Signing off for a bit
Hello friends.
I wanted to let you know that I'll be signing off for a bit to recover from surgery. I had a small brain tumor removed last week and so I'll be out for awhile. Don't worry about things at the airport though. Rick and Kristie, my two wingmen will keep things working smoothly.
So, I look forward to getting back to View at 1228 in the very near future. Fred
Three Trips New York to Cleveland Plus Area
Welcome, New Yorkers, to the Cleveland+ Region!
New York residents have another exciting low fare flight into the Cleveland+ Area. Effective July 15, AirTran Airways will add a 3rd round-trip from the Cleveland+ area’s Akron-Canton Airport. The region has been without the flight for 6 months due to slot issues at LaGuardia. But, due to a team effort between AirTran and the Airport, new slots have been leased and thus the return of the 3rd flight!
What’s with the phraseology Cleveland+ Area? It’s all brand new. Through a joint effort of business and community leaders, the Northeast Ohio region is being branded as “Cleveland+.” Meaning Cleveland + Akron + Canton + Youngstown. It’s a result of a great deal of work and study that has crafted an ingenious plan to describe our region that takes into account the prominence of Cleveland in our region but also recognizes the individual identities of the 3 other cities. The whole idea is wonderful and should be embraced by all of us. We have 4 great independent cities, when taken together, match up with any region in the country. Some people may not be happy with Cleveland having top billing in the Brand, but it should. And, we should feel fortunate to be able to partner up with such a great and dynamic city as Cleveland. We are the Cleveland+ Region. So for those of you who live in New York, AirTran is giving you another affordable travel option to get here. Hope to see you soon!
Northwest To London
My wife and I had the pleasure of flying Northwest Airlines from CAK to London last week and the experience was out of this world coming and going. Let’s start at the beginning. The flight from Akron-Canton to Detroit World Gateway was right on time on a beautiful 50 passenger Northwest Airlink RJ. The connection to the Northwest flight to Gatwick was simple and smooth. The Northwest terminal in Detroit is beautiful with tons of choices for food selections. The flight to Gatwick was on a 3-year old A-330 that was magnificent! Everyone had their own TV with a great selection of unlimited movies. The food service was very good. They fed you twice on the trip and were constantly asking if you needed more to drink.
The best part of all was clearing customs upon our return to the States. The facility was beautiful and the customs agents were courteous and efficient. The entire process took about 15 minutes. This whole experience was great! Any future trips I take overseas I will make Northwest through DTW my first choice. I take my hat off to Northwest Airlines and the Detroit Airport (and of course CAK) for making our trip a thoroughly enjoyable one!
AirTran vs. Midwest Airlines
On Wednesday, the Chairman and CEO of Midwest Airlines Timothy E. Hoeksema, made some incorrect and troubling statements about AirTran Airways in a press release. Hoeksema, in an attempt to ward off a takeover bid by AirTran, issued a statement that AirTran was an "inferior airline" and that they "broke promises" to the communities they serve.
I can tell you firsthand after having dealt with AirTran for a decade that Mr. Hoeksema couldn't be more mistaken about AirTran and their management. AirTran Airways is a highly ethical airline that has honored and exceeded every commitment it has ever made to the Akron- Canton Airport and to the 1.2 million people in our metro area. We consider it a privilege to have them serve our community. They are a respected provider of reliable, top-notch air service that has brought great value to the travelers in this region for more than a decade.
We take great issue with the representations made by Midwest Airlines about our respected business partner. And because of this we issued a press release yesterday declaring what we know as the truth. We have not taken a position on the merger itself. We don't believe we know what's in the best interest of Midwest Airlines and their shareholders. We would only like to set the record straight with regard to the quality of product provided by AirTran at Akron-Canton Airport and the integrity of their entire management team.
With respect to AirTran pulling out of a market, sometimes this happens. Not all markets work out and not all have worked at Akron-Canton. We have never interpreted starting a new market from CAK as a guarantee to continue it forever. Sometimes they don't work. The only guarantee we have from each other (airline and airport) is the promise for both of us to work hard to make it work. AirTran has always done this. Making air service a success is the obligation of both the airport, the community and the airlines. The airline bears all the risk if it doesn't work out. If the community doesn't support the service then who didn't deliver on the promise, the airline or the community? No airline has a duty to continue something that loses money.
We're a very small player in the air service world so we have a different view of the world when it comes to viewing air service. The one thing we know for certain is that AirTran provides a great product, a great value and has earned our respect.
For more on this issue, check out David Field's blog later tonight (he's the Americas Editor at Airline Business Magazine) and US Today's Today in the Sky. Let me know what you think too.
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