2022 Oklahoma City Aviation Thread

[Celebrator]

Man, all momentum OKC had with the new gates is gone. Down to nothing. Pathetic how this city bumbled the expansion, and now the airport is losing more routes than gaining.

I don't understand why you think this? Nothing? Please explain. Sure some routes have not come back since the peak of the pandemic, but otherwise we have done pretty well here. Getting a brand new airline in Breeze, for starters, is pretty great. They start BNA service next week! Can we keep them, is a whole other question, but the fact we were one of their first cities is pretty cool. LGA on both AA and DL (starts in less than two weeks) are good gets, Southwest expanding service with AUS, SAT, MSY, TPA, I mean, we are in pretty good shape. "Down to nothing" (?)

[BG918]

I don't understand why you think this? Nothing? Please explain. Sure some routes have not come back since the peak of the pandemic, but otherwise we have done pretty well here. Getting a brand new airline in Breeze, for starters, is pretty great. They start BNA service next week! Can we keep them, is a whole other question, but the fact we were one of their first cities is pretty cool. LGA on both AA and DL (starts in less than two weeks) are good gets, Southwest expanding service with AUS, SAT, MSY, TPA, I mean, we are in pretty good shape. "Down to nothing" (?)

Yeah I would say OKC is pretty right-sized as far as service. Delta is not adding back DTW but is expanding to LGA and keeping existing service to ATL and SLC. AA serves all of its hubs except PHL. United has not added back SFO, IAD and EWR but hopefully will at some point. Southwest has added several routes and hopefully brings back BWI. I think a good wish list for OKC would be for the pre-COVID flights to all come back (Delta to DTW, United to SFO, IAD and EWR and Southwest to BWI) and for Delta to add BOS, either Southwest or Allegiant add SAN and Breeze add CHS. An international connection to CUN would be great to see as well, either on Allegiant or Frontier.

The list is similar for TUL with regard to pre-COVID flights returning. All of the cuts in OKC also happened to TUL, and MSP hasn't yet returned on Delta. Getting Alaska and daily nonstop service to Seattle would be a huge get for TUL.

[chssooner]

I don't understand why you think this? Nothing? Please explain. Sure some routes have not come back since the peak of the pandemic, but otherwise we have done pretty well here. Getting a brand new airline in Breeze, for starters, is pretty great. They start BNA service next week! Can we keep them, is a whole other question, but the fact we were one of their first cities is pretty cool. LGA on both AA and DL (starts in less than two weeks) are good gets, Southwest expanding service with AUS, SAT, MSY, TPA, I mean, we are in pretty good shape. "Down to nothing" (?)

Because United is downsizing, and basically on life support at OKC. SWA lost Baltimore, Delta lost Detroit. Expanded service is nice, yes, but OKC needs new destinations and mainline flights (JFK, SFO, PDX, BOS, etc). They also need to get Detroit back, as well (it is a major hub, and OKC needs to have a flight to basically every hub in America, given their size and location). And getting LAX and BOS, and keeping DTW should have been requirements for Delta getting those gates. Just seems OKC dropped the ball, and the airport is stagnant, not growing. Just my opinion.

Not complaining about the routes OKC has currently, but they need to be doing more.

[Richard at Remax]

I feel like for the most part the airport is pretty proactive in getting business and routes. Routes come and go and I'm pretty confident there are people smarter than me making those decisions. I think OKC if pretty connected to most of the country and I would bet that some of the routes we have lost will come back soon. I think the only thing they did wrong was moving delta to the new gates. Due to traffic count they should have either given them to SWA or AA. A flight to Cancun would be cool too.

[midtownokcer]

Flying to Seoul in July. A PCR or RAT is needed to enter Korea, with the PCR having to be done within the last 48 hrs and the RAT 24 hours. Does WRWA offer any testing on site? I'm struggling to find testing centers in OKC that do it over the weekend (my flight leaves OKC at 8am on a Monday). I can't find any information on flyokc.com. I noticed Tulsa has testing set up at their airport.

[shawnw]

At my work (Project 3810) we have a closed-door pharmacy that has their own testing equipment and so does lots of travel related testing with 2-hour turnaround.

Visit td.care to book.


Edit: Not seeing any weekend dates on their calendar, but I bet if you called and explained they'd work with you. I know for a fact they worked with some folks that work in the building for a trip they were taking.

[midtownokcer]

At my work (Project 3810) we have a closed-door pharmacy that has their own testing equipment and so does lots of travel related testing with 2-hour turnaround.

Visit td.care to book.


Edit: Not seeing any weekend dates on their calendar, but I bet if you called and explained they'd work with you. I know for a fact they worked with some folks that work in the building for a trip they were taking.

Thank you so much!

[shawnw]

Thank you so much!

You're welcome I hope it works out for you

[Celebrator]

Because United is downsizing, and basically on life support at OKC. SWA lost Baltimore, Delta lost Detroit. Expanded service is nice, yes, but OKC needs new destinations and mainline flights (JFK, SFO, PDX, BOS, etc). They also need to get Detroit back, as well (it is a major hub, and OKC needs to have a flight to basically every hub in America, given their size and location). And getting LAX and BOS, and keeping DTW should have been requirements for Delta getting those gates. Just seems OKC dropped the ball, and the airport is stagnant, not growing. Just my opinion.

Not complaining about the routes OKC has currently, but they need to be doing more.

I agree that the airport should have asked more of DL to get those gates too, I hear you there. Would love to see all hubs have service to OKC given its location mid-country and its market size. All of the ones mentioned above would be nice to have. Those should be priorities for the airport to get.

[HOT ROD]

OKC used to have service to all hubs prior to the pandemic. I don't think this will be difficult to return once the market matures, we may just ahve to wait for airlines to rebuild their int'l networks (which is happening).

I totally agree about the new gates, why on heaven's earth does OKC do these type of things (see Omni as yet another example IMO). We should have given those gates to American or Southwest - airlines that are busy and expanding in OKC without incentive. Yet we gave to Delta, the 4th biggest airline. ..? And with no conditions?? Should have at the very least demanded all Delta hubs, we have all AA hubs except PHL - which likely will return once it's int'l is rebuilt.

Am I missing something OKC? Is Delta paying a premium to sit on those new gates?

[amocore]

The best news in a while :

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/new...0f77f9d65d6528

It was a hassle to deal with this.

[OkiePoke]

The best news in a while :

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/new...0f77f9d65d6528

It was a hassle to deal with this.

Awesome news! I am traveling internationally later this month and was dreading trying to get tested prior to departure.

[poe]

Total hassle. I flew from Barcelona to New York last month and taking a Covid test in Spain was not fun.

[Bellaboo]

The best news in a while :

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/new...0f77f9d65d6528

It was a hassle to deal with this.

We just got back from a 3 week vacation to Europe, Asia and Africa. Had to get tested 3 times on this trip and was negative all 3 times for both of us. Rome was 20 euro and Venice was 35 euro each. Athens was 55 euro but was waived due to being on a cruise ship. The testing at both airports was fast and efficient. But if we'd been coming back 3 days later than we did the last test wouldn't have been required.

[Jeepnokc]

We just got back from a 3 week vacation to Europe, Asia and Africa. Had to get tested 3 times on this trip and was negative all 3 times for both of us. Rome was 20 euro and Venice was 35 euro each. Athens was 55 euro but was waived due to being on a cruise ship. The testing at both airports was fast and efficient. But if we'd been coming back 3 days later than we did the last test wouldn't have been required.

I got back Monday from 3 weeks hitting Germany, Slovakia, Czech, Hungary and Scotland. Only had to show negative when getting there and had to test to come home. We did the online test where you self administered from kit while you face time the company. No problem at all and super easy

[shartel_ave]

While in the Air Force I did many things, this was my HaLo helmet and mask that I built myself while I was in the 66th combat search and rescue squadron at nellis AFB Nevada in Las Vegas

I could easily sell it for $500+ or donate it to a military museum but can’t find an AF museum

I need to clean it up

[whatitis]

Total hassle. I flew from Barcelona to New York last month and taking a Covid test in Spain was not fun.

I was in Greece last summer. With 2 small children. We got to the airport nearly 4 hours before the flight and got to the plane as they were about to close the doors.

[amocore]

Alone it was manageable but for a family trip, it was a stressful to know you could be stuck abroad. It will boost international travel for sure.

Talking about numbers :
https://flyokc.com/sites/default/fil...nplanement.pdf

good month

[gopokes88]

Looks like the United bleed finally stopped. Love to see Alaska so strong, hopefully more routes get added down the road.

[Richard at Remax]

Did AA stop their OKC-MIA route? Not seeing any of the direct flights in late Sept

[Downwind17]

Did AA stop their OKC-MIA route? Not seeing any of the direct flights in late Sept

They may be taking a respite during a period of routinely lighter bookings, due to the return of school and the height of hurricane season. The nonstop appears again starting November 1. This route has been a great performer for them and as cruises become more popular post-COVID, it's doubtful it will ever go away (fingers crossed).

[BG918]

They may be taking a respite during a period of routinely lighter bookings, due to the return of school and the height of hurricane season. The nonstop appears again starting November 1. This route has been a great performer for them and as cruises become more popular post-COVID, it's doubtful it will ever go away (fingers crossed).

Cruises are a big driver on this route. Looks like it goes back to non-stop daily. TUL-MIA is currently Saturday-only, hoping frequency increases later in the year as it's the only non-stop to South Florida (and tons of Caribbean/Latin American connections)

[Richard at Remax]

Ok cool. That 5am departure is a downer though.

[Celebrator]

Ok cool. That 5am departure is a downer though.

0 Dark 30 does stink, but the bright side is, these days, this flight probably operates on time most of the time. That's the advantage of these crack of dawn departures.

[catch22]

Eastbound is always tough for airline scheduling. Time zones east are a killer for employee productivity and aircraft utilization. This usually results in very early departures eastbound, and makes red eye flights from the west coast timetable feasible. But they suck for humans. Going west can leave later and still arrive early enough to squeeze an extra few hours out of an airplane.