If Southwest is secretly dreaming of swiping the Atlanta market from AirTran—and they are—they're going to have to do it without the help of the hometown Atlanta Falcons. The NFL franchise just sealed a partnership with AirTran that's expected to go several years and will include joint advertising and promotions.
AirTran already has partnerships with individual Falcon players. Under the new deal, that arrangement expands to the entire organization, with the usual flood of mutual branding to follow. On the airline's side, expect to see a Falcons-themed Boeing 717 and advertising featuring Falcon athletes in full uniform. For their part, the franchise will be erecting "prominent signage at the Georgia Dome."]]>