Frontier Airlines announced this week that they will be increasing the fee for checking antlers. Antlers. Gone are the days of moving your prized trophies for a measly $75. Now, if you want to bring your antlers back home with you, it’s going to cost you a full $100.

This news has triggered a full “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” for me. Not a “What were they thinking” type of moment, but a “Where have I been” moment. I consider myself relatively well connected with the industry, and I’ve never heard of airlines even allowing antlers in checked baggage. I suppose it does make sense, considering Frontier’s hub is considered a sort of a Mecca for hunters.

But the genius (or dumb luck) in this is that Frontier was able to boost their brand recognition, all while dealing out bad news. If anyone is going to mention fees for antlers, you’d expect it to be Frontier. That “Whole Different Animal” slogan makes sense now, doesn’t it. Great for strengthening their brand. The other stroke of genius (again, or dumb luck) is that Frontier doled out a whole laundry list of extra fees, none of which created much buzz. In additional to the 33% hike in antler-handling fees, came a 25% increase in fees for unaccompanied minors to $50, a $25 charge for a second checked bag, a termination of the half-priced infant seat policy, and an end to booking pets in the cabin.

With all of this bad news, what did the public focus on?  The same thing I did:  “Frontier carries antlers?”  If I’m a hunter, and I wanted to ensure protection of my prize from my hunting trip, the extra $25 is nothing, and Frontier just raised to the top of my list of airlines since I know they can take them.  Kudos to the Frontier PR team for turning bad news into free advertising (whether they meant to or not).

Now, how much do you think they charge extra to haul these antlers around?

This is not entirely unexpected as the Denver airline has seen less than stellar financial performance for quite some time.  While not a complete stranger of profitability, Frontier has struggled significantly after Southwest’s surprise decision to go after Frontier’s passenger base in Denver. 

For those of you outside of Denver who haven’t had the opportunity to know the Frontier brand, you’re missing quite a company.  Well known for their culture and specifically for their commercials, Frontier has found quite a loyal customer base. 

For more commercials by Frontier, you can find them in our Airline Commercials Collection.