AirTran Airways Expands Schedule in Milwaukee, Launches Innovative Partnership with SkyWest Airlines - Yahoo! Finance


Discuss...

 

I thought Air Tran was the first airline to publicly acknowledge that 50 seat jets were financial submarines when they cancelled their contract with Air Wisconsin after only about nine months?

 

They are setting the deal up as a code-share.

The low-cost leader also announced a new marketing partnership with SkyWest Airlines to support its Milwaukee focus city. In this unique partnership, SkyWest Airlines, Inc., a subsidiary of SkyWest, Inc. (Nasdaq: SKYW), will offer regional jet service between Milwaukee and six destinations, including: Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Akron/Canton, Ohio, Indianapolis, Des Moines, Iowa, and Omaha, Neb. Seats on these flights will be sold in conjunction with AirTran Airways flights with revenue shared on a pro-rated basis.

Service under this new agreement will begin next month. Once fully implemented in February 2010, SkyWest Airlines will offer 18 daily non-stop flights from Milwaukee to six destinations. These flights will be operated by SkyWest Airlines and will be available for customers to book through AirTran's normal distribution channels, including the company's award-winning Web site, www.AirTran.com, travel agencies and 1-800-AIR-TRAN.

 

Disapointing news. I wonder what Tranny ALPA response will be? Could this be a fear tactic from mgmt regarding contract negotiations?

 

Funny chart of their stock on that page...announce flying with SkyWest -> stock goes HURK.

 

AirTran, SkyWest deal has pilots concerned

Union leaders for pilots of AirTran Airways said they are concerned about the airline’s new deal with SkyWest Inc. to support its service at Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport.
Orlando, Fla.-based AirTran Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: AAI), AirTran Airways parent company, announced Wednesday a new marketing partnership with SkyWest, a subsidiary of St. George, Utah-based SkyWest Inc. (NASDAQ: SKYW), to offer regional jet service between Milwaukee and six destinations, including: Pittsburgh; St. Louis; Akron/Canton, Ohio; Indianapolis; Des Moines, Iowa; and Omaha, Neb. Seats on these flights will be sold in conjunction with AirTran Airways flights with revenue shared on a pro-rated basis.
Service under this new agreement will begin next month. Once fully implemented in February 2010, SkyWest will offer 18 daily non-stop flights from Milwaukee to six destinations. These flights will be operated by SkyWest and will be available for customers to book through AirTran’s normal distribution channels.
“The pilots of AirTran are deeply concerned that our management is outsourcing flying, even while the company’s mainline growth has been stagnant for the past two years,” the Air Line Pilots Association said in a statement. “While we applaud any moves by the company to increase profitability, we strongly believe that AirTran customers expect and deserve to be flown on AirTran planes with AirTran pilots in the cockpit.”
The deal “runs the risk of diminishing the travel experience in the eyes of our customers, and goes directly against the business model that has made this company a success,” the union said.
AirTran has been marketing its full-size aircraft as a “more comfortable” alternative to the regional jets used by Oak Creek-based Midwest Airlines in the battle for market share at Mitchell, the union said.
“It would be unfortunate if AirTran were to cede that advantage as it works to gain market share,” the union said.
AirTran management wasn’t immediately available for comment

 

This is a move by Airtran to compete with RAH's lower operating cost.

 

Refer to this thread:

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/ma...agreement.html