Traveling by air? You can’t get there from here
In down-east Maine you often hear the phrase “ya can’t get the-ah from he-ah.” Translation: “you can’t get there from here.” How fitting for airlines.
Some airline failures, like that of venerable Aloha, have been headline news.
Others have been quieter. ExpressJet Airlines announced on July 8 it would be stopping all “branded commercial operations” in September 2008.
Launched as an offshoot of its Continental Connection service, ExpressJet flew under its own brand name, offering direct service between smaller communities. Once again, another airline cited high fuel costs as the reason for its demise. ExpressJet will still operate under the Continental Connection brand, and will maintain its charter operation, but the independently-branded airline will cease to exist and 39 aircraft will be returned to their lessor.
Little by little, those predictions of flight reductions to smaller cities have also been coming true as well.
Consider the following list of smaller cities that, right under our noses and with little national fanfare, are losing or have already lost some or all service since the latest fuel crisis began:
Athens, GA.; Atlantic City, N.J.; Bellingham, Wash.; Bloomington, Ill.; Brookings, S.D.; Columbia, MO.; DuBois, Penn.; Ely, Nev.; Eugene, Ore.; Fargo, N.D.; Farmington, N.M.; Franklin, Penn.; Grand Island, Neb.; Hagerstown, MD; Islip, N.Y.; Joplin, MO.; Kingman, Ariz.; Kirksville, MO.; Lake Havasu City, Ariz.; Lansing, Mich.; Lewisburg, W.V.; Little Rock, Ark.; McCook, Neb.; Merced, Calif.; Meridian, Miss.; Panama City, Fla.; Prescott, Ariz.; Sarasota, Fla.; Toledo, Ohio; Visalia, Calif.; Williamsport, Penn.; Wilmington, Del.
In fact, as I was searching the Internet compiling this list, I had to give up at some point, because at every turn, I uncovered yet another city, and got tired of realphabetizing. It seems to be an endless exercise.
And that doesn’t count the big airlines pulling out of big cities - American at Oakland. Continental at Chicago-Midway.
It is more difficult to “get the-ah from he-ah.”
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Comments
4 Responses to “Traveling by air? You can’t get there from here”
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Well, the airline business, is, a business. This means profit needs to happen. The thing about profit is that you like to make money on everything you do.
Let me ask all the Tripso columnists . . . how many columns did YOU write and give away for free last year? Same with the airlines - you do not fly if you lose money flying. Now if Athens or Brookings decides to guarantee the airline a profit- then - they’ll fly there. If citizens think it is that important, then they can pay tax dollars to subsidize air service or start a little air taxi service from their airport to the local hub.
It kind of works that way; if there is no money in it, businesses tend not to perform the service or supply the item.
Please note, ExpressJet flies under the “Continental Express” moniker, not “Continental Connection”; there is a difference.
Sometimes all non-mainline providers to Continental are called “Connection Carriers”, but there is a distinct difference between “Connection” and “Express”.
The “Express” carriers (ExpressJet Airlines, Chautauqua Airlines) operate jet aircraft like the ERJ and CRJ, and “Connection” carriers (Colgan/Pinnacle, Gulfstream, CommutAir, Cape Air) operate turbo-prop aircraft like the Beech 1900, Saab 340, and Bombardier Q400.
In response to Joe’s comment, there is a federally-subsidized program called Essential Air Service that provides money to airlines to serve smaller communities. Athens and Brookings are both EAS cities. You can find out more about the program if you wish at: http://ostpxweb.dot.gov/aviation/x-50%20Role_files/essentialairservice.htm
Based on your question, though, I’m going to write a blog on the subject in the next day or so.
A. Roberts - thanks for setting the record straight between CO Express and CO Connection.
Thanks for reading!
David.
@ David - EAS has been severely cut the last couple of years and the amount of the subsidy is insufficient at current fuel prices to cover the shortfall of revenue vs. passenger volume and fares.
EAS has also been cutback in the last 2 years - plus - the amount of the subsidy has not been increased in 4 years - this means that it is utterly no longer profitable to operate EAS. There have been several articles and reports from ‘local’ reports on the loss of EAS . . .
I am a private pilot and airplane owner - I fly myself and my family on business or vacations and it costs LESS than the airlines, takes less time and is no hassle - and all I have is is single engine retractable piston - now there is an article - I used to Gold and Platinum and American, Delta and TWA - no longer. I fly myself- if you want to talk about general aviation and how it actually costs us less to fly ourselves, I’m there - and will give you ride too on a typical trip.
That being said, most EAS are within a one hour drive or another airport which retains service or within a 3 hour drive of a hub for somebody - it takes either less time or the same time today to drive to the hub airport and fly out of their with connections, delays, security etc etc etc.
An example is Wilmington DEL, PHL, DCA, BWI, are three airports within a 3 hour drive. ACY - Atlantic City = PHL and EWR/JFK are also within 3 hours. EWR is a 2 hour drive from ACY - if you had a 6am to EWR from ACY, and then connected to a flight to say, MCO, at 8am, getting into MCO at 10.30am, you would need to leave your house at 4.30am to catch the 6am departure out of ACY - assuming 30 minutes to drive, park and get to the checkpoint. If you want ot arrive @ EWR @ 6.30am for the 9a departure you would need to leave at 430am to make the 2 hour drive to EWR - its no difference.