug. 25, per Business Insider and CNBC.
Which Florida airports does Frontier service?
Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
Fort Myers, Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)
Jacksonville International Airport (JAX)
Miami International Airport (MIA)
Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Pensacola International Airport (PNS)
Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport (SRQ)
Tampa International Airport (TPA)
Palm Beach International Airport (PBI)
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Frontier Airlines new Florida flights include those at Spirit hubs
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