AirTran Airways A+ Rewards - AirTran begin new routes from MDT-FLL

Hi All,

FL begin more expanded new routes out of MDT(Harrisburg, PA)-FLL nonstop during in the winter for thrice weekly frequencies. It is nice to see more capacity growth in FLL. FL has already existiing service for FLL-CAK/ATL/BWI/CMH/FNT/IND/MKE/PIT. It will bring increase more demand growth out of FLL connections. What about AirTran will have to be restore service for FLL-ROC/BUF/BOS/DTW/PHF/PHL/MDW and this is all for now. So here the press releases came in today:

http://sev.prnewswire.com/airlines-aviation/20090722/NY5046222072009-1.html

Thanks all.

Regards

PS. What about FL will ever to be reinstates nonstop from FLL-GPT yet?

Looks like the FLL flight will be replacing the MDT-ATL route. I don't see any MDT-ATL flights in the schedule after November 6. I wonder what the impact, if any, will be on fares to connecting destinations on other airlines from MDT-xxx now that FL will only serve the two point to point markets of MCO and FLL. Not sure if DL, US, and the other legacies even matched fares considering FL's one flight a day, but at least there's always BWI or PHL a short drive away for central PA travelers.

As for FLL-GPT, that's not coming back because AirTran closed the GPT station a while ago...although they do still fly frequent charters there for gambling trips.

DL has been matching very aggressively MDT-ATL throughout the day this summer, and even undersold AirTran during the early July fare sales. Last minute fare levels are down about 50% from pre-AirTran.

AirTran award tickets have also been more restricted out of MDT to ATL and beyond than I have been seeing in nearby markets.

Fingers crossed that an ATL flight survives, it actually needs to go to 2x daily to be effective for business travel or to serve as a gateway to the AirTran network.

Just checking the website, there is no ATL-MDT service after 7/8 September. A definite step backward for AirTran.

In passing through Harrisburg recently on the lone flight to/from ATL, confirmed that the service will end early September. Opinions differed on whether it will stop "seasonally" (to be fair, the original AirTran announcement did call the MDT-ATL route seasonal).

Also noteworthy was that Delta instituted mainline service -- once daily to directly compete with AirTran -- a 6:30 AM departure vs. 6:45 AM.

Delta now goes back to all-RJ service on September 1; I also note that their discount fares go up by about 20% in the late September-October timeframe (their T is then higher than current U levels, though this is always hard to directly compare).

DL has been matching very aggressively MDT-ATL throughout the day this summer, and even undersold AirTran during the early July fare sales. Last minute fare levels are down about 50% from pre-AirTran.

AirTran award tickets have also been more restricted out of MDT to ATL and beyond than I have been seeing in nearby markets.

Fingers crossed that an ATL flight survives, it actually needs to go to 2x daily to be effective for business travel or to serve as a gateway to the AirTran network.

With the elimination of EWR, I was thinking AirTran could start ABE service to ATL 2x, or MKE if direct ATL DL competition needed to be avoided. Central PA would then be near BWI, PHL and ABE.

I think ABE would probably get better reception than MDT as well. There isn't a lot in the MDT area other than Hershey Park and about an hour and a half from BWI/PHL/etc. My curiosity arises with WN doing a similar move into BOS when they already pwn the MHT/PVD markets, luckily they're not encroaching on PWM, most likely due to gate availability.

ABE could lure in passengers from Allentown-Bethlehem (3rd largest PA metro), Reading-Berks Co, Wilkes Barre-Scranton, Central PA (Harrisburg-Lebanon-Lancaster-York), possibly from some towns in Northern Montgomery and Bucks Co. PA, along with North/Northwest NJ.

If fares increase at Newark because there is no LCC around, consider ABE. It's still easier for those in the Jersey side to travel 60 miles into PA, park at a small airport with convenient parking, than head 60 miles beyond Manhattan to fly from LGA.

From central PA, the drive to BWI is still well tolerated, but ABE could offer an alternative if needed. PHL requires some PA turnpike (toll) drive time and is a bit longer in distance from Harrisburg.

Could ABE support the traffic of 2x to ATL (or MKE) via AirTran? Perhaps it could be equivalent to BOS area's MHT.

...from central PA, the drive to BWI is still well tolerated, but ABE could offer an alternative if needed... PHL requires some PA turnpike (toll) drive time and is a bit longer in distance from Harrisburg.


I will agree that the "drive to BWI" is well tolerated (I know the route well), but that is because of a lack of competitive service from Harrisburg. The best way to serve central PA is ... to serve central PA. Being on the border of New Jersey, Allentown really doesn't fit the bill.

For the record, ATL-MDT was stuffed full Thursday night. Out of five recent segments, four were full and one was 2/3 full. BTW, AirTran held the flight in ATL for 30 minutes for late connects, commendable for a 1x daily service.