I Wish Airtran Would Service AVP

[SolidCactus]

I really love to fly on Airtran. The 717 is a great plane (so quiet and comfortable). I live in AVP and PBI, and I commute back and forth. I've been driving to SWF from AVP for the direct to PBI flight, which I guess ends in a few weeks. Now with a connection through ATL, it won't make sense for me to make the 1.5 hr drive to SWF. I'm going to have to go back to US Airways through CLT. Please Airtran, come to AVP with a ATL connection. AVP is probably the nicest airport in the US, with great parking, and US Airways has a complete monopoly on the flights.

 

[USAir757]

I didn't know that FL had nonstop SWF-PBI service... seems like it would be a difficult route to make profitable between two small market/low yield cities. Didn't the now-defunct Northeast Airlines fly that route as well a few years ago? Anyway, if I were you I would fly AVP-ATL-PBI on Delta before flying regular on USAir. Far better product (even on ASA), better frequent flier program, better employees, better planes, better airline. Right now DL has a morning and afternoon CRJ connection to ATL, then you'll likely be on a 757 to PBI, or every once in a while a 763 in high season. Sometimes they alternate the old Song seven-fives which have personal televisions and music, beating out the XM Radio of AirTran if you ask me!

Where in PBC do you live?

 

[wings396]

For a while there was a lot of talk about serving ABE, but that never came to be. I know both Airports pretty well, and if Airtran decided to serve one of those Airports I believe that ABE would win out over AVP. The ABE area has a larger population base, and the Airport condtions are much better than AVP, especailly the runway configuration. Proir to 9/11, ABE had several major Airlines serving the Airport with Mainline service to several destinations. On the other hand, AVP only had US with Mainline service. ABE also had nonstop flights to MCO that all did very well, and they drew passengers from miles away. Both DL and US had MCO service at the same time as well.

 

[SolidCactus]

I live in West Palm, in City Place. I love it there.

Actually SWF has Airtran with 717s and Jet Blue with the A320 both doing direct to PBI flights. Airtran is seasonal, and will cease direct flights in a few weeks, but Jet Blue will keep the direct PBI flight. Honestly, both Jet Blue and Airtran are filling their planes. There are a lot of people who know about these flights, and they drive up from the NYC area.

I'd be cool with Airtran coming to ABE. Thats not far from us at AVP.

I cant imagine landing a plane at AVP is easy. The runway is short, and elevated in a valley, near a river that makes a lot of fog, between two mountains. I totally hate the landings at AVP. they are choppy and turbulant...

 

[MissingAloha]

Anyway, if I were you I would fly AVP-ATL-PBI on Delta before flying regular on USAir. Far better product (even on ASA), better frequent flier program, better employees, better planes, better airline. Right now DL has a morning and afternoon CRJ connection to ATL, then you'll likely be on a 757 to PBI, or every once in a while a 763 in high season.

ASA isnt all that bad, they have me as a flight attendant ....