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ATLANTA, Sept. 24, 1997 - ValuJet Airlines today changed its name to AirTran Airlines and along with its merger partner AirTran Airways introduced a new business strategy designed to appeal to a broader travel audience. The airline said that its objective is to make air travel more attractive to business travelers and even more convenient for leisure travelers.
AirTran Airlines President and Chief Executive Officer D. Joseph Corr unveiled the airline's new changes, introducing a new business class service, featuring two-by-two seating, displayed its new corporate livery, and announced a number of other product and service enhancements including pre-assigned seating and nationwide distribution of its seats through travel agents. Corr also outlined a code-sharing agreement with its merger partner, Orlando-based AirTran Airways.
"Over the past year we've renewed our focus on the basics of our business with safety, reliability and operational excellence as our goal," said Corr, who joined the carrier in November 1996. He previously served as president and chief executive officer of Continental Airlines and as president of Trans World Airlines. "AirTran's mission is to turn air travel customers can actually afford into air travel customers actually like. It's that simple. That's a significant change from our previous strategy, which was to offer the lowest-priced air transportation possible, without frills or enhancements," added Corr, who will be the chief executive of the merged airline and holding company.
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