Why does this flight exist?
Nov 19, 2018, 7:16 am
#16
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Nov 19, 2018, 10:08 am
#17
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CVG-CDG survived the general dehubbing because of cargo- lots of plane parts that need to go from there to France.
While Pellston itself it tiny, the very tip of the northern lower peninsula has enough people to justify EAS service and it's nearly a two hour drive to Traverse City or Alpena for an alternate scheduled air service airport. (The slightly closest commercial option to there involves crossing the border to pick up an Air Canada and such flight out of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario)
While Pellston itself it tiny, the very tip of the northern lower peninsula has enough people to justify EAS service and it's nearly a two hour drive to Traverse City or Alpena for an alternate scheduled air service airport. (The slightly closest commercial option to there involves crossing the border to pick up an Air Canada and such flight out of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario)
Nov 19, 2018, 10:45 am
#18
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From what I can tell, Pellston has an essential air service subsidy, and it requires twice a day departure to the DTW hub. One of those departures has the aircraft originate at APN airport (nearby) at 5:05am, with only a 25 min stop picking up passengers in PLN, before arriving to DTW. This also allows twice a day departure from APN airport (albeit one with a brief stop in PLN). The other flight in the afternoon is DTW-PLN-DTW.
Anyway, a very interesting route, since Pellston has only a population of 800 people!
Anyway, a very interesting route, since Pellston has only a population of 800 people!
Nov 19, 2018, 11:24 am
#19
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CVG-CDG survived the general dehubbing because of cargo- lots of plane parts that need to go from there to France.
While Pellston itself it tiny, the very tip of the northern lower peninsula has enough people to justify EAS service and it's nearly a two hour drive to Traverse City or Alpena for an alternate scheduled air service airport. (The slightly closest commercial option to there involves crossing the border to pick up an Air Canada and such flight out of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario)
While Pellston itself it tiny, the very tip of the northern lower peninsula has enough people to justify EAS service and it's nearly a two hour drive to Traverse City or Alpena for an alternate scheduled air service airport. (The slightly closest commercial option to there involves crossing the border to pick up an Air Canada and such flight out of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario)
Nov 19, 2018, 1:45 pm
#20
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I take the DTW-PLN flight about a dozen times in the summer. It's full almost every time and runs 3x a day then. Pellston serves as an easy gateway to a lot of summer vacation towns like Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Mackinac Island, as well as the Upper Peninsula. In winter, there are two ski mountains that people will go to, Boyne Highlands and Nubb's Nobb
Nov 19, 2018, 2:50 pm
#21
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Right. Anyways, the aircraft that does the APN-PLN leg in the morning overnights there as the final flight in the evening does DTW-PLN-APN. When I've been on it the most I've seen remain on the plane in Pellston is 6 people and the most I've seen when I've boarded the morning flight that has come into PLN from APN is 4,so I imagine there has to be a subsidy out of Alpena as well.
Nov 19, 2018, 3:48 pm
#22
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I was just on the CLE-BDL flight last week and it was fairly full in both directions. As a Platinum, I appreciated the upgrade both ways but didn't clear either until gate. Surprising number of people for a once a day flight to two non-Delta hubs. I had business in Central Mass and avoid Logan whenever able so this worked out well for me.
Nov 19, 2018, 4:16 pm
#23
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Right. Anyways, the aircraft that does the APN-PLN leg in the morning overnights there as the final flight in the evening does DTW-PLN-APN. When I've been on it the most I've seen remain on the plane in Pellston is 6 people and the most I've seen when I've boarded the morning flight that has come into PLN from APN is 4,so I imagine there has to be a subsidy out of Alpena as well.
Nov 19, 2018, 8:03 pm
#24
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Nov 19, 2018, 11:14 pm
#25
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From what I can tell, Pellston has an essential air service subsidy, and it requires twice a day departure to the DTW hub. One of those departures has the aircraft originate at APN airport (nearby) at 5:05am, with only a 25 min stop picking up passengers in PLN, before arriving to DTW. This also allows twice a day departure from APN airport (albeit one with a brief stop in PLN). The other flight in the afternoon is DTW-PLN-DTW.
Anyway, a very interesting route, since Pellston has only a population of 800 people!
Anyway, a very interesting route, since Pellston has only a population of 800 people!
Dec 31, 2018, 6:18 pm
#26
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Dec 31, 2018, 6:22 pm
#27
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Or vice versa. You can actually buy tickets for the flight between these two airports, both of which receive federal essential air subsidies. I asked the DGS manager at Pellston about this and he said a couple times a year someone buys a ticket for Pellston–Alpena, which requires them to call in TSA to man the checkpoint for a single passenger as they don't normally work the airport at night since there are no other departing flights.
I believe in the old Northwest days the flight from Sault Ste. Marie to Detroit (and vice versa?) stopped in Alpena too on some or all days.
I believe in the old Northwest days the flight from Sault Ste. Marie to Detroit (and vice versa?) stopped in Alpena too on some or all days.
Dec 31, 2018, 6:25 pm
#28
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From what I can tell, Pellston has an essential air service subsidy, and it requires twice a day departure to the DTW hub. One of those departures has the aircraft originate at APN airport (nearby) at 5:05am, with only a 25 min stop picking up passengers in PLN, before arriving to DTW. This also allows twice a day departure from APN airport (albeit one with a brief stop in PLN). The other flight in the afternoon is DTW-PLN-DTW.
Anyway, a very interesting route, since Pellston has only a population of 800 people!
Anyway, a very interesting route, since Pellston has only a population of 800 people!
CVG-CDG survived the general dehubbing because of cargo- lots of plane parts that need to go from there to France.
While Pellston itself it tiny, the very tip of the northern lower peninsula has enough people to justify EAS service and it's nearly a two hour drive to Traverse City or Alpena for an alternate scheduled air service airport. (The slightly closest commercial option to there involves crossing the border to pick up an Air Canada and such flight out of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario)
While Pellston itself it tiny, the very tip of the northern lower peninsula has enough people to justify EAS service and it's nearly a two hour drive to Traverse City or Alpena for an alternate scheduled air service airport. (The slightly closest commercial option to there involves crossing the border to pick up an Air Canada and such flight out of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario)
Dec 31, 2018, 6:26 pm
#29
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I take the DTW-PLN flight about a dozen times in the summer. It's full almost every time and runs 3x a day then. Pellston serves as an easy gateway to a lot of summer vacation towns like Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Mackinac Island, as well as the Upper Peninsula. In winter, there are two ski mountains that people will go to, Boyne Highlands and Nubb's Nobb
Dec 31, 2018, 6:33 pm
#30
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There have been some intereesting "triangular" routes with DL and possibly PMNW. Fior example, between SYR and DTW, some are direct flights that stop at ROC or even BUF and similarly some ROC (or BUF?) flights to DTW are direct with a stop (no plane change) at SYR. These are generally mainline flights and AFAIK the RJ routes, such as ITH-DTW and vv, don't do the triangle.