Airline Flight Reductions - Interactive map

[SFBayDon]

Here is a very interesting map listing the reductions of flights at over 300 airports

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2008-05-30-airline-cutbacks_N.htm

Looks like we should book now for our cruise and future trips

 

[mikelan6]

That's a great find. Thanks.

 

[WaltD4Me]

Here is a very interesting map listing the reductions of flights at over 300 airports

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2008-05-30-airline-cutbacks_N.htm

Looks like we should book now for our cruise and future trips

I agree, I'm getting ready to book for May 2009, but then you gotta worry if the airline you book with will still be flying from where you are to where you are going, if the flights or the airline you book with for that matter will still be around then.

You know, I don't have any problem taking Amtrak, but I keep checking and the only train to Orlando leaves at 3am...all of them, everyday at 3am. It's an ok alternative for me, but I don't want to risk my life to do it. (the station is in an very bad area)

 

[robind]

Looks like my airport - Richmond actually increased a little bit. However, I tried to check prices for my December trip and it looks like Delta got rid of the one direct flight we had to Orlando. So now it looks like we will have to take a connecting flight.

 

[WaltD4Me]

Looks like my airport - Richmond actually increased a little bit. However, I tried to check prices for my December trip and it looks like Delta got rid of the one direct flight we had to Orlando. So now it looks like we will have to take a connecting flight.

I don't understand why you see the direct flights disappearing, especially when there is only one to begin with...isn't cheaper for the airline to fly direct? One take off, one landing, less labor, baggage handling, ect....

 

[SFBayDon]

I agree, I'm getting ready to book for May 2009, but then you gotta worry if the airline you book with will still be flying from where you are to where you are going, if the flights or the airline you book with for that matter will still be around then. quote]

Just make sure you pay by Credit Card to protect the money and then I suggest you check every few months to ensure the flight is still active. When booking from Ca to MCO almost every time I book this far in advance something changes and the airlines never notify me I usually find it first. I load a reminder into my yahoo calendar for every few months.
Don

 

[Annette_VA]

Looks like my airport - Richmond actually increased a little bit. However, I tried to check prices for my December trip and it looks like Delta got rid of the one direct flight we had to Orlando. So now it looks like we will have to take a connecting flight.

Oh, that sucks that Delta's eliminated the non-stops to Orlando! There used to be 3 a day...now none? BOO!

Airtran still does non-stop to MCO. Hopefully, it will still be there in May.

 

[Lori]

I have been checking our flight from Minneapolis to Orlando and they changed it without ever telling us. We no longer have a nonstop flight, which I am not too thrilled about. I planned well in advance to get a nonstop flight at the time I wanted to fly and now they have changed it to a flight with a connection. So, everyone is correct, keep an eye on your flights. Oh, and they changed our flights and never assigned my daughter a seat. I am glad I noticed it right away so we could get it figured out.

 

[fightinfire21]

We had a Jet Blue flight scheduled to depart MCO at 9:20 PM on September 20th and they changed it to a new flight departing at 11:55 AM

That totally screws up my last day there as I went from almost a full day in the parks to no day in the parks

At least they 1. notified me 2. still have it as a direct flight

That does mean I have a Crystal Palace Breakfast reservation at 8:20 AM for 5 (4 adults, 1 baby) on September 20th if anyone wants it. I haven't posted it on the trade board yet and I would rather give the first chance to a fellow podcast fan. Just PM me if you are interested.

I am also looking for a Tusker House Breakfast for the same size party on Sunday September 14th early in the morning if anyone has one they are going to be giving up.

 

[Quacktatty]

Delta got rid of one of the direct flights from MCO to Hartford. Of course, it was the flight I was on for my September trip! Now instead of leaving Orlando at 5:30pm and getting into Hartford at 8:30pm, I'm leaving at 5:10pm, flying through Atlanta and getting home around 11pm ugh.

 

[hanco005]

I have been checking our flight from Minneapolis to Orlando and they changed it without ever telling us. We no longer have a nonstop flight, which I am not too thrilled about. I planned well in advance to get a nonstop flight at the time I wanted to fly and now they have changed it to a flight with a connection. So, everyone is correct, keep an eye on your flights. Oh, and they changed our flights and never assigned my daughter a seat. I am glad I noticed it right away so we could get it figured out.

Very frustrating. I just noticed the same thing today with our Air Tran flights from Minneapolis. At least our lay over in Atlanta is only an hour. As of now, we still have a non-stop flight coming back from Orlando to Minneapolis.

Air Tran should have at least sent us an email notifying us of the change.

 

[SFBayDon]

Very frustrating. I just noticed the same thing today with our Air Tran flights from Minneapolis. At least our lay over in Atlanta is only an hour. As of now, we still have a non-stop flight coming back from Orlando to Minneapolis.

Air Tran should have at least sent us an email notifying us of the change.

We had a Jet Blue flight scheduled to depart MCO at 9:20 PM on September 20th and they changed it to a new flight departing at 11:55 AM

That totally screws up my last day there as I went from almost a full day in the parks to no day in the parks

At least they 1. notified me 2. still have it as a direct flight

I have been checking our flight from Minneapolis to Orlando and they changed it without ever telling us. We no longer have a nonstop flight, which I am not too thrilled about. I planned well in advance to get a nonstop flight at the time I wanted to fly and now they have changed it to a flight with a connection. So, everyone is correct, keep an eye on your flights. Oh, and they changed our flights and never assigned my daughter a seat. I am glad I noticed it right away so we could get it figured out.

It looks like now more then ever we need to keep monitoring the airline reservations on line. It looks like some are getting notified and others have a similar experience to mine where the flight has been modified and times changes with no notification.

 

[bannermouse]

Louisiana has a net gain because flights are still increasing out of New Orleans. Been increasing since Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. We always fly out of New Orleans.

Bannermouse

 

[GBShorts]

I don't understand why you see the direct flights disappearing, especially when there is only one to begin with...isn't cheaper for the airline to fly direct? One take off, one landing, less labor, baggage handling, ect....

It would seem that way but considering that there are very few people that fly direct to smaller cities, it is smarter to go through a hub system. That way rather than having tons of little direct flights, you can have fewer hub flights. Imagine the logistics of flying from say Milwaukee to every direct flight city. By removing all those little flights and flying into a hub, say Minneapolis, Detroit, Seattle, or Memphis depending on which way you're going, you've gone from hundreds of direct flights down to 4 destinations (I'm picking on Northwest, now owned by Delta here). Northwest WAS doing several directs from Milwaukee to popular vacation destinations such as Vegas, Orlando, Boston, and a few others. I haven't looked recently but my guess is with the Delta buy out and the gas prices those will go away rather quickly.

So, while it's more convenient for US to fly direct and why it might seem cheaper, it ends up actually being cheaper to utilizethe hub system and fly those smaller flights all out of a few airports instead of every big airport there is.

And there's my commercial airline lesson for the day, any questions?

Hehe, just kidding

 

[contempory4me]

Thanks for the article but I find it disturbing that the comments under it (on the USA Today website) are blaming "overpaid airline employees". My husband works for a major airline and has had to take 20% in paycuts since 911. With his recent raise he is now making what he made for the same company doing the same job 10 years ago. I fear the reduction in flights are only going to make things worse. If the government can't do something to lower the price of fuel soon we are all going to suffer.

 

[lorax123]

Thanks for the article but I find it disturbing that the comments under it (on the USA Today website) are blaming "overpaid airline employees". My husband works for a major airline and has had to take 20% in paycuts since 911. With his recent raise he is now making what he made for the same company doing the same job 10 years ago. I fear the reduction in flights are only going to make things worse. If the government can't do something to lower the price of fuel soon we are all going to suffer.

OMG, I saw those comments as well. From what I hear airline employees, even pilots, just get hosed. While a pilot might make a good wage, there's enough laying off, shuffling around, they wind up having to start over all the time.
I also heard mechanics, while they make decent money it's because of lots of over time.

These are people I want to have well paid, stable and professional.

I don't know if it's true, but a friend said they were hiring very young inexperienced pilots and paying them in the $20k range. I don't want to be on that plane, if that's so.

I just don't get anybody feels over-paid workers are the root of pricing problems. Start cutting back on salaries, you'll lower the cost of items but at what price? You'll either reduc the number of people that can afford goods/services or just makes it all relative and the savings becomes a wash.

 

[contempory4me]

Not only are airlines hiring younger inexperienced pilots but the low cost carriers outsource maintenance to foreign countries where many unlicensed, and quite possibly underaged "mechanics" all work under ONE licensed superviser. So consumers may want to stick with the major airlines or get what you pay for. Its really quite frightening.