Frontier’s booking calendar stops at April 13, 2026. That’s unusual, and it lands right as the ULCC world gets very, very interesting.
Frontier’s Schedule Stops On April 13, 2026, Just 85 Days Away
If you are trying to book Frontier Airlines for late spring or summer travel, you are not imagining things: Frontier’s booking calendar currently cuts off at April 13, 2026, which is just 85 days from today (January 18, 2026). That is a tight window for an airline that loves selling you something, anything, far in advance, ideally with an “intro fare” attached.
The part that’s raising eyebrows is not just the date itself, but the clean cliff. Frontier has not merely thinned out frequencies or pulled a few routes. The airline is effectively saying: “We’ll talk after April 13.”
Frontier has also acknowledged, via a spokesperson, that it is still working through the spring schedule before publishing it. According to Simple Flying, Frontier spokesperson Rob Harris said the airline is “currently finalizing” its spring schedule and will release it “shortly.”
Historically, Frontier’s booking window tends to be shorter than the legacies, but not this short. A useful benchmark is Frontier’s own FrontierMiles terms, which state award tickets may be booked “approximately eight (8) months in advance or as the flight schedule permits.” Meanwhile, The Points Guy pegs Frontier’s typical window at roughly five to nine months (variable), which aligns with the idea that Frontier commonly lives in that “about 4–8 months out” zone. At just under three months out, thi would appear to be a first for the carrier.
So yes, this is odd.
New Leadership, Old Problems, And A Need To Re-Earn Trust
The timing gets even more interesting when you layer in Frontier’s leadership transition and recent performance challenges.
Frontier’s parent company appointed James G. Dempsey as CEO after Barry Biffle’s departure, with Dempsey initially stepping in as interim chief. Reuters also notes Frontier lifted its outlook toward the higher end of prior guidance, citing stronger revenue performance as the quarter progressed.
On the “recent struggles” front, Frontier has been operating in a brutal environment for ULCCs: costs rise, the Big Four can match fares and smother travelers with loyalty perks (not you, American Airlines), and the customer experience arms race is not exactly a game Frontier built itself to win.
Reuters captured the tension well in late 2025: Frontier reported a quarterly loss, falling revenue, and is leaning hard on network changes and capacity decisions to improve results.
If you are new management coming into that, you can interpret a shortened booking window in the most charitable way: you want to stop selling flights you are not confident you will operate profitably, then re-post a schedule that better matches demand, aircraft availability, crews, and the kind of on-time performance you can actually deliver. Or it could be interpreted another way.
The ULCC Chessboard Just Changed, And Frontier Can’t Ignore It
This schedule freeze lands right after the bombshell Allegiant–Sun Country deal, a merger that would reshape the leisure-focused low-cost space in the US if it clears regulators. The $1.5 billion transaction and the combined footprint emphasized the route complement and plan to keep operating as usual in the near term. Wall Street has so far met the deal with excitement and confidence.
Now add the other thread: Frontier and Spirit talks restarting.
In December 2025, Spirit and Frontier were again in discussions again, with the usual caveat that talks could still collapse. FlightGlobal also covered the leadership change context while noting the renewed Spirit discussion thread.
“In December, Bloomberg reported that Frontier had restarted discussions with Spirit about a potential acquisition. Frontier had previously in recent years made several unsuccessful attempts to purchase Spirit, though the latest reported discussions came at a particularly uncertain time for Spirit.” – Flight Global
This is where the calendar cliff starts to feel… auspicious.
Because if you are Frontier, watching Allegiant move on Sun Country while Spirit remains stuck in a state of financial anxiety, you have to at least run the scenario planning. Not just “should we buy Spirit,” but “what does the map look like if someone else makes the next move.”
Spirit’s Cash Situation Still Looks Tight, Even With The Engine Deal
Spirit is not exactly projecting “smooth sailing.”
On Live And Let’s Fly, I wrote about how Spirit’s engine deal buys breathing room, but it does not magically solve the airline’s underlying problem: it still needs to run a tighter operation and prove it can survive on fundamentals, not financial band-aids. (Spirit’s Engine Deal Buys Time)
And pilots are clearly uneasy about the future. Just this week on this site, a veteran pilot framed ALPA’s posture as a warning sign and questioned what it suggests about confidence in Spirit’s path forward. (A Veteran Airline Pilot Warns Spirit Airlines Is Following A Familiar And Dangerous Path)
It is not just vibes, either. It’s been reported Spirit planned significant pilot furloughs as part of its restructuring efforts in 2025, underscoring how aggressively the airline has been trying to cut costs and conserve cash. If you are Frontier, and Spirit is still wobbling, and the ULCC sector is consolidating again, you don’t need to be a conspiracy theorist to wonder whether Frontier’s schedule caution is partly about optionality.
Right-Sizing The Network, Or A Spirit Precursor?
Here are the two competing explanations that make the most sense to me, and I am not ready to declare a winner.
First: this is simply new management trying to right-size Frontier. That means tightening deployment, trimming marginal flying, and rebuilding a schedule with more confidence in profitability. Given Frontier’s described network changes and the broader pressure on ULCC economics, that is a plausible and even responsible explanation.
Second: this is Frontier keeping its powder dry. If Frontier is actively evaluating its forward schedule, and the industry is openly discussing Spirit again, then it is not crazy to think Frontier wants maximum flexibility in aircraft allocation, staffing, and network commitments in case a Spirit deal suddenly becomes real.
Regardless, a shortened booking window can be used as a tool: it limits future obligations while the airline decides what it actually wants to be moving forward.
Conclusion
Frontier cutting off sales at April 13, 2026 (just 85 days away) is unusual, especially for an airline that typically sells further out, often in that roughly five to nine month range, with FrontierMiles terms even referencing about eight months for awards as the schedule permits. Frontier has indicated it is still finalizing its spring schedule before publishing it.
Context matters: Frontier has a new CEO, the ULCC model is under pressure, Allegiant just moved to acquire Sun Country, and the Spirit conversation is back in the air while Spirit’s finances and labor situation remain strained. Put all that together and it is hard not to see why this delay feels late, strange, and maybe even strategic.
What do you think?
Or maybe Marriott is having talks with them alongside Rosewood. Ya know…synergy.
This is no longer accurate. Frontier has their schedule posted into May when you search on the Frontier App as a miles search. This is typical with them, likely in the next few days, the cash schedule will post
I don’t think I’ve ever booked F9 more than 3 or so weeks out TBH
A potential merger of Frontier and Spirit seems to be getting closer and closer…
Why would anyone buy Spirit? It has something in the neighborhood of $7 billion in debt and no meaningful assets.