A Whole Different Animal

Not many would have predicted it, but Frontier Airlines will retain its brand under Republic Airways. And if the cost of doing business in Denver wasn't so prohibitive, Republic might have been planning a headquarters relocation by now. Denver still wins--saving its hometown airline and vital competitor in keeping the cost of an airline ticket low out of Denver International Airport.

With Southwest's final bid at $170 million over Republic's bid of $108 million, the winner seemed obvious. But after seniority negotiations between Frontier and Southwest pilot unions broke down and Republic forgave Frontier's $150 million debt the scales tipped in Republic's favor. Menke's message to employees was consistent from the beginning, and in the prescient words from an insider: "...having the highest bid doesn't guarantee that a bidder will win."

For a glimpse into sacrifices Frontier employees and leadership made starting in April 2008 when the company filed for bankruptcy, read "Flying critters off threatened list."

Frontier's Future

It's hard to accept the fact that Denver could lose its hometown air carrier. Now that Southwest airlines has entered the fray with a higher bid than Republic, it's looking more and more like this will be the case. Tom Clark, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce's executive vice president, lays out the strengths Republic and Southwest bring to the Denver market in his "Cone of Silence" blog. The upside for consumers is, experts are predicting airfares out of Denver International Airport will stay low--DIA currently has the lowest prices in the nation.

And in the midst of all this jockeying among Denver's largest airline competitors, travelers are complaining less than they did a year ago, according to a DOT report released yesterday.

Clear Pass Privileges No More

Clear Pass holders will no longer enjoy bypassing the snaking security lines at airports. A brief announcement is all that is left on the Clear Pass Web site.

For an annual fee of $199, a background check and fingerprint scan, travelers were issued a pass card that allowed them access to the Clear lanes at 21 participating airports in the United States. All Clear lanes have been closed and word is still out on whether members' annual fees will be refunded.

If you blinked, you probably missed the announcement, but here's the Denver Post's article: http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_12668799.

DOT: Fewer airline complaints

Breathe a sigh of relief. Whether you're racking up the miles as a seasoned business traveler or towing the kids and all the gear to Arizona for a week at Grandma's, things are looking up for you. Either we've become complacent with the level of service offered by commercial airlines and have given up on complaining, or we are actually finding less to complain about. Whatever the reason, there has been a drop in customer service complaints made to major airlines.

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_12086303

That is, unless this guy is your pilot.
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_12089681

When Tables Turn

Going through airport security is a major stressor. Ever thought how the screeners feel -- staring at a 13-inch television screen for hours at a time, reminding travelers to remove their shoes and pocket change? Denver's International Airport's screeners are micro-managed and harassed by their supervisors to the point that their job performance suffers. Something to think about the next time you're stepping through that metal detector.

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_12074470

Our First Fieldtrip

Today was an exciting day at training. We took our first field trip to the airport and toured the crew room. They were also having a ramp employee appreciation day, so we got to go down to the ramp and watch them have their BBQ and play dunk the executive in the dunk tank. It was an interesting way to meet the leadership of the company -- sopping wet and shivering slightly.

I successfully passed the Federal Aviation Regulations exam this morning. Tomorrow morning's "memory challenge" will be all about company policies and responsibilities. Yeah!

Almost There

Tomorrow marks the first day of flight attendant training. All the requirements and hoops I faced just getting to this point have left me with a constant feeling of, "I'm almost there." Just one more doctor's appointment; just one more trip to the airport. Well, today really was the final appointment before training starts tomorrow. I am an official badge-carrier at my airline and DIA! Now all I have to do is study for the five tests we'll be having on Monday. Can you say, "Please remove the safety information card from the seat back pocket in front of you"? I'm almost there.