Frontier Airlines will begin service between Denver and my hometown of Grand Rapids (GRR) on May 14th, although I am quite certain it won’t be the chubby Airbus A3something pictured in the Mlive.com article.  Currently only United flies this route, sparing West Michigan bound travelers a connection through O’Hare.

This brings the second low cost carrier to the overpriced Gerald Ford airport, the second being Airtran which will start in May also to Baltimore and Orlando.  Except for Allegient, GRR is currently only served by the legacy’s regional branches, which are priced so high that many choose to drive to Detroit or Chicago for cheaper options.

An interesting note on DEN-GRR vs DEN-ORD (Chicago) both of which I fly often:  Both are listed on UAL as 2:26 hours flight time. GRR is 130 miles past Chicago, which shows just how much ATC padding is built into ORD arrivals.

Hopefully some action between these two newcomers will spur some pricing action.  Cranky Flier also points out Frontier’s flight times will be staggered apart from United’s, giving travelers more options in addition to what I hope will be dramatically, (or at least reasonably,) reduced fares.

Meanwhile if you’re planning a trip please check out my insider’s guide to Grand Rapids.