OKC Flight Schedules

[Just the facts]

I have to say - after trying to find flights into OKC on Monday morning and out on Thursday evening - OKC has to have to worst scheduling and highest prices I have ever seen anywhere. Now I know why people drive to/from DFW because I am seriously thinking about doing that. I'll get here at the same time and pay half the price.

[bradh]

I'm shocked you'd rather spend 6 hours in a CAR to save some money, but sacrifice that time and miserableness.

[pure]

I flew to SAN from Lawton once, round trip was $366. Round trip from OKC on the same dates were close to $600. I'll gladly drive an hour to save over $200. Also, security took less than 2 minutes to get through.

[bradh]

I flew to SAN from Lawton once, round trip was $366. Round trip from OKC on the same dates were close to $600. I'll gladly drive an hour to save over $200. Also, security took less than 2 minutes to get through.

Driving to Lawton is a lot different than fighting 3 hours and traffic to DFW. That's insane though.

[Urbanized]

That's interesting. What kind of commercial is available in Lawton?

[AP]

Pretty sure it's just American Eagle.

[Urbanized]

Gotcha.

[LakeEffect]

I'm shocked you'd rather spend 6 hours in a CAR to save some money, but sacrifice that time and miserableness.

When you are footing the bill instead of a company, it begins to add up. I am taking three trips from Dallas this year instead of OKC - two at DFW and one at DAL. Granted, they're all miles/points, but there is absolutely no way I'd be able to afford these trips (with my wife, 1 paid child and 1 lap infant) by flying from OKC. That's including driving/transit (parking is free at my in-laws', on the DART Orange Line).

[bradh]

When you are footing the bill instead of a company, it begins to add up. I am taking three trips from Dallas this year instead of OKC - two at DFW and one at DAL. Granted, they're all miles/points, but there is absolutely no way I'd be able to afford these trips (with my wife, 1 paid child and 1 lap infant) by flying from OKC. That's including driving/transit (parking is free at my in-laws', on the DART Orange Line).

If you're making multiple trips with the family in tow, I can see the benefits. I think I just loathe driving after traveling like that.

[AP]

I did it recently flying to MCO. It's was just way cheaper flying out of DFW.

[Outhunder]

a lot of it has to do with times than prices. The wife and I like traveling to the Caribbean once a year. The last couple of times we've driven to DFW. The reason? Times. We like to get there early in the day and leave later. It does save a little on money, not much though. Plus, having a early flight out of dfw means very little traffic in Dallas on the way down. Best thing to do is start looking months in advance. Flights fluctuate every day.

[Just the facts]

I'm shocked you'd rather spend 6 hours in a CAR to save some money, but sacrifice that time and miserableness.

To echo outhunder's comment, it's not just a few hours - in my case it is having to fly in a day early and stay a day later. Then in addition to the fare difference (which is huge), I have two more nights in a hotel.

[Tigerguy]

I have to say - after trying to find flights into OKC on Monday morning and out on Thursday evening - OKC has to have to worst scheduling and highest prices I have ever seen anywhere. Now I know why people drive to/from DFW because I am seriously thinking about doing that. I'll get here at the same time and pay half the price.

Might I ask when you're looking to take the trip?

[damonsmuz]

Not knowing how soon you're trying to fly. But if the prices are high and the scheduling is "bad" than in most cases that is a good thing. OKC has a lot of flights through DFW in the morning and on respectable size aircraft too. That means if the prices are high then the demand has been high. And if the schedules are bad then that means the flights are sold out.

I'd be more concerned if the planes were empty and the flights were cheap.

[s00nr1]

I just flew to MCO on AA two weeks ago. $318 R/T and tons of options. AA has such a plethora of flights to/from OKC these days I don't see how anyone could say there are no convenient times.

[AP]

I paid something like 230+ out of DFW. Seemed worth the price. Maybe not for you.

[s00nr1]

Yeah, paying what ends up being about $50 more (when considering fuel costs and parking at DFW) to avoid putting 360+ miles on my vehicle and 6 hours driving does indeed seem worth it.

[venture]

Yeah, paying what ends up being about $50 more (when considering fuel costs and parking at DFW) to avoid putting 360+ miles on my vehicle and 6 hours driving does indeed seem worth it.

I'm totally flabbergasted that people here drive to DFW to fly. I would get it if it was an hour away like what you see between Youngstown and Pittsburgh, Toledo and Detroit, Akron and Cleveland, etc. They'll go to DFW to grab a cheap fare (not including the other costs/time involved), but then complain about either not enough flights here or fares being too high from here. Use it or lose it is the lesson the other cities have been taught the hard way. Of course hubs have more options to dump capacity with cheaper fares when needed, but it is traffic they really don't want to begin with. Unless you are Spirit.

[bchris02]

Most of OKC's traffic and demand for flights is likely driven by business traffic paid for by companies and they aren't going to send their employees to DFW to fly out. In the grand scheme of things the amount of traffic OKC is losing to DFW by people driving down there is probably minimal. I think a good question is if the demand for the flights is here, why aren't there more of them and why aren't rates more competitive? It's pretty much free market 101.

[venture]

Most of OKC's traffic and demand for flights is likely driven by business traffic paid for by companies and they aren't going to send their employees to DFW to fly out. In the grand scheme of things the amount of traffic OKC is losing to DFW by people driving down there is probably minimal. I think a good question is if the demand for the flights is here, why aren't there more of them and why aren't rates more competitive? It's pretty much free market 101.

Who do you want to fly more flights? There has been so much consolidation in the industry, there really aren't many left. I'm working on the market numbers for 2014 to post soon to should help shed light on how well specific markets are performing. You can have plenty of demand for flights, but airlines are also in a position of strength at this time so they can control WHO they want as a customer. They are going to take a $300 customer over a $150 value customer any day.

[ljbab728]

That's absolutely correct. The consumer currently is basically at the mercy of whatever the airlines want to provide. Take it or leave it.

[AP]

Well I fly out of OKC every two weeks when prices don't matter and my company pays for it. When I'm already paying for an expensive trip to Disney sure, I will drive 6 hours total to save 100 dollars. Not to mention, we were going to Disney so we wanted to get there as early as possible on Friday morning, so we stayed in a hotel thursday night and took the first flight out. If we would have done that at OKC we would have wasted time connecting somewhere. So like I said, if I can save both time AND money, why wouldn't I do it?

[Urbanized]

I'm totally flabbergasted that people here drive to DFW to fly...

I guess I understand it for family travel, but I don't get it for individuals or for a couple, even if it saves a few hundred bucks. I think it's probably the same people who will drive to the other side of OKC to save $5 on a TV or a lawn mower. I'm sorry, but there is a dollar value for my time and convenience, too.

[AP]

I guess I understand it for family travel, but I don't get it for individuals or for a couple, even if it saves a few hundred bucks. I think it's probably the same people who will drive to the other side of OKC to save $5 on a TV or a lawn mower. I'm sorry, but there is a dollar value for my time and convenience, too.

Well I definitely don't do that and I am specifically the person/couple you are talking about.

[traxx]

I'm shocked you'd rather spend 6 hours in a CAR to save some money, but sacrifice that time and miserableness.

How slow must one be driving to make OKC to Dallas (or vice versa) a 6 hour drive? It should be 4 tops.

When you figure in showing up early to the airport, the hassle of TSA, checking bags, claiming bags etc., it's about a wash as far as time is concerned.