Exusair From United States of America, joined Sep 2000, 684 posts, RR: 0 Posted (12 years 7 months 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 1459 times:
In a news release today, AirTran Airlines stated that it is looking at 3 cities on the east coast as candidates for "focus cities" within the next year. In addition, the carrier is looking at one or two cities west of Atlanta but the carrier declined to reveal which markets. This growth will be done internally as passenger makeup has gone from 60% leisure/40% business to a complete 60/40 reversal. Mr. Leonard, AirTrans CEO has not ruled out serving trans-con markets with appropriate aircraft within the next few years.
Ahlfors From Canada, joined Oct 2000, 1318 posts, RR: 5 Reply 2, posted (12 years 7 months 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 1285 times:
Fly to San Juan. Delta (and pretty much everyone else too) charges an arm and a leg for the route. Bring in AirTran and price would significanltly drop. Currently its cheaper to get from ATL to LGW than to SJU.
Exusair From United States of America, joined Sep 2000, 684 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (12 years 7 months 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 1272 times:
How about PHL on the east coast as well as IAD, as I recall Valujet has a huge presence at IAD with frequent flights to BOS as well as MCO, ATL, MDW. They were the impetus for growth at IAD and there seems to be some room for growth there as Metrojet seems to be a weapon that USAirways doesn't seem to know how to use. Metrojet at LGA on high density routes. Why would you shoot yourself in the foot by eroding yields? Also consider PHL which is starving for more lowfare service. As for the city west of ATL, HOU, DFW would give the carrier range to serve cities on both coasts with the 717.
TWAneedsNOhelp From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (12 years 7 months 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 1264 times:
Ok, it certainly won't be DEN, not with UA and Frontier, both of which are stable strong carriers.
It probably won't be Dallas either, what with two huge airlines DL and AA, and little Airtran presence there anyway. PHL or PIT or MDW are definites.
US Airways introduced Metrojet on the LGA-Florida flights to counter.......JetBlue of course. However, they haven't needed too. With good flight times and prime LGA real estate, Metrojet flights are consistently much more expensive than those of its JFK rivals and Spirit. In fact Metrojet's LGA fares are the highest of the entire Metrojet system. So, don't worry US is still milking frantic NYers trying to get to FL this winter. However the lack of a first class cabin is certainly a mistake. DL and AA are now the only airlines with F class service on LGA flights to MIA, FLL, PBI, and MCO.
Add TWA from JFK.
Mitchell Gant From Montserrat, joined Aug 2000, 250 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (12 years 7 months 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 1245 times:
I would kindly submit that AirTran take a close look at Austin as a focus city. Austin is a major technology center, and is growing by double-digits every year. AUS has twice as many enplanements as SAT, yet the city only has half as many people. AirTran could evaluate service to major business centers from AUS. They will have major competition from Southwest, but perhaps they can keep their costs low with the 717 aircraft and dirt cheap labor force.
Jmc1975 From Israel, joined Sep 2000, 3162 posts, RR: 17 Reply 7, posted (12 years 7 months 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 1220 times:
Once AirTran gets all its 717s, it should look at Kansas City being the new western hub (or "focus city"). MCI has a large population base, but no airline has a hub there. Previously Braniff, Eastern and TWA had hubs there. In fact, since AirTran is such a dorky name, why not rename it Eastern Airlines? It's based in Orlando, has its main hub in Atlanta and has a large presence in the East. Makes since to me. Besides whatever happened to the proposed New Eastern Airlines?
Lowfareair From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 8, posted (12 years 7 months 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 1216 times:
Why would they want to re-name themselves Eastern Airlines? They are already building up their reputation as AirTran, and I'm hearing less and less of "AirTran, formerly Valujet" on the news and in the paper.
BNE From Australia, joined Mar 2000, 3156 posts, RR: 13 Reply 10, posted (12 years 7 months 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 1203 times:
Suggestions of Kansas City, former hub for Eastern.
or MDW This still wouldn't give you transcon on a smaller plane. Need a 757.
Maybe they should wait until the UA/US merger goes through then decide on a former US or metrojet hub, Because can't see UA keeping all those hubs if the
merger goes through.
RiceRocket From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 11, posted (12 years 7 months 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 1187 times:
I'm sure they will wait and see what falls out of the US/UAL merger. If it goes ahead and the merged entity drops or scales back PIT then that would be ideal as a 'focus city' - a little short on O&D but a good facility.
How about SLC if, as some people think, DL downsize there after the Olympics? Only problem is that they have no name recognition that far west.
On a different tack, would Airtran consider running a 717 into HPN from ATL? DL do it on a CRJ which is a long enough hop. Nice yields from HPN and all the big 6 are there.
Pmk From United States of America, joined May 1999, 664 posts, RR: 2 Reply 13, posted (12 years 7 months 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 1190 times:
Airtran is missing the most important city in the us, LAS VEGAS!!! I have been the biggest sceptic of the new "Valujet", however I think that with the new 717's an ATL-LAS run would be possible, and profitable. Las Vegas is the fastest expanding city in this whole country, it is serviced by many airlines, however with the 717 I think it would be easily serviceable. The distance of the 717 is 1430 NM, the distance from ATL-to LAS is 1513 NM, obviously this would require a stop, how about Denver? This would give Airtran a western presence and would give them two of the fastest expanding cities in the US. Think of this from a financial point of view.
FirstClass! From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 15, posted (12 years 7 months 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 1127 times:
Hey Cody, long time no see! LAS was planned to be served w/ the MD-80s but then disaster struck....
Currently FL has mini-operations in MDW, PIT(soon), PHL, and Gulfport(Beau Rivage deal), w/ "big momma" in ATL. FL would be foolish to go head-to-head w/ WN and ATA @ MDW, so why even bother. IAD was an excellent northern hub when ValuJet flew in it. Then MJ came in and FL had to leave if it was to make money. (BTW MJ has significantly reduced service @ IAD, maybe FL can go back to IAD and bring things back the way it ought to be)
(One more thing before I leave, FL's route map is looking alot like the VJ days in '96.....long live Critter!)
Cody From United States of America, joined May 1999, 1918 posts, RR: 10 Reply 16, posted (12 years 7 months 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 1112 times:
Hi FirstClass! I was worried about you. Yes the rumor mill within ValuJet told us to expect Las Vegas and a possible tag to a Los Angelas area airport from Las Vegas. Maybe Orange County or Long Beach. Who knows? Oh what could have been.
BA From United States of America, joined May 2000, 11135 posts, RR: 61 Reply 17, posted (12 years 7 months 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 1103 times:
TWAneedsNOhelp,
I know its hard to believe, but they have shown good interest for Denver. Just remember, Access Air is going to start service to Denver soon. They probably won't survive, but there going. AirTran has a good chance of surviving. There a some what large airline. Low-fairs, and relatively popular.
"Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need." - Khalil Gibran
Lowfareair From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 18, posted (12 years 7 months 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 1097 times:
I could believe COS, but it is hard to think that DEN would get flights considering that F9 already has 2 daily and VNGD has a one-stop, plus other connecting flights. But they might grab people with their bus. class.
Panamfanatic From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 19, posted (12 years 7 months 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 1087 times:
I dont think Denver will -ever- work out....Not only do you have a mega hub for United at DEN but you have hometown Frontier which is well known in Denver for providing quality, low fare service to major business cities. with AirTran entering DEN with a hub--you would have AirTran, United, and Frontier. That simply will not work. Now, if AirTran were just to add service to DEN from ATL that would most likely work....or maybe even a tag from another midwestern city to DEN?? Like maybe DFW-DEN?? neways....on another note...I was speaking to an AirTran Senior Customer Service Rep, and he was telling me that AT was in the process of signing papers for gate space in LAS for service to start early 2001, using some sort of 737-300/400. That would fit nicely into their fleet as they already have some 737's.
TWAneedsNOhelp From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 20, posted (12 years 7 months 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 1083 times:
PanAmFan, your short on a few facts here buddy.
The 737-200s flying with Airtran are a separate fleet, an inconvenience if you will, Valuejet picked up when it bought Airways Holdings for a new name. They have no future with the airline and never did. Because they fly as Airtran now means nothing if Airtran will order new 73 equipment in the future. If they do, abolsute coincidence.
Your certainly unbiased on your DEN prediction, especially with a eMail account like "Frontierair@....." This is ok, because I agree with you, there is no reason for FL to be in DEN. Yes there is already two strong established carries, but even more importantly there is no service that is DEN is lacking that FL can fulfil a need for. DEN already has significant national coverage, and now international (thanks LH and BA), and also a large network of low-fare flights. So what will FL fulfil at DEN? Try and fight F9 out of the market and capture DEN's low fares for themselves? Come on.
So where's FL next step, probably large increase in service out of PIT to combat US' high fares just as it so succesfully has done in The Peachtree State.
N-156F From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 21, posted (12 years 7 months 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 1079 times:
PanAmFanatic, AirTran has 3- at most- B737-200s left, and they're phasing them out. If they order anything within the next year or so, it'll be more B717-200s, however, if they do go west, a B737-700/800 order would not surprise me.
FirstClass! From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 23, posted (12 years 7 months 4 days 17 hours ago) and read 1068 times:
As everyone else has said, the 732s do not blend in w/ the newer 737s.
I would not be surprised myself for a larger aircraft order because for one) it could serve nonstop transcon service from ATL and for two) it could serve high-density markets that the 717 does so well on. If you notice their current schedule a good number of flights overlap each other, that is, they leave to the same place within 10 minutes of each other. Having a large airplane to cover those two 717s would be cheaper in the long run because you would only need one gate instead of leasing two.
TWAneedsNOhelp From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 24, posted (12 years 7 months 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 1046 times:
I'm curious, whats the range of the 717 from ATL in terms of cities?
I mean can it make ATL-MSP nonstop or ATL-MCI?
25 Lowfareair: Firstclass!: I was talking to a FL flight attendant on my flight in early Oct., and was wondering the same thing myself. He said 'Don't expect another
26 Pmk: The 717 can make LAS with a stop in DEN to refuel. Routings like this seem to work for United. Peter
27 Lowfareair: I would think that the one-stop would be in MCI or COS, b/c to stop in DEN would have them using the same route as United/Frontier. Expect MCI as the
28 TWAneedsNOhelp: Could Boeing manufacture a 717-200ER package, perhaps with winglets to give it increased range. Than FL could make nonstop western routings without ha
29 D L X: GSO is probably out of the question. It is only 300 air miles from ATL. IAD is probably out of the question considering the shellacking US and UA gave
30 Me: Let me just say how suprised I am with all the intrest in AirTran. As an AirTran employee for almost 3 years I am very proud of the progress we have m
31 GreatPooh: Look for Airtran to aquire used MD-80 or possibly MD-90s as longer range aircraft. There are a number of MD-80s available and some MD-90s will become
32 FrontierMan: I talked with Joseph Leonard in person, and he told me that AT would either cover all of the southern US or The Eastern Seabord. I think we're startin
33 TWAneedsNOhelp: Intensive maintenence? What are you talking about?
34 N-156F: I got my copy of DL's annual report today (I hold stock in the company), and it says they'll be phasing out their MD-90s. Hmmmmm...FL, you listening?
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This is ok, because I agree with you, there is no reason for FL to be in DEN. Yes there is already two strong established carries, but even more importantly there is no service that is DEN is lacking that FL can fulfil a need for. DEN already has significant national coverage, and now international (thanks LH and BA), and also a large network of low-fare flights. So what will FL fulfil at DEN? Try and fight F9 out of the market and capture DEN's low fares for themselves? Come on. 
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