MCOtoATL From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 474 posts, RR: 5 Posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 4210 times:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Wings Air is about to start scheduled flights from Ben Epps field in Athens, Georgia to ATL. In addition, they state that another carrier, Georgia Skies, will begin similar service.
The one way fare will be $49 and the flights will leave at 7 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. There will be a flight from ATL to Athens at 6:40 p.m.
Georgia Skies is in negotiations with Hartsfield-Jackson for gates and ticket space.
Globalflyer From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 806 posts, RR: 2 Reply 1, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 4205 times:
www.flywingsair.com is their website. They state the service to start June 16th and also have filed for ATL-MCN (Macon, GA). I am sure that if you can clear TSA at those airports the service would be great to avoid the hastles of Hartsfield (that is their tag line)
Landing on every Continent almost on an annual basis!
Srbmod From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 16888 posts, RR: 51 Reply 3, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 4096 times:
Quoting Globalflyer (Reply 1): I am sure that if you can clear TSA at those airports the service would be great to avoid the hastles of Hartsfield (that is their tag line)
From their website:
Quote: Upon your arrival in Atlanta, a shuttle bus will bring you to the front of the terminal where you can check bags and clear security. Return flights will operate in a similar manner.
This is temporary, as this limited service will operate out of the FBOs at both airports. As for the future they state the following:
Quote: We hope to have full-scale government approval in the near future and look forward to providing several flights a day. At that time, we will have security screening in Athens so you will be able to avoid the hassles at Hartsfield.
Quoting EXAAUADL (Reply 2): it will never work..................
I think it could work. The round trip fare between AHN and ATL based on what they have listed is $105 including taxes. They list the flight time as 20 minutes. The typical shuttle bus/van fare from Athens is $45 each way and takes 90 minutes or more depending on pick up location and traffic. While Wings Air's service in the beginning is going to be 4 times a week once a day, once they get the approval to go daily and offer multiple flights a day, they really could be a viable option to driving yourself to ATL (and spend close to $100 in gas and for parking) or taking a shuttle bus.
Same thing can be said about Macon. Plus Delta is looking to drop MCN service (EAS service flown by ASA) so why not let Wings Air ply the route.
FalconBird From United States of America, joined May 2007, 1262 posts, RR: 1 Reply 4, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 4052 times:
Quoting EXAAUADL (Reply 2): it will never work..................
Srbmod From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 16888 posts, RR: 51 Reply 5, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 4007 times:
Last Fall, Wings Air was running charters from LZU to AHN on UGA gamedays and were selling those flights out charging $89 a head. This season, they're doing them from PDK. The guy who owns the airline feels that there really is demand for service to ATL from AHN.
FalconBird From United States of America, joined May 2007, 1262 posts, RR: 1 Reply 6, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 3953 times:
Well, he either has some sort of insight into something someone else doesn't see, or he's off his rocker. I guess we need to wish him and the operation well.
LesMainwaring From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 539 posts, RR: 3 Reply 7, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 3952 times:
In 1977, I flew a Southern Airways Metroliner from ATL to AHN. It was cool as hell. I was 12 years old and snapped away photos from boarding to deplaning with my little Kodak Disc camera. I remember us taxing past a SABENA B747 - awesome.
Anyway ...
I see a big advantage for folks in the northeast corridor of Atlanta and in the Athens area with this Wings Air and/or Georgia Skies service.
Except when there are UGA games, the drive to AHN is more pleasant from Stone Mountain east than to ATL. Parking is close and free at AHN. You walk in, walk through TSA, board the plane and take off almost immediately. At ATL, you deplane at your concourse and make your connection. I would much rather do that than going through all the lines at the ticket counter and at TSA in ATL.
I will even go one further that a LCC could operate from AHN (ala Skybus - gasp!) with nonstop service on say, a Q400 or even E-170 to a select number of leisure and business markets, perhaps connecting at a hub like IAD or EWR for international flights.
I want something under my wheels thats plenty long and mighty dry --- Vern Demarest
DL021 From United States of America, joined May 2004, 11433 posts, RR: 81 Reply 8, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 3929 times:
Quoting Srbmod (Reply 5): Last Fall, Wings Air was running charters from LZU to AHN on UGA gamedays and were selling those flights out charging $89 a head. This season, they're doing them from PDK
Until the PDK whiner brigade comes out from under the ether and screeches that there's scheduled services (even if it's ad-hoc charter).
Quoting Srbmod (Reply 5): The guy who owns the airline feels that there really is demand for service to ATL from AHN.
THere certainly is at least 6 Saturdays per year. No one wants to be on or near GA314 or US78 on those days. The flight would be cheaper than the drive if they offer shuttle/bus service to the field.
Quoting LesMainwaring (Reply 7): In 1977, I flew a Southern Airways Metroliner from ATL to AHN. It was cool as hell. I was 12 years old and snapped away photos from boarding to deplaning with my little Kodak Disc camera. I remember us taxing past a SABENA B747 - awesome.
I think flew that route. They used the old Convair if I'm not mistaken.
FLALEFTY From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 390 posts, RR: 3 Reply 9, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 3881 times:
Quoting DL021 (Reply 8): I think flew that route. They used the old Convair if I'm not mistaken.
Close enough! Actually, Southern used to have a fleet of Martin 404s. Most of the Martins went away when Southern built up their fleet of DC-9s. The last 404s were replaced in the late-1970s (or early-1980s) by the Metroliners. I flew on both. Each had a pretty cool, but different vibe. The Metros were very "intimate" in the interior, while the 404s had piston engines that belched little bits of flame from time to time.
I miss old Southern Airways - a great, but not forgotten - airline!
FalconBird From United States of America, joined May 2007, 1262 posts, RR: 1 Reply 10, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 3797 times:
Quoting FLALEFTY (Reply 9): I miss old Southern Airways - a great, but not forgotten - airline!
I miss ole Southern Airways too. They use to fly football charters into Lexington and my father and I use to work them unloading lots of duffle/gym bags, and equipment for the UK Wildcats. I miss seeing those DC-9's and the Martin's.
Southern was the airline hijacked back in the 70's by that crazy guy who wanted to crash it into the nuke plant in Oakridge, TN. The actual aircraft itself came to Lexington, KY for fuel and then left and ended up in Havanna, Cuba.
ItalianFlyer From United States of America, joined Nov 2007, 948 posts, RR: 2 Reply 12, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 3710 times:
IIRC.... ASA, Atlantis Aviation (aka Eastern Express) and a few others tried this but they did it on 'larger' planes like Junkstreams, Dash 8s or EMB120s. I think I can see where they are coming from...the demographics of the ATL region have changed so much in the past 20 years...Athens has gone from being 'up yonder' to a suburban bedroom community.
With that logic in mind...why has this not been done from say...Rockford IL or Kenosha WI to ORD? Or has it been done and was such a flop no one noticed?
MOBflyer From United States of America, joined Sep 2007, 1209 posts, RR: 5 Reply 13, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 3687 times:
Quoting ItalianFlyer (Reply 12):
With that logic in mind...why has this not been done from say...Rockford IL or Kenosha WI to ORD? Or has it been done and was such a flop no one noticed?
I forget the name of the company, but there is a company that offers flights from Porter County to both ORD and MDW.
ATLgaUSA From United States of America, joined Mar 2005, 137 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 3661 times:
Quoting ItalianFlyer (Reply 12): .Athens has gone from being 'up yonder' to a suburban bedroom community.
It would be very difficult to live in Athens and commute to anywhere in Atlanta besides Lawrenceville. There is still a lot of open space between Atlanta and Athens.
EXAAUADL From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 15, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 3645 times:
Quoting Srbmod (Reply 5): Last Fall, Wings Air was running charters from LZU to AHN on UGA gamedays and were selling those flights out charging $89 a head. This season, they're doing them from PDK. The guy who owns the airline feels that there really is demand for service to ATL from AHN.
well. lots of successful charter airlines have failed going into schedule service...
Evan767 From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 2957 posts, RR: 2 Reply 18, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 3623 times:
It would be faster just to drive - won't work.
The proper term is "on final" not "on finals" bud...
Srbmod From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 16888 posts, RR: 51 Reply 19, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 3572 times:
Quoting Evan767 (Reply 18): It would be faster just to drive - won't work.
They list the flight time from AHN to ATL at 20 minutes. Drive time is easily triple that amount or more during rush hour traffic.
Quoting EXAAUADL (Reply 17): Actually I think charters from PDK or Fulton Co, to Destin and St Simmons Island are interesting.
Phoenix Air actually did offer service along those lines several years back out of RYY using Gulfstream G-1s.
Quoting ATLgaUSA (Reply 14): It would be very difficult to live in Athens and commute to anywhere in Atlanta besides Lawrenceville. There is still a lot of open space between Atlanta and Athens.
There's plenty of folks who commute to Atlanta from Cumming, Dawsonville, Gainesville, and even Dahlonega.
Atlanta From United States of America, joined Jun 2008, 473 posts, RR: 1 Reply 20, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 3512 times:
Evan767 From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 2957 posts, RR: 2 Reply 21, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 3460 times:
Quoting Srbmod (Reply 19): They list the flight time from AHN to ATL at 20 minutes. Drive time is easily triple that amount or more during rush hour traffic.
Think about the flight from ATL-AHN. Let's say you rented a car in Atlanta because you flew instead of drove your own car. So your flight leaves for Athens at 640pm. You leave downtown Atlanta at 430 hoping for little traffic so that you can get to the rental car center and checked in at the airport before the 1 hour prior mark so that your checked luggage doesn't get denied. Get to the rental car place at 450 (Thank goodness, no traffic in Atlanta today). Return the rental car. Make it into the airport at 520. Get checked in. In the security line at 530pm. Through security (God knows how long this will take, it differs by day, but let's just call it 10 minutes average). 540. Through the underground train. Arrive at your gate on time for Athens at 555pm, 45 minutes before departure. Get on the plane (God forbid there were no ATC/weather/mechanical delays today). Get on with the flight (God forbid there were no hour long takeoff lines in ATL today). Assuming that everything that day was on time, there were no takeoff lines, and no severe turbulence to divert the plane back to the nearest convenient airport (ATL), you arrive in Athens, Georgia at around 700pm, that is if it's truly a 20 minute flight. But wait, you still have to deplane, wait for your luggage (which your probably paid extra to check with new bag fees in the first place), and pay the park-n-go man $50 for the week they let you park there. Drive home and be back at your doorstep around, say, 730pm. That's a 3 hour trip.
With a simple search on mapquest, I've found out that the average driving time from Atlanta, Georgia to Athens, Georgia is a mere 1 hour 21 minutes, 73.3 miles, and if you drive a Honda Civic, just 2 gallons of gas. That's $8.00 one-way in the comfort of your own Honda Civic (or other) from Athens to Atlanta. And that's without the rental car hassle, security checks, ridiculous airfare, excess bag fees, awful delays, miserable turbulence, diversions, and airport parking fees.
The proper term is "on final" not "on finals" bud...
MSYtristar From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 6242 posts, RR: 51 Reply 22, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 3449 times:
ATL-AHN is a very easy drive. I live in the downtown area and even on a weekday it has never taken me more than 1h30m to get to Athens. A 70 mile drive is a lot more convenient and simpler than dealing with Hartsfield. If it was double the distance...sure. 70 miles though, to me, is too close to choose air travel. Oh I'm sure some people will use the service. Will it be enough to make it work? I doubt it.
Imapilotaz From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 23, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 3439 times:
Quoting Evan767 (Reply 21): Think about the flight from ATL-AHN. Let's say you rented a car in Atlanta because you flew instead of drove your own car. So your flight leaves for Athens at 640pm. You leave downtown Atlanta at 430 hoping for little traffic so that you can get to the rental car center and checked in at the airport before the 1 hour prior mark so that your checked luggage doesn't get denied. Get to the rental car place at 450 (Thank goodness, no traffic in Atlanta today). Return the rental car. Make it into the airport at 520. Get checked in. In the security line at 530pm. Through security (God knows how long this will take, it differs by day, but let's just call it 10 minutes average). 540. Through the underground train. Arrive at your gate on time for Athens at 555pm, 45 minutes before departure. Get on the plane (God forbid there were no ATC/weather/mechanical delays today). Get on with the flight (God forbid there were no hour long takeoff lines in ATL today). Assuming that everything that day was on time, there were no takeoff lines, and no severe turbulence to divert the plane back to the nearest convenient airport (ATL), you arrive in Athens, Georgia at around 700pm, that is if it's truly a 20 minute flight. But wait, you still have to deplane, wait for your luggage (which your probably paid extra to check with new bag fees in the first place), and pay the park-n-go man $50 for the week they let you park there. Drive home and be back at your doorstep around, say, 730pm. That's a 3 hour trip.
With a simple search on mapquest, I've found out that the average driving time from Atlanta, Georgia to Athens, Georgia is a mere 1 hour 21 minutes, 73.3 miles, and if you drive a Honda Civic, just 2 gallons of gas. That's $8.00 one-way in the comfort of your own Honda Civic (or other) from Athens to Atlanta. And that's without the rental car hassle, security checks, ridiculous airfare, excess bag fees, awful delays, miserable turbulence, diversions, and airport parking fees.
Wow who in their right mind would do this? This is the dumbest (no offense) example possible. This is designed 100% for connecting traffic. It once took me 30 minutes to get through security at ATL, and that was with an airline ID to skip most of the line. This service is designed for folks going to or from Athens that would prefer not to drive 1+ hours, do the rental car thing and security thing in ATL. In that respect, most business travels would find that substantially more convenient, assuming frequency is adequate.
767Lover From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 24, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 3425 times:
Quoting Imapilotaz (Reply 23): Wow who in their right mind would do this? This is the dumbest (no offense) example possible. This is designed 100% for connecting traffic.
The intention is to serve people who live in Athens and the outlying areas who want to fly beyond ATL and don't wish to deal with the traffic into the city at that time of day.
Srbmod From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 16888 posts, RR: 51 Reply 25, posted (4 years 11 months 2 weeks 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 3381 times:
Once Wings Air gets their full gov't approval, they will still operate out of the FBO at ATL, which does have contracted security screening. At AHN, they would operate out of the terminal instead of the FBO and you would clear security at AHN and not have to clear it at ATL. So if someone had to return a rental car at ATL, they would more than likely be dropped off and picked up from the FBO.
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