DENflyer3

This is great for me seeing as I go to LFT so often, but come on, an E145? That just aggravates me. I would love to see this with a CR-7 instead.

jlemon

Yep, I totally agree. And I think an E170/E175 would be even better....

ncorman

LFT applied for a federal grant last year and was declined. They asked for $289k and had $155k from local backing to get new air service.

Let's see how long this one lasts.

Sun Valley/Hailey did receive a grant in the latest funding.

spin88

maybe I'm missing something (enough shale gas traffic?) but its only about 50-60 miles from LFT to Red-stick, which has much more frequent flights and is a much bigger city. This just does not make sense to me... Why would someone take a 1000 mile ride on a small RJ with 31" pitch with one flight a day????

jlemon

Vehicle travel between Lafayette and Baton Rouge is usually accomplished via I-10 which features a long stretch of causeway over the swamps of the Atchafalaya Basin. Over the years, there have been some monumental wrecks (primarily involving large trucks) on this heavily traveled freeway with has resulted in the state police simply shutting it down. Doesn't happen all that often but often enough, unfortunately....

Quite simply, it can be a hassle to fly out of BTR when one lives in LFT. We've done it (and have also driven to MSY as well) but LFT is just a whole lot more convenient for me personally - the airport is 15 minutes from my house.

Couple this with the post from ncorman above concerning the subsidy for the new LFT-DEN service and perhaps it becomes a bit more understandable.....

mbluecpa

BTR's service isn't much to write home about, and in fact on UA is actually marginally less frequent than that to/from LFT.

LFT-DEN must be hoping for O/D traffic or as a connection on an all-RJ itinerary, as I can't see many choosing a mainline-RJ connection to LFT in DEN over a similar connection in IAH. Great to see the additional service from my hometown and hope it lasts, though.

LASUA1K

Crj200 is about right for this route. I wouldn't fly it but others would.

bearkatt

can you get snow skis on a 145?

jlemon

Quite true, with the exception of more mainline DL service plus more DL Connection CRJ-700 & CRJ-900 flights on the BTR-ATL route. On most other routes into BTR, it's basically the same type of smaller 50-pax RJ service that is being flown into LFT. UA Express operates about ten round trip flights a day between LFT and IAH, all with ERJ-135s & ERJ-145s. We also had CO Boeing 737-300 & 737-500 service LFT-IAH at one point but those days are long gone, of course....

And I think the primary reason for the new DEN service is as mentioned above: the oil & gas industry based here in LFT (which BTR really does not have).....

jlemon

Well, it's actually an ERJ-145.....which I think is marginally better than the CRJ-200.

ASEFlyer

Definitely an oil & gas route. Tons of service companies in LFT who provide to operators in the rockies/bakken basins. These operators base a lot of their non-field talent in Denver....lots of sales calls....also the fine people of cajun country know how to run rigs...one stop to williston in stead of 2. Similar to DEN-SHV (though, a little further). Will take a small amount of pressure off of the DEN-IAH feeder route which I have never been on with an empty seat in the last two years.

jlemon

Well, it was nice while it lasted......

Local media here reports our LFT-DEN nonstop operated by United Express with an ERJ-145 will be discontinued on October 23.

Although I have to say that when compared to what happened here in Lafayette a week ago last night, this news item pales into insignificance.

EWR764

Another long, marginal 50-seater route bites the dust. Not the first, nor the last of its kind to be axed as UA draws down its ERJ/CRJ fleet. The collapse of oil prices and its impact on the Bakken an issue with this route, I suspect.

Unfortunate from a connectivity standpoint, but an anticipated side effect of the refleeting.