rtalk25

I was wondering if this would be a good airport for Frontier. On one hand, AirTran was able to make it work and operated MDW-SRQ, BWI-SRQ along with the ATL-SRQ. Southwest might have felt it dilutes TPA/RSW boardings and it deleted the service.

Frontier also sells TPA/RSW so SRQ might dilute it, but AirTran didn't hold that view and neither does JetBlue when they both operated at TPA and RSW. Also, MDW-SRQ might be a way for F9 to get into Chicago-Florida without directly competing against Southwest.

I also noticed SRQ has LGA and DCA and even BOS, but no direct PHL or EWR access so TTN could be a substitute especially for SRQ natives that want to reach NJ. I'd think an IAD-SRQ would compete more directly with DCA-SRQ (from US) but TTN lacks a nearby alternative.

From NJ, I don't know if many here can identify Sarasota, FL location as it doesn't have awareness as Tampa or Miami, or even Ft.Myers, but maybe I'm wrong.

I've heard the airport fees might be high however. Is that true?

Phudnik

I think SRQ would be a particularly bad route for F9: it is a relatively small, relatively upscale market close to another, larger market (TPA). I believe what you have heard is correct -- airport costs are high -- and most of the other airlines have dropped, rather than added service. (AA doesn't serve SRQ, WN/FL dropped it last year, and UA didn't serve it for many years before resuming service with one flight a day last year. I'm pretty sure the DCA-SRQ flight on US is subsidized.)

We have a family place in SRQ and we almost always just fly to TPA. The 75-minute drive from TPA (as opposed to the 15-minute drive from SRQ) is justified by the lower costs, and it's not as if TPA is a particularly difficult airport to navigate. My sense is that WN felt that they could serve anyone going to SRQ just as easily from TPA.

SRQ has historically been a vacation destination for people from Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois, which is why, when UA resumed service to SRQ, they did it from ORD and not EWR. US does not fly to SRQ from PHL. If F9 were to fly to SRQ, it would make much more sense to do it from CLE, DTW, or ORD/MDW.

davywavy

I don't know if that's an issue or a consideration these days. Frontier is head-butting Southwest directly on several new routes - ATL-MCO, MKE-MCO/RSW and STL-FLL/MCO/RSW, etc.

There's no direct head-butt at MDW because the new Chicago stuff is all at ORD but I guess ORD-MCO is indirect.

I don't know about SRQ. My guess would be northwest Florida next (PNS? ECP?) then they'd have the whole thing covered, but it's only a guess. I suppose it depends on the attitude to TPA, which has taken a bit of a back seat in these present route expansions.

Indigo sure has made its presence felt - in so many ways - but there are only the beginnings of patterns emerging from the route map. The west is pretty much unchanged at the moment and it's tough to think there won't be changes, especially given Bill Franke's history.

N830MH

I don't think it is good idea. It's very bad routes, but they tried a few routes. They couldn't handle on it anymore. AirTran is pulling out of SRQ completely. Due to merge with Southwest. They want to abandon it.