Southwest Airlines Have A Major Annoucement For Atlanta on Feb 12. (Dallas: 2013, to buy)

[Atlwarrior]

See below, I wonder what it will be. Possibly a major increase in flights.

Southwest Airlines plans party, announcement – Atlanta Business Chronicle
See on Scoop.it – AIR CHARTER NEWS

Southwest Airlines plans party, announcement
Atlanta Business Chronicle
Southwest Airlines is planning to celebrate its first year of flying from Atlanta with a big announcement. On Feb. 12, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Inc.

[flyonpa]

USAToday has they plan to Start codeshare SW with AirTran flight so you can book / Connect from SW to AT. AT to SW.

[Atlwarrior]

Originally Posted by flyonpa

USAToday has they plan to Start codeshare SW with AirTran flight so you can book / Connect from SW to AT. AT to SW.

I'm sure it must be more significant than that, and the Atlanta Business Chronicle would have reported that. I think it will still be something else announced on Feb 12.

[Brian]

Could be this? Nonstops from Atlanta - Southwest Airlines

[flyonpa]

Those are the Cities they started doing when they started service on 2/12/2012

[Brian]

Originally Posted by flyonpa

Those are the Cities they started doing when they started service on 2/12/2012

Thanks for pointing that out. Didn't notice the year on the webpage until now.

[cwkimbro]

The more and more I look into this I just don't think Southwest will ever be all that great for Atlanta. They are replacing another budget airline that served us -great- with more destinations and a small hub. That will always be hard to beat for a budget airlines that only offers point to point service on only the busiest traveled routes.

I think I'm more of a traditional frequent flier.... what can Southwest really do for me? not much. A cattle call isn't going to make me less stressed about traveling. They aren't increasing options, but overall decreasing options.

The other thing I'm also noticing is many of Southwest's routes for Atlanta are to large destinations, which already have direct competition from other mainstream airlines that operate hubs.

Ignoring SW/Airtran, we have domestic direct competition for routes between Atlanta and: NYC, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Charlotte, Seattle, Miami, Denver, Ft. Lauderdale, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Phoenix

So when you look at Southwest destinations: "Austin, Baltimore, Chicago-Midway, Denver, Houston-Hobby, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Louisville, Norfolk, Orlando, Phoenix, San Francisco
Seasonal: Seattle/Tacoma" (sorry I did the easy wikipedia thing)

I come to several conclusions: 1) These were already Airtran routes 2) Just under half the routes already have direct non-stop competition...and they are the larger routes 3) They are decreasing the number of smaller destinations served by Airtran that need a small hub to survive as routes.

Of course there is no large southwest effect for Atlanta overall.

I think we would have been better off is Airtran could have continued to exist, but we had a surplus of gates in a new south gate concourse for any new airline that wanted to fly into ATL, so they wouldn't have to buy out an airline to enter the market.

[AnsleyPark]

Changing the name to SouthEAST Airlines, perhaps???

[waronxmas]

Here's the announcement:

Southwest opens Atlanta pilot base, People Department
Southwest opens Atlanta pilot base, People Department - Atlanta Business Chronicle

The Dallas-based carrier announced at a press event it will open an Atlanta pilot base in August. It will be the company's 10th pilot base and will initially accommodate 200 pilots. A pilot base is where crews start and end their trips. Today, the closest pilot base is in Orlando, Fla.
"It gives [pilots] the opportunity to live here," Jeff Lamb, executive vice president and chief people and administrative officer for Southwest, told Atlanta Business Chronicle after the event.

[ATLTJL]

That's the big announcement?

LOL! Who cares!