Low-cost carriers are winners

When it came to winning the new business at Washington’s Ronald Reagan Airport, the winners were low-cost carriers. America West, Spirit Airlines, AirTran Airways, Frontier Airlines and Midwest Airlines received initial or additional daily access to the airport. United and US Airways received les than they wanted, while American Airlines was entirely shut out, reported Airwise News. The biggest winner may have been Alaska Airlines, which won the right to offer its first nonstop coast-to-coast service. The airline was allowed one round-trip per day to Los Angeles and Seattle, giving it the only application for West Coast service that was approved by the government. –Report by David Wilkening—