When Bob Fornaro took over as President and CEO of Spirit earlier this year, we knew there would be changes to the airline. What we didn’t know was to what extent Bob would be channeling his former employer, AirTran. The answer: a lot.
Up until recently, Spirit had really focused … Read the post
It’s that time of the year again where we look back and review all of our fallen comrades. This year, the list isn’t full of many recognizable names. It was a good year for airlines indeed. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty for us to discuss. I worked with … Read the post
Southwest does scheduling differently compared to any of the legacy carriers. The airline only allows bookings a few months out, but when it does come out, it’s pretty much set in stone. This most recent schedule extension, was a huge one for Southwest. It not only showed the first … Read the post
Southwest’s latest schedule is out, and guess who is paying attention to Memphis? It’s not technically Southwest yet, but Southwest is using its AirTran subsidiary to add destinations and flights in Memphis. As one airline fades in the land of Elvis, another grows. The circle of life continues.
Back … Read the post
It has been more than 2 years and 4 months since Southwest announced it would purchase AirTran. Since that time, the two airlines have operated as completely separate entities in the eyes of travelers. That is finally changing as the airlines have mercifully begun codesharing, although so far only with … Read the post
On the Spot: Tips for holiday travelers – LA Times
A nice write-up that suggest using Cranky Concierge for holiday travels.
Defend yourself against flight delays and cancellations: Cranky Concierge – The Travel Analyst
I met her at Frequent Traveler University and we did a little interview after. Here’s her … Read the post
Today is Valentine’s Day, so how about a little LUV story? One of the things about Southwest’s takeover of AirTran that I like the most is the transition plan. The way it’s being done is incredibly customer-friendly, and it’s likely to have a very minor impact on travelers, unlike what … Read the post
While I was off, Southwest made a couple of interesting moves worth talking about. By far the most interesting to me was a decision on which AirTran markets stay in the system and which ones disappear. (You can also see full schedule changes for the summer.) Instead of leaking it … Read the post
Air Travel Naughty and Nice List: Point Counterpoint – Conde Nast Daily Traveler
One Daily Traveler blogger wrote about the Consumer Reports Naughty and Nice list. As usual, I had a different view. They’re posted together as a point-counterpoint piece.
In the Trenches: Executing the Switch – Intuit Small Business … Read the post
It looks like Southwest has decided to take a cue from the old school PR handbook by making a big splash over new city and route announcements while quietly slipping in cuts to other cities and routes. There are a lot of changes with the schedule for next summer and … Read the post
Southwest’s acquisition of AirTran made a little news yesterday when it was announced that Southwest would bring its own airplanes to Atlanta starting on February 12. That’s just in time for the LUV-iest day of the year, Valentine’s Day. We’ve all gotten used to watching mergers unfold over the … Read the post
Earlier this week, Southwest publicly announced its first schedule changes for its new 
AirTran subsidiary. The changes, though small, give us a lot of insight into how Southwest is thinking about its AirTran purchase. It’s actually kind of exciting.
When Southwest purchased AirTran, it had to make two quick moves. … Read the post
