Just wondering what you guys think the future holds for Midwest Airlines? I have heard rumors of 737s and of more growth in Kansas City. What are the chances they will add a Midwest Best Care Club in Kansas City, seems to be a logical addition with its growth in that area. Perhaps partnerships with other carriers or at least more reciprocal frequent flyer agreements. Living in Canada I don't get to fly them often but whenever I have it has always been a pleasure! I am routing for them as I know they I have been struggling lately!

No significant growth anytime soon, I don't think. What we want to do, and what we have the funds for can be two entirely different things.

Look for a couple new cities and increased frequency in 06. Most growth will be from MCI. If the deal with the German banks goes through for the 328jets, look for quite a few cities from MCI

Any news on how the new route to San Diego is doing? Also, I suppose a Best Care club is Midwest's version of an airline lounge? What are the conditions for entry?

Aaron G.

Quoting Trvlr (Reply 3): Any news on how the new route to San Diego is doing? Also, I suppose a Best Care club is Midwest's version of an airline lounge? What are the conditions for entry?

Hopefully good. I'll be damned if I have to fly another carrier to visit my family.

Quoting Boeing7E7 (Reply 4): Hopefully good. I'll be damned if I have to fly another carrier to visit my family.

I agree, in my opinion they are the best!

Quoting N917ME (Reply 2): Look for a couple new cities and increased frequency in 06. Most growth will be from MCI. If the deal with the German banks goes through for the 328jets, look for quite a few cities from MCI

Any speculation on the new cities? Will all growth be by Skyway? I guess its going to be hard to grow its 717 fleet with very few laying around and the fact that it is no longer in production!

Quoting Trvlr (Reply 3): Also, I suppose a Best Care club is Midwest's version of an airline lounge? What are the conditions for entry?

Yes you are correct, they currently only have one in Milwaukee. I do however hope that in the future they can add a Best Care Club in Kansas City as well although I know money is tight! To gain entrance you must either buy a membership to the Best Care Club or hold Elite status with Midwest.

Most of the increased frequency will likely be the result of the last few 717 deliveries this year. After that, as 917 said, it's all about that deal on the 328JETs.

From what I have seen the remodeled D terminal is going to look very nice once done and will be fully used Midwest/Midwest Connect once UsAirways moves over to the C terminal  Not sure on the compleation date but I have heard somtime late 2006?? I guess its going from two stories tall to three, and right now they are tearing out the old United ops and that will be part of the new ramp level boarding area for Midwest Connect!!! Sorry I have no pics of what its going to look like when done, but its a major improvement over what it use to look like!!!

Here's my gut on Midwest:

(1) The company will continue to strive / struggle to get into the black. However on the other hand they are not close to chapter 11 or shutting down, either.

(2) The aggressive growth of the past couple of years will slow as the last 717's arrive, although year-over-year will still show some built-in growth until mid 2007. Surprisingly, Midwest's 2005 percentage growth in passengers surpassed most everybody:

Midwest +32.3% growth in passengers carried
AirTran + 26.3%
JetBlue +25.0%
Frontier +16.2%
Southwest +9.0%

That level of growth will definitely scale back over the next year or two.


(3) Midwest is seriously investigating alternatives to the existing layout where Saver means an M80 with all-coach seating. That includes potentially supplementing and eventually replacing the M80's. I don't believe we can flatly dismiss out of hand that "they're broke and can't get additional planes". It just isn't that simple. Nobody pays cash for planes even when they do buy, and aircraft leasing is increasingly common . But on the other hand, it is definitely a difficult task for them to find a way to obtain additional aircraft, and it would hardly surprise me if no changes are announced in 2006.

(4) Midwest will grow more at Kansas City, both from new 717 lift and reassigned Florida capacity drawn down in summer. If they do get some additional FRJ's, I'd look for a few better-timed MCI-PIT RJ's to replace the 1x/day 717, along with a few new markets like Austin or Colorado Springs. I expected MCI-MSP by now, so who knows. And at Milwaukee, in addition to some added frequencies on existing routes, I'm wondering if this isn't at last the year for a seasonal Seattle nonstop. The M80 that does 2x/day Fort Myers in winter has (as of now) no place to go this summer. Unless they use it to rotate out other M80 aircraft for maintenance (which is possible) it may sit idle.

Quoting Knope2001 (Reply 8): If they do get some additional FRJ's, I'd look for a few better-timed MCI-PIT RJ's to replace the 1x/day 717, along with a few new markets like Austin or Colorado Springs. I expected MCI-MSP by now, so who knows.

If they do acquire additional FRJs they shouldn't replace the 717 PIT-MCI, they should add another frequency. I personally thought it would two daily by now.

Quoting Knope2001 (Reply 8): The M80 that does 2x/day Fort Myers in winter has (as of now) no place to go this summer. Unless they use it to rotate out other M80 aircraft for maintenance (which is possible) it may sit idle.

You are right Knope. Heavy check's are scheduled to start April-May and run until Sept-Oct. That will take care of that extra plane.

Thanks Sideflare...that's the time of year to do it, I guess.

Midwest could use another frequency to LAX -- perhaps they'll bring the redeye back.

Quoting CentPIT (Reply 9): If they do acquire additional FRJs they shouldn't replace the 717 PIT-MCI, they should add another frequency. I personally thought it would two daily by now.

So far PIT-MCI has been pretty light. This is about the weakest time of the year for travel outside of lesire routes (the spurt for the MLK holiday weekend excepted, of course) but it ranks well below many other more established winter-weak business routes. Still pretty new, of course.

I don't know how MKE-DEN does, but maybe they should try MCI-DEN as well.
Lots of traffic.

Quoting Knope2001 (Reply 11): Midwest could use another frequency to LAX -- perhaps they'll bring the redeye back.

Yeah, I never see em at LAX. Maybe a OMA flight will come back, in the early 00's it was a DC-9.

Quoting Knope2001 (Reply 12): So far PIT-MCI has been pretty light. This is about the weakest time of the year for travel outside of lesire routes (the spurt for the MLK holiday weekend excepted, of course) but it ranks well below many other more established winter-weak business routes. Still pretty new, of course.

I will be so disappointed if they discontinue the route, they should stick with it. I think that they will be better off to stick with it.

How about LAS-MCI? WN is the only airline doing a direct flight right now, and it's about time the monopoly on that route end with somebody providing a quality option for a direct flight.

Midwest Is here at LAX daily, I see them almost everytime they come to visit LAX. I hope Midwest can do something the seem to be a great airline as I have heard from many people at a.net. Plus I love the choice of aircraft they use in the fleet. The 717 is such a nice aircraft to fly on.

Kevin752

Quoting Kevin752 (Reply 17): Midwest Is here at LAX daily, I see them almost everytime they come to visit LAX. I hope Midwest can do something the seem to be a great airline as I have heard from many people at a.net. Plus I love the choice of aircraft they use in the fleet. The 717 is such a nice aircraft to fly on.

I know its when I get there to spot there plan has already landed and then leaves later on. What new destinations do you guys think they can possibly make work? in the meanwhile maybe a MCI-MSY with FRJ might work if the dumbo jet can make it  

Quoting MD90fan (Reply 18): dumbo jet can make it

HaHa, never heard it called the Dumbo Jet! Kind of true I suppose!

Quoting MD90fan (Reply 14): Yeah, I never see em at LAX. Maybe a OMA flight will come back, in the early 00's it was a DC-9.

yes I do think that yx should get some flights going out of OMA since they still seem to consider it as one of their "hubs" but they pnly serve 2 markets from there, and yes either LAX or some route from florida would be nice from OMA

Quoting HermansCVR580 (Reply 7): From what I have seen the remodeled D terminal is going to look very nice once done and will be fully used Midwest/Midwest Connect once UsAirways moves over to the C terminal Not sure on the compleation date but I have heard somtime late 2006?? I guess its going from two stories tall to three, and right now they are tearing out the old United ops and that will be part of the new ramp level boarding area for Midwest Connect!!! Sorry I have no pics of what its going to look like when done, but its a major improvement over what it use to look like!!!

Which airport are we talking about here?

Which airport are we talking about here?

The Midwest Airlines Terminal at MKE.

Quoting Mke717spotter (Reply 20): yes I do think that yx should get some flights going out of OMA since they still seem to consider it as one of their "hubs" but they pnly serve 2 markets from there, and yes either LAX or some route from florida would be nice from OMA

I think they used to serve LGA and DCA. What is left at OMA? Can they compete against WN in MCI and OMA?

Quoting MD90fan (Reply 23): think they used to serve LGA and DCA. What is left at OMA? Can they compete against WN in MCI and OMA?

They still do 2x/day OMA-DCA with the 717 in addition to the flights to Milwaukee. They dropped 2x OMA-LAX after 9/11, and dropped 1x/day OMA-EWR as well (never did LGA). Continental Express jumped in with 2x/day RJ's into OMA-EWR and made it tough for Midwest to stay.

Omaha isn't really a focus city for Midwest, and people only think it is because there was never any real annoucement that it wasn't a focus city anymore. But Midwest's actions at OMA speak louder than words. They only have 4 717's and two FRJ departures each day to two cities. That's just not a focus city.

Midwest was lauded upon entry to Omaha, but when Southwest came to town a few months later, Midwest was old news. I don't think there's a huge danger of OMA benig dropped, and the OMA-DCA flights are decent loads of all point-to-point traffic. But Omaha never really supported Midwest in the way they'd hoped, and I don't think we'll see anything much new there in the foreseeable future.

On the flip side, if they can't keep up long term with the 2x2 seating, pehaps a level of comfort equal to that which use to be widely available (38" pitch in First and 34" in Coach, with a higher First Class seat ratio - look at the 727 seat maps Boeing has on their site - it was 20 F and 114Y) would be in order. Certainly better than the crap excuse for supposed comfort we get on every other carrier.

What cities are gonna be added from MCI this year?

I'll say that I was impressed with Midwest Express this past month. I was flying DTW-DEN on the 1st and the flight got cancelled so NWA put my on NW to MKE then Midwest Express form MKE-DEN. I kinda had my noise turned at first with the whole having to go to MKE, but at least it was kinda on my way. Once I got on the plane the seating was great! 2x2 and plush leather. More room than I knew what to do with side-by-side. The free inflight cookies hit the spot. I hope they can keep it up and expand i'd fly them if it ever worked into my schedule.