Southwest, no Nonstops from Cleveland???

[ohiosam74]

Did I miss something? I have been checking airfare to Orlando from Cleveland and I noticed that Southwest no longer has any nonstop flights. When did this happen? I have flown them for years and always have taken a nonstop and loved it! I checked all kinds of dates, days of the week, etc. and have not found ANY nonstop flights! They have a few "direct" flights which means you stop at another airport but you don't actually switch planes, but even those are rare. Anyone know anything about this change? I'm annoyed!

Thanks!

 

[APB513]

I don't know anything specific about the change but I am annoyed too!

The same thing has happened with Detroit. In 2007, we flew SWA non stop from Detroit to Orlando so I know that they used to have non stop flights.

I am so bummed about having to change planes but what can you do?

Maybe SWAbikedude could answer the question for us.

 

[ohiosam74]

I'm glad I'm not the only one! The flights always seemed to be filled, mostly with families on their way to WDW! I haven't flown Southwest for over a year, so I'm not sure when things changed.

 

[livinthedisneydream]

I believe they changed this summer. My sister and I took a last minute "girls weekend" in March and they still had ONE nonstop---they used to have a couple. After that schedule there were no more nonstops so we drove to Columbus (where we're originally from) for the nonstops and cheaper fares!!

My dh travels frequently for work so we cash in points for reward trips and love using SW since no bag fees or change fees. We have a delta amex but their prices and schedules are a joke! Don't really want to do Continental since change fees so for the most part we are driving to Columbus for our flights. VERY DISAPPOINTED!!

 

[Lewisc]

Airlines, including Southwest, are reducing flights to destination like Orlando that only sell with (money losing) deeply discounted fares.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

One of the reasons that SWA only releases their schedule about 6 months out is that they are constantly rearranging and adjusting routes based on profitability. Non stops to and from a lot of different cities are just some of the routes that rare getting cut. They are also stopping certain routes during slow times of the year, but will add them back later.

 

[Pembo]

SW discontinued their nonstop from CLE to MCO this summer, right after our vacation in June. I was bummed too....

 

[APB513]

Airlines, including Southwest, are reducing flights to destination like Orlando that only sell with (money losing) deeply discounted fares.

OK. That makes sense.

 

[BigTigger]

Airlines, including Southwest, are reducing flights to destination like Orlando that only sell with (money losing) deeply discounted fares.

What??? That makes no sense. SWA on PVD to MCO has lots of non-stops and they add more every year. Average fare varies from $140 to $300 roundtrip based on season. By your logic SWA should kill them all and route all PVD passengers through BWI to get to MCO as longer haul, direct flights are money losers. I have seen very few DINGS for the longer haul direct flights, but get tons for the one stop through BWI flights.

 

[Lewisc]

What??? That makes no sense. SWA on PVD to MCO has lots of non-stops and they add more every year. Average fare varies from $140 to $300 roundtrip based on season. By your logic SWA should kill them all and route all PVD passengers through BWI to get to MCO as longer haul, direct flights are money losers. I have seen very few DINGS for the longer haul direct flights, but get tons for the one stop through BWI flights.

Average fare, actually paid by passengers on a given flight, is a trade secret. You're supporting my point. The fact that SW is offering DING fares for the one stop flight, but doesn't have to offer them for the N/S flights, suggests there are enough passengers willing to pay a profitable fare from PVD-MCO to maintain or increase scheduled service.

SW is reducing N/S service from many other airports to MCO. SW isn't purchasing new aircraft. SW has said they're dropping less profitable flights to free up aircraft for new cities and new flights.



It's not my logic, it's what SW has said they're doing. Airlines look at the load and yield in determining the profitablility of a flight.

 

[bicker]

Lewis is correct. And this is happening in more and more sectors of the consumer marketplace. We were discussing this in another forum earlier this week; in that case it was about cell phone carriers and cable companies restructuring their offerings, effectively "dumping" customers that cost too much to service.

 

[DebbieB]

The problem with Cleveland and Detroit is they are big hubs for other airlines that have non-stops to MCO. Continental for Cleveland and Northwest/Delta for Detroit. It creates a competitive situation that results in lower fares that can't make money.

 

[ohiosam74]

I'm no airline executive, but I find it hard to believe that Southwest could not fill at least one nonstop flight from Cleveland to Orlando. I have taken that flight for years and it always has been full! I understand that Continental has a hub in Cleveland, but currently they want $350+ for a ticket, which is a bit ridiculous. I did check Columbus and found $89 each way for a nonstop flight from Southwest. I guess it may be worth a two hour drive to catch that one. Personally I think more people in Cleveland would take advantage of that flight than would in Columbus, but what do I know.

Thanks for all your comments, opinions and thoughts, they are greatly appreciated!

 

[bicker]

I'm no airline executive, but I find it hard to believe that Southwest could not fill at least one nonstop flight from Cleveland to Orlando.

Well, the second half of that sentence really proves the first half. Airline executives don't endeavor to fill flights; they endeavor to make profit. Airlines evaluate options using various linear modeling techniques. If that "one nonstop flight" was part of the model that represented the best option for Southwest, you can be sure that that nonstop flight would have been offered; reflexively, since that nonstop flight was not offered, you can rest assured that the model showed clearly that that nonstop flight was not part of the optimal solution.