Monday, March 03, 2008
Pan Am R.I.P.... again.
No, this post does not take place in 1999. Over the weekend, Pan Am airlines shut down, again. The airline that shut its two routes down at the end of February was a far cry from the high flying airline that became ubiquitous in airports around the world. Instead of having an international bent, Pan Am "Clipper Connection" was a service of Boston-Maine Airways and flew to Trenton, NJ, Portsmouth, NH and Bedford, MA. At one point, it also flew to other exotic locations like Gary, IN and Sanford, FL.
Even though Pan Am Mark II was nothing like its legendary predecessor, it is sad to see the name disappear. It's also sad to see another smaller airport lose its last regularly scheduled air service, as Trenton Mercer Airport (TTN) now sits without an airline, after Delta Connection (Big Sky) stopped serving the airport last year.
With the price of fuel getting higher and higher, we will likely see the end of other airlines this year. At least one of the big American airlines - United, Delta, Continental and Northwest - will dissolve into another, and other low cost carriers like JetBlue, Frontier and Skybus are facing some serious challenges on the financial front. As air travel starts to get more expensive, and the airlines networks start to contract somewhat, is this the end of the golden age of cheap travel? I hope not. I still have lots of places I want to jet off to. 2008 could be a watershed year for the industry, though, and the next few months will be ones to watch both on and off the tarmac.
Even though Pan Am Mark II was nothing like its legendary predecessor, it is sad to see the name disappear. It's also sad to see another smaller airport lose its last regularly scheduled air service, as Trenton Mercer Airport (TTN) now sits without an airline, after Delta Connection (Big Sky) stopped serving the airport last year.
With the price of fuel getting higher and higher, we will likely see the end of other airlines this year. At least one of the big American airlines - United, Delta, Continental and Northwest - will dissolve into another, and other low cost carriers like JetBlue, Frontier and Skybus are facing some serious challenges on the financial front. As air travel starts to get more expensive, and the airlines networks start to contract somewhat, is this the end of the golden age of cheap travel? I hope not. I still have lots of places I want to jet off to. 2008 could be a watershed year for the industry, though, and the next few months will be ones to watch both on and off the tarmac.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Skybus comes to Chicago, sort of.
Last month the highly anticipated news came down from Columbus. The new ultra low cost carrier, Skybus, will be expanding its roster of destinations to include Chicago. Well, sort of. It will be flying to Gary-Chicago Airport, about 15 miles east of the city in Gary, Indiana.
To me this seems like such a smart move. Chicago is currently served by two overcrowded and extremely busy airports, Midway and O'Hare. Gary has no other airlines to compete for gate space with currently, and the airport is literally a couple hundred feet from Interstate 90. Attempts have been made to make Gary a regional airport alternative to the big Chicago mess, but with little success - as Casino Air, Hooters Air and most recently SkyValue have tried and failed to breathe life into the little airport that can't quite could.
This opportunity could be different however. With $10 seats, and a better funded operation behind it, Skybus could make Gary a successful destination for them. Plus, it's suddenly convenient for the million or so people that are considered Chicago area people who live minutes from Gary but an hour plus from the other airports.
The only problem? Skybus is only scheduling one destination for Gary and that's Greensboro, NC. Personally, I'd love to see a Gary to New Jersey route, but that's most likely because I want the chance to fly without the hassle of Midway or O'Hare.
To me this seems like such a smart move. Chicago is currently served by two overcrowded and extremely busy airports, Midway and O'Hare. Gary has no other airlines to compete for gate space with currently, and the airport is literally a couple hundred feet from Interstate 90. Attempts have been made to make Gary a regional airport alternative to the big Chicago mess, but with little success - as Casino Air, Hooters Air and most recently SkyValue have tried and failed to breathe life into the little airport that can't quite could.This opportunity could be different however. With $10 seats, and a better funded operation behind it, Skybus could make Gary a successful destination for them. Plus, it's suddenly convenient for the million or so people that are considered Chicago area people who live minutes from Gary but an hour plus from the other airports.
The only problem? Skybus is only scheduling one destination for Gary and that's Greensboro, NC. Personally, I'd love to see a Gary to New Jersey route, but that's most likely because I want the chance to fly without the hassle of Midway or O'Hare.
