Just read that Manchester NH airport, MHT, is thinking of changing it's name to Manchester-Boston Regional airport. The article said that because of it's proximity to BOS, just 50 miles away, it would attract more passengers that are not aware of the short drive. What do you think ?

Hmm I think this has nothing to do with Miles or Points

I'll move this to our "New England" section.

Regards,

Flipside

I think that many people who live around Boston already realize the distance and convenience. Many who live north and west of Boston travel to MHT, and many people south and west travel to PVD for flights - just to avoid flying from BOS. (And lower fares don't hurt either! )

What's next....The Greater Providence - Boston regional airport? PVD is closer to Boston than MHT.

Worcester has a regional airport with one airline - Allegiant air- serving Orlando (not MCO, but the other airport) three times a week.

With dozens of studies done over the last 15 years, almost all include the recommendation to change the name to Boston/Worcester Regional. Time for a Nascar track instead, I think.

Idiotic if you ask me. Anyone too stupid to use the "search within 50 miles" feature will never figure it out, even with the name change.

Didn't Rockford, IL just change the name of their airport to Rockford/Chicago International (or some such name) - even though the airport is 90-100 miles from Chicago?

Where did it get them? They gained service from 2 airlines (UA and NW), but have since lost (or will lose) both!

If I didn't live in the area, and flew into Manchester/Boston, and then find out that I had to drive 50 miles to get to Boston - I'd be MAD!

I'd say this would be semi-okay, if there was a rail system that connected the T to the MHT airport; but seeing how that's not the case, I'd agree. Had I landed at MHT, being thrown off by the name, I'd be pretty piss'd that the airport is no where near the city...

ORH is pretty far off the beaten path in terms of highway access. The last thing I would want to do is inch down Chandler St. while trying to catch my flight (which is really too bad).

When I was going to school there US had full jet service to ORH.

You're talking airport to city-center here. Lots of travelers bound for Boston are actually going way outside Boston. The biomed corridor off I-95, the huge corporate development down in Dedham, etc.

So, while PVD and MHT may be 40-50 miles away from Back Bay, for many Boston travelers these airports may be closer to their final destination than Logan!

Stansted Airport (London) is also 40 miles away from the city center, but it's considered part of London.

One difference, however, is that there is rail service available.

True, but if someone tells you "I live/work/am located in Taunton/Dedham/Brockton, which is located near Boston", and you fly into "Manchester/Boston" and then find out you have to drive 60-80 miles to get there, how happy will you be?

Actually PVD is closer, but it is not called Providence/Boston. (It is located in Warwick, just south of Providence - but it is not called Warwick/Providence!)

I doubt it's aimed at people coming TO Boston. I suspect it's to increase the awareness of people IN the Boston area, plus for marketing to companies (as opposed to people).

Forget "search within 50 miles". A better question is, when is the last time you saw the official spelled-out full name of ANY airport in ANY search engine? I can't recall EVER seeing one of those airports with many-word names listed anywhere other than in the press. You want to fly into Atlanta, the search engine typically offers ATL or Atlanta, and if it goes further typically something like Atlanta (Hartsfield). On Southwest, the king of secondary airports (who fly to MHT and PVD but not BOS already), they already tout that both of those are in the general Boston area on their route map, but in their booking engine they still only say Manchester or Providence, and don't even have ROOM to add /Boston (which they could already now if they wanted to).

So I don't understand which booking engine will change if the official name changes.

An airport can change its name all it wants�but unless it changes location, it's just like putting lipstick on a pig...

...or 'marketing'

As of last night, 05/18/06 MHT will be officially changed to Manchester- Boston Regional Airport. The article went on to say that few people west of the Mississippi River, 83 percent, were not aware that if their destination was north of Boston that they had an alternate airport available. Personally, I don't think this will change anything.