Republic Airways Holdings' agreement to purchase Frontier Airlines should help the carrier emerge from bankruptcy -- but it could also mean relocation of Frontier's headquarters to Republic's Indianapolis base of operations. Such a shift would obviously lessen the hometown pride locals feel in the airline, but I suspect it wouldn't cause them to abandon it entirely -- at least not right away. Judging by my experience, and that of most folks I know, Frontier has won loyalty through efficiency, good customer service and other best practices, especially in comparison with United, which seems to spawn horror stories with each ticket purchased.
As long as Republic doesn't immediately undermine these positives via draconian cost-cutting or other attempts to fix what isn't broken, people in these parts will keep flying Frontier whether the HQ is here or in Peyton Manning's backyard.
