With $170 million bid, Southwest Airlines proves it really, really wants Frontier

An increasing number of aviation-industry experts believe that Southwest Airlines' interest in obtaining Denver-based Frontier is motivated by the desire to eliminate a competitor that's kicking its ass, at least here. And that theory has just gotten a boost via the size of Southwest's bid for the carrier, which was...

By Michael Roberts

August 10, 2009

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An increasing number of aviation-industry experts believe that Southwest Airlines' interest in obtaining Denver-based Frontier is motivated by the desire to eliminate a competitor that's kicking its ass, at least here. And that theory has just gotten a boost via the size of Southwest's bid for the carrier, which was confirmed moments ago: $170 million. That's well over $50 million more than the $113 million figure Southwest previously floated, which was already higher than the $108 million offer made by Republic Airways Holdings.

Given how much more moolah Southwest has compared to Republic, chances are more than good that the former will best the latter on Thursday, when a formal auction for Frontier is slated to take place. That's grim news for locals with pride in their hometown airline (which will almost certainly disappear if Southwest comes out on top), not to mention Frontier employees like those who rallied at Mayor John Hickenlooper's office last week, many of whom are sure to lose their livelihoods due to consolidation. As a result, this week could lead directly to the final Frontier.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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