AirTran Airways A+ Rewards - CHS dropped

Looks like CHS is gone in December. Too bad, this was always a nice route.

http://www.live5news.com/Global/story.asp?S=11288604

As someone who just flew this route on AirTran, I'm disappointed. As someone who knows something about the airline business, I'm more than a bit surprised.

Logic would say that a CHS route would be a core spoke for an airline hubbed at ATL. Afterall, ATL-CHS is too far for most biz travellers to drive, and no doubt many leisure travellers would prefer to also avoid the long drive. At the same time, it's a perfect feeder into ATL. And CHS is, by all accounts, a popular destination.

Is biz travel non-existent in CHS? It's hard to see how this route would not work while other spokes would.

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/oct/10/airtran-official-says-discount-carrier-wanted-more/

As someone who just flew this route on AirTran, I'm disappointed. As someone who knows something about the airline business, I'm more than a bit surprised.

Logic would say that a CHS route would be a core spoke for an airline hubbed at ATL. Afterall, ATL-CHS is too far for most biz travellers to drive, and no doubt many leisure travellers would prefer to also avoid the long drive. At the same time, it's a perfect feeder into ATL. And CHS is, by all accounts, a popular destination.

Is biz travel non-existent in CHS? It's hard to see how this route would not work while other spokes would.

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/oct/10/airtran-official-says-discount-carrier-wanted-more/

Totally agreed - can't recall the figures, but CHS is by far the busiest airport in SC (GSP is over a million pax per year, and CHS is way beyond that). The Charleston area and surrounding metro are very well-to-do, and it seems lots of folks from other parts of the country are moving there (more travel to see family in other areas, etc) . Doesn't make sense at all.

Totally agreed - can't recall the figures, but CHS is by far the busiest airport in SC (GSP is over a million pax per year, and CHS is way beyond that). The Charleston area and surrounding metro are very well-to-do, and it seems lots of folks from other parts of the country are moving there (more travel to see family in other areas, etc) . Doesn't make sense at all.

The problem is likely DL. To combat FL, DL has pumped the CHS-ATL route up to 12 daily with 9 of those flights being mainline, plus three large RJ's. CHS is a decent sized market, but that's still an awful lot of capacity for FL to compete against.

The problem is likely DL. To combat FL, DL has pumped the CHS-ATL route up to 12 daily with 9 of those flights being mainline, plus three large RJ's. CHS is a decent sized market, but that's still an awful lot of capacity for FL to compete against.

I think this is exactly the reason. It's hard for AirTran to make money in a city when DL matches the fares and has triple the number of flights, with connections to more destinations. But Delta makes money when AirTran pulls out and they increase fares.

Look at most of AirTran's new stations (ABE, MDT, TYS, AVL, CRW, etc.) and you'll notice the lack of ATL service. The one flight a day or less to MCO that FL flies out of these cities is a way to avoid going head-to-head with Delta.

I think this is exactly the reason. It's hard for AirTran to make money in a city when DL matches the fares and has triple the number of flights, with connections to more destinations. But Delta makes money when AirTran pulls out and they increase fares.

Look at most of AirTran's new stations (ABE, MDT, TYS, AVL, CRW, etc.) and you'll notice the lack of ATL service. The one flight a day or less to MCO that FL flies out of these cities is a way to avoid going head-to-head with Delta.

More seats does not necessarily equate to better service - surely even "Joe Six Pack" knows that....

I think this is exactly the reason. It's hard for AirTran to make money in a city when DL matches the fares and has triple the number of flights, with connections to more destinations. But Delta makes money when AirTran pulls out and they increase fares.

Look at most of AirTran's new stations (ABE, MDT, TYS, AVL, CRW, etc.) and you'll notice the lack of ATL service. The one flight a day or less to MCO that FL flies out of these cities is a way to avoid going head-to-head with Delta.

But if this is the case, why is AirTran still in business -- and profitable -- while Delta is unprofitable? As you all know, Delta has tried many times before to place an "illogical" number of seats in a market to thwart AirTran. That strategy obviously hasn't worked out so well. :)

So you would think AirTran would stick it out at CHS and wait for Delta to act rationally. I mean. it's pretty shocking that an airline hubbed at ATL would not serve one of the major Southeast travel markets.

And this is why Air Tran cannot attract the business travelers in any numbers. An airline that has any many holes that they have will always be a back up #2 choice.

I respect AirTran is in the business of making money and not flying unprofitable routes. But at times they don't seem like they can decide if they are more a network carrier or more of an "Allegiant."

This also means that fares across the board are going to go up; I only flew Airtran to CHS once. Mostly, I enjoyed the lower prices that Airtran brought to the market though...might be taking the train more often to visit the family (from DC too...). I was in CHS last weekend, and paid $360 on Delta (with voucher thankfully, but also with at least a month advance) for Friday evening outbound from DCA and Sunday evening return to DCA.

This also means that fares across the board are going to go up; I only flew Airtran to CHS once. Mostly, I enjoyed the lower prices that Airtran brought to the market though...might be taking the train more often to visit the family (from DC too...). I was in CHS last weekend, and paid $360 on Delta (with voucher thankfully, but also with at least a month advance) for Friday evening outbound from DCA and Sunday evening return to DCA.

I know what you mean. I had a family reunion in CHS in August and I thought I was going to have to drive 700 miles to get there (wasn't going to pay $350+ per person), and my wife was going to miss it because she didn't have the time to drive. Then we got $59 o/w on AirTran. I couldn't believe it, since "mid-distance" airfares to CHS have always been crazy.

And now, I'm sure, they'll be crazy again. CHS tourism will again slumber because nobody will pay those fares for discretionary leisure travel. It's a shame.

This also means that fares across the board are going to go up; I only flew Airtran to CHS once. Mostly, I enjoyed the lower prices that Airtran brought to the market though...might be taking the train more often to visit the family (from DC too...). I was in CHS last weekend, and paid $360 on Delta (with voucher thankfully, but also with at least a month advance) for Friday evening outbound from DCA and Sunday evening return to DCA.

You like the low fares AirTran brings, but you don't support the airline that brings you the low fares. Is there any room to complain that fares will now go up?

You like the low fares AirTran brings, but you don't support the airline that brings you the low fares. Is there any room to complain that fares will now go up?

+1. If you want the low fares to stay, you should support the airline that brought the low fares in the first place.

Totally agreed - can't recall the figures, but CHS is by far the busiest airport in SC (GSP is over a million pax per year, and CHS is way beyond that). The Charleston area and surrounding metro are very well-to-do, and it seems lots of folks from other parts of the country are moving there (more travel to see family in other areas, etc) . Doesn't make sense at all.

It's still a small market. While CHS airport may have more RJs flying in and out of it than GSP, GSP metro is well over 2x bigger.

It wil be interesting to see how long the 9 mainline vs. 3 RJ mix holds up. When AirTran discontinued its 6 AM nonstop from Harrisburg to Atlanta in September, Delta withdrew the head-to-head MD-80 (yes, two mainline flights to ATL at 6 AM!) they had rushed into the timetable even before AirTran's ending date.

It's still a small market. While CHS airport may have more RJs flying in and out of it than GSP, GSP metro is well over 2x bigger.

http://www.census.gov/popest/metro/tables/2008/CBSA-EST2008-01.xls

Population estimates for the referenced SMAs, 7/1/2008:

Charleston-N Charleston-Summerville: 644,506

Greenville-Mauldin-Easley: 624,715

Spartanburg: 280,738

We were disappointed when FL ended Savannah service. This will be a hit for us when we want to travel to the SC coast area.

http://www.census.gov/popest/metro/tables/2008/CBSA-EST2008-01.xls

Population estimates for the referenced SMAs, 7/1/2008:

Charleston-N Charleston-Summerville: 644,506

Greenville-Mauldin-Easley: 624,715

Spartanburg: 280,738

I expanded it to the Total Survey Area. Solely going by MSA can be extremely limiting in market size in markets with multiple cities. For example, MSA has Atlantic City and Philadephia as separate, but TSA merges Atlantic City, Dover DE, Reading and Allentown into Philadelphia, and every county is counted and belongs to some place.

So, for Greenville, SC TSA
Greenville TSA - Georgia
Elbert 17,700
Franklin 18,700
Hart 21,000
Stephens 21,300
Greenville TSA - North Carolina
Buncombe 194,800
Graham 6,800
Haywood 49,600
Henderson 87,400
Jackson 31,800
Macon 28,900
Madison 17,700
McDowell 37,200
Mitchell 13,600
Polk 17,000
Rutherford 54,300
Swain 11,500
Transylvania 26,400
Yancey 16,200
Greenville TSA - South Carolina
Abbeville 21,900
Anderson 153,100
Cherokee 45,300
Greenville 359,100
Greenwood 57,800
Laurens 60,200
Oconee 61,600
Pickens 100,000
Spartanburg 232,900
Union 23,900

vs.

Charleston TSA - South Carolina
South Carolina
Berkeley 128,800
Charleston 283,000
Colleton 33,200
Dorchester 106,600
Georgetown 52,700
Williamsburg 30,400

If AirTran were to serve one SC metro, Greenville, SC would make better sense based on market size.

However, Charleston and Myrtle Beach may offer more destinational value, but the cities/metros are not large enough or close enough to each other. (95 miles apart not as ideal as if they were just 55 miles apart).

For GSP, the problem however is ATL is too close for primary hub routing. But not all AirTran markets go to ATL anyways. GSP-MCO, GSP-MKE, GSP-BWI routings could work as viable connections to most cities/regions, except for the New York region and some other regions. AirTran does have AVL-MCO, though which would diminish the chances for a GSP-MCO.