Don't blame the airports, blame the airlines
Guest
Posts: n/a
Don't blame the airports, blame the airlines
Having just read the Manchester Airport Congestion saga and the lack of resources to service aircraft, let me offer my perspective.
I live in upstate New York. The major airports are LGA, JFK and EWR. It is at a minimum a 2 1/2 hour trip to either airport. This includes a 90 minute train ride, 2 subway connections and then either a bus ride or another train ride. Relatively close by to where I live is White Plains (HPN) and Newburgh (SWF). I can reach either of these places by car in under an hour.
Guess what: To fly from one of the "major metro" airports to Phoenix (2000 miles approximately) is around $400 round trip with 2 weeks notice. To fly from one of the smaller, more convenient airports is in excess of $1000. Any ideas why ?? Let me tell you why.
It is for the airlines benefit. It is far more convenient to fly all the planes into a central hub where parts are available, staff is easily available and the passenger base is readily available not to mention the rescheduling opportunities available with a large number of planes. How can you explain the difference in price when White Plains is only 40 miles from NYC? It is because the airlines don't want people to fly from these regional airports...plain and simple.
Having said that, what's in it for the customer. In my case, nothing but lower fares, congestion and ridiculous flight times. I recently ventured over to Newark for a trip to Washingtion D.C.
Flight time was 28 minutes. The airline scheduled the flight to depart at 5:45pm with an arrival time of 7:15pm for a total of 90 minutes. As the pilot said once we had taxied out, "we're number 50 for take-off and it will be a while". No kidding.
The point here is before anybody starts slagging off airports, they might want to look at the airlines to see what part they play in the overall picture. Don't tell me it would be too hard to fly into either Liverpool or Leeds and take a bus over to Manchester. It's only 60 miles at most.
I live in upstate New York. The major airports are LGA, JFK and EWR. It is at a minimum a 2 1/2 hour trip to either airport. This includes a 90 minute train ride, 2 subway connections and then either a bus ride or another train ride. Relatively close by to where I live is White Plains (HPN) and Newburgh (SWF). I can reach either of these places by car in under an hour.
Guess what: To fly from one of the "major metro" airports to Phoenix (2000 miles approximately) is around $400 round trip with 2 weeks notice. To fly from one of the smaller, more convenient airports is in excess of $1000. Any ideas why ?? Let me tell you why.
It is for the airlines benefit. It is far more convenient to fly all the planes into a central hub where parts are available, staff is easily available and the passenger base is readily available not to mention the rescheduling opportunities available with a large number of planes. How can you explain the difference in price when White Plains is only 40 miles from NYC? It is because the airlines don't want people to fly from these regional airports...plain and simple.
Having said that, what's in it for the customer. In my case, nothing but lower fares, congestion and ridiculous flight times. I recently ventured over to Newark for a trip to Washingtion D.C.
Flight time was 28 minutes. The airline scheduled the flight to depart at 5:45pm with an arrival time of 7:15pm for a total of 90 minutes. As the pilot said once we had taxied out, "we're number 50 for take-off and it will be a while". No kidding.
The point here is before anybody starts slagging off airports, they might want to look at the airlines to see what part they play in the overall picture. Don't tell me it would be too hard to fly into either Liverpool or Leeds and take a bus over to Manchester. It's only 60 miles at most.
Guest
Posts: n/a
Well, a week or so, flying as a pax on bmi from GLA to LHR, the flight BD13 left early (only about 5 mins or so), made up another couple of minutes en route, thus arriving about 10 minutes ahead of sked. Many cheers and hearty congrats from all the pax.
We then waited almost 25 mins for a stand to become available, thus effectively being about 15 mins late. Well done bmi, I'll fly you again, and I'll be sending my CV to Mrs Lazenby very soon. But BAA, you suck.
We then waited almost 25 mins for a stand to become available, thus effectively being about 15 mins late. Well done bmi, I'll fly you again, and I'll be sending my CV to Mrs Lazenby very soon. But BAA, you suck.
Guest
Posts: n/a
What people tend to forget is that airlines are in this business to make money, not to provide convenient travel to all and sundry. In a perfest world everyone would have cheap fares from an easily accessed airport. However, the reality is that bigger aircraft with more pax equals less seat/mile costs and more money for the beancounters to hoard. Operating from smaller regional airports would mean spreading the fleet, using smaller aircraft and perhaps using different makes of aircraft needing a different spares holding and trained engineers, not to mention all the extra staff (whether directly employed or as a handling agent)and aircrew to operate and handle these extra aircraft. This would doubtless be less economical for these money stackers and a lot less attractive an idea. The hub and spoke system works well with smaller airlines and smaller aircraft feeding the major hubs. If one does not fly from a local convenient airport it is probably for a good reason, ie they may have already looked at it and decided that the projected loads are not good for the company profits.
Remember, the bottom line is to make as much loot as possible and if it aint gonna pay, you aint gonna get a service.
Doc C.
[This message has been edited by Doctor Cruces (edited 20 May 2001).]
Remember, the bottom line is to make as much loot as possible and if it aint gonna pay, you aint gonna get a service.
Doc C.
[This message has been edited by Doctor Cruces (edited 20 May 2001).]
Guest
Posts: n/a
Hi, not to rain on your parade and not to even take up for the airlines (I''d be the last to do that), but your situation is odd.
I'm from Pensacola and it costs me more to fly out of there than it does, if I would drive an hour to Fort Walton Beach.
The airlines at PNS are sharks where if you go through VPS (FWB) you pay a lot less. It is a real pain, having to go over there and then to find this tiny airport crammed full of people.
I wish things here were the same as they are up north. PNS being the largest would then be cheaper.
I'm from Pensacola and it costs me more to fly out of there than it does, if I would drive an hour to Fort Walton Beach.
The airlines at PNS are sharks where if you go through VPS (FWB) you pay a lot less. It is a real pain, having to go over there and then to find this tiny airport crammed full of people.
I wish things here were the same as they are up north. PNS being the largest would then be cheaper.
