Jun 8th, 2011 at 8:00AM: The most recent U.S. Department of Transportation data is out, and it's time for the airlines to brace themselves. The good, the bad and the ugly can be discerned from the data, and numbers are notoriously poor at showing excuses (I mean, "underlying reasons").
So, let's start with what looks good. Hawaiian Airlines is most likely to get you to your destination on time, leading U.S. carriers ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
AirTran posts
Airline industry best and worst of April 2011
Jun 8th, 2011 at 8:00AM: The most recent U.S. Department of Transportation data is out, and it's time for the airlines to brace themselves. The good, the bad and the ugly can be discerned from the data, and numbers are notoriously poor at showing excuses (I mean, "underlying reasons").
So, let's start with what looks good. Hawaiian Airlines is most likely to get you to your destination on time, leading U.S. carriers ...AirTran helps this travel writer put the "fun" back in flying
Apr 8th, 2011 at 10:31AM: Flying is not usually a fun experience, and, as a travel writer, I often dread the drudgery of airport security, limited fast food options and cramped middle seats. But sometimes, you're surprised. After a marathon security line at Baltimore-Washington International airport and a trudge down to the end of Terminal D, I heard peppy music, which I thought was emanating from the rum bar a few gates ...2011 Airline Quality Ratings - AirTran at number one
Apr 5th, 2011 at 10:00AM: The 2011 Airline Quality Ratings (AQR) were just released, and AirTran topped the list at number one. The Atlanta based air line got top marks in the study that accounts for on time arrivals, mishandled baggage, complaints, and other metrics. The study only includes airlines in the United States and provides interesting statistics about the overall quality of domestic air travel.
The main form ...Five airline amenities making a comeback ... and the one we want
Dec 21st, 2010 at 9:00AM: Wow, there's a headline I never thought I'd write! Though I suspect it has little to do with actual customer demand – after all, the airlines don't even call us customers – several are starting to bring small, small perks back into the cabin. Two factors help, of course: (1) they aren't expensive and (2) airlines have shown solid profits this year (at least in the United States).
...Which airline made the most money on baggage fees?
Dec 13th, 2010 at 2:30PM: Last year, baggage fees were used by airlines to make up for lost fare revenue, as the recession kept people on the ground. This year, it's just been a great source of extra revenue, as passenger traffic and fares are up – and the fees haven't gone away. Almost all airlines are getting in on the action, some more egregious than others.
Well, data for the third quarter of 2010 is in, and ...Fallen American Airlines could be next to merge ... with JetBlue?
Oct 12th, 2010 at 12:00PM: American Airlines used to be the largest airline in the industry – now it's third. Merger activity has narrowed the field, with Southwest-AirTran and United-Continental the latest deals that hit the sector. So, all eyes are on who will succumb to the urge to merge next, and American is being eyed as the next player.
According to a Forbes blog post, analysts from Morningstar believe that ...Airlines getting scammed online, fighting back
Oct 5th, 2010 at 2:00PM: Airlines lose a boatload of cash – tens of millions of dollars a year – because of online fraud. Think about it: you pay for your pillow and to check a bag because some degenerate can't bother to work for a living. The airlines are keeping their customers in mind (shockingly), though, and they're fighting back. Better protection systems, increased staff and a higher priority for ...Southwest uses AirTran for access to business travelers
Sep 28th, 2010 at 3:30PM: The key to success in the airline industry is the business traveler. This category flies often, has less flexibility in pricing and spends more on flights than a leisure traveler could possibly imagine. So, it's hardly surprising that Southwest's acquisition of AirTran – a $1.42 billion transaction – could help deliver greater share of the white collar travel crowd to the low-cost ...What the Southwest/AirTran merger means for consumers
Sep 28th, 2010 at 1:00PM: Southwest Airlines announced yesterday that it will acquire AirTran in a cash plus stock deal.
Here's what to expect:
1.) Good news for AirTran passengers and travel to/from/through Atlanta in general. Southwest has better service than AirTran, and lower fees (assuming that Southwest keeps the low/no-fee model, see number 4, below). Southwest is not keeping the AirTran brand.
2.) ...Airline mergers could lead to fare "creep"
Sep 28th, 2010 at 12:30PM: The Southwest/AirTran merger isn't expected to push fares much higher. The disappearance of seats that comes with airline consolidation would make you think that prices are about to rise, as the fundamental commodity of the airline industry becomes increasingly scarce. But, we're not close to that point yet, notes USA Today:
"We're not at the tipping point," says George Hobica, founder of ...BREAKING NEWS: Southwest Airlines will buy AirTran for $1.4 billion
Sep 27th, 2010 at 8:25AM: Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the outstanding common stock of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAI), the parent company of AirTran Airways (AirTran), for a combination of cash and Southwest Airlines' common stock.
"Today is an exciting day for our Employees, our Customers, the communities we serve, and our ...Airlines continued to cut jobs - 25 months in a row
Sep 22nd, 2010 at 3:30PM: There's a reason why airlines have positioned themselves for a solid performance in 2010: in addition to charging all those extra fees, they have been cutting positions (and thus expenses). In July alone, the industry in the United States trimmed 2.3 percent of its workforce relative to July 2009. That made 25 consecutive months of net job losses in the domestic airline sector.
According to the ...Airlines provide change fee relief because of Hurricane Earl
Sep 2nd, 2010 at 10:00AM: As Hurricane Earl works its way up the east coast, airlines are letting passengers take one item off their lists of concerns. Delta has announced that passengers affected by the storm can make one-time changes to their plans without incurring any fees. This applies to flights scheduled for today and tomorrow and covers more than 20 airports in the eastern United States, including the New York ...AirTran tries to make money like an internet company
Nov 18th, 2009 at 4:00PM: If they can't make money taking passengers from one place to another, maybe airlines can harness the power of eyeballs ... you know, the way the web does. If you get enough people passing by a particular spot -- physical or virtual -- it's possible to toss up a few ads and make some money. This is what AirTran has in mind. The airline is putting ads on the bottoms of seat-back tray tables. So, for ...Airlines post worst on-time performance of the year
Aug 5th, 2009 at 1:00PM: June was the worst month of the year for airline on-time performance since December, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Together, U.S. airlines had an on-time arrival rate of 76.1 percent, down from 80.5 percent in May. But, they had fewer delayed flights than in June 2008.
Hawaiian Airlines put up the best on-time results in June, with Delta subsidiary Comair at the other end ...Peter Graves discusses Gogo Inflight Internet etiquette on AirTran - gladiator jokes included
Jul 23rd, 2009 at 4:30PM: For anyone in the air a lot, Peter Graves is probably a bit of a cult hero. His role as Captain Oveur in Airplane! is one of my all time favorites. So, when I came across Peter Graves (and a couple of other celebs) explaining "Internetiquette" on board AirtTan flights with the Gogo Inflight service, I just had to share them with you. The site has three hilarious clips and a guidebook, and even if ...AirTran provides obvious internet etiquette tips
Jul 15th, 2009 at 5:00PM: Is AirTran the pot or the kettle? It's hard to say, but the airline that has done a great job of making passengers uncomfortable – think of it as the Greyhound experience of the sky – is now telling passengers how they can keep from making their fellow fliers unhappy. It's like giving a stern warning and nothing more to a bank robber caught in the act: it won't do much.
Nonetheless, ...New fees aren't new, but airlines keep trying
Jun 23rd, 2009 at 12:00PM: Cheaper fares are being offset by an array of extra fees, as airlines try to bring in some extra revenue in order to keep planes in the sky. And, to a certain extent, it's working. United Airlines forecasts $1 billion in revenue from these fees this year – accounting for more than 5 percent of its revenue. But, as they try to find new ways to dig into your wallet, fewer and fewer new ideas ...Afraid of flying? One man's cure: flying non-stop for a month
Jun 2nd, 2009 at 11:30AM: Some fight it with sleeping pills. Others just opt to stay home. But Mark Malkoff is choosing to confront his fear of flying head-on--by flying for a month straight. Mark started his journey yesterday, traveling from La Guardia to Atlanta to San Francisco back to Atlanta. No rest for the weary; he'll continually be on a plane for the next month, only getting off to change to a different plane at ...AirTran set to become the first airline with fleetwide Gogo Inflight Internet access
May 12th, 2009 at 10:30AM: AirTran is the newest airline to bring inflight Internet access to the skies. The airline chose the Gogo Inflight to outfit their planes, which is the driving force behind airborne Internet service on United Airlines, American Airlines, Virgin America and Delta. What makes the Airtran announcement special, is that their entire fleet will be equipped with the service by mid-summer. That means all ...
