This should illustrate what I was speaking of earlier regarding MKE markets:
Winter Peak 2009 versus 2009
MKE-Florida
-26.4% total seats year over year
-78.7% Midwest cutback in seats
MKE-Las Vegas
-33.4% total seats year over year
-65.4% Midwest cutback in seats
MKE-Phoenix
-30.6% total seats year over year
-48.8% Midwest cutback in seats
Midwest cut way back in those markets, AirTran only replaced a portion of that flying, and so in spite of the dismal economy they are carrying good loads.
Now look at Summer 2009 peak
MKE-Boston
+4.5% total seats year over year
+7.2% Midwest increased seats over last summer
MKE-LaGuardia
+3.8% total seats year over year
+7.2% Midwest increased seats over last summer
MKE-Washington
+18.0% total seats year over year
-8.0% Midwest decreased seats over last summer
MKE-Minneapolis
+62.8% total seats year over year
+22.9% Midwest increased seats over last summer (increase prior to AirTran's MKE-MSP plans)
+34.9% Northwest increased seats over last summer (increase in retaliation to AirTran's MKE-MSP plans)
Unlike Florida, Vegas, Phoenix or the west coast, these are not markets where Midwest cut back
This winter the overall pie at MKE shrunk, but because of Midwest's cutbacks AirTran found enough passengers for the expansion here by not coming close to replacing all of Midwest's trimmed capacity.
This summer, however, several of the key markets added or expanded by AirTran are about as larger or larger than last year. It may be a very different game than this current winter/spring has been.