I never quite understood why NW did not put more focus on the Flint airport, especially years ago, when NW was operating out of dumpy Metro. At that time, Metro truly was a disaster and Flint had a brand new airport which was/is geographically well positioned (i.e. close to Northern Oakland County).
Even now, with the new airport at Metro, I still think Flint would be a good candidate to add capacity (like IND and MKE).
NW already has non-stop service to TPA and MCO. Would expansion east- or westbound from FNT be prudent ?

Shhhh!

No, less direct flight! It's a quick extra 1000 miles connecting into DTW!

...and often enough it is cheaper as well...Add in easier parking, quicker time to the gate. smaller crowds, pretty good schedule to DTW I'm happy as it is.

Being Ann Arbor based(Go Blue!) I also keep an eye on fares out of LAN and TOL.

My thoughts exactly!

And my sympathy to your Wolves last night. GO SPARTANS!!!

We haven't flown from there as it's a good drive from TVC and the price difference hasn't been enough to matter. but I know a lot of people in Lansing who usually find good deals from there. It's always nice to depart from smaller airports for the convenience and smaller crowds

SHHHH! Stop advertising all the benefits regarding departing from Flint over DTW! The airport is getting too crowded as it is these days, less FC availability for UGs, etc. It's not like it was two-three years ago - quite a sleepy operation even as recent as that.

Now, I can hardly find parking in the medium-term lot next to the terminal, the lines for security are definately longer than they used to be, and I'm getting a lot more gate UGs than I used to in the past when everything EUA'ed.

Yep, I think lots of people have caught on to the convenience of Flint over DTW, plus the fare savings and extra miles/segments over leaving from the hub. Perhaps I need to drive a little farther now to MBS to better my odds!

NW did add direct flights from Flint to some Florida cities about a year ago. Have to agree, from Lansing area have no problem driving to Flint for better fares than Lansing.

I regularly travel from FNT and I�ve been fortunate enough to avoid the congestion that some other travelers have reported. But it appears those issues are being addressed: the airport has twice expanded the economy parking lot and will do so again by imploding the EconoLodge (in the future, a parking garage may be built), an expansion of the ticketing lobby opened three weeks ago and plans were recently unveiled for additional baggage carrousels (plus an expanded ground transportation counter).

The airport served about 1,190,855 passengers last year: 509,686 on NW; 345,348 on FL; 164,338 on DL; and 117,895 on TZ. The remaining passengers flew on YZ/CO. Funjet also operated charted services to CUN and LAS. That number was likely to grow this year, with FL adding a fifth flight to ATL and service to TPA, and the first full year of NW�s year-round FLL service plus increased services to MSP (the airline also had its first scheduled Airbus services into FNT next month, with a A320 flying to DTW... it�s since been downgraded to a A319). TZ�s IND service would�ve continued to pad the numbers, but with TZ�s pull-out, the airport will likely (at this point) just match last year�s number (also note that charted service to LAS has been discontinued, CUN has been cut-back, and YX/CO�s service could be in jeopardy).

Many passengers/businesses as far south as Troy are beginning to travel frequently from Flint. If the depth of its services increases, perhaps the breadth of its market will. Dow, for examples, uses a mix of UA/NW and chartered aircraft at MBS... would increased direct service from FNT entice them?

With the pull-out of TZ, perhaps NW will add CRJ service to MDW (or ORD). The airport�s pulled strong O/D numbers to DFW (nearly 100 passengers in each direct during the work week) � that�d be a excellent station. Or IAH/HOU, to entice Dow (who charters a jet to Houston). NYC would always be a big draw. US Air was unsuccessful in obtaining slot-exemptions to DCA (hence the reason for their pull-out) � maybe NW could offer it? And, of course, the ongoing rumors of LAS...

That�s not to say FNT doesn�t have its negatives � I wish the economy parking lot wasn�t separated by the highway (those dang busses take too long � I waited nearly 15 minutes for one, then took another 15 minutes to get to my car) and I wish the food options (two no-name, limited menu eateries) would improve. Toledo doesn�t even serve half as many passengers as Flint yet manages a full food court. In honor of The Coffee Beanery moving its HQ into town...

I love the $4.25/day economy lot also but hate waiting for the bus - I think they only have 2. I've actually walked over several times when I had no luggage and gotten out of there faster than I would have by waiting for the bus.

Anyone care to guess about who will move into Flint and go where?

I speculate that JetBlue will use their E-190's to JFK.

Southwest would find a very open market but they have much lower hanging fruit.


I fly over my home on the way from FNT to DTW and save hundreds in the process.

Bob Cowen
The Internet Travel Guru (TM)
www.InternetTravelTips.com

Comments from FNT�s administration late this week give the impression that the airport is in negotiation with a new or existing airline to add service to MDW. It certainly wouldn�t be overly shocking if that airline was NW. In 2004, TZ carried more than 60,000 passengers between FNT/MDW, collecting an average one-way fare of more than $100. Those numbers are highly respectable, considering FNT�s proximity to DTW, that TZ�s services were on a prop & the average fare exceeded NW/WN�s walk-up fare DTW/MDW. The defunct Prestige Airways claimed to have lost more than $1 million after flying the route (with B727) for just a few months in the mid-1990s. FL is probably another candidate, among existing airlines, to operate this route.

As for possible entrants into the FNT market: among legacy carriers, the best chance is probably with AA: FNT has posted strong O/D to MDW and DFW (there�s no nonstop to the later), which would fit well with AA�s major consumer bases. UA serves nearby MBS, and contracts with Dow make a move unlikely. Both airlines have (and will continue to) cut heavy capacity at DTW. US has been dropping, not adding, smaller Midwestern stations lately and served FNT via the late 1990s (FWIW, there�s plenty of FNT-Florida traffic and CLT would make a good connecting point - also, PHL is a popular route for Chrysler).

Luring or supplementing services to DTW from airlines like HP, NK and USA3000 (who operates primarily for Apple Vacations) would be difficult. FNT may have an easier time luring DH or an entrant carrier like B6, Allegiant, F9, Hooters or TransMeridian. Luring WN is always a dream� their traffic dropped to slightly more than 400,000 passengers at DTW in 2004, making BOI a larger station (preliminary estimate). Yet FNT would need to expand its parking & baggage facilities to lure WN, and that would take awhile.

The best hope for FNT, IMO, would be developing services among existing carriers: CO regional jet service to EWR, or FL service to BWI/LGA/MDW, etc.

Just my thoughts.