Until recently, I lived just 3 miles from EFD, and flew CO with EFD as the origination/destination point about 30 RTs per year, so I'll see if I can help:

1. EFD is served only CO Express to IAH; the terminal is a decent "office-type" trailer, with good A/C, a color TV, adequate seating, restrooms, and payphones.

2. Parking is ample and free, but there is no security whatsoever -- no fence, no gate, no personnel anywhere nearby after the last flight of the night arrives (as far as I could tell). The location of the lot is very far from any main road, so it would seem prone to breakins or thefts. That said, I never actually heard of any such crimes at EFD parking.

I owned a 15 yr old, fairly low value car -- which I always parked at EFD for days at a time, with no problems or worries about my car -- you folks with expensive cars might have plenty to worry about.

3. Whether you park your car or have someone drop you off, the proximity to the ticket counter is outstanding -- a dream come true.

4. Both checkin and security are fast -- a dream compared to checkin/security at IAH.

5. The whole low-key feeling of the place is so refreshing compared to the maddening crowds/hustle/size/etc of places like IAH.

6. Connecting between CO Express and mainline CO jets will involve a fast frequent shuttle, along with a pretty healthy walk. If you're connecting to a jungle jet, I believe they're all in the same terminal as the EFD-IAH turboprop., so you avoid both the shuttle and walk.

7. Some people like to include EFD in a CO mileage run for the extra miles/segments and therefore make it a "quick turnaround" point for such runs. This can be exceedingly dangerous from a logistics point of view, esp. if you have a tight connection following your EFD turnaround. The reason is this:

If anything is amiss during daily CO Express operations, the IAH-EFD flight is the first to be cancelled, often for long durations. Examples of such a trigger would be weather in Houston (just rain or clouds will do it, I'm not talking ice or hurricanes), any aircraft down for maintenance, and crew shortage, etc. In my heavy usage of EFD (all as my actual origin/destination point), the flight was cancelled about 65 % of the time.

When the flight is cancelled CO Express will "usually" provide a hired van (typically 6 passengers) to replace the cancelled flight.

If you're actually beginning a flight at EFD (like me), this worked out OK, although the van(s) usually departed EFD well before the scheduled flight time -- we always made it to IAH on time for the connection.

If you're actually ending a flight at EFD (like me), this worked OK, although you will be pooled with other cancelled EFD passengers into a van and you may have to wait for them to retrieve checked bags before your entire group can depart IAH for EFD (even if you only have carryons).

If you're doing a mileage run, using EFD as the endpoint (which was not my case), there will simply not be sufficient time using the van to physically get from IAH to EFD and back to IAH to make your mainline CO jet return connection. If you try it, I'm sure your possibly complex, nested mileage run with carefully chosen/upgraded seats will be thrown into chaos.

I've read here that mileage runners, simply then skip the EFD portions, and explain to the IAH agents what they're doing, preserving the mainline reservations, etc., and then later obtaining mileage credit for the EFD flights not flown.

However, at Gordo's "new" Continental, agents may not take such a kind view of mileage runners, esp. deviating from their ticketed itineraries (ie, no waivers or favors). They "could" insist the traveller complete all the onward segments (including the substituted EFD van-for-flight segments).

Yes, I know many folks have had no such problems "in the past" doing an EFD mileage run with cancellations, but -- what will it be like "going forward" ?

PS: I'm sure CO loses plenty of money on the EFD-IAH service, whether they're using a airplane or a hired van for any given flight. It was a wonderful convenience for me, but I'm frankly surprised CO Express still offers the service.

I hope this helps.