Originally Posted by shiznit

From Boyd today also:

And here's what will probably be the #1 Myth:

"Delta's going to get clobbered at Atlanta, now that Southwest is coming to town..."

Run for cover from these folks, y'all. They don't know squat. The fact is that it's likely the folks at Delta headquarters are smiling broadly over this deal. Bottom line: replacing AirTran with Southwest is a net positive for Delta - which might even see some increases in ATL RASM.



First, what is missed is that Southwest has higher costs than AirTran. That's not bad news. Second, Southwest probably won't offer a business cabin, as does AirTran - which makes WN less competitive for the, yes, business traveler. Third, Southwest most likely won't stray from it's bingo-boarding, no-advanced-seat-selection program.

Finally, watch for a passel of sleaze-lawyers to get involved, trying to make a quick buck on nuisance class action suits. And we can't wait to hear what Congressman Oberstar will come out with regarding this deal. Should be amusing and direct from la-la land.

None of this will change the fact that this really is a positive deal for just about everybody, save perhaps whoever holds the lease on the AirTran headquarters in Orlando.