flyYX

It would be cool to have a Midwest Express forum again.

dhuey

NO! Looks like Southwest dropped its daily nonstop between SFO and MKE. Why? Why?! WHY?!
Looks like there are now no nonstops between the SF Bay Area and MKE. Back to the bad old days after Midwest Express disappeared.

Tim34

I noticed that. i'm going to end up flying to ORD this winter. They also ended SAN. They only have LAX from the west coast. Maybe Alaska/Virgin will pick it up or United.

mke9499

I remember when NW had daily nonstops to SFO; maybe DL will pick up route. I would think there's demand.

javabytes

If WN couldn't make it work, I don't see how DL could. It's not like many people would be connecting in MKE, so it has to be sustained by O&D traffic.

dhuey

Unlike Southwest, Alaska or Delta could use an RJ for the route. That lowers the cost substantially. With Alaska (merging with Virgin America), there could be substantial ex-MKE traffic connecting at SFO.

tvnwz

The new, proposed MKE county budget has a plan to build a new international terminal where the E concourse is now.

http://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/...tchell-airport

Would be done by 2019 with construction to start next year.

BC Shelby

...I remember when United had a daily nonstop (727) to SFO, of course that was back in the regulated days. I personally wouldn't do well sitting on a Bombiadier RJ 700/900 for nearly three hours.

Odd that in the years before and after deregulation, passenger loads out of MKE were deemed high enough for United to provide service with 720s, DC-8s (including the stretches) and even a daily DC-10 out of MKE (to LAX). Same with Northwest which used 707-320s, 720s, had a daily 747 between MKE and JFK, (as well as a nightly 747-F) and several DC10 flights a day though there.

ORD wasn't any further from MKE than it is now and there was just as much service (if not more) between the two airports back then on North Central, Air Wisconsin, and Midstate. Even Northwest had a couple flights that served that leg (usually continuations of Florida service or local feeder service with L-188s that also served Madison and Rochester MN).

tvnwz

I remember the stretch DC-8s. Flew one out to SFO in the middle of a blinding snow storm. It was --maybe--one-third full. It didn't have the bins--just the luggage racks overhead. Long time ago.

plinth857

Because I am a cheapskate, I am thinking about stopping over in MKE for an overnight in February... it'll save me about $100. My incoming flight would arrive at 10:45 PM and my outgoing flight to my final destination would depart at 6:00 AM. Are there any places in the airport to catch a few Zzz's? Also, it's on two different carriers (American for the incoming, and United for the outgoing); does one need to go through TSA for each separate concourse, or is this irrelevant for my particular situation?

Thank you for any help/information.

BTA

There are various lounge chairs you could probably sleep in. AA and UA are in different concourses, so you'll have to reclear security. Main terminal has a great bookstore, and a fun museum of flight that can help you kill time, although the bookstore isn't open 24h

JustaGoodGuy

You will be arriving on Concourse D. At about the Nonna restaurant, take the steps or escalator to the lower level (gates 27, 28 & 29). There are couches on that level that you can crash on. I am not sure if that part of the airport is open 24/7, so you may get chased out.

Tim34

Madison is getting non stop flights to SFO year round. Milwaukee doesn't even have that https://www.jsonline.com/story/money...ce/1012940001/

mizzou65201

I'll be interested to see how that MSN-SFO flight does. I know a lot of folks in the MSN area are pretty DL-loyal back to NW days; MSP is an easy westbound connecting point. Certainly UA is looking at the ex-SFO side of things too, and it wouldn't surprise me if more of the Bay Area traffic is driven towards UW and Epic than MKE-based companies.

dhuey

It's both funny and annoying for me. I fly SFO-MKE about twice a year. The great old days were when Midwest Express had the daily nonstop. Business class for everyone, and for the price of coach. After they disappeared, no nonstops for a few years. Then AirTran picked up the route. They had a nice business class cabin for a reasonable price. They merged into Southwest, so no more business cabin, but at least we still had the nonstop. Then that disappeared a few months ago. I guess there just isn't sufficient O/D demand for a 737 or A319/320.

Alaska has a daily nonstop between MKE and SEA, using an Embraer 175. I'm hoping that they add the same with SFO-MKE as they solidify their operations with Virgin America. That's a small plane for such a long distance, but I'd gladly take that over connecting at DEN/MSP/ORD.