beachmouse

So according to that logic, Cincinnati is a podunk town not deserving of its own airport because Southwest doesn't fly there.

Mmmmkay. What would Venus Flytrap or Dr. Johnny Fever say about that?

And I guess they shouldn't have put that big Airbus plant in Mobile, Alabama because not only isn't it a worthy airport, it's also not building 737s, which are the only true airplane?

This will not make Airbus corporate happy if they have to fly into Pensacola on WN and then drive another hour and a half to the main plant.

SJC ORD LDR

That just isn't true. WN does not fly to any location in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, or Wyoming. They don't. DL serves these states from their SLC and/or MSP hubs. UA serves them from their DEN hub.

While these cities are too small for the WN model of service, DL and UA do a good job making money on these routes with their connection partners. Heck, DL is sending full sized mainline planes to places like BZN on a regular basis now.

BiggAW

No one NEEDS regional airports.

WN serves PSP with quite literally 5 airports in Burbank, LAX, Ontario, Orange County, and San Diego. It looks like Ontario is the best one. You are correct in that WN doesn't serve BIL or the next few. It has mainline service from DL, as does BZN, although the prices appear to be insanity from a quick Orbitz search. COD is probably the definition of BFE, although it is served by mainline DL out of BIL. FAR has mainline DL. GJT is equidistant from the DL hub at SLC and the WN hub at DEN. I've looked at going to the D&S, and it's near nothing. It's a good drive from either DEN or Albuquerque, depending on what else I want to see with it. Amtrak serves GJT, but it's slower than driving. SUN has WN service at Boise. JAC is BFE, but is served by the DL hub at SLC and WN at SLC. LWS has WN at Spokane. GCC is served by DL mainline out of Billings. MSN is served out of MKE on WN. MSN was actually part of the genius (or map-reading skills) of WN. They realized that instead of operating out of MSN and GRB, they could efficiently consolidate operations at MKE, and they just sucked the wind right out of the other carriers in that whole market. I never claimed WN went to Alaska, AS and AA both offer mainline service to ANC, and no one flies regional to there from the lower 48 anyway. WN serves CVG via Dayton and Louisville, and other airlines must have mainline service there. HLN is Billings again. MED is in Saudi Arabia, ... does that have to do with US regional airlines? WN goes to IAD. Tyler, TX is served out of the mega-cluster**** mega hub at DFW, as well as WN at Love Field. Witchita Falls is served equally by Oklahoma City and Love Field.

Finally tally:

Have WN service: 9
Aren't even in the CONUS: 2
Have DL Mainline service and are in BFE: 6

You skewed that heavily by picking a bunch of places in BFE that are in the one part of the country that I have already acknowledged is NOT served by WN, because there's nothing there to serve.

Kettles?

I do use the USPS on the occasion that I am forced to feet kicking and dragging. Based on the delivery speeds I've seen, I think they use horses and buggies. Maybe stagecoaches. Or maybe a tractor with a wagon behind it for the express service.

How would regional service affect mail that flies LAS-MIA or some similar major route?

BiggAW

It's served out of Dayton and Lousiville. BOS didn't have WN for a long time either, but they still served that market very well via PVD and MHT.

Where an airplane manufacturer, military base, or cargo flights go is irrelevant. They aren't passenger service. Airbus is OK. But I have a strong preference for the American-made Boeing planes, and for all-Boeing airlines.

So Pensacola is served by WN. However, they probably wouldn't fly WN anyway, since WN is an all-Boeing airline. The irony is that DL appears to fly only Boeing and McDonnell Douglass aircraft to Pensacola. That's worth a laugh!

Let's get the old map out. I said they don't serve parts of Montana and North Dakota. BIL and BZN are the aggregation points, although I'm not sure if BZN is reasonably priced, I'm not going to go and try to figure it out, since I may just be hitting bad dates. I guess technically, there are parts of Wyoming and South Dakota that they don't serve, although they serve a good portion of South Dakota out of Omaha, and a good portion of Wyoming out of DEN.

I don't think any of those cities are economical to serve, so they probably have absurd ticket prices, except for maybe BIL as an aggregation point for DL mainline, even that might be a stretch.

BiggAW

Totally misread the Airbus plant thing. DL flies mainline to Mobile with the 717 fleet. The irony is still pretty funny though!

SJC ORD LDR

People who live in small cities need regional airports. If you fly a lot, you want an airport convenient to both your origin and destination. Otherwise, you're wasting your time driving to and from airports. Business travelers have better things to do than go on long road trips.

If I have a conference or business in PSP, I'm not flying into LAX, BUR, SAN, or SNA and driving along I-10 to Palm Springs. I might consider ONT.

If I want to go skiing at Jackson Hole, I'm flying into JAC, not spending a day behind the wheel driving from DEN so I can fly WN. I have better things to do with my time.

gooselee

You're not using OP logic. Those four states are all within a 15 hour driving radius of a WN destination, therefore they are "well-served" by deluxe 737 service.

SJC ORD LDR

Who drives 3 hours from Sioux Falls to Omaha to catch a flight? I'll take a connection at MSP over that.

WN serves NOTHING in South Dakota or Wyoming. Heck, they don't serve Vermont either. Look at their map. Here, I even linked it.
https://www.southwest.com/flight/routemap_dyn.html

SJC ORD LDR

I guess that's a definition of well served. Just not mine or most everyone else's.

kettle1

I am done with this troll thread.

I pointed out facts that my company deals with daily. WN works for some on certain routes. I gave a dozen or more routes that WN does not serve. If the OP is retired, fine take a train or bus. I have a business to run and time is money, for myself and staff. We fly to the cities/towns we need to get to.

I always fly WN LAS-RNO as it is the only non-stop (except Allegiant 2 days a week).

OP only answers what suits his agenda. Small towns are very important for my business. The U.S. postal system is as well. UPS does a great job as well. 99.9% of my packages/letters get delivered in 2-4 days, depending on what postage I pay.

Happy and safe travels.

NotHamSarnie

I'm not special at all. I'm part of a market. A LARGE market of people who want to fly from regional airports. You're also part of a market. The current system serves both of us.

AJDelvarno

Agree. And yet everyone continues to argue with this guy as though he’s finally going to say, “You know? You’re right…I was wrong.”

Fairly civilized discussion here considering the back and forth, so I’m not sure I’ll “IBTL” this one, but this thread has certainly outlived its usefulness…

gooselee

Practical usefulness, sure. But still some marginal entertainment value in here.

pkk

maybe the answer to his original question is no.

jb1012xna

WN doesn't serve MS anymore either. People in JAN would now be looking at 3 hours to either MSY, BHM, or MEM. DL flies 717s and MD88s there though, so not sure if that means it's exempt or still worthless.