Ground loading at DEN?!?
 

Friday night I flew on F9 1219, AUS-DEN, on an E90 (1-2 seating in STRETCH). Flight was nothing extraordinary...used Gogo 'net access inflight...but we ended up at gate A60 in Denver. So we disembarked via a ramp onto the pavement, rather than taking a jetway to a standard gate. Was definitely different from usual...I've never ground-loaded/unloaded at DEN before...though the weather that night was temperate enough.

Anyway, has anyone else run into flights operated by Frontier or Republic, on larger aircraft (E90s or Airbii), where you've used the high-numbered A concourse gates normally reserved for Great Lakes? Is this happening because Spirit and Southwest are taking gate space originally apportioned to Frontier, or some other reason?

I have experienced that. However, my AUS-DEN flight was June, 2012. So, things may have changed since then.

Happened quite a bit for me. F9 has the gates from when they were flying the props, so the E90s seem to end up over there quite a bit these days now that Republic has pulled the props.

Had a layover in DEN last month and walked out there and was surprised to see several F9 birds ground loading. Small crowded gate area, not as nice as 'upstairs'. If you have to make a connection it's quite a hike to the "regular" gates as opposed to just 'strolling across the hall'! I saw some older pax struggling with carry ons and hustling to make it to their gates; down that long hall, up the escalator,etc...

Yes, I've had to do that and IIRC it was on an E90. And yes, it is a PITA hiking back to the main terminal area from the hinterland gates.

I had to do that on one of my E90 flights as well. I thought it was weird. Kind of glad the E90s are leaving the fleet though -- my E90 fights haven't been that great and it's pretty obvious that the crew isn't a "real" Frontier crew. They don't acknowledge the animals and in my experience, haven't been particularly friendly.

I still love Frontier though. :)

F9 has used A60 & A58 for some time. These were the Q400 gates but I saw RJ's there from time to time. ZK uses A57, A61, A63 and A68.

DEN