Frontier's Gutsy Gamble on the Boeing 727
The first incarnation of Frontier Airlines made a bold move ordering the 727 for routes it had not yet been awarded by the Civil Aeronautics Board.
Frontier's first jets were actually 727-100s styled as "Arrow Jets" which first entered service with Frontier in 1966, becoming the first local service carrier to fly the 727. The first orders were placed in 1965 for 5 aircraft with options for 5 more at a cost of $55 million.
It was a gutsy gamble- Frontier was ordering planes for routes that it had not yet been awarded by the Civil Aeronautics Board! In the pre-deregulation environment, where an airline flew and what it charged was tightly controlled by the CAB. Airlines had to apply to CAB for route authorities which sometimes were approved, sometimes not as politics often got in the way. Some airline applications to serve certain routes would languish for several years at the CAB. Once the CAB approved a route authority, it was up to the President to sign off on it so the services could begin.
The first aircraft to be delivered was N7270F arriving in September 1966 and the last 727-100 being delivered by July 1967. The 727-100s were outfitted for 24 seats in first class and 75 seats in coach. The first routes flown were on the newly awarded routes between St. Louis and Salt Lake City that also had intermediate stops at Kansas City Downtown, Lincoln, Denver and Grand Junction.
Route expansions (aided by the acquisition of Fort Worth-based Central Airlines in 1967) and further route authorities granted by the Civil Aeronautics Board to Dallas Love Field brought about the move in 1968 to larger 727-200s with an order for 5 727-200s which were styled as "Super Jet 727s" by the airline.