Tlh - Tpa Dropped

[weatherman]

Not much of a surprise, but FL is leaving the TLH-TPA market Jul 23. Not much advance notice. DL began 4 RJs a day June 1. After FL ran US out of the market, it now looks like DL is having the last laugh. Theynow dominate TLH with nonstop service to: ATL, CVG, DFW, FLL, MCO, MIA, PBI, and TPA.

I wonder how long it will be until AirTran pulls the plug entirely on TLH. I can't see just 2 daily to ATL as being very profitable.

 

[coolflyingfool]

That is a quick pull. DL must have destroyed their future bookings.

 

[DLFlyer31]

No surprise here...I called it the day DL announced they would fly this route. Airtran has more profitable places to fly 717's.

It'll be interesting to see if DL keeps flying the TLH-TPA route. USAirways flew it for years as a monopoly, so I would think the route could support a few DL RJ's.

I too have wondered how long Airtran can last in TLH with only two flights to ATL vs DL's 8 flights. If Airtran is really serious about staying in TLH, they'll have to add at least one more flight. Otherwise, DL's going to get the lionshare of the business travel market and all Airtran will get is a few drunk FSU students.

 

[ac500]

I think Airtran lasted just as long as the state of FL supplemented the route for them and thats it. Delta may have won the battle, but, as usual with quite a hefty financial loss.

 

[rumorboy]

Looks like the localss are not happy though!!



Locals upset about possible price rise
The Tallahassee Democrat
By Juana Jordan

"There goes the competition!"

That's one of the comments coming from mouths of airport passengers who learned Tuesday that AirTran is taking its jets and flying out of the Tallahassee market for good.

"They just had decent pricing," said Bill Phelan, an executive of the Florida Healthcare Association, who flies out of Tallahassee on the airline a few times a month. "Delta must have fouled them up when they went into Tampa."

Some travel-agency officials think that as well, although AirTran hasn't mentioned Delta's move as a factor in its decision. Delta launched four daily flights between Tallahassee and Tampa on June 1.


AirTran officials say they simply can't cover the cost of operations anymore. Their passenger load is down 11 percent.

"I figured that this was going to happen when (AirTran) came in here with their larger planes," said Roosevelt Holloman, vice president and general manager of Alpha Travel & Tours. "Then Delta started flying from Tallahassee to Tampa. They were sharing that market with two different airlines. I just knew it wouldn't work out."

Before AirTran came to Tallahassee in November 2001, inexpensive flights were hard to come by. Travelers would often go to Jacksonville and Dothan, Ala., in search of cheaper fares. Many interviewed Tuesday said Tallahassee may be returning to those days.

"Once AirTran leaves the market, we will see Delta escalate its prices," said Scott Maddox, former Tallahassee mayor who worked to bring AirTran to Tallahassee. "Before AirTran, we saw fares to Atlanta as high as $800. I think we will return to that. It's crucial that we have a low-cost carrier here."

Holloman thinks so, too.

"Increased competition bought the rates down," he said. "We used to sell tickets out of Jacksonville. Since AirTran came in, we have sold very few compared to what used to. This definitely will hurt us unless we get another low-cost air carrier in here."

Tricia Illers, vice president of Carlson Travel, also agrees.

"We fear the prices in the market will inch their way back up to pre-AirTran days," she said. "People will begin to look at alternate travel plans. We do have Continental; maybe they will be able to compete with Delta."

Illers said she and other agents knew something surrounding AirTran was about to happen. On Monday, she noticed the airline had been pulled out of the system. "We called them and they said, 'We're not pulling out. It's just a schedule change."'

Since hearing the news, Illers and others in her office have been scrambling to get their customers on different flights.

Horace Moody was just about to board AirTran's 4:10 p.m. flight to Tampa when he heard that the airline would no longer offer service after Sept. 6.

"I wish they wouldn't (leave)" said Moody. He said the airline, which he flies once a month, gave him more options. "But I guess that's a business decision they have to make."

AAI 11.9 -0.74


More Info: News, Chart, Profile,
Quote ,Insider ,Options




View Thread | Format For Printing | Email This Post





Post Reply Post New Message <<Prev | Next>>

 

[FM2436]

Wasn't Tallahassee (like the Chamber of Commerce or some group like that) subsidizing AirTrans' flights into TLH?

 

[Piedmont4US]

Wasn't Tallahassee (like the Chamber of Commerce or some group like that) subsidizing AirTrans' flights into TLH?

In the zingers of today's Tallahassee Democrat:

"What a friend we have in AirTran. We give her a $3.6-million engagement ring and she leaves town - with the ring. Maybe we ought think about going home with the one who brought us to the dance next time. Congratulations, Delta, on 20-plus years in Tallahassee."