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AirTran to offer service at jetport
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By EDWARD D. MURPHY, Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
AIRTRAN HOLDINGS INC.
HEADQUARTERS: Orlando, Fla.
HUB: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
EMPLOYEES: 7,500
DAILY FLIGHTS: 700
DESTINATIONS: 50
2005 SALES: $1.45 billion
2005 NET INCOME: $8.1 million
Sources: Hoover's, AirTran Airways
Portland has attracted a second low-fare airline, with AirTran set to announce today that it will begin service to the city in June.
The Orlando, Fla.-based airline will have three daily round trips to Baltimore-Washington International, plus Portland's first nonstop to Orlando, on Saturdays. The BWI service begins June 7 and the flights to Orlando start June 9.
"When you've got one low-cost carrier and you bring in another, it's very good for consumers," said Bill Mitchell, president of Hurley Travel Experts in Portland.
In a news release to be sent out today, the airline said its service is seasonal, but didn't say when service might stop. Airport officials said they anticipate that the service will be year-round, assuming passenger numbers support the service.
"All of our conversations with them have been based on the premise that if the numbers are there, they will continue to come," said Jeff Bourk, assistant manager of the Portland International Jetport. Bourk said AirTran often begins its service as seasonal and expands it to year-round if demand is strong.
Baltimore-Washington is a Northeast hub for the airline, which will have more than 50 destinations when it starts flying to Portland. From BWI, passengers can connect to 13 other destinations, including Atlanta -- the airline's primary hub -- Dallas/Fort Worth and several Florida cities.
AirTran's fares could force other airlines serving Portland to cut rates to the Washington region and Florida. AirTran said its lowest advance fares will be $69 to BWI and $99 to Orlando, each way. Lowest one-way walk-up fares will be $169 to BWI and $179 to Orlando, and the lowest business-class fares will be $239 to Baltimore and $339 to Florida, each way.
Mitchell said AirTran is making its announcement at a good time, given the problems experienced recently by the other low-cost carrier serving Portland.
JetBlue canceled hundreds of flights the weekend after the Valentine's Day snowstorm snarled its system. Portland was one of 11 cities where all service was canceled during the busy President's Day weekend, ruining hundreds of vacation plans.
By the time AirTran starts flying here, Mitchell said, JetBlue's problems probably will be largely forgotten. But having AirTran as a competitor might make it difficult for JetBlue to raise rates to recover losses and pay for a plan to compensate passengers in the future for cancelled or delayed flights.
"Having AirTran will keep JetBlue in check," Mitchell said. "It's a good time for them to come in."
AirTran also is seeking to expand its service nationally with a bid to buy Midwest Airlines, although the management of that airline has rebuffed its offer.
AirTran has a reputation of adding service as its passenger numbers grow, even in small markets, said Edward Faberman, executive director of the Air Carrier Association of America, an industry organization that represents low-cost carriers and airports.
Faberman said the carrier has picked relatively small markets, such as Flint, Mich., or Akron-Canton, Ohio, and begun service with a flight to one of its hub cities and Florida. If demand is high, he said, the carrier often builds that service into four or five destinations, usually including the Atlanta hub, and adds more flights to Florida.
"When people ask for more, they add service and strengthen their customer base," Faberman said.
Most of AirTran's fleet consists of Boeing 717s, which typically offer 105 coach seats and 12 business-class seats. It has also begun using Boeing 737s, which have 137 seats.
Flights to BWI will leave Portland at 6:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 4:51 p.m. and take about 1 hour and 35 minutes. Return flights, which take about 1 hour and 25 minutes, will leave BWI at 10:30 a.m., 2:51 p.m. and 8:10 p.m. The Saturday flights to Orlando will leave at 1:30 p.m. and arrive in Florida at 4:50 p.m, with flights from Orlando leaving at 9:40 a.m. and arriving in Portland at 12:55 p.m.
Staff Writer Edward D. Murphy can be contacted at 791-6465 or at:
emurphy@pressherald.com
Reader comments
Jean of Biddeford, ME
Feb 27, 2007 8:05 AM
Excellent!
Joe_D of Alexandria, VA
Feb 27, 2007 7:41 AM
YEAH! The trip from DC just got A LOT easier! AND Cheaper!!!
Thank-you Air Tran!!!!
Martin McIntosh of Bangor, ME
Feb 27, 2007 7:14 AM
Congratulations to the good folk at the Portland International Jetport for yet another progressive expansion of airline service to and from Maine. Despite JetBlue's recent troubles, it is clear that the airline has revolutionized air service in this state. Now AirTran is entering the market, which will formally establish PWM as a major playor in the low cost carrier market. PWM is now Maine's airport of choice and is very well positioned to grow and prosper. Good job, PWM, and congratulations.
Chris VanVeen of Brookline, NH
Feb 27, 2007 6:47 AM
Having lost traffic to Manchester for years, this is very good news for Portland. I think AirTran might well be underestimating the demand for that Orlando flight. Look for it to go daily. Indeed, a better distribution of the four flights might well have been 2x each to Baltimore and Orlando rather than three and one.
E-mail this page
Reader Comments (below)
By EDWARD D. MURPHY, Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
AIRTRAN HOLDINGS INC.
HEADQUARTERS: Orlando, Fla.
HUB: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
EMPLOYEES: 7,500
DAILY FLIGHTS: 700
DESTINATIONS: 50
2005 SALES: $1.45 billion
2005 NET INCOME: $8.1 million
Sources: Hoover's, AirTran Airways
Portland has attracted a second low-fare airline, with AirTran set to announce today that it will begin service to the city in June.
The Orlando, Fla.-based airline will have three daily round trips to Baltimore-Washington International, plus Portland's first nonstop to Orlando, on Saturdays. The BWI service begins June 7 and the flights to Orlando start June 9.
"When you've got one low-cost carrier and you bring in another, it's very good for consumers," said Bill Mitchell, president of Hurley Travel Experts in Portland.
In a news release to be sent out today, the airline said its service is seasonal, but didn't say when service might stop. Airport officials said they anticipate that the service will be year-round, assuming passenger numbers support the service.
"All of our conversations with them have been based on the premise that if the numbers are there, they will continue to come," said Jeff Bourk, assistant manager of the Portland International Jetport. Bourk said AirTran often begins its service as seasonal and expands it to year-round if demand is strong.
Baltimore-Washington is a Northeast hub for the airline, which will have more than 50 destinations when it starts flying to Portland. From BWI, passengers can connect to 13 other destinations, including Atlanta -- the airline's primary hub -- Dallas/Fort Worth and several Florida cities.
AirTran's fares could force other airlines serving Portland to cut rates to the Washington region and Florida. AirTran said its lowest advance fares will be $69 to BWI and $99 to Orlando, each way. Lowest one-way walk-up fares will be $169 to BWI and $179 to Orlando, and the lowest business-class fares will be $239 to Baltimore and $339 to Florida, each way.
Mitchell said AirTran is making its announcement at a good time, given the problems experienced recently by the other low-cost carrier serving Portland.
JetBlue canceled hundreds of flights the weekend after the Valentine's Day snowstorm snarled its system. Portland was one of 11 cities where all service was canceled during the busy President's Day weekend, ruining hundreds of vacation plans.
By the time AirTran starts flying here, Mitchell said, JetBlue's problems probably will be largely forgotten. But having AirTran as a competitor might make it difficult for JetBlue to raise rates to recover losses and pay for a plan to compensate passengers in the future for cancelled or delayed flights.
"Having AirTran will keep JetBlue in check," Mitchell said. "It's a good time for them to come in."
AirTran also is seeking to expand its service nationally with a bid to buy Midwest Airlines, although the management of that airline has rebuffed its offer.
AirTran has a reputation of adding service as its passenger numbers grow, even in small markets, said Edward Faberman, executive director of the Air Carrier Association of America, an industry organization that represents low-cost carriers and airports.
Faberman said the carrier has picked relatively small markets, such as Flint, Mich., or Akron-Canton, Ohio, and begun service with a flight to one of its hub cities and Florida. If demand is high, he said, the carrier often builds that service into four or five destinations, usually including the Atlanta hub, and adds more flights to Florida.
"When people ask for more, they add service and strengthen their customer base," Faberman said.
Most of AirTran's fleet consists of Boeing 717s, which typically offer 105 coach seats and 12 business-class seats. It has also begun using Boeing 737s, which have 137 seats.
Flights to BWI will leave Portland at 6:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 4:51 p.m. and take about 1 hour and 35 minutes. Return flights, which take about 1 hour and 25 minutes, will leave BWI at 10:30 a.m., 2:51 p.m. and 8:10 p.m. The Saturday flights to Orlando will leave at 1:30 p.m. and arrive in Florida at 4:50 p.m, with flights from Orlando leaving at 9:40 a.m. and arriving in Portland at 12:55 p.m.
Staff Writer Edward D. Murphy can be contacted at 791-6465 or at:
emurphy@pressherald.com
Reader comments
Jean of Biddeford, ME
Feb 27, 2007 8:05 AM
Excellent!
Joe_D of Alexandria, VA
Feb 27, 2007 7:41 AM
YEAH! The trip from DC just got A LOT easier! AND Cheaper!!!
Thank-you Air Tran!!!!
Martin McIntosh of Bangor, ME
Feb 27, 2007 7:14 AM
Congratulations to the good folk at the Portland International Jetport for yet another progressive expansion of airline service to and from Maine. Despite JetBlue's recent troubles, it is clear that the airline has revolutionized air service in this state. Now AirTran is entering the market, which will formally establish PWM as a major playor in the low cost carrier market. PWM is now Maine's airport of choice and is very well positioned to grow and prosper. Good job, PWM, and congratulations.
Chris VanVeen of Brookline, NH
Feb 27, 2007 6:47 AM
Having lost traffic to Manchester for years, this is very good news for Portland. I think AirTran might well be underestimating the demand for that Orlando flight. Look for it to go daily. Indeed, a better distribution of the four flights might well have been 2x each to Baltimore and Orlando rather than three and one.