On 10th June 2023, ultra-low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines launched direct service between Orlando International Airport (MCO) and St. Maarten's Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM), a destination known globally to vacationers for its sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters and frequented by aviation enthusiasts for its ocean-adjacent runway.

This new service marks the 57th destination served by the carrier directly from Orlando and will bring affordable service to the island for citizens of Central Florida. On this route, Frontier's fares will start as low as $99 roundtrip.

This once-weekly service, which will utilize Frontier's fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft, will operate on Saturdays. Frontier flight F9 46 will depart MCO at 09:15 and arrive in St. Maarten at 12:38 and will return to Orlando as flight F9 47, departing at 13:36 and touching down at 17:06.

A rewarding journey 

Alongside the launch of this new service, Frontier is offering a unique promotional opportunity to commemorate the expansion to St. Maarten.

For a limited time, the carrier is guaranteeing $99 roundtrip fares on these flights through the end of July. Passengers should note that to receive this introductory fare offer, tickets must be purchased seven days in advance of travel and by 16th June 2023. Also, 1st July 2023 will be a blackout date for this promotion.

Additionally, travelers will have an opportunity to purchase flight options and upgrades through a low-cost bundling program called the WORKS, in which for a single price, travelers will receive the benefits of ticket refundability, a carry-on bag, a checked bag, seat selection, and priority boarding.

As always, passengers will earn FRONTIER Miles on the new flights, a system that differs from most loyalty programs in a notable way. While most frequent flyer programs (such as United MileagePlus, Delta SkyMiles, or American AAdvantage) reward passengers based on how much they spend on a flight, Frontier provides loyal members with one mile for each mile flown, a pure distance-based system.

This system incentivizes and rewards those who purchase their tickets in advance, helping the airline secure higher load factors for their flights. Additionally, the program allows members to purchase elite status, while most other frequent flyer systems require a minimum number of flights. Furthermore, the new flight comes on the heels of Frontier announcing their $299 all-you-can-fly fall and winter pass, which allows for unlimited flights between September 2023 and February 2024.

Challenges with the expansion

With this new service, Frontier not only adds St. Maarten to their Orlando network but also becomes the first airline to serve the island with direct nonstop service from MCO. In a statement regarding the launch, Daniel Shurz, the airlines commercial Senior Vice President, said the following:

Despite the preliminary appeal of traveling to St. Maarten for such an affordable price, one challenge does emerge from the perspective of leisure travelers. While a $99 roundtrip ticket certainly is competitive, the weekly nature of the flight may create barriers for many seeking to make the island their next getaway.

Flying roundtrip on Frontier requires spending an entire week in St. Maarten, which can prove rather expensive. Additionally, many may not be able to take off an entire week for a vacation, eliminating the carrier's service as an option. Moreover, those who can afford to spend an entire week on the island are unlikely to seek an ultra-low-cost carrier like Frontier.

For these reasons, it would be more advantageous from a business perspective for the carrier to operate two weekly frequencies on Friday and Sunday. This way, the airline could cater to a larger demographic. Frontier will need to address these drawbacks if they hope to achieve profitability on this route.