Win a Trip to NYC from AirTran

Tennis fans - this one is for you. Fly to NYC and hang out with tennis pro Melanie Oudin. The trip includes flights to New York for two, 4-night hotel stay, a $100 Adidas gift card, $500 shopping spree and an autographed tennis racquet from Melanie. Good luck.

$25 Off an AirTran Flight to Florida

Just provide your email address to AirTran and receive an electronic voucher for $25 off your next flight to Florida. Book the flight by October 31 and travel by December 18, 2009 to qualify for this discount. AirTran currently offers four daily departures from San Francisco to its Atlanta hub, connecting onward into Florida. The airline also offers seasonal service SFO-Milwaukee nonstop.

AirTran Courts Students With Cheap Standby Fares

(From Smarter Travel)

AirTran is back with its third year of AirTran U, a cheap standby program for college students with fares starting at $69. While the program is not new, it remains compelling and worth a mention each time AirTran renews it, as it did this January.

The premise is simple: College-age students register with the program and show up two hours before their desired flight. If a seat is available after the final boarding call, it's theirs for either $69 or $99, depending on the length of the flight. Checked bags aren't permitted due to the nature of flying standby. Read more...

Book AirTran and Get $25 Cash Back

AirTran and Paypal have teamed up to offer flyers $25 cash back when booking their next ticket at AirTran.com and use Paypal as the method of payment. The offer runs between November 12 and November 30, 2008, and is limited to the first 8,000 customers. There is a minimum purchase of $100 required. The $25 rebate will be credited to your Paypal account 6-8 weeks after purchase.

Keeping Score On Capacity Cuts

In case your not keeping score at home, here is a summary of the big-name airline players and their expected cuts in capacity through the end of 2008:

-United Airlines will cut capacity system wide by 12%.
-U.S Airways by 8%.
-American Airlines by 11-12%, including ending all Oakland operations
-Delta Airlines will eliminate up to 13%
-Northwest 9.5%
-Continental 11%
-AirTran 5%
-Frontier Airlines by 17%

With the capacity cuts, many airlines will layoff or offer packages to employees, while airlines such as Midwest and AirTran are implementing pay reductions to certain staff.

Capacity cuts mean consumers can expect to dig deeper into their wallet as fares rise to meet the demand for fewer seats/less capacity.

$25 Off Coupon for AirTran Airways

Sign up for AirTran's Net Escapes emails and receive a coupon got $25 off a future online purchase. Once you sign up, the discount code is immediately emailed to you.
You must sign up for this deal by May 11th. The discount is valid for travel until January 15, 2009.

AirTran to add San Francisco - Milwaukee service

Atlanta-based AirTran Airways says they will add seasonal service between San Francisco and Milwaukee on May 6th. In addition to SFO, the airline will introduce 4 other cities non-stop into Milwaukee, putting pressure on Midwest Airlines which has been the dominant carrier in Milwaukee to date.

AirTran will reintroduce seasonal SFO-Indianapolis service later in May as well.

Pan Am: The Glamour of travel - decades ago

This past weekend in 1927, the very first Pan Am flight took off from Key West headed for Havana. 80 years later some of the faces of the airline--through the years--gathered in South Florida to remember the Pan American World Airways legacy.

Captain John Marshall remembers the night he flew Pan Am's last official flight from Sao Paolo to New York. "I asked the tower if we could take a low pass, they said no," said Marshall. "I thought about it anyway, but then I realized I had 6 hours of Brazilian airspace to fly through."

That was in 1991, but Marshall and 400 former Pan Am employees have reunited in Miami to celebrate the company's 80th anniversary, a story that began in Miami."The original flight in 1927 was out of Key West," said Marshall. "All the major sea plane operations were out of Dinner Key which is presently Miami City Hall."

With 35,000 employees Pan American was once considered the world's leading pioneers in aviation. "I started right out of college and thought I would do it for six months because it was a lot of fun and within six months I knew there was never going back," said flight attendant Carla Marshall.Marshall was with the company for 23 years.

In the early days flying was glamorous and elegant, but now some would say its mass transit."When I fly today I'm amazed at all the security, having to pull out your bag of liquids and the hassle of traveling and the stress of it," said Nancy Hult Ganis, a former Pan Am flight attendant.Pan American Airways no longer flies the skies, but its history lives on in exhibits and collections here in South Florida. This includes the flight academy at Miami International Airport, where former employees had an opportunity to shop for some memorabilia.


Source: CBS-4 Miami

AirTran has announced an increase in change fees effective September 30th. Per their website, "all AirTran Airways fares are subject to a $60 change fee per person for any change made after purchase through September 30, 2007, plus any applicable increase in airfare. A $75 fee per person will apply to changes made after September 30, 2007, plus any applicable increase in airfare."

JetBlue announced earlier this month an increase in their change fee as well. Before the policy change customers we're out $25 bucks, now it's $35 for online changes, and $45 if an airline rep assists with the change (plus any increase in airfare).

In comparison, Southwest has no change fees (you pay only in change in the fare).

Long live the days of the empty middle seat

Most U.S. airlines are reporting that planes are the fullest they have ever been in operating history according to the U.S DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. This has direct implications to passengers.
LOAD FACTOR BY YEAR
2006 79.2% (percent of seats filled on aircraft)
2005 77.6%
2004 75.5%
2003 73.5%
2002 71.8%
2001 70.0%
2000 72.4%

First, on average, you're more likely than ever in history to not have an empty seat next to you. So don't you dare move that armrest in the up position just yet.

Second, and probably more significant relates to cancelled flights. A fully booked flight where all seats are taken, then subsequently cancelled by the airline, can become a battle (or war) trying to accommodate all those unhappy folks on other flights. Less of a problem when planes were less full. Ahh, remember those days.
Third, if you are flying standby it also becomes more difficult because - you guessed it - there are fewer seats likely to be "open" for you to slip into. Miss your flight, and you may have a long wait at the airport. "Grande Latte please..."
Of course loads vary by time, market and revenue management techniques by the airline.

But, overall, those planes are running pretty darn full these days. Northwest, JetBlue and United have 2006 loads of 84%, 81.6% and 81.7% respectively. Southwest and AirTran have the lowest loads, 73.1% and 72.8% during the same year - meaning on average those planes are only about 3/4 full.

Pick a seat...any seat...then show us the money

AirTran begins a service allowing customers to choose their seat assignment at the time of booking their airline ticket, for a fee.

Most airlines allow you to pick the place to park your bosom on board the plane well before you hop on board. With AirTran, most customers select their seats day of departure. This new optional service allows mid and low priced ticket holders the ability to reserve certain seats in advance, including emergency row for a fee from $5-$15 each way rather scooping up whatever seats may be left on day of departure. Premium class and high priced Y,B, & M fares are not subject to the fee.

For a family of 4, an added cost of up to $120 to sit together cuts into the budget of a vacation.
For a solo 6'2 traveler, $30 for an emergency exit row seat might be appealing.

Good and Bad.