KWCH - Kansas News and Weather - Do Elected Officials Fly AirTran?
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by Kim Hynes
Wichita city leaders tell you to fly AirTran. The council decided five years ago it needed the low cost carrier to boost economic development. That boost cost taxpayers $9.5 million dollars in subsides.
Eyewitness News wondered if elected officials fly AirTran when traveling on city business? We took a look at the city council and mayor's travel records for the last three years. In some cases it made sense not to fly AirTran, like when flying west. But when flying east, we found everyone but the mayor preferred AirTran.
"We go AirTran, no questions," Council Member Sharon Fearey said. She doesn't consider any other airline when traveling to the East Coast on city business.
Travel records Eyewitness News pulled proved Fearey and the rest of the council fly AirTran when heading east. On one occasion in 2004, Carl Brewer flew Delta to Washington DC.
Mayor Carlos Mayans, on the other hand, mostly flew American Airlines. Between 2004 and today the mayor flew 16 times. Two of those flights were on AirTran, both for contract talks with the airline. The other six times when AirTran was an option, he flew American instead.
Eyewitness News asked the mayor why. He refused to talk with us on camera but issued this statement:
"I ask my staff to book my travel plans at the lowest possible cost to the taxpayers. Our low fare initiative with AirTran has had the effect of lowering the airfares for all airlines at our airport that compete with AirTran in those markets. I fly at the lowest possible cost and most efficient schedule regardless of the airline," Mayor Mayans said.
I checked the travel times on American and compared them with AirTran. On most occasions, the arrival and departure times were within 30 minutes of each other. During a trip this year to Washington DC, there was a larger difference in the arrival and departures. If the mayor flew AirTran, he would have had an extra three hour layover.
There isn't a policy requiring elected officials fly AirTran. But in 2004, the city controller's office sent an email questioning why the mayor wasn't using AirTran. His assistant replied in an email, "We didn't discuss it. He just told me to book his flight. However, his wife is going with him and used frequent flier miles on American to get her ticket".
On several occasions, the mayor earned frequent flier miles with American for his business trips. We asked if that's why he preferred American over AirTran.
"Frequent flyer miles are not a factor on my travel. The main factor is price because the taxpayers are paying," said the mayor.
But council member Sharon Fearey says it should be more about setting an example.
"I usually don't even compare because even if they're a few dollars more expensive, I know in the long run we have to keep them here and so if I'm going east that's how I go," she said.
It's not possible to cost compare the mayor's past flights, but we did compare flights in the future. If he left for Washington DC next week, AirTran would be $25 cheaper. But three weeks from now, a ticket on American would be $100 cheaper than AirTran.
Sedgwick County has committed $1 million to AirTran. Lawmakers committed $5 million over five years.
