Classifieds:   |   |   | 
         
SUBSCRIBE EMAIL THIS PRINT THIS SAVE THIS MOST POPULAR
Posted 11/7/2003 2:00 PM
E-Mail Newsletters
E-mail:   
JetBlue calls it quits in Atlanta
Posted Friday, October 24, 2003

Only months after setting up shop, discount darling JetBlue is waving farewell to Atlanta, ending service to Long Beach and Oakland, Dec. 4. Executives tell The Atlanta Journal-Constitution they aren't up to the intensifying dogfight with Delta and AirTran. "We just thought it was a little crazy," said CEO David Neeleman. Fares to the LA area have plummeted from around $2,000 to as low as $176 round trip. The carrier is hoping for better fortune at Boston, planning service between Logan and Long Beach beginning Jan. 16.

Atlantic Coast waves off Mesa: Atlantic Coast Airlines — trying to remake itself as a low-cost, low-fare carrier — formally rejected a hostile takeover bid from Mesa Air Group. "We have no interest in changing the course to pursue Mesa's interest," chairman and CEO Kerry Skeen tells The Washington Post. Mesa CEO Jonathan Ornstein expressed surprised that Atlantic Coast "cut off all their options, no matter how good they may or may not be." Meanwhile, United Airlinessays it intends to "remain a competitive force at Dulles International Airport and on the routes currently served by United Express with Atlantic Coast Airlines." Atlantic Coast wants to dump that arrangement in its solo move.

Train to the plane? Lotsa luck It seems so sensible: Why battle traffic, security and parking when taking a train to the airport is much simpler, comfortable and possibly cheaper. Alas! A survey by The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) finds a number of proposed rail-airport links have been shunted into a kind of economic marshaling yard. Among them: A 14-mile, $2.4 billionline in Seattle; a service to Washington Dulles International; and lines to airports in Louisville, and John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, Calif. Only 14 of the nation's 536 commercial airports have direct rail links; others don't go all the way but end on a shuttle bus.

Afraid of getting bumped? Not on JetBlue: Need another reason like JetBlue? Going against the standard thinking of other airlines, JetBlue doesn't overbook its flights, USA TODAY reports. Despite that, the discount carrier flies with a smaller percentage of empty seats than its competitors — just 20% in September, 13 percentage points better than all of its bigger competitors. The number of customers bumped on JetBlue flights in the first half of the year wouldn't fill even two rows on one of its jets. There were 10, all volunteers. Over the same period, the 13 other airlines tracked by the Transportation Department displaced 412,447 ticketed passengers voluntarily or against their will.

So long, Concorde: You've known it was coming for months, so it's no surprise. But today's final commercial flight of the Concorde still strikes a chord for most airline industry enthusiasts. Commercial supersonic travel comes to an end today when British Airways makes its final New York to London run. Friday's passengers will be invited guests of the airline and were expected to include actress Joan Collins and supersonic frequent flier Sir David Frost, reports The Associated Press.

Contributing: Phil Bangsberg, Megg Mueller Schulte



Hotel Reservation Services: Terms & conditions Reservation questions?
Copyright 2008 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.