Pro Air Comes To LaGuardia, Builds Corp. Sales Team

<B> Pro Air Comes To LaGuardia, Builds Corp. Sales Team</B>

By Jay Campbell

As it prepares to enter the Detroit-New York LaGuardia market, Pro Air is shoring up its corporate sales and marketing capabilities by hiring five new managers under two new vice presidents.

Eric Steinwinder, formerly in Northwest Airlines cargo marketing, is the new vice president of sales and marketing, and Jim Walsh is vice president of customer service. They hope to capitalize on the Department of Transportation's award last week of two slots at LaGuardia to Pro Air, which will fly one daily flight to Detroit City Airport beginning in the next six months. Pro Air currently flies between Detroit City and Newark, but many business travelers prefer LaGuardia to its New Jersey alternate airport.

"This new service will help us out a lot, with more options and more service," said Charles Braswell, manager of general services for Chrysler Corp. "So far, the feedback from travelers about Pro Air has been mostly positive. There were some negative comments stemming from delays here and there, but nothing unexpected."

Pro Air earlier this year negotiated a contract with Chrysler and General Motors that guaranteed them set corporate rates (<I>BTN,</I> June 22). Since then, Braswell said, he has talked to other small carriers about similar deals, but nothing has materialized.

Still, the deal offered the major airlines a bit of a wake-up call. As a result, "We've been talking to our clients in the hubs, just to make sure they know that we know we're not the only guy in town," acknowledged Continental Airlines vice president of national sales Dave Hilfman.

Steinwinder now is talking to a number of large corporate accounts, one of which rivals Chrysler and GM in size, he said. Because he is focused on negotiating, he said Pro Air is putting off its plan to hold a symposium for corporate buyers (<I>BTN,</I> July 20).

The new LaGuardia slots became available after AirTran Airlines scrapped service to Knoxville. It had received four slots among the 30 exemptions DOT awarded last year (<I>BTN,</I> Nov. 3, 1997). The remaining two were awarded last week to Spirit Airlines for flights to Myrtle Beach.

Currently, only Northwest flies from Detroit to LaGuardia, charging $209 one way, DOT said, while "Pro Air intends to introduce coach fares at $69, with no pre-purchase restrictions, standard one-way fares at $89 and first-class fares at $189."

Meanwhile, Pro Air recently acquired its third aircraft, a year-old Boeing 737-400 that will enter service in December. Like Pro Air's two other 737s, it will be configured with eight first-class and 138 coach seats.