Frontier Discontinues Grand Rapids Flights to Avoid Southwest?

With Frontier Airlines discontinuing service to Grand Rapids, Mich. it proves that profit and customer numbers aren't what they used to be and will probably never be the same again.

This realization has caused many airlines to merge with other--most notably, US Airways and American Airlines, but for Frontier, the move out of Grand Rapid is just the latest in the discontinued-service movement they find themselves in.

The Grand Rapids Press writes Frontier's exit from Grand Rapids will end "a relatively brief stint marred by dwindling flight offerings."

When Frontier first arrived in 2010, it offered nonstop flights to three destinations: Denver, Milwaukee and Washington's slot-restricted Washington Reagan National airport.

However, the Milwaukee and D.C. flights didn't have much customer interest and after two years of not being able to draw a decent amount of people, the airline discontinued both routes in late 2012.

Not only did Frontier do away with the flights, it also ended Milwaukee short-lived run as one of its hub ports.

Frontier spokeswoman Kate O'Malley tells the Press that Frontier decided to leave Grand Rapids amid changing strategic goals.

"While we've had a great partnership with GRR over the years, we continually evaluate the performance and future potential of existing markets, taking all known factors into consideration," O'Malley says in a statement to the Press. "In this case - particularly considering the large number of future opportunities we see as we continue to evolve the Frontier business - we reached the conclusion that the best course of action for Frontier was to discontinue service to GRR."

Though finances is one reason for the change, critics feel that it has more to do with Frontier's direct competitor, Southwest.

In Grand Rapids, the Press notes Frontier's decision "comes on the heels" of Southwest's announcement that it would add its own nonstop service between Grand Rapids and Denver, slated to begin Aug. 11. United also flies the route nonstop, meaning that United, Frontier and Southwest all will go-head-to-head on the route for about a month.