This is the same Expressjet that operates the Continental Express RJ's at CO's hubs at CLE, EWR and IAH, but Expressjet Holdings Inc. has created its own airline, the name of which is Expressjet Airlines (like Mesa Airlines of NM). The new airline will be adding n/s point-topoint service between Oklahoma City and various cities, none of which have been disclosed as of yet. Here's the article from The Oklahoman:



A Houston-based airline soon will offer nonstop service from Oklahoma City to destinations not available without interruption.
ExpressJet Airlines Inc. (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=ExpressJet+Airlines+Inc.&CATEGORY=COMPANY), which until recently operated as Continental Express, will begin flying out of Will Rogers World Airport (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Will+Rogers+World+Airport&CATEGORY=ATTRACTION) in April, airline spokeswoman Kristy Nicholas (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Kristy+Nicholas&CATEGORY=PERSON) said.


The airline's goal is to offer nonstop service to cities that currently do not have nonstop flights from Oklahoma City.
"We feel like Oklahoma City is the right size market for ExpressJet (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=ExpressJet+Holdings+Inc.&CATEGORY=COMPANY),” Nicholas (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Kristy+Nicholas&CATEGORY=PERSON) said.
Nicholas (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Kristy+Nicholas&CATEGORY=PERSON) said she could not comment on what cities ExpressJet (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=ExpressJet+Holdings+Inc.&CATEGORY=COMPANY) will offer nonstop service to, but she said the airline will start selling tickets Thursday.
She said ticket prices will compete with current market prices.
Mark Kranenburg (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Mark+Kranenburg&CATEGORY=PERSON), director of Will Rogers World Airport (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Will+Rogers+World+Airport&CATEGORY=ATTRACTION), said ExpressJet (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=ExpressJet+Holdings+Inc.&CATEGORY=COMPANY) Airlines contacted the airport several months ago about introducing nonstop service.
"We are always talking to airlines about additional service in Oklahoma City,” Kranenburg (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Mark+Kranenburg&CATEGORY=PERSON) said.
Will Rogers (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Will+Rogers&CATEGORY=PERSON)' latest nonstop addition was in September when United Airlines (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=UAL+Corporation&CATEGORY=COMPANY) began its nonstop service to Los Angeles.
Other cities that have nonstop service from Oklahoma City are Chicago, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Mo., Las Vegas, Memphis, Tenn., Minneapolis, Orlando, Fla., Phoenix, Salt Lake City and St. Louis.
Oklahoma City is one of 24 cities where ExpressJet (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=ExpressJet+Holdings+Inc.&CATEGORY=COMPANY) is adding service.
Other cities include New Orleans, Omaha, Neb., and San Diego. ExpressJet (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=ExpressJet+Holdings+Inc.&CATEGORY=COMPANY) will have daily flights and will operate a fleet of 50-seat Embraer (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Embraer+SA&CATEGORY=COMPANY) jets.
The company plans to buy 69 aircraft later in the year.
ExpressJet (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=ExpressJet+Holdings+Inc.&CATEGORY=COMPANY) will provide travelers with convenience, Nicholas (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Kristy+Nicholas&CATEGORY=PERSON) said.
She said layovers cost travelers time and can turn a trip to a destination two hours away into a five-hour journey.
ExpressJet (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=ExpressJet+Holdings+Inc.&CATEGORY=COMPANY) wants to do the exact opposite.
"What ExpressJet (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=ExpressJet+Holdings+Inc.&CATEGORY=COMPANY) is hoping to do is to decrease some of the elapsed time and give travelers some of their time back,” Nicholas (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Kristy+Nicholas&CATEGORY=PERSON) said.
"We feel like
Oklahoma City is the right size market for ExpressJet (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=ExpressJet+Holdings+Inc.&CATEGORY=COMPANY).” Airline spokeswoman Kristy Nicholas (http://www.newsok.com/keysearch/?er=1&CANONICAL=Kristy+Nicholas&CATEGORY=PERSON)


True, it's all RJ service, but if Expresjet does it right, this is the best time to start nonstop service at OKC. Pax numbers have been rising while air service is trimmed down. Expressjet has a good track record as Continental Express, so I'm pretty excited about this.

The first aircraft painted in the airline's livery: Airliners.net Photos: ExpressJet Airlines Embraer EMB-145XR (ERJ-145XR) (http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=1167332&size=L&TopOfYest=yes)

Yet another airline to fold within a year or two. Or for American to buy and retire the name.

I wonder why they would not release the city pairs. Especially since ticket sales start Thursday, which I presume means tomorrow.

At least it is more service. However, I am sick of these puddlejumper jets. We need 757 and larger.

I Know. You so called experts, especially those who refuse to reveal why you think you are an expert will claim lack of passagers. That theory is crap.

I Know. You so called experts, especially those who refuse to reveal why you think you are an expert will claim lack of passagers. That theory is crap.



Wouldn't it be nice to have a discussion without fighting with everyone?

Okay, I'll bite.

Can you please reveal why you are an expert on air travel?

I Know. You so called experts, especially those who refuse to reveal why you think you are an expert will claim lack of passagers. That theory is crap.

:LolLolLol

Yeah, it's strange that any company would base their supply on any kind of real demand. I know that everytime someone wants to buy 2 things from me I go ahead and invest in 10, just to be bigger.

:LolLolLol

Then again, maybe you're right. Airlines do love losing money. Why not lose some more in Oklahoma City, too.

Good one BDP, perhaps mranderson should be the new director at Will Rogers and land us all these hubs.

Says in this article that Expressjet will pursue a "Goldilocks Strategy." Meaning it will fly routes that are good fits for its RJ's:

Source: Smaller cities on radar of new airline : National-World : Albuquerque Tribune (http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/jan/31/smaller-cities-radar-new-airline/)

Should be interesting to see how this works. A couple of things going for Expressjet are that it has a proven track record as a profitable feeder as Continental Express and it is not a low cost airline, its fares will be pretty much similar to other airlines. In The Oklahoman article it was stated that it has done market research before setting these new routes up. Also, it will have free XM satellite radio in all aircraft and free snacks. The route announcements will be on the coming Monday.

ExpressJet will operate nonstop to Tulsa, Austin, San Antonio, Albuquerque, San Diego, Ontario, and Sacramento.

Yet another airline to fold within a year or two. Or for American to buy and retire the name.

I wonder why they would not release the city pairs. Especially since ticket sales start Thursday, which I presume means tomorrow.

At least it is more service. However, I am sick of these puddlejumper jets. We need 757 and larger.

I Know. You so called experts, especially those who refuse to reveal why you think you are an expert will claim lack of passagers. That theory is crap.

What would we do on this board without you? LOL Anyway...

The pairs are released, see my post above.

ExpressJet has been around for decades, starting as Britt Airways in the midwest. Why would American buy them? Did you miss the part this airline has been married to Continental for years?

Anyways...this is an interesting concept, and one that really needed to be attempted. Indy Air tried, but with a hub-and-spoke concept. Many believe the RJ was meant for a role like this...connecting a bunch of O&D markets that are too thin for any other level of service.

757s or larger would be a waste on these routes. Sure we would all love the fly larger jets, but lets be honest...there is no way a 757 is getting filled daily to San Antonio or to Sacramento. The break even on these RJs will probably be around 35 pax.

I don't think any of us aviation buffs have refused anything.

Figured I would throw the rest of cities getting service up here...

Spokane, Boise, Sacramento, Fresno, Monterey, Bakersfield, Ontario, San Diego, Tucson, El Paso, Austin, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Albuquerque, Colorado Springs, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Omaha, Kansas City, Louisville, New Orleans, Birmingham, Raleigh/Durham, and Jacksonville.

Out of just these cities...I can see a weekend trip to Corpus, resumption of previous UAX service to New Orleans, and also flights to Jacksonville. Colorado Springs is another possiblity as WestPac and Great Plains both operated it from OKC with some success.

This will be interesting. Other markets I see them going, not specifically from OKC, would be Portland (OR), Reno, Little Rock, Des Moines, Duluth, Madison, Springfield (IL), Indianapolis, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Toledo, Dayton, Tri-Cities, Columbia, Myrtle Beach, Sanford, St. Pete, Fort Myers, West Palm Beach, Washington Dulles, Harrisburg, Syracuse, Rochester, and Newburgh.

Okay I'm done posting for a bit. :) I'll try to track down the flight schedules.

ExpressJet will operate nonstop to Tulsa, Austin, San Antonio, Albuquerque, San Diego, Ontario, and Sacramento.

San Diego -- non-stop! Great news. Thanks Venture.....

---------------

Wow! That's fantastic. I do wonder how Tulsa will do since it is so close. And Sacremento seems odd, but maybe we have more traffic to/from there than I think. It will be great to have service to all these cities. I guess with this, ExpressJet becomes the carrier with the most non-stop cities from WRWA.

Do you know if they will codeshare with anyone, or will the have their own rewards program?

ExpressJet will operate nonstop to Tulsa, Austin, San Antonio, Albuquerque, San Diego, Ontario, and Sacramento.

Are you serious?!! Holy cow! All these cities from Oklahoma City nonstop? That's fantastic, I hope all do well. Though I dunno about Tulsa, the route is too short and doesn't have that many passengers and a lot of people drive anyway.

venture, where did you get that information? (if you're willing to part with it.....)

^He got it here:

ExpressJet (http://www.xjet.com/)

If you browse the website you'll find the route map and the cities served, and also that it will launch its own FF program.

Definitely not much O/D traffic to and from TUL.

Tulsa may be more of a connecting route. Kind of way Delta used to do it. Say you needed to get to some city, but couldn't get the earlier flight n/s from OKC. Just hop on the flight to Tulsa and go from there. (Or the other way around.)

Tulsa is not listed as a non-stop from OKC. They have service with ExpressJet, but not to and from Oklahoma City. At least, that's according to this:

Destination List From OKC (http://www.xjet.com/why_xjet/destinations.htm)

Oklahoma City, OK (OKC)
Albuquerque, NM ------ April 16
Austin, TX ------------ April 23
Ontario, CA ----------- April 16
Sacramento, CA ------- May 7
San Antonio, TX ------- TBA
San Diego, CA --------- May 7

Venture, do you know if they had Tulsa on the route schedule, but removed it?

----------------

The interactive route map shows flights to/from TUL.

I agree CRP, MSY, and COS could be nice additions. I'd also like to see maybe BHM, and RDU, especially if US doesn't add CLT.

Big surprise. There is nothing about this on flyokc.com. This will be the updated list of non-stop destinations:

Albuquerque
Atlanta
Austin
Chicago O'Hare
Cincinnati
Dallas Love
D/FW
Denver
Detroit
Houston Hobby
Houston Bush
Kansas City
Las Vegas
LAX
Memphis
Minneapolis
Newark
Ontario, CA
Phoenix
Sacramento
Salt Lake City
San Antonio
San Diego
St. Louis

^Well, the official press release hasn't been out yet, that will likely be on Monday when Expressjet officially discloses the routes and schedules. So let's wait and see what the airport does.

~~sigh~~

I was really hoping for a non-stop to DCA.

I am so tired of having to take a day to travel to Washington!

Can you all talk in non-flight person lingo so us layfolks can understand you.

Can you all talk in non-flight person lingo so us layfolks can understand you.

To whom are you addressing the request?

----------------------

I think Metro is talking about this kind of talk, which means something if you're in the industry, but not much to the lay person........


I agree CRP, MSY, and COS could be nice additions. I'd also like to see maybe BHM, and RDU, especially if US doesn't add CLT.

-----------------------

----------------------

I think Metro is talking about this kind of talk, which means something if you're in the industry, but not much to the lay person........



-----------------------

That may be the "what," however, the question was to whom. Not what.

That may be the "what," however, the question was to whom. Not what.

Well, mranderson, I would guess to the posters who use their industry lingo. There's nobody upset here, chrisok didn't mean anything by the airport codes, etc. and metro didn't mean anything by asking for an interpretation. Just a plea for plain-talk (pardon the pun) about the airport stuff for those of us who don't know the airports by their codes and what certain industry lingo means. No biggie.

----------

Please just answer the question. That is all I ask.

The interactive route map shows flights to/from TUL.

I agree CRP, MSY, and COS could be nice additions. I'd also like to see maybe BHM, and RDU, especially if US doesn't add CLT.


Sorry about that. I wasn't really thinking when I typed.

Let me try it again....

I agree Corpus Christi, New Orleans, and Colorado Springs could make nice additions. I'd also like to see maybe Birmingham, and Raleigh/Durham, especially if US Airways doesn't add Charlotte.

That probably makes more sense. :biggrin:

Thanks, but I had already used my Super Spy Magic Decoder Ring to figure it out. ;)

Hang on to that, they come in handy.

I'm actually getting ready to head out to ZPT on a FW flight with a layover in QTB. It was supposed to be UGV, but they changed it due to some problems with the KJ-103's.

LOL.... have a safe flight.

Actually I think metro was asking that 'all' (meaning everyone) replying to this post use layman terms .. or spell out the airport/cities instead of the codes.

But, airport codes can be found almost on nearly every travel site or here:

Welcome to airport city codes.com! (http://www.airportcitycodes.com/db.html)

~~sigh~~

I was really hoping for a non-stop to DCA.

I am so tired of having to take a day to travel to Washington!

Lauri,

Washington would be a great city...but we'll see. They have their niche cut out pretty well it seems, but I wouldn't doubt we'll see the bigger cities added in a bit later.

Tulsa is not listed as a non-stop from OKC. They have service with ExpressJet, but not to and from Oklahoma City. At least, that's according to this:

Destination List From OKC (http://www.xjet.com/why_xjet/destinations.htm)

Oklahoma City, OK (OKC)
Albuquerque, NM ------ April 16
Austin, TX ------------ April 23
Ontario, CA ----------- April 16
Sacramento, CA ------- May 7
San Antonio, TX ------- TBA
San Diego, CA --------- May 7

Venture, do you know if they had Tulsa on the route schedule, but removed it?

----------------


I'm going to assume Tulsa is a positioning flight or there is a flight from TUL that will stop in OKC and continue on somewhere. Much like what Delta use to do on a couple flights that ran...Salt Lake City - Oklahoma City/Tulsa - Atlanta and back.

I just wish I could have had a non stop to New Orleans next week .. I have to stop in Tennessee both ways.. oh well, I've never been to Memphis so it might be interesting.

Still, what a waste of time, getting on and off, just wish it was one straight shot.. take off, fly and land.. that's the way I like it.

I just wish I could have had a non stop to New Orleans next week .. I have to stop in Tennessee both ways.. oh well, I've never been to Memphis so it might be interesting.

Still, what a waste of time, getting on and off, just wish it was one straight shot.. take off, fly and land.. that's the way I like it.

Memphis isn't too bad to transit through. Did it once. The NW hub is somewhat in need of upgrades, but its not jammed back like O'Hare or Atlanta. I tend to prefer the smaller hubs than the big ones.

Enjoy your trip to New Orleans. Who knows, if XJet can get the demand they are looking for from OKC...we'll pick up a nonstop down there again. However, this will mean people in this city must use the new service (or lose it). Tremendous opportunity here to take the lead for a "new" airline.

That's good.. I'm only there for a half hour but the hassle of it is a pain..

I tried to support Allegiant Air by going to Vegas as much as I could.. didn't work - ugh.

Looks like flight frequencies should average 2-3 flights a day on all routes. Definitely a smart choice.

Looks like flight frequencies should average 2-3 flights a day on all routes. Definitely a smart choice.That is good. There should be some good times to fly, then. That means that they will have between, what, 14-21 flights a day? I wonder how many gates they are planning to lease at WRWA.

venture, do you know if they will be listed on sites like Orbitz and Expedia, or will they only sell online through their website like Southwest does? I just checked Orbitz online for a flight to San Diego in May and they weren't listed (I may just be too early).

Interestingly, though, Frontier Airlines showed up first with a flight that stops in Denver. The flight from OKC to Denver was on an A319. Looks like they will begin flying 1 mainline a day to OKC. The flight arrives in OKC from Denver at 11:45PM and leaves for Denver at 6:00AM the next morning.

Tulsa may be more of a connecting route. Kind of way Delta used to do it. Say you needed to get to some city, but couldn't get the earlier flight n/s from OKC. Just hop on the flight to Tulsa and go from there. (Or the other way around.)



I'm going to assume Tulsa is a positioning flight or there is a flight from TUL that will stop in OKC and continue on somewhere. Much like what Delta use to do on a couple flights that ran...Salt Lake City - Oklahoma City/Tulsa - Atlanta and back.


Looks like a consensus.

Why do people hate RJs so much? I fly on them on occasion and prefer them. I get on faster, off faster, get my luggage faster, and sometimes have a row to myself if there is only one seat.

I think RJ's are better than nothing or turboprops, however there are a couple of things I don't like. First, the lack of first class on them annoys me. Although, some are starting to offer it. The other reason is comfort. I'm 6'7", therefore it's a tight fit. (Especially in Embraer jets)

^Back in the 90's, DL's TUL-OKC flight was part of a multi-airport route that was operated with a 737 or 727-Atlanta-Tulsa-Oklahoma City-Salt Lake City-San Jose. (Back the same way as well). I flew several times via Tulsa in my travels.

That is good. There should be some good times to fly, then. That means that they will have between, what, 14-21 flights a day? I wonder how many gates they are planning to lease at WRWA.

venture, do you know if they will be listed on sites like Orbitz and Expedia, or will they only sell online through their website like Southwest does? I just checked Orbitz online for a flight to San Diego in May and they weren't listed (I may just be too early).

Interestingly, though, Frontier Airlines showed up first with a flight that stops in Denver. The flight from OKC to Denver was on an A319. Looks like they will begin flying 1 mainline a day to OKC. The flight arrives in OKC from Denver at 11:45PM and leaves for Denver at 6:00AM the next morning.

I wouldn't expect them to go more than 2 gates, more than likely just 1. Don't be shocked to see them stick some stairs at the end of the bridge and board from the ramp so they can park 2-3 planes at a single gate.

From the way it sounds, the flights will be loaded into the major reservation systems, so Orbitz and Expedia will likely pick up on them.

Frontier's A319 has been running for about a month now...definitely a great choice. Even better news is when the route will get one of the Embraer 170s with the new affliate (Republic) coming on board to operate Jet Express. Will be a HUGE improvement over the CRJs. Can't wait to get my first ride on one since the reviews are just amazing...at least the US Airways ones.

^Back in the 90's, DL's TUL-OKC flight was part of a multi-airport route that was operated with a 737 or 727-Atlanta-Tulsa-Oklahoma City-Salt Lake City-San Jose. (Back the same way as well). I flew several times via Tulsa in my travels.

The craziest I probably saw was a 727 in the mid 90s that Delta ran...Toledo>Atlanta>Birmingham>Jackson (MS)>Dallas/Fort Worth>Salt Lake City>Reno.

All under one flight number. Flash back to the old days of air travel. :)

The above is why I'm leery to book any flights through Priceline.. although the price is good, a 2 hour flight could turn into a 24 hour trip as I jet around the USA to visit various airports.... no thanks.

I wouldn't expect them to go more than 2 gates, more than likely just 1. Don't be shocked to see them stick some stairs at the end of the bridge and board from the ramp so they can park 2-3 planes at a single gate.

From the way it sounds, the flights will be loaded into the major reservation systems, so Orbitz and Expedia will likely pick up on them.

Frontier's A319 has been running for about a month now...definitely a great choice. Even better news is when the route will get one of the Embraer 170s with the new affliate (Republic) coming on board to operate Jet Express. Will be a HUGE improvement over the CRJs. Can't wait to get my first ride on one since the reviews are just amazing...at least the US Airways ones.

The 319 is the 6:00a.m. departure from OKC. I think F9 just brings it in on the last flight from DEN and lets the plane sit at OKC overnight.

As for Expressjet, some of these routes might be only once-daily depending on the pax traffic volume. So no more than two gates, and now that DL and DL Connection are operating at the new gates in the main terminal's airside (20, 22 and 24-again, beats me as to why they're numbered that way, it's misleading), there are three empty gates in the west concourse that can be used. So not necessarily that Expressjet will stack two or more RJ's on the same ramp.

Embraer's new E-jet models are built using a double-bubble fuselage, so while the same four-abreast config is kept, the wider fuselage means wider seats and the increased length means a little more legrom as well. I'm not surprised pax like it.

If I remember correctly, Frontier had mainlines here when they started up service to OKC, but quickly dropped them for CRJ's. I was glad to see they started back with one.

The new Embraers are much more roomy. A vast improvement over CRJ's and the Emb 135/145's. However, they're still not as nice as NW/XJ's RJ-85. May it rest in peace. (or in Europe.....where they actually went.)

^It's Mesaba which operates the Avroliner 85s. Mesaba still operates the Avros, but they're going to be replaced by 76-seat CRJ 900's (which have business class) as Northwest has agreed to buy out Mesaba (or has already done so). The Avros will be parked in the desert and some of those may go to small regional operators around the world.

You're right, F9 had two daily 737-200s between OKC and DEN (for about 6 months IIRC) before Frontier Jet Express replaced those.

Dec 1 was the last day for the Avros. it was supposed to be Dec 19, but they moved it up. I believe the last flight was Rochester to Detroit. Last I heard was that the Avros were going to be purchased by Cityjet. The planes are pretty common over in Europe where there are a lot more short flights which makes the Avros more profitable.

The BAe-146/Avroliner line was a niche jet that tried to make it big. It is a perfect STOL aircraft for those small airports that need jet service, and also good for noise sensitive airports. Unfortunately...that really limits it to the Ski Resorts and some California airports in the US. Most other airports are able to be served by other aircraft. Europe has a much bigger need for these, and that is why they'll keep living on there for a few more years.

The Tulsa trip - it's faster to get in your car then to go through the whole airport business....get there early, wait to board, fly, get your luggage, get a car, etc. It's like going to Dallas, it's easier and faster to just drive yourself.

My only gripe with RJ's is that there isn't enough room. If you sit on the outside seats, the cabin curves inward and forces your feet at an angle. For people taller than me (i'm 5'10"), I know it's even more horrible. At least in a real airplane you have a normal wall on the outside.

I do like the fact that you get in and out so much faster....and since i'm usually on one of these for only 2 hours at most....I can live with it. A Small price to pay for a non-stop flight. Now if I had to stop somewhere on one of these, I'd be pissed off big time.

^Back when I used to fly between OKC and ATL via TUL, the flights to/from TUL used to be packed or nearly full most of the time. At one time I remember a fair number of pax getting off at TUL before we continued on to ATL. Of course, that was back when airport security wasn't so stringent and the speed limit was 55mph on the highways. Now it's 70 and you get there a lot faster than flying. Still, who knows, there maybe enough potential in the route to where some business travellers would like having the option.

ExpressJet to fly Oklahoma


By The Associated Press


ExpressJet Airlines announced Monday it would offer nonstop service from Oklahoma City and Tulsa to cities in New Mexico, Texas and California.

The Houston-based regional airline, which until recently operated as Continental Express, will offer service from the two Oklahoma cities to Albuquerque, N.M.; the Texas cities of Austin and San Antonio, and the California cities of Sacramento, San Diego and Los Angeles/Ontario.
The service will be provided on 50-seat Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft.
ExpressJet plans to hire about 20 employees in Oklahoma City, transfer employees from other markets, and invest more than $550,000 in airport facilities and equipment. The company said it plans to hire about two dozen employees in Tulsa and invest almost $600,000 in airport facilities and equipment.

Here's the article from OKC Business:

ExpressJet announces six new non-stop flight destinations out of Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport
By Stefanie Brickman - 2/5/2007


Bringing non-stop flights to six previously not served locales, ExpressJet Airlines announced its arrival in the Oklahoma City market at a Will Rogers World Airport press conference today.


With the addition of flights to Austin, San Antonio, Albuquerque, Sacramento, San Diego and Los Angeles’ Ontario airports, Will Rogers World Airport will now provide non-stop flights to 25 U.S. cities.


“This is terrific news that shows confidence in Oklahoma City,” Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said.


Tickets will be sold beginning today with service starting in April.


Houston-based ExpressJet will use 44 branded regional jets, said Matt Howell who is the senior director, tax and treasury for ExpressJet.


“We have a great track record with these regional jets,” Howell said. “We have three million departures in the last 10 years.”


Howell said the company is announcing the launching of service to 24 other cities today, each of which he described as medium-sized growing communities.


ExpressJet concentrates on three areas to please passengers: time, convenience and comfort; Howell said.


With non-stop flights, ExpressJet hopes to shave at least one hour off travel time that would be a layover.


For convenience, ExpressJet offers valet baggage service at the gate for checking in luggage and retrieving it at the arrival gate.


Each 50-passenger jet has newly redesigned seats that have free XM radio and headsets for comfort, as well as no aisle seats. Branded food will be served on the shorter flights and hearty meals will be offered on the longer flights. Full beverage service will be standard on all flights.


Director of Airports Mark Kranenburg said ExpressJet will qualify for the marketing program with funding by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce. The program was established to target existing and attract new airlines to offer non-stop service out of Will Rogers World Airport.

they're going to serve food on the plane? How 1980s.

What does this mean?:


no aisle seats

1) How do you accomplish that

and

2) Aren't aisle seats usually considered the most comfortable seat?

Maybe they meant no center seats.

I was baffled about that myself. Guess there's no aisle, you just crawl over rows and rows of chairs. :D

Flight schedule as follows...

Looks like three overnighting aircraft. Also, no San Antonio nonstops.

AUS - Austin, ABQ - Albuquerque, ONT - Ontario, SMF - Sacramento, SAN - San Diego

To Depart Arrive Flight # Stops
AUS 630a 747a 316 0
AUS 215p 332p 306 0
SMF 700a 939a 220 1
SMF 230p 404p 225 0
ABQ 700a 737a 220 0
ABQ 320p 357p 148 0
ONT 730a 828a 23 0
ONT 320p 524p 148 1
SAN 815a 913a 406 0
SAN 415p 513p 411 0

From
ABQ 1115a 148p 107 0
ABQ 530p 803p 221 0
AUS 630a 745a 305 0
AUS 1230p 145p 320 0
ONT 800a 148p 107 1
ONT 450p 943p 32 0
SAN 955a 242p 409 0
SAN 635p 1122p 414 0
SMF 1020a 335p 224 0
SMF 145p 803p 221 1

^The SAT schedules haven't been released yet, thus you don't see any SAT n/s's, but it's listed in destinations from Oklahoma City.

looks like ABQ is our new hub city to get to SMF and ONT on one flight resp.

^I think that's a direct one-stop flight via ABQ (same plane service). Btw, ABQ is more like AUS, it's by no means a hub. Unless you count the Mesa Airlines micro-hub there.