WN/Southwest to start flights from ATL

[scottbee]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903461304576524451981567850.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

[toberman]

Maybe taking over the Air Tran schedule (or gates) ??

[frugaltravel]

Maybe taking over the Air Tran schedule (or gates) ??

 

Exactly. Actually they bought Air Tran last year and will fold the brand into Southwest in 2012.

[cherylandtk]

I thought that too until I read this in the link

The new service won't be a replacement or swap for any of the roughly 170 daily flights from Atlanta by AirTran Airways, which Southwest acquired in May

[FlyerTalker]

The 15 nonstop flights will launch on Feb. 12 with flights to Chicago, Baltimore, Denver, Houston and Austin, Texas

Given that FL already serves four of those routes, I'd say that WN is just working to establish the "Southwest" brand in those markets. It averages to 3 r/t per pair, so no big move, with ATL-Austin being the only new market for the pair of WN and FL. In time, I'd wager that FL flights are reduced and WN picks up the slack. Sorta like a pre-merger merger.