Already thinking about escaping winter? KCI adding cheap nonstop flight to Phoenix

The canyons and cacti of Arizona just got a little closer for Kansas City travelers. Budget airline Frontier announced Friday that it will begin offering nonstop flights between MCI and Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport on Friday, January 13, 2023.

“This major expansion of service provides exciting new nonstop options to Phoenix for consumers in a variety of markets across the country, including Kansas City,” said Daniel Shurz, the senior vice president of commercial at Frontier Airlines, in a Friday press release.

“Phoenix is one of the most desirable leisure destinations in the southwestern U.S. and we are pleased to now offer Kansas City-area consumers nonstop service.”

The airline plans to offer rates as low at $79 per one-way ticket immediately following the launch of this new nonstop route. You can check ticket prices and schedule your flight through Frontier’s website.

A direct flight between the two cities is scheduled to take around three hours, but will whisk travelers back one time zone, meaning only two hours will elapse on the clock during your flight. Phoenix is also a hub for flights to other vacation destinations like Cancún, London, Costa Rica and many cities in Canada.

The new route is the latest in a recent push to put Kansas City on the map with more nonstop flights in and out per day. Officials hope to add more international destinations to the roster soon, although passenger counts are still below pre-pandemic numbers.

Frontier plans to offer its first flights between Kansas City and Phoenix in January before establishing a schedule of three per week starting in mid-February. So if this upcoming winter gets too chilly, Kansas Citians can take comfort knowing that the warm desert sands of Arizona are just a few hours away.

Do you have more questions about traveling to and from Kansas City? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.