Midwest flies on wing and a prayer

It’s no longer a question of “if” Midwest Airlines will be sold to AirTran Airways. It’s only a question of when. AirTran now has three “friendlies” on Midwest’s nine-member board and AirTran says the majority of Midwest stock will be tendered in response to its offer. My guess is that by September of this year, if not sooner, Midwest will have flown into the sunset.

While for many of us, including myself, it will be a sad and fond farewell to another Milwaukee-based success story which has done so much to raise the image of the city, it certainly isn’t the end of the runway for those who fly to and from Milwaukee.

AirTran – which has a very small market share here now – isn’t buying Midwest so it can shut it down. That simply wouldn’t make sense, much less business sense. Rather, it’s buying the airline so it can expand its presence here. Milwaukeeans should be happy about that for several reasons. It will mean a busier airport with service to more destinations. That translates into more airline jobs, more interest in other businesses locating here, and more energy for the city – a buzz that maybe something good is happening here for once. And it will mean a greater presence on the national scene for Milwaukee, something it so desperately needs in its effort to get noticed. When was the last time a high-profile, national company like AirTran wanted to invest in Milwaukee because it thought the city had a bright future? Few, if any, examples come to mind.

For those who mourn the loss of chocolate-chip cookies or slightly wider seats, you need to get a grip on reality. I fly to get from point A to point B as quickly, safely, and inexpensively as possible. I don’t do it for the food, the cookies, or the furniture. I recently flew 7-1/2 hours to Ireland and 7 hours back in your standard narrow airline seat. Guess what? I’m none the worse for wear and no one in our party said, “The trip was wonderful except for those narrow seats.” (Oh, and the food was pretty good.) The longest segment on the Midwest system is 3-1/2 hours to the West Coast. If someone can’t put up with a narrow seat for that amount of time, then their problems go far beyond narrow seats.

Life will go on after Midwest. In fact, life may take several new directions, or routes, with an expanded AirTran presence in Milwaukee.