AirTran Airways A+ Rewards - AirTran dropping EWR in swap with CO

In the Atlanta newspaper this afternoon.

AirTran to swap 10 slots in EWR for 4 @ LGA and 6 @ DCA. AirTran will end service @ EWR. Seems reasonable given the unreal delays @ EWR.

Not good if CO is giving up 6 slots at DCA. Those have been valuable and CO flies RJs on some of those slots just to hold the slots.

I am guessing CO will give up some DCA-EWR slots, maybe DCA-CLE. Maybe they will replace two Q400s or RJs with one large plane - to give priority for access into EWR. Otherwise EWR has become unworkable as a hub to connect from DCA.

I guess with *A and hook up with UA and US - CO will push USAir flights. It also worries me if CO were to give up its gates and Pres Club at DCA and move the flights over to the UA and US gate area - and let NW take over their current gates - in the DL concourse. AirTran would then expand in Term A - if NW were to vacate.

So far, it looks like FL will add IND-LGA, and probably add other new routes or frequencies from both LGA and DCA as a result.

Healy is quoted as saying business markets in the midwest and the south will benefit from increased flights to both airports.

Here is a source that might help.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/08/11/financial/f130943D30.DTL&type=business

The press release for this will be out tomorrow morning sometime.

Looking at the fine print, Healy also refers to consolidating FL's position at DCA. Sounds like IAD is on the chopping block as well potentially.

The press release for this will be out tomorrow morning sometime.

Yep, it's official news release from FL will inaugurate new routes for LGA/DCA-MCO & LGA-IND. FL has been added more frequency for DCA-ATL. So here the PR came in from yesterday:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/AirTran-Airways-Announces-New-prnews-1958440914.html?x=0&.v=1

Thanks all.

Regards

It is a shame to see AirTran leave Newark. There schedule was great from EWR, and when I flew this route the flight was full, and there were several people waiting on standby.

The last day ATL-EWR looks like October 25th.

My wife has a friend who is booked on flights the day after EWR is discontinued. Instead of offering alternative flights from EWR on another airline, they're telling her she has to fly in and out of LGA, which is twice the distance as EWR.

My wife has a friend who is booked on flights the day after EWR is discontinued. Instead of offering alternative flights from EWR on another airline, they're telling her she has to fly in and out of LGA, which is twice the distance as EWR.

I am sure Airtran would offer them a full refund with no penalties, unless they booked it through a travel agent, if so they would have to go back to the travel agent where there are less alternatives.

It looks like FL continues to drop routes from the GDS's out of IAD each and every week. Healy talked of "consolidating" traffic at DCA in addition to LGA. Any word on if FL is closing IAD as well?

What is GDS? Tried search but the term was too short.

My wife has a friend who is booked on flights the day after EWR is discontinued. Instead of offering alternative flights from EWR on another airline, they're telling her she has to fly in and out of LGA, which is twice the distance as EWR.

I wonder if PHL could be pitched as if they are on the Jersey side, the drive south isn't as bad. Possibly AirTran could start 2 daily flights from ABE to ATL?

What is GDS? Tried search but the term was too short.

Wikipedia is my friend:
Global Distribution System (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_reservations_system), computer systems for searching, reserving, and purchasing travel products