FNT-MSP to be Discontinued 12/18
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: DTW
Programs: DL - PM, (NW - Plat), AA - Gold, Marriott - Plat, Avis - First
Posts: 955
FNT-MSP to be Discontinued 12/18
FNT-MSP, which has been operating as 2x CRJs for the past few years, and used to be a legacy DC-9 route, will be cut in December 2018.
FNT has had a spectucular fall from grace over the past decade. Obviously all the AirTran Florida flying, that NW for a period countered as well, then WN pulling-out of the market completely earlier this year.
For now, DL's ATL service, plus AA & UA service to ORD, and G4's token leisure service remains.
Long gone are the days of FNT being the backdoor entrance to the DTW airport for mileage/segment runs, and often cheaper fares by taking 12-minute in-flight hop down to DTW.
FNT has had a spectucular fall from grace over the past decade. Obviously all the AirTran Florida flying, that NW for a period countered as well, then WN pulling-out of the market completely earlier this year.
For now, DL's ATL service, plus AA & UA service to ORD, and G4's token leisure service remains.
Long gone are the days of FNT being the backdoor entrance to the DTW airport for mileage/segment runs, and often cheaper fares by taking 12-minute in-flight hop down to DTW.
#2
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: LAN
Programs: DL Skymiles, AF/KL Flying Blue
Posts: 304
FNT-MSP was the first flight I was ever on as a kid. Connected to a flight heading to somewhere in the Dakotas for an extended family vacation. Makes me a little teary-eyed.
Emotions aside, I'm absolutely amazed this didn't happen sooner.
Emotions aside, I'm absolutely amazed this didn't happen sooner.
#3
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: DL DM+(segs)/MM, UA Ag, Hilton DM, Marriott Ti (life Pt), TSA Opt-out Platinum
Posts: 3,225
FNT (Ariport, not the city) is a really interesting and unique case. It's close, but not too close, to a major airport and a major population center. There are a lot of folks in the Northern Detroit metro who could get to FNT quicker, but with the lack of destinations, the drive to DTW saves connections. My office is in the Northern Detroit suburbs and I fly RDU-ATL-FNT quite often. Much of my travel is last minute, and I can often save half the cost by going to FNT. That pricing has been consistently cheaper for 7-8 years now. I wonder if that's why they can't seem to sustain WN and MSP...they just can't get good yields...
They recently (~2-3 years ago) finished an expansion of the terminal. When I flew out at noon the other day, the airport was completely empty at security and the only people in the terminal were at the gate for the flight I was getting on. It's sad, because it's such a great little airport. I can land there and be driving off in a rental car in 5 minutes. DTW it's closer to an hour with their far away rental car center/bus setup. I worry with the drop in pax if they'll eliminate the TSA pre-check
They recently (~2-3 years ago) finished an expansion of the terminal. When I flew out at noon the other day, the airport was completely empty at security and the only people in the terminal were at the gate for the flight I was getting on. It's sad, because it's such a great little airport. I can land there and be driving off in a rental car in 5 minutes. DTW it's closer to an hour with their far away rental car center/bus setup. I worry with the drop in pax if they'll eliminate the TSA pre-check
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
With Southwest gone from FNT, Delta has little reason to compete with its own pricing (and frequencies, and lower-CASM aircraft) out of DTW.
#6
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 32
Obviously my sample size is small, but I have found just about all DTW based flights cheaper then FNT this year. I usually book about two weeks out.
#7
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: LAN
Programs: DL Skymiles, AF/KL Flying Blue
Posts: 304
If you think that means FNT-DTW is coming back, then I've got some tap water to sell you.
#8
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: LAN
Programs: DL Skymiles, AF/KL Flying Blue
Posts: 304
I've been looking at quite a few TATL itineraries recently. Compared GRR, LAN, FNT and DTW origins. DTW origin was always always cheapest on DL, with the except of a cheap LAN-FRA a few weeks ago that I pulled the trigger on. FNT wasn't even close most of the time, even considering how expensive parking at DTW is for 1 week+ (unless you park so far away that you basically need a connecting flight to your parking spot).
#9
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: ATL/SLC
Posts: 3,540
#10
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: DTW
Programs: DL DM, 3.3 MM Miler, Lifetime Hilton Diamond VIP, United, American, National ExecElite
Posts: 201
Those were the days, when I was younger and didn't mind the layover for the short hop up to FNT. Depending on FA's mood, often a PDB and one quick one in the air when up front!
#11
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: DTW
Programs: DL DM, 3.3 MM Miler, Lifetime Hilton Diamond VIP, United, American, National ExecElite
Posts: 201
#12
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: STL
Programs: DL - PM
Posts: 226
Same here. Flint is actually closer to the city I visit regularly in Michigan, so my preference is to fly there. But in the past three years I've only done so a couple of times, because Flint is typically ~$300 higher than Detroit.
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Back in Reds Country (DAY/CVG). Previously: SEA & SAT.
Programs: DL PM 1MM, AA PLAT, UA Silver, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 10,346
Used to be that DAY was usually a much cheaper alternative to CVG during the CVG hub days. However as CVG got dehubbed from its peak and then as more carriers came in, adding some more competition, I found CVG was often a better deal than DAY when I lived there in the earlier part of the decade. Either that, or DL was IP tracking and since my home was in DAY at the time, they were trying to get me to pay more to fly out of DAY while those down in Cincinnati were seeing higher fares for CVG over DAY.
#14
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: DL DM+(segs)/MM, UA Ag, Hilton DM, Marriott Ti (life Pt), TSA Opt-out Platinum
Posts: 3,225
From RDU:
I have had times when DTW was the cheaper option, but that's been pretty rare. There was a few month span a few years ago where that was the case. But for the most part, RDU-DTW has always been expensive (often close to $1000 R/T with less than a week notice, at least on DL, I haven't really shopped them, I just choose FNT). FNT is usually around $600 for the same days. Anecdotal for sure, but for me it's been pretty constant.
Other nice thing about the ATL FNT leg is that it's an easy upgrade. One of the few routes where one can sometimes find empty seats in F...
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,043
I suppose it depends on the market dynamics for each city pair. My issue is likely that I am booking last minute.
From RDU:
I have had times when DTW was the cheaper option, but that's been pretty rare. There was a few month span a few years ago where that was the case. But for the most part, RDU-DTW has always been expensive (often close to $1000 R/T with less than a week notice, at least on DL, I haven't really shopped them, I just choose FNT). FNT is usually around $600 for the same days. Anecdotal for sure, but for me it's been pretty constant.
Other nice thing about the ATL FNT leg is that it's an easy upgrade. One of the few routes where one can sometimes find empty seats in F...
From RDU:
I have had times when DTW was the cheaper option, but that's been pretty rare. There was a few month span a few years ago where that was the case. But for the most part, RDU-DTW has always been expensive (often close to $1000 R/T with less than a week notice, at least on DL, I haven't really shopped them, I just choose FNT). FNT is usually around $600 for the same days. Anecdotal for sure, but for me it's been pretty constant.
Other nice thing about the ATL FNT leg is that it's an easy upgrade. One of the few routes where one can sometimes find empty seats in F...