Southwest has overbooked the last Air Tran flight.
Dec 19, 2014, 8:06 am
#3
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And, aren't a high number of flights normally over booked anyways?
Dec 19, 2014, 8:10 am
#4
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I'm not sure I neccessarily get the outrage here. While the AirTran name may go away it's not like any IDB is going to get stranded like if the entire operation (WN + FL) was going to shutdown once that aircraft pushes. IDBs will get rolled over to the next WN flight like usual.
Dec 19, 2014, 8:38 am
#5
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I'm not sure I neccessarily get the outrage here. While the AirTran name may go away it's not like any IDB is going to get stranded like if the entire operation (WN + FL) was going to shutdown once that aircraft pushes. IDBs will get rolled over to the next WN flight like usual.
Dec 19, 2014, 8:38 am
#6
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Other than some sentimental attachment to FL, why is this even remotely significant? And, why does it matter at all that a given flight is overbooked? The vast majority of overbooks aren't oversold.
Dec 19, 2014, 12:00 pm
#8
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If you absolutely want a seat, there appears to one available in the choice section. I just checked the seat map.
I was expected an oversell of some sort. Not likely everyone will make the flight. Hopefully it's small and people who want to be on it will be.
I was expected an oversell of some sort. Not likely everyone will make the flight. Hopefully it's small and people who want to be on it will be.
Dec 19, 2014, 1:21 pm
#9
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It's SOP at airlines that have more than one cabin, where sales of the up-front cabin lag sales of coach, to oversell coach, knowing they can always "roll" enough people up to the front.
Southwest proper can't do that, of course, because all its planes are single cabin.
But AirTran was able to do that. (Whether it did that historically or not, that I don't know. I do know other multi-cabin airlines do do it.)
Dec 19, 2014, 10:29 pm
#10
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Is business class overbooked, or just coach?
It's SOP at airlines that have more than one cabin, where sales of the up-front cabin lag sales of coach, to oversell coach, knowing they can always "roll" enough people up to the front.
Southwest proper can't do that, of course, because all its planes are single cabin.
But AirTran was able to do that. (Whether it did that historically or not, that I don't know. I do know other multi-cabin airlines do do it.)
It's SOP at airlines that have more than one cabin, where sales of the up-front cabin lag sales of coach, to oversell coach, knowing they can always "roll" enough people up to the front.
Southwest proper can't do that, of course, because all its planes are single cabin.
But AirTran was able to do that. (Whether it did that historically or not, that I don't know. I do know other multi-cabin airlines do do it.)
No fares have existed for a long time even before it was full. I was watching them closely trying to justify over $300 for coach. Then Bam fares went away before it was even full.
Airtran Elite upgrades solved most of the oversold coach issues. Beyond that yes, many Customers got free upgrades. GA discretion... a whole lot of issues that might come into play. i.e. VDBs from an earlier flight often would oversell coach and not get seats together. Why not make their day even better?
BC oversells only occured during IROPs.
Dec 21, 2014, 10:13 am
#11
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RIP Airtran. I've said it many times before, for a business traveler, that was one sweet airline, real business seats at WN BS prices. Only flew them maybe 15x compared to 1,000x+ WN but I appreciated every flight. RIP Airtran.
Dec 27, 2014, 1:36 pm
#12
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Seat availability for sale on flight #1 has been strange: sold out, then 8+ available, then back to sold out. Still glad I bought our 3 tickets a few months back.
My hunch is that mgmt blocked a bunch of seats for employees who have decided against the trip due to holiday travel and due to the difficulty in flying nonrev positioning flights...
My hunch is that mgmt blocked a bunch of seats for employees who have decided against the trip due to holiday travel and due to the difficulty in flying nonrev positioning flights...
Dec 27, 2014, 9:01 pm
#13
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My hunch is this becomes the last two-class configuration with assigned seating. AirTran livery will be in service into 2015 - coded WN-only.
They now acknowledge integration will be only "nearly complete" after 12/28:
They now acknowledge integration will be only "nearly complete" after 12/28:
Southwest Airlines will celebrate with a special event on Sunday, December 28, 2014 before AirTran Airways Flight 1 departs for Tampa at 10:25 P.M. EST. The event marks the nearly complete integration that will result in one airline with one Customer Service Experience, one flight schedule, one Rapid Rewards Frequent Flier program and one brand.
Dec 28, 2014, 1:30 am
#14
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Starting 12/29, the only Airtran livery in the air should be ferry flights to maintenance/Delta rebranding.
The last Airtran 737 flew 11/30 and was ferried to Boeing (PAE) for the Delta livery install. Photos show several in the hangar. http://www.blogsouthwest.com/flashba...l-airtran-737/
As of this December 2014, there appear to have been 31 Airtran registered 717's. http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/ai...file_tab_fleet Delta's delivery schedule from 2 years ago called for the last 36 aircraft in 2015 at the rate of 3 per month... So there will be a bit of a backlog to rebrand then a backlog mothballed on Southwest's time until delivery.
I haven't read an update on this in a few months, but one of the biggest "integration" issues remaining into 2015 was reported to be the Pilot 737 type certification. They can only certify a certain qty per month, and as a result of waiting way too long to finalize the programs, hundreds of pilots will be paid their full salary for the better part of 2015--while sitting at home.
The last Airtran 737 flew 11/30 and was ferried to Boeing (PAE) for the Delta livery install. Photos show several in the hangar. http://www.blogsouthwest.com/flashba...l-airtran-737/
As of this December 2014, there appear to have been 31 Airtran registered 717's. http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/ai...file_tab_fleet Delta's delivery schedule from 2 years ago called for the last 36 aircraft in 2015 at the rate of 3 per month... So there will be a bit of a backlog to rebrand then a backlog mothballed on Southwest's time until delivery.
I haven't read an update on this in a few months, but one of the biggest "integration" issues remaining into 2015 was reported to be the Pilot 737 type certification. They can only certify a certain qty per month, and as a result of waiting way too long to finalize the programs, hundreds of pilots will be paid their full salary for the better part of 2015--while sitting at home.
Dec 28, 2014, 8:28 am
#15
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I'd maintain 717s as revenue flights for a few months to avoid keeping hundreds of pilots sitting home paid full salary, even inviting unwelcome media attention. But your handle on this is better than mine.