With hundreds of AirTran credits earned (and mostly used in their great FF program), it is sad to see them disappear. They managed to fight their way to establish their niche and they did it the right way: a brand new fleet, two cabins and a route network that blossomed fast as they grew up to 100+ airplanes.

But the way Delta now just matches them and has essentially boxed them in was palpable. I fly frequently to Jacksonville and Harrisburg. AirTran essentially has abandoned Jacksonville, with a gaping hole in their schedule back to Atlanta from 1 PM until 8 PM. Harrisburg gets its one nonstop every summer to Atlanta. Delta immediately puts an MD-88 against it departing within minutes each way and matches fares -- for that flight. Now it is fall and AirTran and the mainline Delta plane are gone and fares are back to "normal" at $500 each way.

Not to mention places like Newark, SFO and now Miami from which AirTran has/will drop or greatly alter the schedule.

Western plans stopped cold a few years ago with Portland unserved, Seattle "seasonal," the fleet frozen in size and now the sideways movements through Milwaukee.

Have no idea what will happen to cities where AirTran was basically steering wide just to avoid Southwest, like Flint, White Plains, Akron and Milwaukee.

Or the unusual cities like Newport News, Atlantic City, Charleston, WV, Asheville, Allentown, Branson, Biloxi, Lexington, KY or Sarasota. None of these sound like Southwest cities. Key West, anyone?

Unfortunately, getting acquired at 50% increase in share value is probably better than conjuring up a strategy with third tier cities, minihubs, seasonal service or -- ta da -- once daily flights to Orlando (from whence the old original AirTran came).