Southwest Airlines to buy AirTran for $1.4B

[Parche]

NEW YORK – Southwest agreed to buy AirTran in a $1.4 billion deal that will combine two of the country's largest low-fare airlines and give Southwest a bigger slice of the market in the Northeast and in Atlanta, the busiest hub in the nation.

The acquisition announced Monday moves Southwest, which already carries more passengers than any other American airline, into 37 new cities.

It gains a foothold in cities like New York and Boston, where it has already been expanding, and adds to its push to expand internationally. Southwest gains routes to Mexico and the Caribbean, where remaining discount airline JetBlue has a big presence.

Southwest has been targeting Atlanta, where AirTran currently competes with Delta Air Lines, because it is a hub for business travelers, who tend to pay higher fares.

The buyout is the latest in a wave of consolidation in the airline industry. Continental Airlines and the parent of United will combine this week to topple Delta as the largest airline in the world. Delta got the title when it bought Northwest in 2008.



:woohoo::hi:

[jobycom]

1. I have nothing to add but I wanted to post a plane pic!

[napi21]

2. I don't like mergers but this one could be a consumer advantage.

SW is the ONLY airline that I know of that doesn't charge that stupid baggage fee. They will now be second largest to Delta in Atlanta and that's BIG! I think it may force Delta to reduce or ELIMINATE that bag fee! That's a BIG DEAL because if Delta eliminates their bag fee, it will force the other airlines to do the same.

[PBS Poll-435]

3. Good for SWA

Best of the best.

(Fucking Wright Ammendment is being phased-out)

[Blue_Tires]

4. if all their jets look like THAT then this might just work....

[Angleae]

9. They don't. Even that one has been repainted.

Someone complained. Now it looks just like every other SWA plane.

[Pithlet]

5. This might finally put them in Memphis!

One of the things that sucks about Memphis is it is so expensive to fly out of here. Many drive to Nashville or Little rock for cheaper fares. That could soon be a thing of the past :bounce:

[walldude]

6. LMFAO.. one shitty airline buying another shitty airline...

IMO The two worst airlines out there. Combined to make one huge shitty airline... WOO HOO!!!

[Parche]

7. southwest has made a profit since it was founded

:hi:

[Jack_DeLeon]

8. I guess you must be rich...

cause I sure aint and I've had no problems flying with Southwest.

[Initech]

10. Me either - several flights on both Southwest and Air Tran - no problems whatsoever.

[walldude]

11. WTF are you talking about?

What does the quality of an airline have to do with how much money I make? And no I'm not fucking rich by any means, I fly Frontier whenever possible. They treat their customers with respect and in 5 years of flying a couple times a month, they have been late only once, and have never lost my luggage. In my few experiences with both Southwes and Air Crap I have been late, had my bags lost and been treated like crap. Rich or poor, they suck.

[Jack_DeLeon]

12. Well lets say if Southwest wasnt available I and alot of other people...

wouldnt be flying anywhere.