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Frontier Airlines built a name for itself through low fares, reliable service, on-board amenities such as live TV and, of course, the animals that adorn its planes.
Now, the Denver-based carrier also wants consumers to identify the company with what some consider its Achilles' heel: its Web site.
On Tuesday, Frontier will unveil a new, overhauled site the carrier says will make it easier for customers to book tickets, check routes, access frequent flier benefits and find information about various aspects of the company, among other things.
"It's really going to transform a major component of our business," said Frontier spokesman Andrew Hudson. "It's one of the highest priorities for the company, and it will continue to be a work in progress."
Aside from a more user-friendly layout and nearly 200 new pages of information, the site - www.frontierairlines. com - features a downloadable program called Desktop Deals that alerts consumers to timed fare sales that last only a few hours. The program, which is similar to Southwest Airlines' Ding! product, provides the updates via a pop-up window.
The site also includes tie-ins with the airline's animal advertising campaign, interactive games, and an online store featuring Frontier-branded merchandise such as jackets, stuffed animals and mouse pads.
And it even has a search window and a site map - which are absent from the current, somewhat antiquated version.
Frontier says the site will help strengthen the company's brand and allow it to better compete against rivals - not to mention save the airline money - in an industry where Web sites are more important than ever.
"Several airlines lapped us a couple times over in terms of Web technology," Hudson said. "Our site, up until this point, was more or less a jumbling of information that allowed people to book flights. Our goal now is to have a site that people will visit every time they're thinking about booking travel."
By driving more customers to their sites, airlines can cut down on transaction fees they pay for tickets booked on sites such as Orbitz and Travelocity.
Currently, just 35 percent of the Frontier tickets sold online are purchased through its Web site.
"The current site generates fewer sales than it could because it offers less than other airline Web sites," said Jeff Linroth, president of Leaving It Better LLC, a Longmont-based investment advisory firm. Linroth personally owns Frontier shares, and the stock is a major holding of his client portfolios. "I imagine that will change with the new site. I'm excited to see it."
Development of the site is the latest move by Frontier to modify key parts of its business. In the past few years Frontier has boosted its local brand recognition, shifted to an all-Airbus fleet and overhauled its reservations system.
This week, it will launch a TV, print and radio advertising campaign highlighting its new site, which guarantees customers that they won't find a lower fare on the airline anywhere else. The carrier also will offer double miles and free in-flight satellite TV for tickets booked on its site by the end of June.
"I think these are the richest incentives in Frontier's history," said Dan Vorlage, Frontier's senior brand manager. "We're firing on all cylinders on this."
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