United will begin nonstop service between Oklahoma City and Washington D.C. beginning June.

Source: OKCBusiness - Oklahoma City Business News (http://www.okcbusiness.com/article.asp?aID=42084045.51776402.574704.7957836.9 486898.713&aID2=44199)

Damn, we're on a roll...

FNA! My mother-in-law lives on the east coast, and although this sort of relationships is highly unusual, I like her and would like to visit more often. However, this is also great news for OKC. I can't wait to see more non-stop destinations. Hopefully, Okies will take full advantage of this opportunity and keep the momentum going. Thanks for the post.

I'm going to post the article instead of the link above. Links go bad after awhile that's why its good to post the article. Sometimes when I go back to read an old thread or post new information on a topic. The links to the old articles are dead.


Will Rogers World Airport will begin nonstop service to Washington, D.C. in June
By Stefanie Brickman - 2/20/2007


Will Rogers World Airport announced today United Express will begin offering a daily nonstop flight between Oklahoma City and Washington, D.C.’s Dulles International Airport in June.


The daily Dulles flight brings the number of cities directly served by Will Rogers World Airport to 26.


Research by Campbell-Hill Aviation Group, a private consulting firm hired by Will Rogers World Airport in Dec. 2005, has indicated Washington, D.C. is one the top five destinations by Oklahoma City travelers.


Director of Airports Mark Kranenburg said it has been a top priority to provide a nonstop flight to the nation’s capitol area either via Baltimore-Washington International Airport or Dulles International.


“The Dulles flight ties in nicely with the international bank of flights United offers,” Director of Airports Mark Kranenburg said.


Dulles International Airport is located suburban Northern Virginia about 30 miles outside Washington, D.C.


Kranenburg also said the $200,000 marketing program to entice nonstop flights between coastal cities in non-neighboring states makes Will Rogers World Airport more attractive for United Airlines.


“When we began talking with United, they were just out of bankruptcy and were reorganizing their resources,” Kranenburg said. “They wanted to see how the flight to (Los Angeles’) LAX would do. They have been very happy with that.”


The daily flight will leave Oklahoma City at 11:55 a.m. and arrive at Dulles at 3:58 p.m. local time. The return flight will depart Dulles each day at 5:15 p.m. and arrive at Will Rogers World Airport at 7:25 p.m.

^Yeah, actually, UAX has been doing very well with the LAX flight, and so United will start this one as well.

I'm glad to see the LAX flight has done well and motivated them to add the DC flight. These n/s are beginning to work for us.

I know that people hate the CRJs, but, honestly, they are a big reason we are gaining more access and, imo, access is the name of the game. If we can keep them overbooked, then maybe 737s or MD-80s to these larger markets will be in our future, but only real sustained demand will rbing upgrades. I won't complain though. Anything the reduces the number of stops needed in a day is a good thing , no matter the size of the plane. Since time is the only factor that really matters, it's like moving the coasts 50% closer.

Nice! Maybe this Kranenburg guy ain't so bad after all. Now if he could just hire ONE full-time web guy to update his website...

It's about time!

I travel to DC every 6 weeks or so for work, so this is good news for me!

I'm sure our Congressional delegation appreciates it, also.

Actually, we are gaining some momentum in term of getting larger jets. As has been mentioned, Frontier has already replaced one of the Jet Express flights between DEN and OKC with its own Airbus 319.

I'm sure our Congressional delegation appreciates it, also.

I'm sure the lobbys take care of their travel just fine as it is now... ;)

This is great news. The wife and I will be making frequent trips to DC now that her father is at the Pentagon. Hurray!

Strange that this is a new non-stop. You would think with OKC being such a large govt. city it would have been connected the national capital long ago. Good to see though, I could've used this flight last August when I had to fly to St. Louis first and then get on a plane to DC...

Does any airline travel from OKC to Florida non-stop?

That seems like an odd time for that plane to be in OKC. Will it travel on to Denver, O'Hare, or LAX after it flies from IAD to OKC? Or will it just sit on the tarmac at OKC from 7:30 at night until the next day at nearly noon?

That seems like an odd time for that plane to be in OKC. Will it travel on to Denver, O'Hare, or LAX after it flies from IAD to OKC? Or will it just sit on the tarmac at OKC from 7:30 at night until the next day at nearly noon?

7:30. Probably will lay over. Many flights do that here. The plane will probably dock at the gate over night, and be the equipment for the first flight out the next day from that gate.

Really good news! Too bad it won't be starting until June - I have to fly to DC in April. Since I have to go to DC 3-4 times a year, I'm sure it will come in handy.

The only thing that would make it perfect would be landing at DCA instead.

It won't sit there until noon.

If this flight does well, I wouldn't be surprised to see Southwest add a flight to Baltimore.

It won't sit there until noon.

If this flight does well, I wouldn't be surprised to see Southwest add a flight to Baltimore.

And I repeat: The plane will probably dock at the gate over night, and be the equipment for the first flight out the next day from that gate.

^^^
Well I wasn't talking to you. You just finished your post before I did.

I just read the news... That's great... I wonder how the demand will work out...

The Times:

The flights will leave Will Rogers each day at 11:55 a.m. (CST) and arrive in Washington at 3:58 p.m (EST). The flights from Washington will depart at 5:15 p.m. and arrive in Oklahoma City at 7:25 p.m.

Tickets for the flights will be sold beginning Saturday.

Well I wast only about 6 months late. LOL

You'll probably see the last flight to DEN pushed back about 50 minutes to allow for this aircraft to make up that trip...or something close. Hell...even a late night to LAX to allow for a red-eye back in the morning wouldn't be bad.

Karrie...Nothing to Florida right now. Delta Connection was the last attempt, and that went poof. We really need to try to get Allegiant back here to run to Sanford and St. Pete.

^It's in today's Oklahoman that Mark Kranenburg said they're still working on getting n/s's between Oklahoma City and both, Miami and Seattle-Tacoma Int'l Airports.

Btw, yes, the D.C. service wil be operated with a 66-seat CR7, which will have first class as well.

Awesome news!!!

Im getting ready to fly to Japan from Sea-Tac and checked the news. Im so excited for OKC.!!! If only the flight would have been already in existence (it should already be here), we had a family gathering in OKC where some traveled from DC area.

Hopefully, the flight will be well supported so we'll move up to an Airbus 319 and maybe a crj as a red eye or early morning OR DCA early morning; esp since OKC is a huge/strategic Federal center (as BG mentioned).

I can EASILY!!!! see this route heavily supported; 300 pax per day (coming or going or a combo). That would be the airplane mix Im suggesting (Airbus 319 and a crj during am or eve rush). the initial 66er should always be full, I'd imagine.

Totally awesome. Now we need Sea-Tac (we have direct very often, but I want non-stop), SFO and/or OAK, and MIA. Then, OKC would have non-stop service to all of the major markets. I'd also like to see direct service to Portland and Boston and New York Kennedy. That would pretty much complete OKC's access (then we could focus on regional and making the planes bigger).