Frontier Airlines offers free checked bags promotion in swipe at Southwest

Frontier Airlines took a swipe at Southwest Airlines’ plan to start charging for seat assignments and checked luggage by doing the opposite.

Budget carrier Frontier said customers can receive a bundle that includes a seat assignment and a carry-on bag without an upcharge if they book Tuesday through March 24 for travel through Aug. 18. The promotion applies for nonstop trips booked on Frontier’s website or app.

For flights departing May 28 through Aug. 18, Frontier said it would include a free checked bag.

The change comes a week after Southwest shocked customers by announcing, starting May 28, it will get rid of its long-standing policy of allowing customers to check two bags for free. Southwest was an outlier with that policy among airlines, and executives there had repeatedly said they didn’t plan to change it.

“We’ve always had heart,” CEO Barry Biffle said in a news release, an apparent swipe at its rival. Southwest, whose home airport is Dallas Love Field, has a love-and-hearts motif as part of its branding and its stock ticker is LUV. “Some airlines are walking away from what travelers love, but we’re running towards it. Think of this as the ultimate ‘divorce old airline’ deal. If travelers show us the love, we’ll make these perks permanent.”

Frontier and fellow discount airline Spirit Airlines have been offering fare bundles and easing some of their stricter policies, like on change fees, to attract more customers. Meanwhile, larger carriers like Delta, American, United and most recently, Southwest, have been adopting a la carte fees and no-frills ticket options that the budget carriers have long offered.

Last week, executives at United, Delta and Spirit said Southwest’s policy changes could be good for their carriers. Airlines are also grappling with a recent drop in domestic travel demand that has weighed on first-quarter estimates.

Southwest didn’t immediately comment on Frontier’s new promotion.