Newsstand - ATA Airlines Rolling Out Business Class

Low-cost carrier ATA Airlines, the nation's
10th-largest commercial airline, next week plans to announce a new business class for its scheduled service fleet. Beginning in August 2004, ATA will roll out the new product across its entire network. A premium product is a departure from the traditional low-cost strategy, but a company official said it will be a cornerstone of the irline's corporate sales efforts. Walk-up business class fares will be capped at $399, just $100
more than the cap on walk-up coach fares.... www.btnonline.com (http://www.btnonline.com)

Yeah, gotta love it when the copy-cat BigSix(tm) airlines keep cutting F/c and B/C and the other guys just keep doing what a ff needs and wants.

MisterNice

Great scoop, MisterNice. Hopefully this new service will show the world what many people already know -- that ATA is completely reinventing itself as an honestly different airline.

joe

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thumbsup.gif

wonderful news!

I thought these guys already had a business class section?!?!

ATA said yesterday that its business-class seats, which will be introduced in August on its Boeing 737's and 757's, would cost no more than $399 one way. It will also offer upgrades to business class from coach for a modest fee on the day of travel, but has not yet decided how much to charge.

In providing business-class service, ATA, the 10th-largest airline in the United States, will be following the lead of AirTran, which has gotten a warm response to its business- class service. John Happ, senior vice president for marketing of ATA, said the airline expected most of its business-class seats to be sold through the same-day upgrades, a feature also offered by AirTran.
(added to note it will be on both B757 and B737 aircraft and also same day upgrade purchase option)

MisterNice

They'll get my business!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by xyzzy:
I thought these guys already had a business class section?!?!</font>

Maybe you're thinking of AirTran?

Great news and definitely the way to go.

I really hope the big six will follow, and not only in 5 years but soon!