Frontier Airlines is adding flights to three new cities out of Philly

Frontier Airlines is launching flights from Philadelphia to three major markets, ahead of the summer travel season, the company announced on Wednesday.

Starting in late April, the low-cost carrier will offer a daily direct flight to Los Angeles. In May, Frontier will begin daily flights from PHL to Boston, and it will fly three times a week from PHL to Chicago.

"We have got to a point where we serve so many of the top markets from Philadelphia, we’re becoming a natural choice for customers to look at when they want a good deal,” Daniel Shurz, Frontier’s senior vice president of commercial, said during a media event at PHL.

The Denver-based airline flies direct from Philadelphia to more than 20 cities, and Philly is the fourth-largest city in terms of departures within Frontier’s network.

Frontier is known for its “ultra” low fares, and Shurz touted the $29 introductory fare, one-way, to Boston.

The airline entered the Boston market a year ago. It’s an airport where fares are high, Shurz said, and “there really is an opportunity for an ultra-low-cost carrier.”

The route makes for "a natural summer market,” he added.

Earlier this week, Frontier announced that it would resume flights out of New Castle Airport (Wilmington) after suspending service there in 2015.

The announcement at PHL on Wednesday also highlighted Frontier’s fuel savings through its use of the A320neo aircraft. Shurz said that the engines are about 15% more fuel-efficient than previous models, and that half of Frontier’s fleet is comprised of the planes, a bigger proportion than any other U.S. airline.

“We’re significantly further along using the most fuel-efficient aircraft on the market,” Shurz said. Given that fuel is such a huge cost, when the company saves money, he said, customers also see those savings.