It’s all Southwest, all the time at ATL’s North Terminal these days. AirTran is no longer visible (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
AIRLINES
AirTran’s legacy for Southwest. With Southwest subsidiary AirTran Airways due to fly off into the pages of aviation history this week as its last remnants are fully absorbed into its parent airline, Forbes takes a look at just what AirTran has brought to the larger carrier. Besides making Southwest the largest U.S. airline (in passengers flown), AirTran has given it international routes, a bastion in Delta’s fortress hub at ATL, and set the stage for new domestic growth. The magazine also notes that Southwest’s integration of AirTran was one of the smoothest mergers of the past several years. Here’s a good WABE/NPR report on AirTran’s final flight. What do you remember most about AirTran? What will you miss most? Please leave your comments below.
More summer Europe routes: UA, DL. United and Delta have both announced additional seasonal summer service to Europe. United plans to fly from Chicago O’Hare to Rome from June 3 to September 23, using a three-class 777. Delta will begin 767-300 flights from Atlanta to Dublin five days a week on March 29, increasing to daily June 1; 757-200 service from New York JFK to Stockholm four times a week as of June 5, increasing to five a week June 15; and 757-200 flights from JFK to Malaga, Spain beginning with five weekly frequencies June 4 and increasing to daily on June 29. Good news: More summer flights to Europe usually means better award seat availability.
Guest using Wi-fi at Hyatt Regency Chicago (Photo: Hyatt)
HOTELS
Hyatt’s free Wi-Fi: Everyone, everywhere. Just days after Starwood Hotels matched Marriott by saying it would offer free standard Wi-Fi systemwide to members of its Preferred Guest program who book directly through a Starwood channel, Hyatt has upped the ante on those two lodging giants. Starting in February, Hyatt said, it will offer free Internet in all guest rooms and public spaces of all its brands worldwide — and you don’t have to book through a Hyatt channel or even be a member of Gold Plus Rewards to get it. “Internet connectivity is no longer an amenity. It has become an integral part of travelers’ daily lives and a basic expectation,” said Kristine Rose, Hyatt’s VP for brands. “Travelers shouldn’t have to remember which brands or locations offer it for free or the strings attached to get it.” Currently, free Wi-Fi at Hyatt is limited to certain brands and to elite Gold Passport members. The company noted that where it is available, Gold Passport Diamonds and Platinums will get a free upgrade to premium Wi-Fi service.
Lounge at Marriott’s AC Hotel New Orleans Bourbon (Photo:: Marriott)
Free hotel Wi-Fi: Great perk or gimmick? Now that Marriott, Starwood and Hyatt have all announced plans to offer free Wi-Fi systemwide in the weeks ahead — launching a bandwagon that other chains are likely to jump on — travelers will have to judge whether the free version is fast and reliable enough. In each case, the three hotel companies will also provide “premium” Internet access for free to the top elite members of their loyalty programs. As Starwood defines it, “Standard Internet access is sufficient for web browsing and emailing. Premium Internet access allows for streaming content and downloading large files.” But those are fairly vague definitions. With increasing numbers of travelers carrying more and more devices, all siphoning data through that same “standard” Wi-Fi pipe, will current hotel systems be sufficient for the demand? Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumer Electronics Association, suggested in a USA Today column last week that it’s time for the lodging industry to develop common standards for the levels of Wi-Fi connectivity hotels offer their guests, with clear guidelines as to who gets what, and for what cost (if any). In our own reader poll, conducted after Marriott started the free standard Wi-Fi ball rolling in October, only 28 percent were happy with a basic Wi-Fi connection, while 54 percent said they would use it, but it was “frustrating,” and 18 percent preferred to pay for a faster link. What’s your opinion on this issue? Share your comments below.
Openings, rebrandings: Marriott, Starwood, Four Seasons, etc. The first U.S. property in the AC Hotels by Marriott brand — which has 75 locations in Europe — opened this month in New Orleans. The AC Hotel New Orleans Bourbon is in the old cotton exchange building on Carondelet Street at the edge of the French Quarter … Also newly opened in The Big Easy is Starwood’s 410-room Le Meridien New Orleans, a remaking of the former W Hotel … There’s a second new Le Meridien in the South: Le Meridien Charlotte, close to that city’s Uptown Business District, is a transformation of the hotel previously known as the Sheraton Charlotte and the Charlotte City Center Hotel … Philadelphia will lose its Four Seasons Hotel in June, when the property is due to close for renovations before reopening under an as-yet-unnamed brand … Newly opened in the heart of downtown Miami is the YVE Hotel Miami, an upscale concept property that will, for instance, offer its guests bikes, scooters and Car2Go vehicles to get around town … Outside the U.S., the former Four Seasons Hotel in Dublin, Ireland, will become the InterContinental Dublin on January 1 … In Colombia, Starwood has cut the ribbon on the 168-room W Bogota in the center of town, its third W property in Latin America.
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AIRPORTS
SkyTeam aligns priority perks. Delta’s SkyTeam global alliance — which includes Air France, KLM and 17 other carriers — said last week it has become the first alliance “to deliver aligned priority services worldwide” for Elite Plus, first and business class customers at some 1,000 airports. And at the world’s top 60 airports, SkyTeam said, it is currently rolling out SkyPriority Fast Track lanes at security checkpoints (already at 39 locations) and immigration (now available at 21 airports) for its premium flyers. The global program offers premium customers priority check-in areas and baggage drop-off, priority service at ticketing and transfer desks, and priority boarding and baggage handling. Readers: What’s your experience with finding common procedures and policies in place when you connect across global alliance partners? Any problems?
Sydney gets two new lounges. The International Terminal at Sydney, Australia’s airport has added two new lounges for weary travelers. American Express has cut the ribbon on a new Lounge that seats 60 and offers Wi-Fi, power outlets, food and beverages and more. It’s open to AmEx Platinum and Centurion cardholders for free, and to other AmEx cardholders for $55. Meanwhile, Delta’s SkyTeam alliance also has a new lounge at SYD, with seating for 150 travelers as well as showers, massage chairs, food and beverage service and Wi-Fi. It’s available for business class passengers on SkyTeam carriers, and for elite members of their loyalty programs.
In Case You Missed It…
- American ups the mileage ante for premium flyers.
- Evaluating new hotel discount websites.
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Agree regarding your comment on pricing. I do not note any reduction in pricing for the ATL market. I know those old AirTran $80 roundtrips are long gone, but even buying tickets 3+ weeks out and fares are not anything to smile about with Southwest or Delta. The big get bigger and the consumer gets squeezed. Southwest claims it is business friendly but due to their flying you to one place before they get you where you actually want to go you would spend extra night(s) at hotel and day(s) for rental car to make up for the time wasted on both ends.
This is the reason that the United States should not allow anymore mergers. It gives the airlines too much of an advantage which they are raping us left and right with.
I fly out of Dulles airport in Washington and prices have become a disaster since United merged with Continental. The pricing has gotten so bad that Dulles airport now sees less passengers as more fly out of National which has lower pricing.
Can’t see any fits for merging in the short-term future, but you know that something will come up and we should all realize lessons learned that mergers really hurts the consumer and gives the company that merges a big advantage.
I will miss AirTran very much. For the ATL based small business traveler they were a just a great package. For me, since 2002, they went to most every destination I needed (or close) and did not have to go to BWI or MDW before getting to your destination. Elite status was not a Mount Everest to climb as my main objective was to calmly get to my seat, hoist up the roller board, stash my briefcase/packpack underneath the seat and sit down. If I was able to score the occasional upgrade to Business Class, all the better. The most I will miss will be the customer service. The time the flight attendant on an early morning flight out noticed that I was Elite (but Business was full) sneaking me some of the Walker shortbread cookies, an in-flight e-mail to customer service concerning a certain matter was answered BEFORE landing and I was complimentary upgraded to Business on the return flight, to the Captain, who, repeatedly kept his ATL bound passengers updated to the status of a mechanical problem. Not certain the problem could be repaired, another aircraft was re-routed to CMH and brought us home. Two weeks or so later, a personal letter of apology from, if I recall, a VP, and a round-trip credit.
Good basic service, just enough frills, flight attendants that looked professional and didn’t to a stand-up routine for the safety announcements, pilots that would shoot the breeze with you as you both stood waiting on your flight….really going to miss good old seat 11D. So long AirTran…..
Preach on brother!!
SKYTEAM PRIORITY PERKS aligned?!?! HORSE S**T. Delta has kicked the SKYTEAM to the curb except the ones it has ownership in. See how many MQM’s or miles flying on a non-DL codeshare with an Asian carrier you get.
Tommy: The memories I have of Airtran are the giving of permanent Elite status to flyers who stuck with them after the Value Jet air crash and name change to Airtran. The walk up upgrades to first class and the general good service from the staff.
Re coordinating perks for frequent travelers: Star Alliance has a lot of work in front of them. Example: As a United Gold card member, I only get access to Fast Track security in some airports outside the US (even though I am flying with a Star Alliance member). It’s frustrating to never know how much time to plan for when traveling abroad. Another issue is seat reservations: Many of the Star Alliance members don’t provide special status for Star Alliance gold members. From a business perspective, I don’t get this: They invest millions in marketing to attract new customers. The best lead an airline can get is a frequent flier that flies with them once in a while. If they treated me well, I might fly with them next time I cross the Atlantic. But a middle seat in row 44 is not likely to make me come back.
Wi-Fi has become a disaster at hotels.
You could see them being cheap, cutting cost by cutting broadband so that you could either no longer do streaming video or if the hotel was full, have really slow internet.
Have been a Marriot Gold until this coming year and the reason is that I have been going to other hotels like Hyatt that have great Wi-Fi in the room.
For travelers having great Wi-Fi is important, I now have to travel with a Wi-Fi card for some of the hotels that have poor Wi-Fi.
But the big error was Marriot with it’s new plan. Yes they are giving those like me with Silver status regular internet, but it’s not what I need. So you mean I have to pay for getting “Hi-Speed” internet. It’s like going back, just like United making cuts to their frequent flyer awards.
So what am I doing??? Going to more Hyatt’s and Sheraton’s that have fast “hi-speed” internet and don’t charge for it.
Marriot better face up to the facts, the economy is getting better, more folks are in hotels and they are now getting top rates for there rooms. I was in San Francisco last week for a business trip and was forced to pay $270 a night at the Parc 55. That was cheap, the other places were the same and more in pricing. So when I am paying over $150 a night and asked to pay an additional $7.99 a day for internet, sorry I will either go someplace else or do what we did 15 years ago when hotel phones got out of hand on cost, get our own phones.
Hotels should not treat internet as another way of ringing up the bill, trust me we will go to hotels that have fast and free internet. I know all of these hotels with my last four years of travel and seeing Marriots go the wrong direction with their internet.
United has taken over the competition and we no longer have a choice.
But for hotels, we have lot’s and lot’s of choices and internet access and cost is now an important factor on going to a hotel. That is why I no longer stay my 45 days a year at Marriot’s, I won’t go back to a Marriot that I had bad problems with internet and it’s a lot.
Hope someone in power at Marriot reads this, it’s a problem they now have.
The only good thing about Air Tran was a facelift for Valujet
Speaking of hotels and Wi-Fi… I’ve noticed that La Quinta has started marking some of its properties on its website as “Ultra-Fast Internet.” I stayed at one such hotel in Tehachapi, California, a week ago and I was stunned at how fast it was. Additional charge for using it: $0.