"Southwest Airlines’ top executive has been keeping tabs on the changing competitive landscape in the Milwaukee market and claims the airline will have in excess of 50 daily departures at General Mitchell International Airport once it completes a merger with AirTran Airways"
Curious what "50 daily departures" actually means? Is that really much of an increase from the current combined departures of Southwest and Airtran? I'd be more excited about new destinations, frankly....
mke717spotter From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 2309 posts, RR: 5 Reply 1, posted (1 year 3 weeks 4 hours ago) and read 4712 times:
Quoting scutfarcus (Thread starter): Curious what "50 daily departures" actually means? Is that really much of an increase from the current combined departures of Southwest and Airtran? I'd be more excited about new destinations, frankly....
It looks like the combined WN/FL operation will peak at 58 flights per day during the summer, but then go down to around 50 in the fall. You're right though, there hasn't really been much in terms of additions or reductions at MKE (aside from the two routes moved to MDW). Mainly they've just been switching flights over to WN. Maybe BNA or HOU will be added down the road?
Will you watch the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions on Sunday? Only if coach Eric Mangini resigned after a loss.
Flytravel From United States of America, joined Dec 2009, 523 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (1 year 2 weeks 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 3935 times:
Southwest will be inheriting a focus city and I assume will convert the remaining FL MKE flights and see how they do.
MKE as a focus city for FL made it so that pax from the east coast (BOS, LGA or DCA) could reach the west coast (LAX, SFO, SEA) and vice-versa, often it was the cheapest by the search engines esp. if booked at last notice, and without too much of a detour that is by going through ATL. With WN, MKE is just another midwest city and O&D yields will probably be scrutinized more esp. to the non hubs (non BWI) coast cities. And as a mid-west connection city, it has fewer departures than BNA (~70) that I assume is likely to gain ATL flights, and fewer departures than MCI (~60), and definitely fewer than STL and MDW, and MKE is driveable close to MDW. If a snowstorm impacts MDW it likely is impacting MKE as well. I wonder if the best use for LGA, and DCA slots will be for MKE rather than STL, BNA or MCI. The latter have more established WN routes/ connections, and the markets are larger.
I think B6 would get a better use out of MKE, and using it like AUS for some east coast and west coast connections. Perhaps B6 could start by competing on BOS-MKE since the only competitor is FL (where WN hasn't even transitioned it to WN service).
gizmonc From United States of America, joined Mar 2011, 272 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (1 year 2 weeks 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 3781 times:
MKE traffic continues to grow. MDW is getting pretty saturated. STL is moving to mega station status in the new future. Currently about 82 flights per day and scheduled to go to about 108. Only new service will be STL LGA and STL SAT, with STL EPC seasonal. The other flights will be increased frequencies for current destinations.
CIDFlyer From United States of America, joined Apr 2005, 1990 posts, RR: 3 Reply 6, posted (1 year 2 weeks 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 3752 times:
Quoting gizmonc (Reply 5): MKE traffic continues to grow. MDW is getting pretty saturated. STL is moving to mega station status in the new future. Currently about 82 flights per day and scheduled to go to about 108. Only new service will be STL LGA and STL SAT, with STL EPC seasonal. The other flights will be increased frequencies for current destinations.
i'm happy for STL in that respect....its always been a natural hub so to speak from the days of Ozark/TWA/AA so glad to see SWA taking advantage of AA de-hubbing and picking up routes and flights.
crAAzy From United States of America, joined Jan 2008, 572 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (1 year 2 weeks 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 3290 times:
Quoting Flytravel (Reply 3): If a snowstorm impacts MDW it likely is impacting MKE as well.
You'd be surprised how much of a difference 70-80 miles can make in terms of weather somtimes, but generally, yes a storm likely have some impact on both. The biggest difference with MKE is that the airspace around the airport is not as busy as ORD/MDW.
Quoting Flytravel (Reply 3): I wonder if the best use for LGA, and DCA slots will be for MKE rather than STL, BNA or MCI. The latter have more established WN routes/ connections, and the markets are larger.
I think most peoeple suspect the answer is a big NO ... LOL. DL is jumping into the LGA-MKE market with 3x, soon to be 4x, daily and F9 is exiting. Given US's newly aquired slots at DCA and the likelyhood that F9 is going to exit that market also, I think it's only a matter of time before US starts DCA-MKE.
Quoting Flytravel (Reply 3): I think B6 would get a better use out of MKE, and using it like AUS for some east coast and west coast connections.
I don't think we'll see B6 in MKE any time soon. Although, if you thinnk about it, they would likely do very well in MKE. Considering B6 has sizable operations in BOS and JKF as well as continued growth in DCA and LGA and that all three of these markets from MKE suport multiple daily flights with multiple airlines would get one's attention, but I think the yields on these flights is fairly low and the big dog WN is sitting in the front yard.
The big "50" for WN/FL is nice, but just to put things in perspective, DL this summer will be sending out 32 flights a day. It's going to be interesting to see where things settle out for WN in MKE. After the merger with FL is complete, I doubt they'll be over 35 flights a day from MKE. (MCI,LGA,DCA,LAX,SEA,SFO,RSW will all be gone)
mariner From New Zealand, joined Nov 2001, 22707 posts, RR: 88 Reply 8, posted (1 year 2 weeks 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 3213 times:
Quoting crAAzy (Reply 7): I think most peoeple suspect the answer is a big NO ... LOL. DL is jumping into the LGA-MKE market with 3x, soon to be 4x, daily and F9 is exiting.
Frontier may leave MKE-LGA, of course, but it hasn't been announced and it is still bookable through December.
Mexicana757 From United States of America, joined Apr 2001, 2957 posts, RR: 30 Reply 11, posted (1 year 2 weeks 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 1134 times:
Quoting Flytravel (Reply 3): I wonder if the best use for LGA, and DCA slots will be for MKE rather than STL, BNA or MCI.
I think WN will end up moving the MKE-DCA slots down to MDW just like they did with the DSM and CAK flights.
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