Copyright Photo: PRNewsFoto/AirTran Airways. Boeing 717-2BD N950AT (msn 55012) "Little Debbie 1" is pictured in the hangar before the inaugural flight in a snowstorm.
AirTran Airways (Orlando and Atlanta) despite a rare snowstorm in Atlanta, yesterday (February 12) celebrated Little Debbie’s 50th anniversary by launching a one-of-a-kind, custom-designed Boeing 717-2BD N950AT (msn 55012), dubbed Little Debbie 1. Flight FL 931, the inaugural flight, departed from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport yesterday at 12:24 p.m. to Jacksonville.
As part of the 50th anniversary, AirTran Airways and Little Debbie are giving away 50 vacation packages in conjunction with The Great American Getaway sweepstakes. Each vacation package includes roundtrip airfare for two to anywhere AirTran flies in the continental United States, two nights at a Holiday Inn hotel, rental car for two days and a $200 cash card. Sweepstakes ends May 31, 2010. For more details and the chance to win, visit www.littledebbie.com. AirTran is also offering $10 vouchers toward travel on Little Debbie packaging during this promotion period.
In addition to The Great American Getaway, AirTran Airways and Little Debbie will announce the winner of the Little Debbie Look-A-Like Contest at the AirTran Airways Atlanta maintenance hangar. The 10 finalists will help unveil Little Debbie 1, and the winner will be chosen by a panel of judges. The winner will receive a $5,000 scholarship and other prizes.
McKee Foods, a family bakery with annual sales of more than $1 billion, is a privately held company based in Collegedale, TN. The McKee story began during the height of the Great Depression when founder O.D. McKee began selling 5–cent snack cakes from the back of his car. Soon after, he and his wife, Ruth, bought a small, failing bakery, using the family car as collateral. Today, the company employs more than 6,000 people in Collegedale; Gentry, Ark.; and Stuarts Draft, VA. The company creates and bakes Little Debbie Snacks, Sunbelt Snacks & Cereals, Heartland and Fieldstone Bakery food products. Visit mckeefoods.com for more information.
Editor’s Note: From a public relations standpoint, yesterday (February 12) was a nightmare day for any airline PR event as 49 of the 50 U.S. states had measurable snow on the ground (Hawaii had none) along with thousands of airline cancellations nationwide, not to mention the opening day ceremonies of the Vancouver Winter Olympics (which can use some snow!).
To bad that Airtran Airlines doen’t even Fly to Chattanooga,Tn. CHA Lovell Field the home of Mckee Bakery & Little Debbies. It would be nice if they would.
Thanks John. I think they may have flown to CHA (if I remember correctly) with the old AirTran JetConnect services flown by Air Wisconsin’s CRJ200s. CHA-ATL is too short of a route for FL’s 717s but maybe CHA-MCO is in the future.