Denver employees cheer announcement of Frontier Airlines brand announcement

Denver employees cheer Frontier Airlines brand

DENVER — Frontier Airlines employees cheered Tuesday when company leaders announced that Republic Airways Holdings Inc. will fly its planes under the Frontier name and keep the Denver air carrier’s popular “spokesanimals.”

Employees and family members gathered at Coors Field to hear that Midwest airlines will now use the Frontier name.

Some held stuffed versions of their favorite animals that grace the tail fins of Frontier planes. Frontier has more than 60 different “spokesanimals” that appear in television and radio advertisements as part of their “whole different animal” campaign.

Republic Airways bought Midwest and Frontier airlines last year and announced in January they would fly under a single name.

Last month, dozens of people marched through Denver campaigning to keep the animals and the Frontier brand. Supporters created a group on Facebook with over 5,000 fans.

“That’s what people recognize,” said Linda Allen, an employee of Frontier for eight years. She said children look out to the gates to find out who their “travel companion” will be.

“Every plane has a personality,” said Cheryl Hussey, 43, who has worked for Frontier as a scout for six years. Hussey wore finger puppets of three of her favorite “spokesanimals.”

Allen and Hussey both said they were nervous for the announcement but confident the Frontier brand would stay.

Some parts of the Milwaukee-based Midwest brand will remain. Its famous chocolate-chip cookies will be served on all flights, and Frontier is adding a plane with Wisconsin’s state animal, the badger.

Gov. Bill Ritter was on hand, too, and said the expansion of the Frontier brand was the best outcome for Colorado.

“I think we all have this love affair with the animals on the tail of the plane, and that’s just a really good thing for the people of the state,” Ritter said.

Debbie Sauer, an employee of Frontier for five years, said she was very pleased with the decision. She said she and her 17-month-old son Kaden are fans of “Grizwold the Bear.”

“I think it’s more about the identification that this city has with Frontier and how we’ve fought so hard to keep Frontier alive,” Sauer said. Republic bought Frontier out of bankruptcy protection in October.

When Ian Arthur, vice president of brand and marketing for Republic, said the Frontier name would take over, the spectators roared and hugged each other. Many grabbed their phones to pass on the word. Frontier’s Facebook page has dozens of congratulatory notes.

“A lot of the United States really isn’t aware of the ‘whole different animal campaign,’ so it’s our opportunity to go and introduce the rest of America to what Denver has known and loved for several years,” Arthur told The Associated Press. His favorite spokesanimal is Larry the Lynx.