I was wondering if in these cases, if F9 might consider the other nearby airport than the one it currently serves:

IAH -> HOU While Southwest is big at HOU, JetBlue chose HOU over IAH also. I don't know Houston very well, but rather than be a small carrier at IAH, maybe it would be more visible in the smaller/easy to navigate LCC hosting airport, HOU.

I'm know ILG-IAH failed, but at some point it might want to do ILG-Texas again with ILG-Houston and ILG-DFW similar to JetBlue's approach with JFK/BOS. Perhaps a 2x weekend oriented schedule around ILG-HOU would be better than the 3x MWF it tried, or it takes a more riskier approach but goes daily and it picks up a higher yielding traffic. I'm thinking the first approach is safer. Southwest still lacks HOU-PHL.

PHF -> ORF. While AirTran once was big player at PHF, it doesn't seem F9 is replicating that. Meanwhile at ORF, service has decreased from carriers like Southwest and Delta. There is still no ORF-DEN. ORF is supposedly the preferred airport of the region. It could launch TTN-ORF possibly.

MDW -> ORD. The AA merger will mean AA divesting gates at ORD. Apple Vacation flights are already out of ORD, and maybe there'd be synergies being at just one that is ORD and not ORD and MDW.

Thoughts? And, other ones?

I suspect that F9 is going to look for airports similar to TTN and ILG - near a big city, underutilized, and where they can get a good deal on landing fees:

a) FTW - Keeps them away from AA at DFW and from Southwest at Love Field; neither airline would allow Frontier to use those two airports to create a focus city.

b) Gary, Indiana - If F9 wants a focus airport around Chicago, Southwest will not let it be MDW. Gary is close enough and sufficiently underutilized. I think Allegiant has a couple of flights a week there now, but it is not sufficient competition to keep F9 out. If they are looking for a TTN type situation, I think this should be #1 on their list.

c) BED - Hanscom has a sufficiently long runway (7000'), it is sufficiently close to Boston, and they will not have to compete against Jet Blueas would happen at ORH. The problem is the protests that are liable to happen. BRRAM will pale against what they can expect here. PSM is too far from Beantown, in my opinion.

d) Niagara Falls - has some ULCC service now, but f9 could market not only to greater Buffalo, but to Hamilton and Welland in Ontario.

e) PBG - Yes, it has some ULCC service to Florida and Vegas to keep French Canadians happy, but Sprit and Allegiant don't fly anywhere else. Could also create seasonal service to ACY, as so many Quebecois vacation along the Jersey Shore.

f) HVN - New Haven has only a 5600' runway, so NS to Florida is out, but perhaps with a refuel in Trenton. Otherwise, flights of up to 600 nm or so. Florence, Italy has a runway of similar length, with flights as far as London, which is about 750 miles away. I believe that the present regulations stipulate no more than 200,000 passengers would be allowed; the only service right now is US to Philly on regional props. That leaves room for 20 flights/week. And you would have 1.5 million or so between Stamford and New London that would use this rather than go to HPN, BDL or LGA.

I don't know the west very well, but CA has its share of secondary airports - Burbank, Long Beach, Oakland and arguably both San Jose and Riverside.

That's the one that scratches my itch. I think a few flights at day at FTW would be ace and give the finger to the airline world - just like TTN. :-)

Don't forget Ontario - certainly it's underutilized today compared to a decade ago. Long Beach is a B6 hub.

My best guesses for a TRN-like focus city would be BED, GYY, or FTW. They all share common Trenton traits - no current service to them but existing terminal facilities in place and a large population base where they would be the closest commercial airport, plus additional people closer to other airports but could be stimulated by low fares.

IAG and PBG have ULCC service, are not the closest airport to a large population base, and are really only doable to major tourist destinations like Florida/Vegas, which is already well served by Allegiant/Spirit.

HVN might get a couple cities, but as you mentioned, the runway may be too short for longer flights. No Florida, no Chicago, no Atlanta.

When I said Riverside, I meant Ontario.

Other airports in that mold to consider would be PDK for Atlanta, and FNT for Detroit (which is closer than LNS).

The big question - what to do about greater NY? If you are in some parts of Middlesex and Monmouth Counties in NJ, TTN would be an option, but not for too many others.

The big three are out; HPN is primarily for business and has Jet Blue, ISP is too far for the five boroughs, and has Southwest, even though their use of the airport has declined, and I believe Spirit as well. SWF is too far away.

I am thinking whether commercial flights can be allowed into FRG (LI) and MMU (NJ)...both have runways long enough, and I know FRG has a terminal for charter flights.

I'm not sure about GYY/Gary, Indiana working as the airport for Chicago. I think that I passed two tollbooth plazas from that airport area to downtown/Chicago region. It's after those toll booths, that one feels that they have entered Chicago and a metropolitan area. No El or cab access to the Loop.

Atleast with ILG it's pretty much toll free to most of Philly/SE PA, and TTN is toll free for Philly and many parts of NJ catchment.

Also, since Chicago is a destination- it'd be a wet blanket essentially flying TTN-GYY instead of MDW without the amenities of the L line or cabs to downtown.

FTW maybe a good airport since it can be a focus that's one for the South essentially, and likely if F9 is going to do more tertiary airports, it'd fly from tertiary to a primary airport. FTW-DEN, FTW-MDW, FTW-ATL, FTW-LAS, FTW-MCO. If F9 can find the right plane for TTN-DEN, it'd probably start TTN-Texas also.

That maybe a dealbreaker. I mean if it can only fly to DTW or CLE, it's probably not worth the investment.