Midwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines have announced a new code share agreement Monday, an arrangement that will allow passengers flying from Milwaukee to book Midwest trips to Denver and then book connecting Frontier flights to destinations in the Rocky Mountain region on one ticket.
The code share routes, in which Midwest and Frontier sell seats on each other's flights, begin Aug. 30. Initial destinations offered through Frontier flights connecting from Denver International Airport include Aspen and Colorado Springs, Colo.; Boise, Idaho; Billings and Bozeman, Mont.; and Rapid City, South Dakota.
The new marketing relationship between Midwest and Frontier will include a reciprocal frequent flier agreement. That agreement, which is expected to begin in the third quarter, will allow members of the Midwest Miles and Frontier Early Returns frequent flier programs to earn and redeem miles on either airline.
For Frontier fliers, the main use of the new code share will likely be for flying from Denver to Milwaukee and then booking Midwest flights to business destinations in the Ohio Valley and on the East Coast, he said.
The new agreement is being announced just one week after Indianapolis-based Republic Airways Holdings Inc. announced plans to buy both Frontier and Midwest and operate them as separate carriers.
Republic Chief Executive Officer Bryan Bedford said buying Midwest and Frontier will create more risk for Republic. But the acquisitions will diversify Republic's revenue base at a time when large carriers are consolidating and cutting routes, Bedford said.
