Express Pulls Out Hagerstown

[Heinrich]

How many folks fly into or out of SWF every day on average? That's a market that really seems underserved by US

 

[AtlanticBeach]

How many folks fly into or out of SWF every day on average? That's a market that really seems underserved by US

[post="239649"][/post]​

553.

 

[ringmaruf]

I would imagine average fares are quite a bit lower from BWI than from HGR, which would more than make up for the gas and parking expenses.

[post="239630"][/post]​

Actually, US had instituted GoFares from HGR, to all the markets US had DCA/IAD GoFares for. It was an attempt to see if they could stimulate traffic at HGR. Guess not.

Also, I believe HGR was the last non-EAS market served by the 19-seaters at PIT, so I don't believe US will be cutting any more small cities (though some may be moved from PIT to another hub).

 

[bookmdano]

Just a thought...how many people do their weekly family grocery shopping at the corner Uni-Mart or 7-11? Or do they wait a few weeks and drive further to do major shopping at their nearest Wally-Mart or Super K? Bottom line: You want it here..you want it now...it's going to cost more. It's called Marketing 101.

 

[Dog Wonder]

Hagerstown is east of BFE and west of nowhere. Why fly there?

 

[ITRADE]

I would imagine average fares are quite a bit lower from BWI than from HGR, which would more than make up for the gas and parking expenses.

And as to time ... does it really matter if you spend 90 minutes driving to BWI to catch your non-stop flight to your final destination, or if that 90 minutes is spent changing planes in PIT to get to your final destination? Should be about a wash either way.

[post="239630"][/post]​

Folks like close-in airports because it eliminates one variable in the travel process. A 90 minute drive to BWI can become a 3 hour drive if there is an accident on I-70 or if some has happened on the Baltimore Beltway.

 

[mweiss]

It's the same sort of reason that people like nonstops. A 90 minute layover in a hub can turn into an overnight if there's some nasty weather.

 

[JS]

Well, this is just great. :angry: I have a UA award ticket to HGR for the end of June. Now I have to either re-schedule or redeposit the miles.

All you people who say "people will just drive to BWI" are forgetting that not everyone who flies out of a small airport lives there. I don't live in Hagerstown! I am *visiting*. Criminy, if I were going to drive, I may as well drive all the way there from my house.

I guess I'm just old fashioned, thinking that flying to a destination would be a lot faster, safer, and all-around more enjoyable than driving for hours on traffic-choked highways.

 

[ITRADE]

If you're having to choose BWI as an alternate to HGR, how about MDT? I-81 is a quick drive - assuming not too many idiot truckers on the road at the time.

 

[N607P]

Folks like close-in airports because it eliminates one variable in the travel process.  A 90 minute drive to BWI can become a 3 hour drive if there is an accident on I-70 or if some has happened on the Baltimore Beltway.

[post="239874"][/post]​

The day of travel, when one would presumably learn of an accident on I-70, would be a little late to use the back-up option of HGR, wouldn't it?

 

[ITRADE]

You're missing the point. If I had a choice of using a close airport versus an airport nearly 70 miles away, I'm going to usually book the close-airport ticket. There is heightened risk for missed flights by using an airport, in this case BWI, that is a substantial distance away.

 

[SpinDoc]

The economic realities of today's airline industry can not provide airline service into ever small community. I would bet before June 30, 2005, US Airways Express flights will end at several more small communities.

[post="239578"][/post]​

Well, what do you expect? Mesa/Air Midwest
is phasing out the Beech 1900D from their
fleet and once they do, they won't have any
more 19 seat planes for the smaller routes.
Colgan will be the last of the B1900 carriers
and they have been buying SAAB 340's lately
which have 30 seats.

 

[tadjr]

Bottom line is if its not making money or adding significantly to the network, why are we staying? There are much larger cities we've pulled out of and many more bigger market pairs we no longer fly to.
Unfortunately there are a lot of little cities that used to be the backbone of Allegheny and Piedmont that are no longer profitable to service. What have the people in Ocala, London/Corbin, Utica been doing since we pulled out of there? The people in HGR (or going there) will have to just drive part of the way now.

 

[ITRADE]

Well, what do you expect? Mesa/Air Midwest
is phasing out the Beech 1900D from their
fleet and once they do, they won't have any
more 19 seat planes for the smaller routes.
Colgan will be the last of the B1900 carriers
and they have been buying SAAB 340's lately
which have 30 seats.

[post="239981"][/post]​

This is very true. Mesa has stated for at least 4 or 5 years that it wanted to get out of the 19 seat business. The economic costs involved in Part 121 carriers does not make sense for the 19 seat plane. It made sense when 19 seaters were Part 135.

 

[FM2436]

Interesting report from the Regional Aviation Partners about EAS, the communities served and the amount of subsidy per passengers. Notice there are some small communities US Airways Express does serve that are not included in EAS and could be dropped before June 30, 2005 (Morgantown, Clarksburg, and Parkersburg WV come to mind).

Scole down to pages 4-6. Makes for some interesting reading.

http://www.regionalaviationpartners.org/RA...WeeklyRAPUp.pdf