The big losers in this deal are Frontier's creditors. According to the Dallas Morning News report from 8/15/08 (Frontier says Southwest's bid was hurt by more than just the pilot troubles),the RAH bid will raise the return to creditors to 19 cents. That effectively means that the local Denver companies that sold office supplies, sold coffee and snacks, provided security, electricity, and water, provided janitorial services, fueled aircraft, washed aircraft, serviced aircraft, and everyone else that provided any product or service to Frontier Airlines HDQ and airport facilities will all get a whopping 19 cents for every dollar owed them. These are people who have bills to pay also. It's a shame that WN and UAL have to compete with a bunch of people who couldn't make an airline work in the first place and who get to continue to operate while not having to pay their bills in full. That's hardly a fair playing field.
The article also states, "Frontier said its lower costs and brand loyalty will help it survive in Denver." If Frontier truly had the brand loyalty that is purported in this article they would have never ended up in bankruptcy court in the first place. It is a shame that Frontier is painted as a darling child by much of the media when, in fact, they more resemble a spoiled child unable to face the fact that they lost the game the first time around and now want to start over on a playing field that is far from level and which favors themselves. Its no wonder WN would not want to poison their own culture with this sick sense of entitlement by bringing on the whole Frontier flock.
The current lower costs referred to in the article come on the backs of Frontier Airline's creditors. And Frontier employees are upset that they might end up on the street? Yet I see little concern for the aftermath of the mess that Frontier Airlines has caused for the local Denver business community and their families who might themselves end up on the street as a result of the 19 cent return on the money owed to them by Frontier Airlines. Those folks did business with Frontier in good faith and have now been screwed.
Fly Southwest Airlines, folks, they pay their bills in Denver!(Now that's true hometown spirit!)
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