Airtran 1999 Annual Report Download - page 10

THE BUSINESS OF BUSINESS
Business travelers are our most valued customers.
When choosing an airline, they look for more than
low fares. They look for, and come back for, the best
value. And they find it in AirTran Airways.
Since its introduction nearly three years ago, Business
Class seating continues to set our airline apart from
other affordable-fare carriers. In all of our aircraft,
Business Class passengers enjoy two-by-two seating
in the front cabin, an extra-wide seat and seven inches
more legroom than coach seating. Thanks to these
innovations, Business Class usage doubled from
308,671 segments in 1998 to 630,665 segments
in 1999.
We also continue to provide unique upgrade options
to appeal to these customers. This year, AirTran Airways
customers could upgrade to Business Class at the gate
for just $25 over regular fares. Due to the popularity
and wide acceptance of this program, we also devel-
oped our “J4COACH” fare, which allows customers
connecting through Atlanta to fly Business Class for
the price of a full coach fare. These passengers are
confirmed in Business Class at the time of booking
and receive one A-Plus Rewards®credit toward our
frequent flier program.
As an added convenience for business travelers,
we began accepting the Air Travel Card as a form of
payment for AirTran Airways flights. The Air Travel Card,
or Universal Airline Travel Plan, is widely used by major
U.S. corporations for greater control and flexibility over
air travel expenses. More than 75 Fortune 100 com-
panies use the card. The card will be cost-effective
for AirTran Airways due to its lower interchange fee as
compared to other credit cards.
Actively increasing our corporate accounts has also
helped us further establish ourselves with the business
flier. By year-end 1999, we had close to 1,000 signed
corporate accounts, including agreements with compa-
nies ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small- and
medium-sized businesses.
All of the above attributes have contributed to the
development of a loyal customer base for our unique
Business Class seating.
A-PLUS REWARDS®
Our innovative frequent flier program, A-Plus Rewards,
®
still offers “the fastest free ticket on earth.” In addition,
the past two years we have partnered with American
Express®to allow card members to earn additional flight
credits even faster when they purchase travel with their
American Express Card.
The A-Plus Rewards®program allows travelers redemp-
tion without having to worry about becoming a member
of a club or reaching outrageous mileage requirements.
While most airlines’ frequent flier rewards programs
start at 25,000 miles, just three roundtrips in our
Business Class, or six in coach, earn fliers a free
roundtrip coach ticket on AirTran Airways to any of our
30 destinations. And just six Business Class roundtrips,
or 12 in coach, earn a free roundtrip coach ticket on
one of 14 other airlines from Atlanta to cities in the
continental U.S. not served by AirTran Airways.
During 1999, more than 42,000 free tickets were
issued to customers participating in the A-Plus
Rewards®program.
AN INTERNET LEADER
The Internet has allowed AirTran Airways to commu-
nicate more directly with customers than ever before.
Our Internet site has been recognized as one of
the most functional, user-friendly sites on the Net.
Special deals on last-minute, unsold seats, called
Net Escapes, offer tremendous discounts to different
destinations each week for last-minute travelers.
Due to the overwhelmingly positive response our
Net Escapes promotional fares program received in
1998, we continued the weekly Web-based promotions
throughout 1999. Outstanding site functionality and
product offerings have made AirTran Airways an industry
leader in passenger bookings through our site —16.7
percent as of the fourth quarter 1999.