AirTran Jettisons Vick

Embattled Falcons quarterback Michael Vick can still fly AirTran --- but he will have to pay to do it. And, he won't be in ads for the discount airline anymore.

"Michael's contract expired May 8, and we decided to go in another direction," said Tad Hutcheson, an AirTran spokesman. "We still have lots of football endorsers like Warrick Dunn and Brian Finneran, and Peyton Manning endorses us in Indianapolis. Our football ads typically start in August, and we're assessing our needs at the moment."

Hutcheson declined to give a specific reason why Vick's contract was not renewed. The Falcons star has been involved in several off-the-field incidents in the past few months, including three involving AirTran flights. There is currently an investigation of illegal dogfighting on property Vick owns in Surry County, Va.

The terms of Vick's deal with AirTran were never disclosed, but his contract did involve free airline travel as a standby passenger.

Hutcheson said Vick and his guests are welcome to fly AirTran any time they wish --- as paying customers.

"They're more than welcome to fly AirTran," he said.

Vick was unavailable for comment Thursday, and his agent and lawyer have not returned repeated phone calls about his recent troubles. A Falcons spokesman said the team would not comment on the AirTran matter.

Vick had been a regular AirTran pitchman since 2004, but the series of off-the-field incidents have sullied his image.

In April, Vick was to be honored at a breakfast in Washington and then speak to several members of Congress. The night before, his AirTran flight from Tampa, where he played in Dunn's charity golf tournament, arrived in Atlanta late, causing Vick to miss his connecting flight to Washington. Vick was rebooked on a later flight and was notified of the change in arrangements, according to Hutcheson at the time. Vick did not show for the flight, and it left without him and with 33 empty seats. Vick's mother stood in for him at the breakfast.

Vick was also in line to board an AirTran flight in Miami in January when TSA agents found he had discarded a water bottle that contained a hidden compartment. Police said they smelled marijuana and found a "dark particulant" in the 20-ounce bottle. No charges were filed and Vick later said he often had jewelry stored in the hidden compartment.

In 2005, a person traveling with Vick on an AirTran flight was accused of taking a watch from a security agent.

Vick's biggest endorsement deal is with Nike. Attempts to reach a Nike spokesman were unsuccessful Thursday, but a company representative was at the Falcons' Flowery Branch practice facility visiting clients, including Vick.

--- Steve Wyche and Chris Vivlamore contributed to this report.

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