OKC Air Service

[brianinok]

Early yesterday morning, we had a death in the family. So, other family members were called, and they began to try and make their way to Oklahoma. One family member lives in Houston, and tried to fly here. After calling the airlines (both Continental and Southwest fly non-stop between the cities), she learned the best she could hope for all day was standby. So, she was forced to either hope she gets on with standby, drive, or fly to another city and drive. She booked a flight to Tulsa and drove.

What does this story tell you about airlines not serving our city they way they should? In any given day, there are 4 non-stop flights on Southwest from Houston Hobby and 9 non-stop flights on Continental from Houston Bush. 13 flights and all she could hope for was standby. I realize it was a Friday during the summer, but it still seems rediculous to me.

I cannot tell you how many times I have flown out of OKC or into OKC on a full flight where numerous people on standby where left behind. And for every example I have like that, I have another one for when I am changing planes to go to a major city/airport (LAX, DCA, IAD, SEA, etc.), my flight that originate or end in OKC are full, but the connecting leg is about 3/4 full. If OKC has a few flights that are 3/4 full, they drop us to a smaller jet or make the flight less frequently faster than you can say "Will Rogers World Airport." Other cities? They just keep flying half-empty 757s to.

On a side note, I hope we don't lose our San Antonio service on United. If I had any reason to go to San Antonio soon, I would book it on United. I hope that everyone else does the same. Losing this service could only hinder us trying to get additional service to other major cities.

[Karried]

Brian, sorry to hear about the loss of a family member..

That's the last thing you need - dealing with the airlines.

[venture]

Welcome to world of yeild management. When it comes to air travel, typically Tuesday-Thursday is the slow period for airlines. However, we have had the Wal-Marting of airline prices over the last several years that has caused a supply problem. Airlines continue to fight for market share and have some of the highest load factors in history right now. The key is right sizing aircraft to markets.

One route I've studied is a market up in the midwest. It is a route that has roughly 5000 passengers on it per month, operated by only American Eagle with 4 50-seaters a day. The potential market, including what is being lost to a nearby hub, is roughly around 12,000 passengers a month. Why is American only running 4 ERJs on the route? Yeilds. By limiting the seats on the route, their yeild is around 55 cents a mile - which is EXTREMELY high. They add any more seats, that yeild is going to take a hit as they have to lower fares a bit to fill all the seats.

Oklahoma City isn't any different. Airlines are finding the right sized equipment to maximize yeilds in OKC. Unfortunately this means very few empty seats, higher fares, but more money for the airlines to pay for the high oil prices.

I am sorry to hear about your loss...the situation of the airline industry definitely doesn't help.

[Kerry]

This seems to me to be why airlines are in financial trouble. Last year I flew every week from Jacksonville to San Francisco with a layover in Atlanta. My usual ticket was $283 round trip. I then had to travel from Jacksonville to Atlanta and the ticket on the same flight was $360. I went 20% of the distance and paid $100 more! (actually I drove instead).

Why can't the airline simply calculate what it cost to get me from point A to point B, add in profit, and charge me that. That is how I run my business and I made more than Amerian, Delta, and Northwest combined last year. I actually had a profit.

[travich]

venture, are you like a genius? Wow, what insight.