Acting with somewhat unusual speed, the DOT has approved the application. It didn't even wait for the comments period to be over:

http://www.regulations.gov/#!documen...2011-0233-0002

As usual, click on the pdf icon to read the notice of action taken.

So PUJ has the green light. That will make an interesting change to the route map.

davy

I wonder how many miles it will cost to redeem a flight to PUJ and the other destinations Frontier has been awarded. It will definitely add some value to the FF program

I would be surprised if they even offered any frequent flyer seats on Apple flights. Frontier is only allowed to sell a certain number of seats on the flight and Apple has the rest.

Crain's Chicago Business Magazine had an interesting article yesterday about the battle between Southwest and Frontier over the Chicago-Cancun route authority.

Some excerpts:

"If Mayor Rahm Emanuel has his way, Chicagoans looking for a winter break in balmy Cancun soon will be able to fly there non-stop from Midway International Airport.

"Southwest Airlines Co. has lined up the mayor, House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Chicago, City Aviation Commissioner Rosemarie Andolino and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce behind its bid to provide daily direct flights between Midway and the Mexican resort island, using its wholly owned subsidiary, AirTran Airways Inc.

�I believe that the daily, year-round non-stop scheduled service proposed by AirTran offers the most sustainable option,� said the mayor's letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a close friend of Mr. Emanuel's since they served together in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2000s.

"Southwest �doesn't provide the competitive oomph that a low-fare scheduled provider would offer at O'Hare,� said Robert Cohn, an attorney in Washington, D.C., who represents Frontier. �Politically, it's an uphill battle, but substantively, Frontier has a better case.�

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...cancun-service

Southwest knows how to play the political game (especially Chicago style politics it seems).

F9 has a snowball's chance in hell getting this route authority then.

It would surprise me if F9 got the authority. Maybe if WN gets it they will feel better finally.

Southwest would feel better towards Frontier? Oh, I don't think so. I think Southwest has developed a sense of entitlement about it.

However, I think that if Frontier were to get it, Southwest would go nuclear.

davy