"Travel expert lauds low-fare carriers"

Saturday, December 9, 2000

Travel expert lauds low-fare carriers
By LISA MONTI
THE BILOXI (MS) SUN HERALD


Bargain airfare expert Tom Parsons says Coast travelers don't have to look
any farther than Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport to find cheap flights,
thanks to low-fare carrier AirTran's presence in the market and Southwest
Airlines' service in nearby New Orleans.

"When you have those two carriers, you have lower fares in many cases than
you'll find in major hubs, including Dallas-Forth Worth," he said.

Parsons, founder and chief executive of Bestfares.com, was a guest Friday on
The Sun Herald Business Hour on WVMI-AM. He spoke by phone from his
Arlington, Texas, office.

He said Texas-based Southwest, the nation's leading low-fare carrier, and
number two AirTran, headquartered in Atlanta, force the major airlines to
match their lower ticket prices wherever they compete.

"The only reason they're being competitive is because of AirTran and
Southwest, not because they're doing a big favor for you," he said. "They're
doing it because they're trying to run the other guy out of business."

Parsons said travelers should support the low cost airlines "because once
they go away, guess what? Your fares are not going to be $158
coast-to-coast."

AirTran pulled out of Mobile because the airline didn't sell enough tickets.
"The minute they left," he said, "those fares doubled and tripled and
quadrupled in many cases."

As the Christmas season approaches, the nation's airlines and travelers will
be facing more than long lines and the usual holiday delays because of huge
crowds and weather-related flight delays and cancellations. Some of the
biggest carriers are facing work slowdowns by pilots, flight attendants and
mechanics.

"This is one of the worst times I've seen," Parsons said. "It's not a
friendly situation out there."

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