By SAMANTHA BOMKAMP, AP Airlines Writer – Mon Sep 27, 11:30 pm ET

NEW YORK – Southwest’s decision to buy AirTran will mean more routes and fewer delays and cancellations in small cities but higher fares in the Northeast and perhaps the end of the super-low sale fare.

Southwest Airlines, which has built a loyal following with its tongue-in-cheek ads and refusal to charge for checked bags, said Monday it planned to buy AirTran for $1.4 billion.

The deal will move Southwest into 37 new cities, expand its presence in cities like New York and Boston and move it into Atlanta, the busiest airport in the nation.

Combining the AirTran and Southwest routes means more connecting options for people flying through places like Moline, Ill., and Wichita, Kan., which should result in fewer delays and cancellations because there will be more options for rerouting passengers.

In bigger cities like the Northeast hubs, however, fares will probably eventually go up. They may not rise right away because many of those cities are still served by a third discounter, JetBlue Airways, said fare expert George Hobica.

The acquisition may also spell the end of the deep-discount sales currently offered by AirTran and Southwest because there will be less competition. Right now, for example, AirTran is offering a $54 one-way fare between Baltimore and Boston.

"The era of irrational, stupid, destructive fare sales is over," Hobica said. "This is the new normal. JetBlue now has permission to raise prices between Baltimore and Boston. Other airlines now have permission to raise prices between Washington, D.C., and Florida."

In welcome news for weary travelers, Southwest said it will drop AirTran’s bag fees when the pair combine in 2012. Right now, AirTran charges $20 for the first checked bag, $25 for the second.

Some major airlines charge even more. Southwest claims it has lured passengers by refusing to charge for bags, and it has built a marketing campaign around the policy, with baggage handlers shouting declarations of love to suitcases on the tarmac.

The combined airline probably won’t be large enough to pressure big competitors like United and American to give up the hundreds of millions of dollars a year they make from baggage fees, airline analyst Jay Sorensen said.

While Southwest will be about 25 percent larger when the deal is complete, it will remain the fourth-largest by traffic. The upcoming combination of United and Continental will be No. 1, followed by Delta and the parent of American.

Southwest will move into Atlanta, the only major business hub it doesn’t already serve. Business travelers are key to airlines because they tend to pay higher fares. In an interview with The Associated Press, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said Atlanta was a "gaping hole in our route system."

Southwest also gains routes to Mexico and the Caribbean, where JetBlue has a big presence.

The buyout is the latest in a wave of consolidation in the airline industry. Continental and United will topple Delta as the largest airline in the world when they combine this week. Delta got the title when it bought Northwest in 2008. In the past 10 years, 10 major airlines have paired off, leaving five fewer.

The deal will leave only four major airlines without suitors: American, US Airways, JetBlue and Alaska Airlines. Several experts suggest the unexpected Southwest deal will pressure American to tie up with US Airways, or possibly JetBlue.

AirTran was founded in 1992 as ValuJet Airlines. It was renamed after the 1996 crash of ValuJet Flight 592 into the Florida Everglades, which killed all 110 people on board. It would be Southwest’s largest acquisition by far.

Southwest founder Herb Kelleher, a cigarette-smoking, Wild Turkey-drinking Texas lawyer, revolutionized the airline industry in the 1970s by offering low fares to leisure travelers out of secondary airports. Early on, the airline drew customers by passing out booze and putting flight attendants in hot pants.

The company, which began with a handful of planes hopping among three Texas cities, bought Morris Air and Muse Air in the mid-1980s. Two years ago, it bought assets of ATA Airlines out of bankruptcy and began limited service to and from New York’s LaGuardia Airport.

Last year, Southwest tried unsuccessfully to buy Frontier Airlines out of bankruptcy. Republic AirwaysHoldings won the auction instead and bought it for $109 million.

Southwest’s acquisition of AirTran is expected to close in the first half of next year. It requires both regulatory and shareholder approval.

Based on Southwest Airlines’ closing share price on Friday, the deal is worth $7.69 per AirTran share. That’s a 69 percent premium over its closing price of $4.55. AirTran shares jumped 62 percent to $7.36, while Southwest shares rose $1.73 to $14.01.

Southwest will pay about $670 million with available cash and assume $2 billion in AirTran debt. Southwest and AirTran said the new airline will operate from more than 100 different airports and serve more than 100 million customers.

The eldery who need Travel Companions to assist them can contact www.CareToGoTravel.com

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A Travel Companion Recommends 7 Ideas For Senior Travelers

1. A Pre Trip Visit To The Doctor Is Important
It’s always a good idea for your parent to have a checkup before traveling. At the very least, let your parents’ doctor know airplane travel is in the works and ask if a checkup is advised. This may be a good time to re check prescriptions with the doctor before the trip and have arrangements to refill prescriptions along the way if necessary.

2. Packing The Right Way Can Save The Day
Flying is uncertain, with delays, cancellations, and lost luggage. All of your parents’ medications (prescription and over-the-counter) should be easily accessible, packed in a carry-on bag. Other helpful items for a carry-on include body lotion, a toothbrush, tissues, a small container of wipes, and favorite reading material or games, for the trip. Be sure to use the 3-1-1 rule for TSA security.

3. Calling Ahead To Request A Wheelchair Will Make Getting Through The Airport Much Easier
Even if your parent normally doesn’t use a wheelchair, a chair can be extremely helpful when navigating airports especially if your parent is elderly and you’re rushed or carrying luggage. Request a wheelchair when making the reservation for the arrival airport and any connection airports. If you forget, you can always order one at a service desk or ticket counter. Consider a walker or cane if you don’t use a wheelchair along the way. Packing a portable walker can make travel easier for the entire trip. These devices are sold at drugstores, medical supply stores, and online. You may also check the Good Will for a deal. Caution—some canes purchased used at a thrift store may have a hidden sword in it. This will get you busted for sure at the security checkpoint.

4. Wear Loose Clothing
It is important to be comfortable during the flight, but loose clothing also allows blood to circulate more easily during periods of inactivity. Sitting for long periods is associated with blood clots, especially for people with poor circulation. You may also want to check with the doctor about compression stockings, which can assist with lower leg circulation and may be helpful for some seniors. Avoid tight socks or stockings. Slip on shoes are important when going through the security screener. Shoes must be taken off and put on the X-ray belt so don’t use lace up shoes.

5. Move Around During The Flight Often
The inactivity of air travel can be tough on muscles and joints as well as circulation. One of the best remedies is to take mini exercise breaks by standing, walking the aisles, and stretching or moving your arms and legs. An exercise break is recommended every 30 minutes.

6. Drink Plenty Of Fluids
Airplanes are notoriously dehydrating due to their low humidity. The best defense against dehydration is to drink plenty of fluids before, after, and during a flight. Water is best. Caffeinated beverages (colas) and alcohol are dehydrating and should be avoided. Experienced flight crews start with a large bottle of water and make sure it is all gone by the end of a long flight. 8oz per hour is a good rule of thumb too.

7. Taking A Travel Companion Along
Traveling is both fun and sometimes necessary for everyone. People who have had a lifestyle that included traveling can continue to enjoy travel even when they need assistance. A Travel Companion can handle all arrangements, accompany you on a trip from door to door. Imagine a Personal Travel Assistant taking care of everything for you; baggage, airport check in, getting through security smoothly, on board attendant, and handling all details on arrival. A traveling CareGiver  can make elder travel smooth and easy.

For more information on Travel Companions visit CareToGoTravel.com

Tapping into themed cruises that precisely match your client’s interest, hobby or passion is equivalent to adding a “must-have” ingredient to your recipe for sales success.

Themed cruises often include private onboard events or activities not open to regular cruise guests. So, “the cruise isn’t sold based on price, it’s sold on a specific experience,” stresses Susan Schaefer, independent affiliate of America’s Vacation Center, Brentwood, TN. “Your client isn’t looking for the lowest price, so you aren’t competing with pricing when selling a themed cruise.”

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Care-To-Go Travel Companions can be reached at 800-818-0407 or on the web at www.CareToGoTravel.com

Care-To-Go Travel Companion reveals anti-theft tip for checked bags.

Checked bags for air travel must be available for inspection by TSA after you check them. Most bags are left unlocked per airline instructions.  This often results in valuable items being stolen between you checking them at departure and you retrieving them at your destination.

The following is an article from the TSA explaining locks that they can open with a master key.  Hopefully, all the other baggage handlers along the way will not have access to your bags. 

TSA screens every passenger’s baggage before it is placed on an airplane. While our technology allows us to electronically screen bags, there are times when we need to physically inspect a piece of luggage. TSA has worked with several companies to develop locks that can be opened by security officers using universal "master" keys so that the locks may not have to be cut. These locks are available at airports and travel stores nationwide. The packaging on the locks indicates whether they can be opened by TSA.

Care-To-Go Travel Companions can be reached at 800-818-0407 and on the web at www.CareToGoTravel.com

Memory loss is a major factor slowing elderly travel.  Aside from physical limitations, anxiety and memory loss are the main two factors stopping senior travel. 

Phoenix, Scottsdale, Caregiver reports that Blood pressure worry can be linked to dementia in the elderly.

HEALTHBEAT: Study will put to test growing evidence linking high blood pressure to dementia

By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer
WASHINGTON January 25, 2010 (AP)

If the cardiologist’s warnings don’t scare you, consider this: Controlling blood pressure just might be the best protection yet known against dementia.

In a flurry of new research, scientists scanned people’s brains to show hypertension fuels a kind of scarring linked to later development of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Those scars can start building up in middle age, decades before memory problems will appear.

The evidence is strong enough that the National Institutes of Health soon will begin enrolling thousands of hypertension sufferers in a major study to see if aggressive treatment — pushing blood pressure lower than currently recommended — better protects not just their hearts but their brains.

"If you look … for things that we can prevent that lead to cognitive decline in the elderly, hypertension is at the top of the list," Dr. Walter Koroshetz, deputy director of NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, told The Associated Press.

Age is the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia that affect about one in eight people 65 or older.

Scientists have long noticed that some of the same triggers for heart disease — high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes — seem to increase the risk of dementia, too. But for years, they thought that link was with "vascular dementia," memory problems usually linked to small strokes, and not the scarier classic Alzheimer’s disease.

Now those lines are blurring as specialists realize that many if not most patients have a mix of the two dementias. Somehow, factors like hypertension — blood pressure readings of 140 over 90 or higher — that weaken arteries also seem to spur Alzheimer’s disease-like processes.

One suspect: Scarring known as white matter lesions. White matter acts as the brain’s telephone network, a system of axons, or nerve fibers, that allow brain cells to communicate with each other. Even slightly elevated blood pressure can damage the tiny blood vessels that nourish white matter, interrupting those signals.

Care-To-Go, Phoenix, Scottsdale, home care, caregivers can be reached at CareToGoTravel.com and 800-818-0407