AirTran headed west

[Fly-By-Cable]

http://www.airtran.com/destinations/routemap/index.jsp
BW5058 MAR 04,2003 3:00 PACIFIC 06:00 EASTERN

( BW)(FL-AIRTRAN-AIRWAYS-4)(AAI) AirTran Airways Announces Westward Expansion; Airline to Serve Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Denver from Atlanta Hub

Business Editors/Travel Writers

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 4, 2003--AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AAI), today announced that starting this summer the low-fare airline will commence service to three Western cities: Los Angeles, Calif; Las Vegas, Nev.; and Denver, Colo. The airline will offer two daily flights to all three cities from its Atlanta hub, with fares as low as $99 one-way.
The service to Denver will be operated using Boeing 717 aircraft with 12 Business Class and 105 coach seats. The service to Los Angeles and Las Vegas will be operated initially by AirTran Airways' marketing partner, Ryan International Airlines, using Airbus A-320 aircraft with 12 Business Class and 150 coach seats.
"This is a big day for AirTran Airways," stated Joe Leonard, chairman and chief executive officer. "We have been looking forward to announcing service to the West Coast, as these are among the biggest cities to which we currently don't fly, and are the most requested by our customers. This is an important expansion of our Atlanta hub network and we expect to stimulate tremendous demand throughout the Southeast to these top Western U.S. destinations."
Listed below are the new nonstop flights to Los Angeles effective June 4, 2003, to Las Vegas effective June 11, 2003, and to Denver effective May 21, 2003:



Atlanta - Los Angeles:

Departs Arrives Frequency
----------------------------------------------------------------------
9:40 a.m. 11:30 a.m. Daily
----------------------------------------------------------------------
8:50 p.m. 10:20 p.m. Daily
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Los Angeles - Atlanta:

Departs Arrives Frequency
----------------------------------------------------------------------
12:30 p.m. 7:50 p.m. Daily
----------------------------------------------------------------------
11:45 p.m. 6:55 a.m.(+1) Daily
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Atlanta - Las Vegas:

Departs Arrives Frequency
----------------------------------------------------------------------
10:00 a.m. 11:25 a.m. Daily
----------------------------------------------------------------------
9:00 p.m. 10:25 p.m. X23
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Las Vegas - Atlanta:

Departs Arrives Frequency
----------------------------------------------------------------------
12:25 p.m. 7:20 p.m. Daily
----------------------------------------------------------------------
11:45 p.m. 6:30 a.m.(+1) X23
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Atlanta - Denver:

Departs Arrives Frequency
----------------------------------------------------------------------
9:45 a.m. 10:55 a.m. Daily
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1:10 p.m. 2:20 p.m. Daily
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Denver - Atlanta:

Departs Arrives Frequency
----------------------------------------------------------------------
11:40 a.m. 4:40 p.m. Daily
----------------------------------------------------------------------
3:05 p.m. 8:05 p.m. Daily
----------------------------------------------------------------------


To celebrate the new service, AirTran Airways is offering special introductory fares as low as $99 one-way between Atlanta and the three cities. All introductory fare tickets must be purchased by May 6, 2003, and travel must be completed by July 16, 2003. Listed below are sample one-way fares (fares are valid in either direction).



Market Introductory Lowest Business
Fare Walk-up Class
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Atlanta - Los Angeles $99 $249 $399
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Atlanta - Las Vegas $99 $299 $349
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Atlanta - Denver $99 $114 $284
----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[AKAAB]

150 Coach and 12 Biz Class = 162 seats. What kind of seat pitch do they have in Coach? Sounds a little tight...


AKAAB

 

[flx757]

150 Coach and 12 Biz Class = 162 seats. What kind of seat pitch do they have in Coach? Sounds a little tight...
AKAAB

Just for comparison sake, what is the seating configuration of your A-320?

 

[General Lee]

If I remember correctly, our 737-800's had 155 total seats, and these Ryan (and then Air Tran) busses will have 162. I thought our 737-800's were tight, and I think it is about the same size. Anyways, good for Airtran for the Westward expansion. I think we all knew it would happen someday. This also will give Delta a kick in the pants to keep competing. I don't beleive there will be enough gates in ATL (even after Delta probably has to give some up for the codeshare with CO/NW) for Airtran to get as big as Delta in ATL, but I think they will keep growing, and maybe expand at other cities. (Like BWI to Freeport) How do the Airtran pilots feel about Ryan Air flying there first? (I know you don't have any planes yet...) I guess it is good to get your name out there as quick as possible.
Ty Webb???

Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[flx757]

General Lee,

I'm sure Ty will have more to add, but I think you pretty much summed up the feelings of the majority of pilots here. We don't have our larger/longer range aircraft yet, (an announcement of the order should come this summer with deliveries beginnning next year), and it's good to enter these markets as soon as possible and get more national name recognition.

While this subservice agreement isn't without some degree of controversy, even among the union leadership, I do believe a significant majority of the pilots support the idea...for the short term.

 

[Fly-By-Cable]

I agree with flx757. This would also alow AirTran to evaluate A320, and to see how it would fit into it's fleet.

 

[Ty Webb]

I think that most of the pilots feel fairly comfortable with this temporary arrangement because:

1) We recognize the need to act quickly

2) We have adequate protection in our contract, which led to-

3) The Company approached the pilot's union and got their permission to enter into this Agreement

4) Most of us realize that the very first thing that has to happen is that the company has to be competitive in the marketplace, in order for us to have secure jobs. If we place a noose around the company's neck, in the end we are strangling ourselves, too.

5) I'm not a "pro-management" type, but I think most of us would agree that management has done a good job in what has turned in to the worst time in the airline industry.

If the any of the above were different, or if we were furloughing instead of hiring, I am sure it would be a different matter.

 

[AKAAB]

JB also has 162, but all coach. Biz Class seats should eat up a few inches of coach legroom, but probably not enough to matter much. Biz class yields should be nice on those runs.

Congratulation to AirTran on the West Coast routes. In the long run, I think you will be one of the survivors.

AKAAB

 

[learob]

not a real LLC

Come on now

This is a only a knee jerk reaction to Jetblue starting the the route first.

Also the question needs to be asked since Airtran is only lowcost when they are compaired to Delta can they compete Jetblue? Airtran has a PSM cost of 8.5c Jetblue is 6.5 Delta has about 10.
This works out to a cost of $130 per seat each way for Jetblue $170 for Airtran and @$200 for Delta. Also Jetblue is known for their customer survice Airtran does not have this nor do they have live TV, Jetblue also has more leg and room bigger seats and can offer it for less.

So the question needs to be asked if Jetblue takes the low fare customers and delta takes the high fare business traveler what is left for Airtran?

 

[Citrusflyer]

To answer Learob's questions......

"Wetleasing" other aircraft is not something that can be done on the fly. The deal with Ryan has been in the works for a while. Yes, jetBlue beat us to it, but it's a strech to think that it's a reaction to your LGB-ATL service. If you want to know who we are going up agianst look at the red and blue tails in ATL.

The seatmile cost you refer to is for Airtran and does not accurately represent those of either Ryan (for west coast ops) and Air Wisky (RJ feed) contracts. Joe is a fantastic deal maker and I'd bet he got a great price for the service. I doubt either jetBlue or Airtran can undercut each other in a price war.

I'll be the first to admit that jetBlue is a first class product, but when the average "Joe" goes online for a flight they look for lowest fare with out a whole lot of regard for the carrier. We have a very high customer service satsfaction rating among passengers despite the lack of TV's.

Also there are differences in the service between the carriers. One is out of LGB the other LAX. Airtran can offer connection to the south and east from ATL, while at this time jetBlue cannot (out of ATL). (Although I would bet travelers going direct to the NE will choose blue direct to JFK, then on from there - which is not in our market). In short your traffic to ATL depends on O&D traffic while ours does not.

As for the high fare passengers, they are not there, hence the problems the majors are facing.

There is enough room for both Airtran and jetBlue, and the bottom line is that its Delta that's running scared from us both. If you doubt that look up their "news" about service from both mainline and Song to LAX (ironically announced today).

Cheers