Merger of Spirit and Frontier Benefits Air Passengers Across Americas

U.S. budget airlines, Spirit and Frontier, have decided to merge, raising hopes of pushing down airfare throughout the Americas, including the Caribbean.

The merger will create the fifth-largest carrier in the U.S., and the combined airline will offer more than 1,000 daily routes throughout the Western Hemisphere.

Interestingly, most of their routes do not overlap, meaning a large number of people in Latin America and the Caribbean can now expect to travel to the U.S. with a discounted airfare.

Spirit flies to several Latin American countries including, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Mexico.

In the Caribbean, its destinations include the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos Islands.

Frontier offers flights to more than 7 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Mexico, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Antigua and Barbuda, and Belize.

Reports say that nearly 30% of Spirit’s destinations are in Latin America and the Caribbean, while Frontier offers air connection to almost every major city in the US.

The combined carrier will not raise airfare as the very intention behind the merger is to compete with the larger airlines, say analysts.

Currently, both the airlines have one and two flights per day to destinations in Latin America, but the combined company, analysts say, will be able to offer up to 5 daily flights per route.

“Together, Frontier and Spirit expect to change the industry for the benefit of consumers, bringing more ultra-low fares to more travelers in more destinations across the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean, including major cities as well as underserved communities,” the carriers stated in a press release.