Southwest to Terminate AirTran Flights

[Bobcats2003]

FYI to those planning to fly Airtran later this year...



http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-...west-code-share-flights-done-for-airtran.html



Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV), which completed the purchase of AirTran Holdings Inc. (AAI) this month, plans to end the smaller carrier’s flights to six Midwest cities operated under an agreement with SkyWest Inc. (SKYW)

Southwest’s pilot contract doesn’t allow for such so-called code-share flying in the U.S., Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly said today. Southwest has had talks with SkyWest and hasn’t given a termination notice, Kelly said after the airline’s annual meeting at its Dallas headquarters.

The affected cities are Des Moines, Iowa; Omaha, Nebraska; St. Louis; Akron-Canton, Ohio; Indianapolis; and Pittsburgh, and most flights are performed with regional jets to and from the Milwaukee hub, AirTran President Bob Jordan said.

Southwest serves some of the cities, such as Omaha, on its own and hopes to keep flying to all of them, although it hasn’t yet determined routes, schedules or plane types, Kelly said. Omaha is home to Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK/A), whose MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co. unit is based in Des Moines.

“We will try to sustain service in places like Des Moines even when we shut down SkyWest,” Kelly said.

SkyWest, based in St. George, Utah, had no immediate comment.

 

[seashoreCM]

“We will try to sustain service in places like Des Moines even when we shut down SkyWest,” Kelly said.

Southwest can't shut down Skywest unless it already owns Skywest. But Southwest can take the Airtran flight numbers off of codeshared flights on Skywest planes ("metal") and then those flights disappear from the Airtran schedules. Southwest can also take the Skywest flight numbers off of flights using Airtran metal.

 

[keishashadow]

OP the title of thread gave me a heart attack until i read your postand saw skywest vs airtran proper.

it'd be a public relations nightmare for SWA to cancel existing airtran flights that many have already booked thru December this year without offering replacement seats on SWA flights (vs a refund which is basically worthless if flight fares have increased substantially in the meantime since original booking imo)

i cashed in many of my chips & am using AT CC rewards for 1 flight & have business class seats booked). It would really be nice to know what fate will befall the AT branded CC reward programs...come on SWA, get on the ball!

 

[Meredith71]

Does anyone know about AirTran flights out of DFW? I have been trying to book a flight past Nov. 21 and nothing comes up. Other cities are available.

 

[NotUrsula]

Does anyone know about AirTran flights out of DFW? I have been trying to book a flight past Nov. 21 and nothing comes up. Other cities are available.

This is because of the Wright Amendment. SWA signed a settlement with the DOJ in 2006 that forbids the airline from operating simultaneously at both Love Field and DFW. My guess would be that there is some kind of official changeover scheduled for that date, at which time the flights officially become WN flights and can no longer operate out of that airport.

http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/post/2011/05/wright-amendment-lives-on-/169025/1

 

[happiestgrl]

Does anyone know about AirTran flights out of DFW? I have been trying to book a flight past Nov. 21 and nothing comes up. Other cities are available.

Meredith, have you looked at AirTran out of Branson? I know it's not a straight shot from Bixby to Branson like it is to DFW, but there are some great fares out there now. My mom and dad will be making the drive from XNA and saving over $145 each/one way.

 

[jsilvers]

But Southwest can take the Airtran flight numbers off of codeshared flights on Skywest planes ("metal") and then those flights disappear from the Airtran schedules. Southwest can also take the Skywest flight numbers off of flights using Airtran metal.

Skywest is an Australian airline, so I assume that you really mean SkyWest.

SkyWest doesn't sell flights under its own name; it is a contractor for AirTran. When AirTran stops codesharing on SkyWest flights, the flights will simply end. Conversely, there aren't any AirTran flights which are also sold as SkyWest flights.

 

[jsilvers]

This is because of the Wright Amendment. SWA signed a settlement with the DOJ in 2006 that forbids the airline from operating simultaneously at both Love Field and DFW.

USA Today, to little surprise, gets the facts wrong. Southwest can serve both Love Field and DFW - but if it does, it has to surrender some of its gates at Love Field (which it isn't going to do). For a more accurate piece, see http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/05/mayors-airtran-needs-to-get-ou.html.

 

[aubriee]

Does anyone know about AirTran flights out of DFW? I have been trying to book a flight past Nov. 21 and nothing comes up. Other cities are available.

This is because of the Wright Amendment. SWA signed a settlement with the DOJ in 2006 that forbids the airline from operating simultaneously at both Love Field and DFW. My guess would be that there is some kind of official changeover scheduled for that date, at which time the flights officially become WN flights and can no longer operate out of that airport.

http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/post/2011/05/wright-amendment-lives-on-/169025/1

Oh great! I fly out of DFW and need flights for Nov 26th and Dec 4th.

 

[Meredith71]

This is because of the Wright Amendment. SWA signed a settlement with the DOJ in 2006 that forbids the airline from operating simultaneously at both Love Field and DFW. My guess would be that there is some kind of official changeover scheduled for that date, at which time the flights officially become WN flights and can no longer operate out of that airport.

http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/post/2011/05/wright-amendment-lives-on-/169025/1

Ok, that makes sense. Wow, what a bummer. I am waiting for Southwest to release their schedule next week but was hoping for some more options.

 

[Meredith71]

Meredith, have you looked at AirTran out of Branson? I know it's not a straight shot from Bixby to Branson like it is to DFW, but there are some great fares out there now. My mom and dad will be making the drive from XNA and saving over $145 each/one way.

Yes, I have looked into Branson. The prices are better but the times are really weird. (At least for us). I am looking into Wichita and XNA as well. Flights out of Tulsa are usually pretty high so we are willing to drive to another airport this time since it is over a holiday and fares are higher than usual anyway.

 

[seashoreCM]

If Southwest has the choice of suddently terminating service to Dallas-Fort Worth or giving up a gate at Love Field with no guarantee of getting it back then Southwest is likely to choose the former even if thousands of travelers are inconvenienced.

Yes, some DFW flights might be rescheduled for Love, and others cancelled if bookings were disallowed before the flights filled up.

Southwest's advertising will certainly point out the mayor of Dallas and other government officlals as the bad guys if they did not volunteer a longer period of time to wind down Airtran DFW operations.

I can just see the commercials:

"Mayor John Smith, doing all the nice things for Dallas dada dada. Re-elect him."
(next spot)
"Mayor John Smith forced us to cancel flights dada dada. Ding, you're free to move about the country."
(next spot)
"I'm Mary Jones and I'm running for mayor. Dada dada."

 

[NotUrsula]

USA Today, to little surprise, gets the facts wrong. Southwest can serve both Love Field and DFW - but if it does, it has to surrender some of its gates at Love Field (which it isn't going to do). For a more accurate piece, see http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/05/mayors-airtran-needs-to-get-ou.html.

Which means that for all intents and purposes, what USA Today said is essentially true (though I agree that the way they stated it wasn't clear); in reality SWA can't operate simultaneously out of both airports because they are not willing to take the penalty that would come with exercising that option.

 

[mom2val]

.

 

[DebbieB]

I am waiting to hear the official word of when flights from DFW will be ended. Southwest had 30 days from the close of the deal to come up with their exit plan. I am praying that we will be able to fly on Airtran for our trip in October. I have not bought our tickets yet bc I refuse to fly Southwest and will not run the risk of being put on a Southwest flight if Airtran is forced to stop before my trip. It makes me sick to pay $500 more for my family to fly American. Southwest is just as expensive for the flight times I want and its not even a direct flight- this is why I refuse to fly Southwest.

I would book it, I doubt it would be before then. Even if it does happen, changing airports would entitle you to a refund. The fact that they don't show DFW flights after 11/21 indicates that would be the probable date or after that. They are showing other cities up to 3/20/12.

 

[NancyIL]

I would book it, I doubt it would be before then. Even if it does happen, changing airports would entitle you to a refund. The fact that they don't show DFW flights after 11/21 indicates that would be the probable date or after that. They are showing other cities up to 3/20/12.

Are you referring to AirTran? They are booking only through Dec. 4 right now.

 

[DebbieB]

Are you referring to AirTran? They are booking only through Dec. 4 right now.

Sorry for the misinformation. What I was going by was when I clicked the calendar icon, it showed dates in bold up to 3/20/12. The dropdown goes to January but when you pick dates it says not available.

 

[NancyIL]

Sorry for the misinformation. What I was going by was when I clicked the calendar icon, it showed dates in bold up to 3/20/12. The dropdown goes to January but when you pick dates it says not available.

I've been waiting to book Bloomington, IL to Orlando for Dec. 6, and Dec. 4 is as far as it goes right now. I'm hoping for another sale that goes through mid-December, since the last one covered flights pretty far into November.

 

[seashoreCM]

But is Southwest limited in the total number of flights it can have?

If Love Field is capacity limited as someone said, Southwest should have the option of rerouting its DFW (Airtran) flights there, or keeping a DFW gate without losing a Love gate.