Comments on: AirTran Attacks the Cookie, Will Northwest Come to the Rescue?

By: Farecompare Travel Deals » AirTran vs. Midwest = Great Deals from Milwaukee

Farecompare Travel Deals » AirTran vs. Midwest = Great Deals from Milwaukee — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:36:48 +0000

[...] The Cranky Flier has a fantastic post on the new battle that’s raging between AirTran and Midwest Airlines (”The Cookie”) just as Midwest’s acquisition by Northwest/TPG gets approved. Air Tran Airlines, passed over on the Midwest deal, is taking things into their own hands. [...]

By: J N Kerr

J N Kerr — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 17:01:19 +0000

just as the fine china and gourmet meals went away most of the leather and cookies will too, YX has to get their cost/seat mile competitive with FL to survive.If not the YX blue will turn red and gray and FL will slug it out with NW. FL seems determined to make MKE its long sought upper midwest hub and for good reason. MKE has huge potential O&D due to its proximity to N. Illnois. Also if the mergers start to happen SW might go after FL,finish the MKE hub FL started and MKE is the big winner,NW the big loser.

By: Robert Esler

Robert Esler — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:46:19 +0000

I wouldn’t worry too much about Midwest. NWA tried pretty much the same thing a few years ago and crashed and burned. Midwest will match AirTran’s lower fares with some seats, but YX’s better product will attract the business traveller to enough higer-priced seats to allow them to continue to soldier on. However, I do worry about Midwest’s decision to add 2-3 seating to the 717s this summer. That will mean higher prices for the 2-2 seats and a dilution of their premium brand image. They should not become just like AirTran or price will be the only battleground. If AirTran wants to stir things up, start service on the MKE-MSP and MKE-DTW routes with low fares to challenge NWA’s monopoly.

By: Nicholas Barnard

Nicholas Barnard — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 21:52:03 +0000

Is it just me or does everything Northwest do leave a bad taste? The classy cookie and the grown up critter would’ve made a good combo. Sure there was that whole issue if the cookies would be baked onboard or not, and hometown airline vs. outsiders, but seriously those two were pretty close..