Airport check-in: Fares surge at pricey Cincinnati
Roger Yu, USA TODAY, 7/30/2007 (excerpted)
The average fare at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky — the most expensive airport for passengers in the USA — rose nearly 15% in the first quarter, compared with the year-ago period, despite a 0.6% drop in the national average, according to data from the Transportation Department released last week. It was the highest percentage increase among the USA's top 100 airports in passenger totals.
The average fare at the airport — including round-trip and one-way tickets — was $532, compared with $380 nationwide. Delta operates about 80% of its flights.
"We talk to Delta to see if we can get fares lower. But it's market-driven," says Ted Bushelman, an airport spokesman. "The five airports around us together don't have the amount of cities direct that we do."
Milwaukee: Concourse C gets an addition
Last week, Milwaukee Mitchell International unveiled a new stem of Concourse C that adds eight more gates.
Gates C18 through C25 in the new 61,000-square-foot addition will be used mostly by Delta, US Airways Express and Comair.
The area features floor-to-ceiling windows, a children's play area and a set of workstations where travelers can charge laptops.
Fort Lauderdale: Runway work could cause delays
The southern runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International will close for four days starting today for storm drainage work, and it will likely result in "significant delays," the airport says. The runway, one of three at the airport, will reopen Friday.
Cleveland: More direct flights wanted
Cleveland plans to invest up to $3.5 million to encourage airlines to add direct flights at Cleveland Hopkins International. The plan calls for spending $595,000 to subsidize advertising and waiving up to $2.75 million in landing fees in the next five years. Each waiver — for any new routes and additional flights to cities designated as priorities — would last six months.
Todd Payne, the airport's chief of marketing and air service development, says its priorities are the West and South and international destinations.
The airport has been losing airline service. Departures in July totaled 9,528, down 13% from July 2001, according to Back Aviation Solutions. Seats available fell 19% during the period to 666,042. But the airport's 10 carriers fly to 82 destinations, up three from 2001.