AirTran Enters Final Month Of Four-Year Phase Out
AirTran Airways’ final flight is now about one month away.
The airline – which for nearly two decades has maintained its primary hub here in Atlanta – is being phased out as Dallas-based Southwest Airlines completes its four-year acquisition.An audio version of this report
From the customer’s perspective, most of the integration is complete. In recent weeks, international flights originally flown on AirTran planes have switched to aircraft painted in the Southwest livery. AirTran’s frequent flier program is no more, replaced by Southwest’s Rapid Rewards program. And in those airports where AirTran signage still exists, crews will spend these last few weeks taking it down.
Many of AirTran’s last moments have been happening behind the scenes. That includes “the conversion of [AirTran’s] final employees – flight attendants, pilots, employees – in Atlanta,” AirTran president Bob Jordan tells WABE. “That’s really the final piece of the integration.”
Southwest has long touted the merger as advantageous to AirTran employees, who instantly find themselves beneficiaries of Southwest’s industry-leading pay, benefits, and corporate philosophy that puts employees, not customers, first.
But some question if four years of the merger have taken a toll on that corporate culture.
“It absolutely has changed,” says Charles Cerf, a union representative with Transport Workers Union local 555. Its 10,000 ramp and cargo workers are at an impasse with Southwest over pay, benefits, and the maximum-allowed number of part-time workers. “We don’t want to be like American and these other carriers where the employees don’t like the company,” Cerf says.
Other work groups also find themselves locking heads with Southwest executives.
Southwest’s pilot union last week requested federal mediators chime in on that group’s negotiations. And customer relations and reservations workers only recently reached a tentative contract deal. They’ll vote on the proposed contract next week.
Still, the Southwest/AirTran merger has been one of the smoothest in recent aviation history. Integration of separate work groups – normally a protracted and contentious process — happened early on.
Now there’s just one last milestone on the calendar.
AirTran’s final flight will depart Atlanta for Tampa on Dec. 28. A Southwest spokesman says the leg mirrors AirTran’s inaugural flight.
But if you want a seat, you’re likely out of luck. The flight has been sold out for months.
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