DENVER and
ORLANDO, Fla.,
Nov. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AirTran
Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAI), and Frontier
Airlines Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: FRNT), have teamed up today to create a
landmark Low Cost Carrier (LCC) referral and marketing relationship that
enables passengers to earn frequent flyer rewards between both airlines
through AirTran Airways' A+ Rewards program and Frontier's EarlyReturns(R)
program.
In this exclusive relationship, both airlines will include an integrated
route map and full list of destination options on their web pages, thereby
doubling the destinations available to their customers. This integrated model
between two of the leading U.S.-based LCCs offers travelers the ability to
reach more than 100 destinations across four countries with low fares, aboard
two of the youngest fleets in the industry.
"Today is a very exciting day for AirTran Airways and our customers," said
Bob Fornaro, AirTran Airways' President and Chief Operating Officer. "Both
Frontier Airlines and AirTran Airways have always been leaders in our
respective markets and today's announcement further underscores that role as
we become the first LCCs to establish a system that will allow us to offer the
best of both airlines to our customer base. We look forward to introducing
our great product and friendly Crew Members to Frontier passengers, and
knowing that both airlines share a dedication to excellence, I am confident
that our A+ Rewards passengers will be equally well-treated when flying
Frontier Airlines."
"Frontier is proud to partner with an airline of AirTran's caliber," said
Jeff Potter, Frontier president and CEO. "With almost two million
EarlyReturns(R) members, it is imperative that we continue to find new and
creative ways to cultivate loyalty with our most frequent flyers. This new
relationship with AirTran Airways is an excellent addition to the program.
With the ability to earn and redeem miles on all routes in the AirTran Airways
system, we have almost doubled the options available to our members.
Likewise, AirTran Airways A+ Rewards members will now have the opportunity to
experience all of our Mexico destinations, which makes their flight credits
that much more valuable."
"This marks a very clear line in the sand as two of the broadest LCCs, in
terms of number of destinations, are going to be able to leverage the
tremendous growth that each has seen over the past decade" said airline
industry analyst Mike Boyd. "This is a great partnership between two airlines
that have generated tremendous loyalty in different parts of the country, and
while this program will ultimately benefit both airlines in terms of revenue,
it is really their frequent flyers that are the winners."
The agreement between the two carriers consists of three key components:
REFER: A web and phone-based reservations referral system that will refer
customers to the partner airline when they are looking for a destination that
is currently not offered by their carrier of choice. Example: A Frontier
passenger wishing to travel from Denver to Jacksonville would be referred to
AirTran Airways web site or reservations center. An AirTran Airways passenger
wishing to travel from Atlanta to Portland would be referred to Frontier's web
site or reservations center.
EARN: The ability to earn frequent flyer miles in AirTran Airways A+
Rewards program and Frontier's EarlyReturns(R) program. For example: A
Frontier EarlyReturns(R) member who travels round-trip on AirTran Airways
between Denver and Boston will earn 3,500 miles (the roundtrip mileage between
Denver and Boston) in his or her EarlyReturns(R) account. An AirTran Airways
A+ Rewards member who travels roundtrip on Frontier from Atlanta to Salt Lake
City will earn two credits in his or her A+ Rewards account (one credit from
Atlanta to Salt Lake City and one credit from Salt Lake City to Atlanta).
REDEEM: The ability to redeem frequent flyer miles in both programs. For
example: A Frontier EarlyReturns(R) member can utilize 20,000 miles for a
round-trip ticket to any domestic AirTran Airways destination, including the
Bahamas, and 40,000 miles for a round-tip business class ticket, including the
Bahamas (subject to availability). An AirTran Airways A+ Rewards member can
use 24* A+ Rewards credits to reach any of Frontier's domestic and Canadian
destinations and 36 credits to reach any of Frontier's eight Mexico
destinations (subject to availability).
About AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways, a Fortune 1000 company and one of America's largest low-
fare airlines with 8,000 friendly, professional Crew Members, operates nearly
700 daily flights to 52 destinations. The airline's hub is at Hartsfield-
Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where it is the second largest carrier.
AirTran Airways' aircraft features the fuel-efficient Boeing 737-700 and 717-
200 to create America's youngest all-Boeing fleet. The airline is also the
first carrier to install XM Satellite Radio on a commercial aircraft and the
only airline with Business Class and XM Satellite Radio on every flight.
Convenient shipping options are available through AirTran Airways' cargo
services. For reservations or more information, visit http://www.airtran.com
(America Online Keyword: AirTran).
About Frontier Airlines Holdings, Inc.
Frontier Airlines Holdings, Inc. is the parent company of Denver-based
Frontier Airlines. Currently in its 13th year of operations, Frontier Airlines
is the second largest jet service carrier at Denver International Airport,
employing approximately 5,000 aviation professionals. With 55 aircraft and one
of the youngest Airbus fleet in North America, Frontier offers 24 channels of
DIRECTV(R) service in every seatback along with 33 inches of legroom in an all
coach configuration. In conjunction with Frontier JetExpress operated by
Horizon Air, Frontier operates routes linking its Denver hub to 55
destinations including 47 destinations in 29 states spanning the nation from
coast to coast, seven cities in Mexico and one city in Canada. Frontier's
maintenance and engineering department has received the Federal Aviation
Administration's highest award, the Diamond Certificate of Excellence, in
recognition of 100 percent of its maintenance and engineering employees
completing advanced aircraft maintenance training programs, for seven
consecutive years. In July 2006, Frontier ranked as one of the "Top 5 Domestic
Airlines" as determined by readers of Travel & Leisure magazine. Frontier
provides capacity information and other operating statistics on its Web site,
which may be viewed at http://www.FrontierAirlines.com.
* Partner redemption subject to availability and may require additional
credits in certain markets and during certain times of year.
***B-Roll and Soundbites Available for Downlink from 10:30 - 11:00 am
Eastern time. SBS 6 Transponder 5 DL 11823H***
Media Contacts: Tad Hutcheson
tad.hutcheson@airtran.com
678.254.7442
Judy Graham-Weaver
judy.graham-weaver@airtran.com
678.254.7448
Joe Hodas
Frontier Airlines
jhodas@flyfrontier.com
720.374.4504
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