We've been missing all the crazy double mileage deals that made traveling (slightly) more fun last spring. There have been a few isolated deals we've talked about (double miles from Denver for example) but nothing on a broad scale like last year when the economy was so dour.
Well, today Southwest came out with a new promo offering double credits (Southwest counts credits, not miles) from now until the start of Memorial Day Weekend.
Interestingly, this promotion was announced on the same day that Southwest announced March traffic figures. March looked pretty good for Southwest - traffic jumped slightly but RASM (Revenue per Available Seat Mile) soared 22% year over year indicating Southwest has been better able to align demand and capacity.
How long before the other carriers match? We doubt long - Airtran will probably match quickly. Other carriers may match more selectively (for example, only on routes where they compete with Southwest) but this may be the re-start of the battle for business travelers.
And isn't this a better story than Spirit airlines which just announced a plan to charge for carry-on bags?
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
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