AA ending all service to ISP (Long Island-Islip) and ITH (Ithaca, NY)
#46
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT
Posts: 13,608
This is pretty disappointing news. I have a couple of ITH trips already booked for the fall. What normally happens in this case, will they flat out cancel and refund or will I be able to choose any alternative flights in nearby airports? I haven't received cancel/change notifications yet, will that happen automatically or is it better to call now before seats start vanishing?
#47
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: AA LT Gold
Posts: 3,144
The UA service at ITH is with a CRJ-550, that is, a CRJ-700 with many more premium seats. I'm not sure whether that's a great fit for the Ithaca market. I suppose that Cornell and IC faculty might be willing to pay for the seats; maybe students aren't a major share of the passengers.
The busiest time is probably around commencement in May when hotels are at capacity with parents and family attending the celebrations.
I am not sure if faculty travels that much.
I know there are several bio techs, consulting and start ups that are Ithaca based and are probably the ones flying in and out of Ithaca on a regular basis.
#49
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 24,243
While I would not recommend public transportation for someone traveling with bulky luggage, for someone with carry-on only, I don't see why the LIRR to Woodside to the (now free) Q70 would be any more of a hassle than the LIRR to Jamaica to the JFK AirTrain.
#50
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: New York
Programs: AA EXP 1.0mm, not sure where I am with hotels these days
Posts: 2,790
I think it's a matter of personal preference - the difference between the AirTrain and the bus is the former has no traffic issues and the bus can be an issue. There is generally less crowding on the AirTrain.
#51
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: AA LT Gold
Posts: 3,144
Subway, yes.
#52
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 25,203
The Q70 (and M60 for that matter) absolutely do get crowded, especially if it's a bit of a delay since the previous bus. Unfortunately my experience is that the Q70 headways are never consistent per the schedule, which is every 8-10 minutes for most of the day. Last time I tried to take the Q70 from Woodside (I was on a <7> and the next (7) was 7+ minutes away), I waited over 15 minutes, and I'm convinced a bus was behind schedule and just skipped that pickup and went straight to Jackson Heights.
#53
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The UA service at ITH is with a CRJ-550, that is, a CRJ-700 with many more premium seats. I'm not sure whether that's a great fit for the Ithaca market. I suppose that Cornell and IC faculty might be willing to pay for the seats; maybe students aren't a major share of the passengers.