Ah, the Boston-Baltimore route has become such as hub of activity lately. Southwest announced service, then JetBlue decided to hop on, and now Delta is bailing. Now, AirTran has made a move to help keep O&D passengers by offering double rewards credits:
The double A+ Rewards credits promotion applies to flights taken between May 12 and December 31, 2009. To be eligible for the extra A+ credits, travelers must be a member of A+ Rewards and register for the promotion online at http://www.airtran.com before traveling. A+ Rewards signup and promotion registration are free. Double A+ credits are earned by passengers traveling on nonstop flights between Baltimore/Washington and Boston.
Click here for the press release.
I would expect something similar to come out of Southwest. They often offer bonus credits when a new destination is launched, and I don’t see why BOS and LGA would be any different. I wouldn’t be shocked if JetBlue came out with something as well.
Southwest is offering RR bonuses for MSP passengers. They rolled those out after the service had already commenced. I think SWA will wait a little bit longer to review booking trends before offering bonuses. It’s a smart move; allows them to determine “true” bookings vs. those just keen on taking advantage of the promo.