Jonathan, our web editor and frequent Midwest flier, is right. Midwest serves fresh-baked cookies on both Saver and Signature flights. So, no problem with the smell of freshly baked cookies wafting out towards the unwashed masses in the back of the plane. They will still get cookies too.

However, as he also told me in a note,

“They are definitely diluting their product, but only on the 717s and only for 59 passengers. They are actually enhancing the MD-80 product by adding Signature seats back in to these planes — that were removed in 2003 (I think that was the year). Their Saver seats will have more leg room than anything in AirTran’s fleet, akin to JetBlue and American’s “More Room” seating.

I think the overall change is questionable, but if it means there is increased revenue, decreased cost, and an increase in keeping the Midwest name and number of flights in Milwaukee and Kansas City, how can anyone really be against that?

I’d say that having a conference call to explain it all was probably more than they needed, but these guys are not one of the big boys with a huge marketing staff or budget.

AirTran will probably be all over this like a buzzard circling, but they still don’t offer anywhere near the same product, so they continue to have no leg to stand on.”