AirTran needs to take it easy with their in-flight entertainment offerings. They’ve had satellite radio for like ever, they WiFi-a-fied all their planes, and now the airline was picked for having the best in-flight magazine. Maybe it’s time to just leave the iPod at home and stick with their offerings—probably not.

The North American Travel Journalists Association selected their magazine—go—as the best magazine up in the skies for 2009. AirTran will bring the hardware home—we assume there’s some tacky trophy—this May in Reno at the association’s annual conference. Good news for the airline, but we really don’t know how any organization could pick a best in-flight magazine. ]]> kjb 2010-03-04T09:38:29-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/2/16/225427/212

For those sick of endless delays and crowds at Chicagoland airports, a little help might be on the way. Actually, it’s already here, but it all depends on whether or not you agree with the marketing. The General Mitchell International Airport—it’s the airport in Milwaukee—wants to serve as a solid third option for those looking to head out from the Midwest.

It’s not as close as Newark is to Manhattan, but a 90 minute drive into Wisconsin isn’t that bad of an option. The airport saw a record number of passengers at the end of 2009, and they want to continue pulling in travelers well into the next decade. ]]> kjb 2010-02-17T09:35:18-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/12/17/03742/540

Let 2009 be known as the year that the airlines embraced the internet. Whether through Facebook and Twitter or web-only specials, they really put themselves out there. But the most revolutionary change to come was the proliferation of In-Flight WiFi. The seeds of connectivity were planted in 2008 and they budded this year, but 2010 will see the bloom and boom of airlines with WiFi. Already we have eleven carriers that are either already online or signed up to start very soon. And that's not counting the international airlines with their grand long-haul plans.

Let's look at the status of the WiFi on each of these airlines, but first you'll need to know a quick bit about the major providers of in-flight WiFi, and there are three:
· Gogo, a terrestrial-based service that relies on signal towers on the ground. This is the most popular choice.
· Row 44, a satellite-based service that allows for uninterrupted browsing, even over bodies of water.
· LiveTV, used only by Jetblue and sadly lagging behind with extremely limited internet access.

And now, without further ado, Jaunted's 2009-2010 Airline In-Flight WiFi Status Update... ]]> JetSetCD 2009-12-17T10:02:49-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/12/7/8388/63281

All that pressurized cabin air seems to have gotten to one passenger aboard an AirTran flight last week. Some guy was talking a big game on the internet about how he personally shut down a potential terrorist attack from happening during a flight from Atlanta. The story got all kinds of attention, and this passenger’s tale was repeated on websites and blogs (but we stayed clear of it). Thankfully an appearance with Matt Lauer and the gang was never scheduled.

Obviously AirTran was pretty interested to see exactly what happened on the flight that got this guy all excited. After all, the passenger was claiming that he grabbed the arm of a passenger and told him he needed to sit down or he’d be tossed off the plane. He claimed the passenger was speaking Arabic and dressed in “full attire”—whatever that means. ]]> kjb 2009-12-07T09:02:56-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/19/131734/64

Seat-back ads have finally arrived in the US, with low cost carrier AirTran being the first to embrace what is already beloved onboard European LCCs like Ryanair and EasyJet.

Soon, passengers on all AirTran flights will be confronted for the entire trip by a 2.5" by 9" poster, sitting a few feet from their eyes, trying to worm its way into their eyeballs. It will be present on all 138 jets, and the first advertiser is an odd one: Mother Nature Network, a "one-stop resource and an everyman's eco-guide" for environmental news, travel, lifestyle, etc. MNN will use the ads to publicize a 7-night cruise giveaway as well—how eco-friendly of them. Hmm... ]]> Omri 2009-11-20T11:43:12-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/6/75646/0750

Fans of the Baltimore Ravens and Atlanta Falcons now have an easy pick when it comes to choosing their favorite airline—it has to be AirTran. The airline that loves in-flight WiFi has just released a Boeing 717 dubbed Ravens One from the hangar, and the plane is ready to shuttle fans to away games around the country.

Just a couple weeks ago, the airline pulled the masking tape off another plane dedicated to the Atlanta Falcons. It’s fitting that AirTran has a thing for football teams named after birds. However, the airline is also planning to release a plane with an Indianapolis Colts livery in just a few weeks. From what we’ve seen of Peyton Manning’s acting skills in commercials, we have little doubt that he’ll be the featured pitchman for the Colts’ new plane. ]]> kjb 2009-11-06T08:48:32-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/15/143752/37

The outlook for the 2010 airline industry is unremittingly bleak, but you wouldn't know it from the way that Southwest is acting. The low cost carrier is adding 104 flights to its spring schedule. In the process they're turning the Boston turf war they started with JetBlue and AirTran into a full-blown bloodbath:]]> Omri 2009-10-15T17:33:37-05:00 42.3644450 -71.005280 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/