Midwest Hub/focus City

[KCFlyer]

I am not the one posting that the MCI residents don't want a hub airport, you are, back it up with some concrete evidence.

But I doubt you have any as this is the third post where I have asked you to provide it and you still have not.

How about this:

The Kansas City Star - July 14, 1999 - B6 OPINION

KC finds benefits of being hubless

A decade ago, economic-development experts viewed the lack of an airline hub as a major liability for any sizable city. Companies wanted lots of non-stop flights, the thinking went, and this is what hubs deliver. Hubless cities would have a tougher time attracting new industry. That perception has changed. In fact, local officials are actually promoting the lack of a hub at Kansas City International Airport. Thanks to competition at KCI - where no single carrier dominates - ticket prices...

>> Purchase complete article, of 243 words

If you want to purchase the rest of the article, you can do it here: http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archiv...ist&p_topdoc=71 It's topic number 79.

You're welcome.

 

[Dog Wonder]

This whole string is nothing but horse manure.

A self-appointed savant decides U needs a hub in the center of the country. AW says they have no plans at this time. The idiot savant says that means they have plans later. No, it doesn't, it means they have no plans at this time.

Don't believe every thing posted on this board or in the newspaper.

 

[bwipilot]

Alright, 700UW, we're waiting for your apology. We wouldn't want you to be like US320

If you're going to get p!$$^ and fire off on a poster--pick on a lousy one. KCFlyer deserves a lot of respect for all of the level and well though out posts. He may not have the same opinion as you, I, or many on every topic--but he almost always has a good point and has fewer biases than the lot of us. I appreciate that his posts are logical. So, here's flaming you

 

[700UW]

Read the article, OPINION, not an factual article OPINION:

Main Entry: opin·ion
Pronunciation: &-'pin-y&n
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin opinion-, opinio, from opinari
Date: 14th century
1 a : a view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular matter b : APPROVAL, ESTEEM
2 a : belief stronger than impression and less strong than positive knowledge b : a generally held view

 

[El Gato]

I beg to differ with you there EL Gato. Frontier is not a low level service ariline and we are one of the BEST LCC'S in N. AMERICA! We have assigned seating, IFE, and in flight snack/food service on flights over 3 hours. So if your just talking about SWA then say so! Most of the new LCC's don't model themselves after the likes of SWA. And let me remind you that at Frontier, most of our flight attendants are lay-offs from other carriers with loads of customer service experience.

And I might aslo add that most of our repeat business is from summit members. Business folks who enjoy Frontier service, and don't like getting it in the shorts from the Lecacy Carriers high business fairs.

SWA has there business model, but not all LCC'S are like SWA!

[post="279815"][/post]​

Sorry, Mr. Fish. I did not intend to insult you or Frontier in any way here. I have had the pleasure of travelling on your airline in the past, and I can say that Frontier is in a completely different category than WN. More like Midwest Express or JetBlue. Frontier is a fine example of the way a LCC SHOULD be.

One small thing, though. Frontier is not really a "low fare" carrier anymore than JetBlue is. I have seen fares on Frontier up in the $800 range for a round trip. WN's maximum fare is $299 each way, thus $598 r/t.

You are correct that it's primarily a business crowd that rides Frontier. They have not yet become another "gangthug air".

 

[El Gato]

I am not the one posting that the MCI residents don't want a hub airport, you are, back it up with some concrete evidence.

But I doubt you have any as this is the third post where I have asked you to provide it and you still have not.

[post="279812"][/post]​

700UW, you gave him enough rope. He has hung himself.

 

[nycbusdriver]

Yep...us rubes in MCI don't want a hub...makes the cost of flying too high. But here's a thought...All us rubes who are catching flights on WN in "fly over country" must be adding something to their bottom line...they are making a profit. Perhaps a good strategy would be to stop in every once in a while...our money spends just as well as west/east coast money.

[post="279700"][/post]​

So, if an airline puts a hub at MCI, are you afraid WN will leave? Or just charge higher fares? How will another carrier's hub affect the fares you pay on WN and make the cost of flying too high?

 

[KCFlyer]

Read the article, OPINION, not an factual article OPINION:

Main Entry: opin·ion
Pronunciation: &-'pin-y&n
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin opinion-, opinio, from opinari
Date: 14th century
1 a : a view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular matter b : APPROVAL, ESTEEM
2 a : belief stronger than impression and less strong than positive knowledge b : a generally held view

[post="279891"][/post]​

700UW - I figured you'd spot the "opinion" word, although in that "opinion" it stated that city officials are playing UP the fact that we don't have a hub. Now...if you want to loan me your credit card, I'll dig thru the archives, because I know that there were articles that were in the BUSINESS section of the KC Star that also mentioned the fact that Kansas City was better off with a cargo hub rather than an airline hub, but I'm too cheap to pay for the article.

Now, I've been known to write a letter to the editor or two, but I haven't ever been asked to offer up something for the opinion page. But I just thought you'd like to know that others in KC really do share my OPINION.

Do you think everyone in KC doesn't want a hub? Neither do I - heck, after all, in the KC metro area about half of us wanted Bush to be president and the other half wanted Kerry. But the city is finding that a lack of a hub isn't the economy killer that you'd like to believe it is.

 

[KCFlyer]

So, if an airline puts a hub at MCI, are you afraid WN will leave? Or just charge higher fares? How will another carrier's hub affect the fares you pay on WN and make the cost of flying too high?

[post="279966"][/post]​

NOt at all....as a matter of fact, the presence of Southwest pretty much means we already are a "hub" of sorts - they offer nonstops to about 30 cities from here. The other carriers offer flights to the ones Southwest doesn't cover. But if US wants to set up a hub where the leading LCC has a strong presence as the largest carrier, it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

 

[nycbusdriver]

NOt at all....as a matter of fact, the presence of Southwest pretty much means we already are a "hub" of sorts - they offer nonstops to about 30 cities from here. The other carriers offer flights to the ones Southwest doesn't cover. But if US wants to set up a hub where the leading LCC has a strong presence as the largest carrier, it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

[post="279972"][/post]​

So then, why are you "rubes" (to use your own word) resistant to a hub? You said it would bring higher prices and make flying less accessible. Then you say you already have a "hub" of sorts with WN. Why to you care about, then, about another carrier's hub in MCI? If you're convinced that WN will be there, how can it make flying less accessible price-wise?

 

[KCFlyer]

So then, why are you "rubes" (to use your own word) resistant to a hub? You said it would bring higher prices and make flying less accessible. Then you say you already have a "hub" of sorts with WN. Why to you care about, then, about another carrier's hub in MCI? If you're convinced that WN will be there, how can it make flying less accessible price-wise?

[post="279977"][/post]​

The rube part comes from the Gato's feelings that if you aren't on either coast, you must be a toothless goober who doesn't know "good" service because they only fly Southwest. Sort of a slam on SWA and it's customers. He's wrong.

Actually, I could care less if another carrier wants to hub at MCI...they'll fail - if not because they cannot compete with a low cost carrier (or two or three) that are here, then they will because of the poor design of the terminal for hub operations. Go ahead...let the merged AWA/US do a midwest hub here...I'd give it a year before your customers would look for any other alternative...not because Kansas City is a bad town, but because they'd soon tire of clearing security to change planes....clearing security to take a bathroom break...clearing security to grab a sandwich....clearing security to have a smoke. It's a terminal that was designed for point to point operations...and for a while served as a hub at a time when security consisted of little more than walking thru a metal detector just before heading down a jetway.

I welcome the merged US Airways to set up a hub here (heaven knows you've got a boatload of B1900's to feed your routes from the hinterlands running around here already). I would only ask that you not ask for the city to provide much economic assistance to set up shop for you...we have better things they can spend their money on than a short term - thrice failed - hub at the local airport.

 

[700UW]

KC,

Since I have taken four paycuts and since you save so much money flying WN, I think you can use your own credit card for a OP-ED piece, hmm, I wonder if it is like a certain pilot's OP-ED piece.

 

[KCFlyer]

KC,

Since I have taken four paycuts and since you save so much money flying WN, I think you can use your own credit card for a OP-ED piece, hmm, I wonder if it is like a certain pilot's OP-ED piece.

[post="280011"][/post]​

Hey...you ask for proof, I offer you an item that proves it. You say it's "just opinion"...but isn't most news 'just opinion'? It was enough to warrant being published by the newspaper (wasn't my piece either). As far as I am concerned, I demonstrated that I am not alone in saying that KC doesn't want a hub...the article I cited even said that city officials are using the lack of a hub as a benefit. If you want to prove me wrong - it's your turn...and your dime.

 

[700UW]

Typical pass the buck, KC320flyer.

 

[KCFlyer]

Typical pass the buck, KC320flyer.

[post="280017"][/post]​

FIgured I'd get that..so here you go with excerpts:

Section: SUNDAY BUSINESS (KCF notes...not opinion page)
Edition: METROPOLITAN
Page: F1

Ticket to ride Business fliers using KCI have a big fare advantage over those who use hub airports regularly.
RANDOLPH HEASTER
Staff Writer

... Unlike other cities, where a single airline can dictate the cost of flying, the options that travelers have at Kansas City International Airport have kept a lid on ticket prices in recent years. KCI doesn't have the much-coveted hub airline or hub pricing....

... At Kansas City International Airport - often criticized for lacking a hub carrier - it's evident that the presence of numerous airlines, including discount carriers, means not having to pay hub prices to fly....

... ``I think we're fortunate in Kansas City to have fares as low as they are,'' said Richard Hastings, aviation committee chairman of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. ``You can't underestimate the advantage of having several low-cost carriers in a market. '' Sudeikis said city aviation officials had been able to keep the major airlines in the Kansas City market while still drawing several discount carriers to the airport...

... ``Kansas City business people have a tremendous advantage over people who do business in other cities,'' McGarry said.

Officials at Harley-Davidson Inc. cited KCI as one factor in the company's decision to locate its new plant in Kansas City. Midwest Express has several daily flights to Milwaukee, Harley's corporate headquarters....

I'd post the whole article, but the copyright rules for the paper won't allow it. It's only $2.95, but I was feeling charitable towards you today.

Once again, you're welcome.