Frontier is offering free bags to entice angry Southwest flyers
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- Frontier will offer free checked bags this summer to capitalize on Southwest's policy change.
- Southwest is ending its famous "two bags fly free" policy on May 28.
- Frontier is not the first airline to take a jab at Southwest amid the backlash.
One airline's loss is another one's gain.
Budget competitor Frontier Airlines announced on Tuesday that all nonstop flights departing between March 18 and August 18 will receive a free carry-on bag, seat selection, and flight changes.
Those between May 28 and August 18 will receive a free checked bag. Bookings must be complete by March 24.
Frontier's starting date for the free checked luggage is no coincidence — it's the exact same day Southwest Airlines will end its popular "two bags fly free" policy.
Southwest's 180-degree switch has left some customers reeling. The airline says the change is good for business as it tries to cut costs and boost revenue. Shares have rallied since the announcement.
Some loyal flyers online have said the move feels like a money grab. The only Southwest customers who will get a free checked bag are those with elite status or the company's co-branded credit card.
Clearly capitalizing on that discourse, Frontier suggested that Southwest customers should "file for divorce" and that Frontier would be the welcoming "rebound."
Frontier, which is going through its own overhaul to offer more premium perks, said it may even make the free bags permanent if enough people take advantage of the temporary deal.
"We've always had heart," Frontier CEO Barry Biffle said in a press release, alluding to Southwest's famous heart logo. "Some airlines are walking away from what travelers love, but we're running towards it."
Southwest did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Southwest has more than just a Frontier problem
Fortunately for Southwest, Frontier's less comfortable seats and fee-heavy business model may cause some loyalists to hesitate to book the rival competitor.
Still, the "LUV" airline has another problem: keeping the mainline carriers from siphoning off customers.
Airline CEOs said at a JPMorgan conference on March 11 that Southwest's more price-sensitive customers may jump ship to other carriers.
"It will be a really big deal for Southwest," United CEO Scott Kirby said. "It would be good for everyone else."
Delta CEO Ed Bastian had a similar sentiment, saying Southwest's customers are now "up for grabs."
Aviation expert Harteveldt told Business Insider that Southwest simply isn't as appealing as rivals American Airlines, Delta, or United.
He said Southwest doesn't have as robust a domestic route network or offer premium cabins, airport lounges, or long-haul international flights.
"A traveler who may have been loyal to Southwest up until now may be more open to flying other airlines," he said.