ballsandboards

Hello,

I fly out of PMD every week, if I take the morning flight to sfo its usually 25 or 20 passangers on the CRJ but on the night flights its more like 10-20.. Why dont more people from L.A. take advantage of PMD? The security lines are never longer then 5 mins and there is free parking!!! Anyone else fly this route often?

FightingIlliniUAL

Flying out of very small airports is generally more expensive than flying out of larger airports with significantly more competition.

However, the subsidy provided to United may be helping in the short term to keep fares lower than normal which may make the option more affordable to some.

BenjaminNYC

Isn't it 100 miles from LA???

qasr

Apparently a 75 mile drive to LAX.

fiat_owner

Mrs. fiat_owner and I considered flying in/out of PMD last weekend for a visit to her family nearby. No go, due to odd hours that Hertz kept there (closed on Sundays).

Maybe other car companies have better hours, but in general I'd say that they'll have to ramp up to actual, real live airport status before we'll use PMD.

fiat_owner

MatthewLAX

I live even closer and it is still not worth flighting the Santa Clarita/Antelope Valley traffic to get out there.

Also, prices I have seen have been higher out of PMD than from BUR, LAX, SNA, and ONT.

It seems to me that unless you live within a 25 miles radius of PMD, the other airport options (and aircraft type) are better. Perhaps one day there will be a direct train/metrolink from PMD to downtown Los Angeles as some lawmakers have proposed. There is certainley plently of room for expansion.

cielodome

I live 70 miles north of LAX and always fly out of OXR (Oxnard) -- even though it can be a little more expensive, it's great for all my international check-in and not having to leave the house 5 hours early in order to battle either the 5 or 101 to the 405 into LAX. It's worth every penny!!! I just wish there more more flights. Nevertheless, it is becoming more popular with flights filled on a regular basis.

HkCaGu

It's 71 miles between PMD terminal and LAX (from T7 or to T1). Google's default PMD is the USAF plant too far north. PMD entrance is at 20th St E and Avenue P. The terminal is 0.75 mi from there.

The flight schedule is going to be changed in September. The crew will layover in Palmdale from 9 pm to 6 am six nights a week, with an 11 am quick-turn flight seven days a week. This should improve the load by making connection options more favorable.

The only bus company that runs 7 trips a day from the A.V. charges $70 round trip, so the higher PMD fares are still competitive--if you fly UA. Actually they renamed themselves "A.V. Flyaway" after LAWA committed to PMD and therefore couldn't yet introduce their own "FlyAway" to the Antelope Valley.

ballsandboards

Talking with the staff at RCC SFO, if the numbers continue to do well UA is preparing to announce an PMD to DEN flight twice weekly!!!

notquiteaff

Same here. I was looking to fly to SoCal for Labor Day, but the car rental agencies are apparently closed at PMD on the holiday. Guess it's not quite a "real" airport yet.

This almost drove me to WN (SJC or OAK to ONT), but I ended up cutting the trip short and am flying SFO-ONT on United Express now (for $40 than WN, but SFO is more convenient for an early morning flight).

ballsandboards

Just FYI Hertz, Dollar and Enterprise all have location there!!!

notquiteaff

Doesn't help if they aren't open :/

PHLGovFlyer

True. I'm planning a trip to PMD for early September. The only way to get to PMD from the east coast gets in at 8:41 p.m.. All the car rental places close at 6:00

fiat_owner

Yeah, that was our other hang-up. We would have liked to have flown out of SFO on the 5:20PM flight (get in a full day of work on Friday), but that would have us arrive at 6:36PM.

Too bad that something as simple as rental car availability can render PMD so unusable.

fiat_owner

PHLGovFlyer

I find it odd that LAWA is promoting PMD by subsidizing UA's flights but they can't get the supporting businesses to provide service that accommodates the pax that LAWA is paying extra for