Guinness Record Set Days Before All AirTran Aircraft Have Inflight
Internet
ATLANTA, June 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Like a returning hero, Mark
Malkoff arrived in Atlanta today to applause and adulation from hundreds of
adoring fans. Malkoff set the Guinness World Record for most flight segments
in a 30-day period while keeping in touch with friends, fans and family via
Gogo Inflight Internet on the airline's aircraft.
During the 30-day tour, Malkoff visited 38 cities, posted more than 1,000
tweets on his Twitter account and updated his Facebook page more than 700
times, all while taking more than 130 flights covering more than 109,000 miles
while living onboard AirTran's new Boeing 717 and 737 aircraft. Some of his
most memorable stops include: racing remote control cars with Danica Patrick
in Richmond, Va.; being hosed down in Flint, Mich. by the Bishop International
Airport Fire-Rescue Department for his first shower in weeks; and challenging
the famous Klement's racing sausages to a foot race around an AirTran Airways
aircraft in Milwaukee.
"What a long, strange trip it has been," said Malkoff. "The other night on
a red eye flight I was told that I was muttering 'How are you baby wipes?' in
my sleep. I'm extremely excited to be able to take a long, hot shower and see
my wife Christine but I will definitely miss the thousands of AirTran Crew
Members that have made me feel so welcome and at home."
During the 30-day adventure, Malkoff accumulated more than 100 frequent
flier credits as an A+ Rewards Elite Member. To commemorate his World-Record
accomplishment, AirTran Airways is giving away 100 of these credits to one
lucky winner at http://www.markonairtran.com. On the site are also videos of
Malkoff's adventures posted throughout his trip.
"Watching Mark fly day and night for the past 30 days has been amazing,"
said Tad Hutcheson, vice president of marketing and sales for AirTran Airways.
"He was the fastest passenger ever to become an A+ Elite flyer and we're happy
to be able to give these credits away to someone else so they can begin their
own adventure."
During Malkoff's tour, AirTran also equipped every 737 in the fleet with
Gogo Inflight Internet and dozens of 717s. The Company expects to have all
aircraft Wi-fi enabled by mid-July and will be the first major airline to
equip all of their planes with Inflight Internet.
AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAI) and a
Fortune 1000 company, has been ranked the number one low cost carrier in the
Airline Quality Rating study for the past two years. The airline offers
coast-to-coast flights on North America's newest all-Boeing fleet with
Business Class and complimentary XM Satellite Radio on every flight. To book
a flight, visit http://www.airtran.com.
Media Contacts: AirTran Airways:
Christopher White
Cynthia Tinsley-Douglas
678.254.7442
SOURCE AirTran Airways