"Frontier asked us if it would be possible for us to take some of the passengers they had already sold tickets to," AirTran spokesman John Kirby tells the Commercial Appeal. "Since we have a partnership with Frontier, it made sense." Last November, AirTran and Frontier formed one of the biggest partnerships to date between U.S. low-cost carriers with a pact that includes reciprocal frequent-flier benefits. But will AirTran, which already flies from Memphis to its Atlanta hub, make its new routes permanent? "Certainly, our intention is to fly Orlando on a permanent basis," Kirby says. "It gives us not only better economies of scale, but it lowers our departure costs, helps us do a better job of penetrating the market and justifies spending more on marketing."