According to a market assessment by Sabre Airline Solutions, the passenger retention rate in Wichita Mid-Continent Airport’s “catchment” area – two-thirds of Kansas, plus northern Oklahoma – has increased from 56 to 66 percent since 2001. That means that even as commercial airlines have struggled nationwide, Mid-Continent has won back some of the travelers who had been driving to out-of-state airports for cheaper fares.
That improvement is a credit to the aggressive, creative approach taken since 2002 by the city of Wichita, Sedgwick County, Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce, Regional Economic Area Partnership and, as of 2006, the state government to attract and keep low-fare carriers AirTran Airways, Frontier Airlines and Allegiant Air. The affordable airfares initiative, which includes controversial public subsidies, has driven down the cost of business and leisure travel for south-central Kansans during a time when they are eager to hang onto every penny.
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11 Comments
I never imagined I would be saying this, but… Air travel has become so uncomfortable and unreliable I would pay more if I could schedule a flight and rely on it to get me there as scheduled in relative comfort.
Makes me wonder where all the critics of the subsidies are now? The subsidies are working exactly as planned, to make travel affordable for more people.
Actually, I’m not convinced the cost has been reduced.
The last two flights I’ve taken have stranded me overnight (actually until almost noon the next day). After I added the cost of a motel room and meals I hadn’t saved anything on my travel. More recently airlines have added costs to getting luggage to accompany you on your trip. Few people travel without wanting “stuff” to go with them. This additional cost negates savings on the airline ticket. Fewer flights are scheduled and unless you’re on a direct flight (impossible out of Wichita!) you face long layovers. Add costs for meals during travel since they are no longer part of the ticket price. There is the value of time to consider. They don’t offer any compensation when it’s “weather related,” and guess what, there is weather someplace that can be blamed.
Airlines seem to have gotten better at CYA but not better at service. And when you add all the costs it doesn’t seem to be more affordable.
If you are delayed due to the airline, they should be picking up the tab. I’m not sure about the weather related thing – you might check with the FAA on that.
As to no direct flights – I flew to and from Atlanta this year on direct flights. I flew to and from DC last month, and while it wasn’t a direct flight, it went quite smooth. I’m not sure how much luggage you take along, but a small suitcase should be more than sufficient for any business trip that I’ve ever been on.
I did check. If it’s beyond their control, they aren’t liable. They can’t control weather.
Yes, if your destination is Atlanta you can fly from Wichita nonstop. There are other destinations, quite a few actually.
Glad your experiences have been good!
The weather doesn’t need to be in the area of your flight path. If it interferes with getting the equipment to where it’s needed it’s still due to weather.
Ok, well that kinda sucks. Thinking back over the years, I guess I’ve never had an overnight delay while flying (Amtrak is a different matter).
I still say that Wichita is a much better place to fly out of/in to than KCI or Oklahoma City.
Seems to me that its time to cut off the welfare to the airlines
and last I knew allegiant didn’t get any government handouts, people actually want to go to Vegas
Well hell – why not just nationalize the airlines!
Might as well, the government is better at running banks, mortgage companies, healthcare, and oil.
Who needs private air lines anyway? Much easier to have the taxpayers from everywhere ELSE pay for us to get cheaper air fare (not).
There was a story on an Oklahoma City TV station last week that said a number of folks from down there are actually driving up to Wichita to catch airline flights because our air fares are cheaper than theirs to some places. There is another example of why the Air Tran subsidy program has helped lower ticket costs here.