BDL question
 

Do residents in New Haven county mostly fly via BDL, or do they fly via NYC JFK/LGA for domestic travel more?

The reason I ask is I see by the maps, that New Haven falls somewhat half way ~ (1 hour to BDL, 1 hour and 20-25 mins to LGA). I'm wondering if its 50/50 or something.

Another thing I find interesting is the airport is owned by the state of Connecticut, but is halfway between Hartford & Springfield MA, rather than being somewhere more central between Hartford & New Haven.

I'm 70 miles from Bradley, and 73 from Newark, a bit closer for all the other NY area airports.

I base it on cost and schedule. For example, I can leave Napa at say 5:30 in the afternoon and be at work the next morning if I fly to the New York airports on my airline, but I can't do that to Bradley, there aren't many Red Eyes into BDL. If Delta or Southwest were my primary carriers then it would probably be different.

It's usually a bit more expensive too, unless there's some type of fare war going on.

It is however much easier to get to usually, and parking is considerably less money, and there is no hassle factor of getting to the gate or anything.

Another thing to consider is many people can reach any of the NY airports fairly easy from New Haven and Fairfield county by public transportation. Metro North to Grand Central, then subway/Airtrain or Subway/Train/Airtrain gets you to JFK or Newark, subway/bus gets you to LGA. The only real way to get to Bradley is to drive.

Even growing up as a kid in Wolcott, we never used Bradley, there was never decent flights to where we were going.

Bradley was built for the Army as a training (think it was training) for the war in the 40's named for the first person to die there in a training crash. It was turned over after the war to the state, so the location was not chosen for it's use as a commercial airport in the state but for the military. Had they choose a location for it today, it may be different, but at the time the center of the state was in the Hartford area and not down in New Haven and Bridgeport. There were smaller airports to handle those places.

I would bet it's nowhere near 50/50 for people in the New Haven area when choosing an airport, I'm betting far and away most people go to the three NY airports or White Plains over Bradley.

I would bet however more people from New Haven go to Bradley then fly out of New Haven

My brother lives in Guilford, at the eastern end of New Haven county, and I would guess he flies about equally from BDL and PVD. For international flights, he tends to use LGA. PVD is a bit further away than BDL but has less traffic and less hassle given his flying patterns - and he misses the New Haven traffic that way (and that god awful stretch of 95 after Milford just before 91).

From central Massachusetts, BDL is actually a decent option. I can be at BOS in 55 minutes, PVD in 60 minutes, BDL or MHT in 75 minutes, but factoring in traffic and parking, BDL has often been a decent option for me.

BDL is more convenient if only to avoid highway traffic, and you would get through check-in quicker. I prefer to fly into Newark than to eliminate the BDL step and fly from Newark.

By the way I want to correct something I said above, I had assumed the train line to Bradley was a dead idea because the states didn't work together to get the money, but I was mistaken.

The plan to start 15 trains a day from New Haven to Springfield with a stop for Bradley is still alive with a 2021 possible completion date. Don't hold your breath..... Currently the Windsor Locks Amtrak station is little more then a small parking lot and a bus station so for any of this to actually work they would need to redo that, get bus or taxi service there, etc.

http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/windsorlocks2.jpg

Shoreline East trains from New Haven to Springfield, through the Meriden/Berlin area will be used on the route.

That's all planned, I can't possibly see it ever happening.

(Not BDL, but the same basic issue.)

I used to live north of Boston. I had a choice between BOS and MHT (Manchester, N.H.). Now I live south of Boston and have a choice between BOS and PVD (Providence, R.I.).

I generally base it on price and schedule, but if it's close, I'll always go for BOS. If anything goes pear-shaped, there are many more options to get back. If my car is at PVD, I'm pretty much stuck with returning to PVD unless I'm able to make other arrangements to get home, either putting someone out or spending a lot of money, and then make still more arrangements to get to PVD the next day.

Small world -- I grew up in Guilford. When I visit my parents, who still live there, I almost always fly into BDL. Once in a while PVD. It's a haul to NYC from Guilford when you factor traffic in. When I was in college I'd fly out of EWR once in a while.

Now that I think of it, I flew out of Tweed a couple times. UA used to do direct flights to ORD. I think the only option now is US Air to PHL.

Generalizations Unwise Here
 

I live in New Haven and would add that it's very difficult to generalize about which airport is favored by "most" local residents. USAirways is currently the only carrier which flies out of HVN, and when it works well, it works beautifully, even for international travel. Check your bag in HVN transfer in PHL and the next time you see your luggage is at your destination.

Particularly good for west coast US trips. There's a 5:30 am flight out of HVN which can connect with an 8:00 am flight out west from PHL and get you in well before noon. Take a red-eye back, and you can do a west coast city as a day trip. And I have, although he next day is not pretty.

There are a variety of public transit options to the JFK, LGA, BDL and EWR. Getting to the New York airports is a nightmare, and BDL is an extremely user-friendly airport with inexpensive parking, and easy security clearance. But BDL is usually more expensive than flying out of New York or Boston.

I really like flying out of Boston if I can get a cheap flight. Amtrak to South Station, Silver line to Logan. PVD and White Plains just don't do it for me. Haven't found a price differential that works in my favor.

The bottom line for me is to do my research, factor in door-to-door price and time, then go with the option which suits me best. No one-size-fits-all-here.

How about even smaller. I grew up the next town over (starts with 'B'), and judging by the year in your handle, I bet we know some of the same people.

I still hike in the Westwoods every chance I get.

Wow, no doubt. I always loved Westwoods. Will be back in a few weeks...