Frontier returns to San Jose with 5 new routes
Border Airlines is growing its footprint in the Bay Area, and in the process, is returning to Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC).
This summer, the Denver-based ultra-low-cost airline will launch five new daily nonstop routes from the airport to prominent western U.S. cities.
The launch series marks Frontier’s first service to San Jose, but it will be the first for some time to come.
Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG’s free bi-weekly Aviation newsletter.
The low-cost airline previously served San Jose in 2018 and part of 2019, operating an average of two to three daily departures.
Now, amid changes to the airline’s broader network over the past few months, Frontier is returning to the market.
At the end of July, the airline will launch new nonstop flights from San Jose to Denver International Airport (DEN) and San Diego International Airport (SAN). A few weeks later, in August, the airline will begin service to Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).
Route details
Here’s a look at the routes and launch dates:
| Route | Launched | Regularity |
|---|---|---|
| SJC-DEN | July 22 | Daily |
| SJC-SAN | July 22 | Daily |
| SJC-LAS | August 13 | Daily |
| SJC-LAX | August 13 | Daily |
| SJC-PHX | August 13 | Daily |
Return to San Jose
These routes will deepen Frontier’s footprint in the Bay Area. As of May, the airline served nearly a dozen destinations nonstop out of San Francisco International Airport (SFO), nearly 35 miles from San Jose.
Daily newsletter
Gift your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers to get breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive offers from TPG experts
It’s also just the latest in one series of route announcements (and cuts) Frontier made in 2024; It’s all part of the effort to return the airline to profitability.
This quarter, Frontier is flying nearly twice as many new routes as the airline typically expects, shifting some focus away from Orlando and Vegas (not quite as much as this route announcement suggests, though). ). The airline is shifting its focus to major cities, where the airline can welcome travelers flying to visit friends and relatives.
View the map: The ‘Most Sexy New Route’ of the year award goes to…
This route announcement is also the first one Frontier has made since revealing one major overhaul to its sales and merchandising strategy: It eliminates change and cancellation fees for many ticket types and shows the entire (or most) all-inclusive ticket price up front.
For San Jose, Frontier’s arrival will bring a little more diversity to the array of airlines serving the airport. Although Southwest Airlines has a strong presence there, there is currently no true domestic ultra-low-cost airline serving San Jose.
Related reading:
