Comments on: AirTran To Discontinue Bermuda Service In 2014

By: oh wow

oh wow — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 20:36:35 +0000

the whole world is not. look at Canada never was

By: somuchless

somuchless — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 19:50:50 +0000

For the past year or two they’ve cut back on the Philadelphia flight during the winter months.

By: sonso

sonso — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 16:55:47 +0000

so why are you here?

By: Watching

Watching — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 16:48:39 +0000

Don’t worry folks, we have Winfield and Dodwell to the rescue. After all they are the “guru’s” of tourism.

By: Concerned

Concerned — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 16:42:38 +0000

It’s nothing to do with color. There are white people in the politics as well. Ewart Brown has been left and the whole world is in a recession if you haven’t noticed. If the rest of the world don’t have money to travel you can’t make people come til things get better.

By: AL

AL — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 16:19:46 +0000

there was no money being made why stay this is a company that has had 40+ consecutive years of profit can delta say the same this is a company that has never laid of one person can any other company say that a company where the employees gave their profit share back to the company to help with anything well guess what your answer will be no so trust I’m sure they are happy to pull out

By: AL

AL — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 16:11:46 +0000

but going to just one place just for one reason does not grant an airline to stay if southwest goes back into BDA it would be smart of them to come through ATL as you can go to any where through atl unlike BWI

By: AL

AL — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 16:08:23 +0000

looking at some of these comments some are correct some are somewhat correct and some are way off. unless you all work for the company and I’m not talking about a temp job for the season I’m talking about fully employed with benefits and know the ins and outs you have no clue as to what is going on.

PS: Southwest and Delta have and never will be affiliated

By: Yes I

Yes I — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 14:12:45 +0000

If this isn’t an eye opener I don’t know what is. The major airlines are restructuring, merging, optimizing, and reducing fleet size in order to operate into more profitable routes. This means that it’s not unthinkable that Delta, AA, US, and United could possibly do the same particularly in the interest of fleet utilization. I remember not too long ago it was B757/767s flying to the island and then it shrunk to the B737/A318/9/20 fleet. We will probably remain with the A318/319 fleet of these carriers because of operating costs and ideal profit margins.

Bermuda should really consider having our own airline, and not run by government either. The major airlines would be pleased to offer interline agreements with a Bermudian airline in the interest of having one more of their aircraft return for optimal fleet utilization into a more profitable market. A Bermuda airline was once a luxurious desire, but now it’s apparent that the need is now there.

Bermudians love to/have to/want to travel. It’s better to have your own car rather than paying a taxi when you factor in the frequency of travel us alone as Bermudians do.

By: TED

TED — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 13:37:22 +0000

@Northlands, I know who you are talking about. This person is definitely not the first black Bermudian Pilot. Also he was not the youngest black pilot in the states.

I for one acquired my Private License @ 17yrs of age and my Commercial Ticket 19 yrs of age.

Maybe your friend was the youngest at Southwest Airlines.

FlightSafety International Academy Alumni

By: Triangle Drifter

Triangle Drifter — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 13:28:27 +0000

Your point???

By: mixitup

mixitup — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 12:40:56 +0000

Southwest OWNS Airtran!? Do you people not follow the news?

By: mixitup

mixitup — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 12:39:16 +0000

Southwest is not a Delta affiliate. Southwest IS ACTUALLY Airtran’s Parent company. Just FYI

By: Franklin jr

Franklin jr — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 10:22:33 +0000

Ahh yes, we should just “get” southwest. In the grand scheme of the world, Bermuda more or less an inconsequential speck – the sooner we all understand that, the better. The exception of course is the financial world, but for how much longer? A few keystrokes and the swish of a few pens and all of that is gone.

Unless subsidized by governments (read, YOU) airlines fly profitable routes. I’ll repeat that: YOU ARE PAYING FOR ROUTES TO OPERATE… HOW MANY $20 BILLS ARE NOW MISSING FROM YOUR POCKET THAT WENT TO MAKING SOME OF THESE ROUTES HAPPEN? Probably quite a few – every time the minimum seats aren’t sold, government buys the difference – there have been flights with 9 people on them.

Nobody is coming here. This island needs to understand that this is not the centre of the universe, and people need a reason to come here. We do not grace tourists with our presence in our shops etc, it’s the other way around. Until the tourist is a cherished guest rather than a bother, flights will continue to dwindle away.

So that financial world… Maybe it stays for another 25 years, maybe 25 weeks and it’s gone – that’s a lot of uncertainty with NO upside to the island relative to now, and a lot of downside. Do you really want to hang your grandkids’ future on that?

Airlines pulling out of established routes is a very clear sign that something is wrong. Its not like they tried this for 6 months and gave up before it really had a chance, it’s been going 3 years.

By: somuchless

somuchless — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 04:47:49 +0000

I posted it above. AirTran is apart of southwest. Read my comments.

By: James

James — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 03:34:56 +0000

Passengers have been declining ever since the strike of 1981 when the strikers were spitting at people walking into the airport with their bags.
You reap what you sow.

By: 40 acres no mule

40 acres no mule — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 03:23:21 +0000

Have you compared Jet Blue prices to AA lately? Low cost? NOT. trick or Treat?

By: Time Shall Tell

Time Shall Tell — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 03:06:16 +0000

Clearly….. umm how is it so clear again?????

By: northlands

northlands — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 02:31:28 +0000

many moons ago i was on of the first to solicit about an air academy in a southern state along with my best friend at 14 ! my friend’s family found it better he attend school in another state and i was unable to attend for financial matters ! how ever my friend was able to attend and became from what i am told one of the youngest african american comercial pilots or better yet the youngest and he is also a bermudian from the west end !i have never felt more proud of someone who started along and attended some of the finest schools in aviation last i Heard he flies for the airline mentioned will take over in the merger althought others before that! nothing can make me more proud than to some day fly home or out with someone that not only fullflled his ambition but that is also living mine! and one of bermudas first pilots ! with this said i like the sound of bda international airport as many do not know us but calling it as is today puts us more in the abliss!

By: Triangle Drifter

Triangle Drifter — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 02:30:48 +0000

Southwest is to BWI as Delta is to ATL. They rule the roost there. A major hub for them which could expose BDA to their whole system, & also be a great link for Bermudians using John’s Hopkins Hospital.

Ah, for the days when a daily Delta wide body L1011, a Pan Am 747, a BA 747 or an Eastern L1011 were common sights in Bermuda.

Those were the days. Before the summer of 1981.

By: somuchless

somuchless — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 01:32:17 +0000

Lol I just Reread the message and rofl. I’ll take AirTran over zoom and their late flights. Lol

I remember those days

By: W.T.F.

W.T.F. — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 01:09:09 +0000

That is so idiotic I hardly know where to begin. So we should’ve suffered through AA’s $820 round trip fares and not gotten Jet Blue to fly here and bring the prices down? Your idiocy is precisely why we have no tourists. Legacy carriers are undone all over the world by a low cost model. And Air Tran is NOT a fly by night outfit. What a genuine fool.

By: Really??

Really?? — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 01:08:19 +0000

Remember Eastern Airlines and PanAm. Be nice if those cld come back! *wishful thinking….I know*

By: Really??

Really?? — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 01:05:32 +0000

Lmaoooo at Yabby28! When you get a chance Yabby look at the show Airline. It comes on Cable 57 on Sundays from 9pm onward. It’s mostly based on Southwest Airlines out of LAX. I never flew AirTran. I stick with Delta. A much better airline and direct to Atlanta. Ticket Agents, Flight Attendants and Pilots on Delta are extremely friendly and professional. Thanks for the laugh tho’….especially “Why do they hate my bags”?……lmaooooooo Hv a good night Yabby28! lololol

By: K12

K12 — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 01:00:45 +0000

So you want Delta to compete with itself by having Southwest fly the same route?

By: 40 acres no mule

40 acres no mule — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 00:39:01 +0000

Another EB project gone bad. Should have taken care of the Airlines that took care of us for years instead of inviting these fly by night companies to operate here.You get what you pay for.

By: Only1Joi

Only1Joi — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 00:32:43 +0000

Delta is NOT affiliated with Southwest Airlines

By: somuchless

somuchless — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 00:02:23 +0000

AirTran is southwest, they’re merging. So whatever moves AirTran does they communicate with southwest until they become one airline branded southwest.

With that said, if AirTran is pulling out of Bermuda, it’s actually southwest who is pulling out of Bermuda.

By: rainbow

rainbow — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 23:51:27 +0000

Travelled on a 1/2 full, or empty,if you wish, Westjet flight from Toronto last Sunday
A crew member stated they had been told to expect a change with scheduling to BDA…?

By: terry

terry — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 23:48:17 +0000

Southwest is the best airline out there.
You Onions have no clue.

By: stayhomeyankee

stayhomeyankee — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 23:44:38 +0000

Then why dont they buy themselves a jet?

By: stayhomeyankee

stayhomeyankee — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 23:43:01 +0000

no one wants to fly to this dead beat Island!

By: Campervan

Campervan — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 23:17:19 +0000

Airlift is a critical conponent of IB remaining in Bermuda. The current airlift is at the low end of acceptable as it is.

By: Paradise Reclaimed

Paradise Reclaimed — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 23:04:25 +0000

Come on Shawn, lets break the ice with Southwest!

By: yabby28

yabby28 — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 22:51:05 +0000

Who cares…I flew on this airline once! And I vowed to NEVER fly on them again! Everyone that I directly dealt with gave me an attitude and made my return flight home a living nightmare! I exchanged words and had a heated argument with the ticket agent as she measured the height and width of a half-filled duffle bag and wanted to charge me for having a bag that exceeded sixty inches! As I debated this with the agent; a customer on my right was having a loud discussion with his agent over a portable drill! Southwest affiliates? Tell me…why do they hate my bags?
So happy they won’t be coming back to Bermuda! Good riddance!

By: Mike Hind

Mike Hind — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 22:30:50 +0000

Yet another sign of JUST how important it is for us to upgrade out tourism product.

By: 2013

2013 — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 22:22:03 +0000

We should def get southwest or something

By: somuchless

somuchless — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 22:00:58 +0000

AirTran is merging with southwest.

By: smith

smith — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 21:54:13 +0000

…how much were we paying for those empty seats to guarantee a full $$ plane?

By: Rule#5

Rule#5 — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 21:41:45 +0000

Clearly this is Ewart Browns fault, or the PLP or blacks in general…

By: Y-Gurl

Y-Gurl — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 21:36:49 +0000

I hear that US Air are cutting service to Bermuda by a massive amount quite soon

By: All Change

All Change — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 21:35:27 +0000

……….where is the Doctor when you need him, Crocks, fix it bie!!!!!!!!!

By: So Unfortunate

So Unfortunate — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 21:24:21 +0000

This is so unfortunate. Maybe if we spent some $$$$ to market in Baltimore and Atlanta as so many people still don’t event know where Bermuda is from these cities, the flights would have done so well that Air Tran despite their merger would have Bermuda as a route. NY and Boston can’t be the only places we try to fish for visitors.

By: itiswhatitis

itiswhatitis — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 21:19:30 +0000

No more AirTran, huge cut backs with other airlines who fly to Bermuda coming soon. What Gives hope Tourism has something big planned.

By: Lazy In Bermuda...

Lazy In Bermuda... — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 20:53:46 +0000

No more incentive $$ for airlines to fly empty to Bermuda. One down, how many more to come?

By: ex agent

ex agent — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 20:42:01 +0000

So approach Southwest ( which is a Delta affiliate) and see if they have any interest in Bermuda as a full time destination…

By: terry

terry — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 20:25:23 +0000

Because people don’t fly to Bermuda anymore.
Only the rich.