Southwest: AirTran links yield $1 million in daily sales

March 4, 2013

Southwest Airlines is working to make one-plus-one equal three in its acquisition of Atlanta’s No. 2 carrier, AirTran Airways.

Southwest and AirTran recently began linking their flight schedules, and Southwest says the move is generating $1 million a day in bookings.

Linking the two carriers’ schedules opens up many more itineraries for travelers, who can now make a connection between carriers.

Customers “are taking advantage of the combined route map and the new itineraries, and there are a lot of bookings on these flights,” Dallas-based Southwest’s chief executive, Gary Kelly, said in a message to employees.

A test of Southwest-AirTran connections began Jan. 26 in Atlanta and four other cities, and as of Feb. 25 about 40 cities are now linked.

AirTran continues to operate as a subsidiary until it is slowly absorbed into Southwest, so for now the links are similar t0 an airline code-share marketing partnership.

Southwest closed its acquisition of AirTran in 2011 and wants to finish the integration by 2015.

When the two airlines’ schedules are fully connected in April, it will essentially allow travelers to fly from a city served by AirTran to almost any city served by Southwest, and vice-versa — provided they make connections.

From Atlanta, AirTran and Southwest combined fly nonstop to about 50 cities, but Southwest’s national route map includes dozens more. AirTran passengers will eventually be able to connect to a Southwest flight to get to about 40 more cities.

In Atlanta, Southwest is going up against behemoth Delta Air lines with nonstop flights to about 220 destinations from Atlanta.

Southwest chief financial officer Tammy Romo said the code-share bookings of more than $1 million a day “provide us further confidence” that the goal of $400 million in annual financial benefits from the merger is achievable.

Meanwhile, Southwest said Monday it will add daily Southwest nonstops between Atlanta and San Diego starting Sept. 29, while eliminating AirTran’s summer flights between Atlanta and Seattle.

About the Author