Spirit Airlines

[Mike_M]

As in, if you offered me $400 cash to drive to Dallas and back right now, no way I would do it, and I am by no means rich.

$400 minus a $50 tank of gas (both of my vehicles fill up for less than $30 at current gas prices and get to and from Dallas easily). If you decided to reward yourself with a $50 steak dinner for a good drive, you're still walking away with a $300 profit which roughly comes out to $40 an hour. If that kind of money is completely worthless to you, then yes I believe that you would have no issue paying an extra $400 to get to the same place at the same time as me.

[Just the facts]

For a lot of people, the savings derived from driving to Dallas is the difference between going on vacation and NOT going on vacation. OKC simply prices many people out of the market for even flying at all. I fly into OKC every 3 weeks and it is hands down the most expensive and least convenient time schedule I have ever experienced - and I have been flying full time for work for 13 years. I have driven to Dallas to catch a flight home because the price difference was the difference between going home and not going. The ticket was $900 out of OKC and $317 out of Dallas. At $900 I wasn't going at all. At $317 plus a 3 hour - I was going.

Take it for what's it worth, but I share my frustration with fellow business travelers at the airport all the time and nearly everyone of them agrees.

[ljbab728]

Take it for what's it worth, but I share my frustration with fellow business travelers at the airport all the time and nearly everyone of them agrees.

It's interesting that I talk to business travelers every day and they never express that sentiment to me.

[stile99]

It's interesting that I talk to business travelers every day and they never express that sentiment to me.

Different people having different values and different experiences really isn't that interesting, it's just human nature. For example, you find it interesting, I find it human nature. Vive la différence.

[catch22]

For a lot of people, the savings derived from driving to Dallas is the difference between going on vacation and NOT going on vacation. OKC simply prices many people out of the market for even flying at all. I fly into OKC every 3 weeks and it is hands down the most expensive and least convenient time schedule I have ever experienced - and I have been flying full time for work for 13 years. I have driven to Dallas to catch a flight home because the price difference was the difference between going home and not going. The ticket was $900 out of OKC and $317 out of Dallas. At $900 I wasn't going at all. At $317 plus a 3 hour - I was going.

Take it for what's it worth, but I share my frustration with fellow business travelers at the airport all the time and nearly everyone of them agrees.

Drive till you qualify. Cheap flights at the perimeter are eating away at OKC demand.

Merry Christmas!

[Mike_M]

By the way, Kept It Local and flew out of OKC at 7am in a beautiful American Eagle bottle rocket. 4 hour layover in Charlotte and flying again in another wonderful American Eagle tin can. So glad I didn't book one of the 10 direct flights from Dallas to LGA for half the price. Can't wait till I have kids and have the opportunity to entertain them in random airport food courts instead of my uncomfortable vehicle for a few hours.

[adaniel]

By the way, Kept It Local and flew out of OKC at 7am in a beautiful American Eagle bottle rocket. 4 hour layover in Charlotte and flying again in another wonderful American Eagle tin can. So glad I didn't book one of the 10 direct flights from Dallas to LGA for half the price. Can't wait till I have kids and have the opportunity to entertain them in random airport food courts instead of my uncomfortable vehicle for a few hours.

I just plugged in an OKC-LGA flight and a DFW-LGA AA flight for a random date in January and the difference was less than $40, but keep exaggerating if you want.

There seems to be a lot of talking in this thread with little facts to back it up. As someone who lives in Dallas, I can tell you personally it is NOT cheap. And this has been shown in multiple surveys and studies.

http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes...ir-fares/?_r=0 --summary, both OKC and Dallas have high fares but DFW even more so.

D/FW Airport is one of the nation's most expensive - Dallas Business Journal

WSJ Flash Interactive - WSJ ---summary, DFW is MUCH higher than OKC

So if you are lucky enough to find the fare equivalent of a unicorn at DFW than good for you. For most people who are not either a) traveling in a large group or b) flying internationally, it is not worth it, and nobody has posted any facts that prove otherwise.

Newsflash: you live in a smaller market, not a hub. Some flights will be more expensive than others. Flying to Virginia Beach? Or Memphis? Or Louisville? My guess is that those people have the same complaints people in OKC have, although, probably like in OKC, the difference is not as near as big as some would think.

[PhiAlpha]

By the way, Kept It Local and flew out of OKC at 7am in a beautiful American Eagle bottle rocket. 4 hour layover in Charlotte and flying again in another wonderful American Eagle tin can. So glad I didn't book one of the 10 direct flights from Dallas to LGA for half the price. Can't wait till I have kids and have the opportunity to entertain them in random airport food courts instead of my uncomfortable vehicle for a few hours.

Serious question...do you understand how to book flights? I flew in and out of OKC 60 times this year on multiple airlines to multiple destinations of varying sizes and never had a layover longer than 2 hours that wasn't caused by a delay. Don't like small planes? Fly Southwest, they fly into LGA as well.

I also routinely compare flights out of OKC with DFW and Tulsa and have not ever noticed much difference other than when one airline was running a flight special out of one of the locations. Do you understand that you save money by booking in advance? Sometimes last minute flights are cheaper out of larger airports...sometimes it's the other way around, with airlines other than southwest booking flights under a week or two is a roll of the dice.

I understand that unique situations arise that can make flying out of other airports cheaper, but some of the complainers here seem to lack competency when it comes to booking travel.

[Just the facts]

It's interesting that I talk to business travelers every day and they never express that sentiment to me.

Maybe that is because you are dealing with business people who live in OKC and I am talking to people coming to OKC for business.

[Just the facts]

Serious question...do you understand how to book flights? I flew in and out of OKC 60 times this year on multiple airlines to multiple destinations of varying sizes and never had a layover longer than 2 hours that wasn't caused by a delay. Don't like small planes? Fly Southwest, they fly into LGA as well.

I have a nearly 4 hour layover in Houston the 3rd Friday of every week.

[Just the facts]

Drive till you qualify. Cheap flights at the perimeter are eating away at OKC demand.

Merry Christmas!

Perfect analogy.

[catch22]

Perfect analogy.

So you admit you are part of the problem?

[PhiAlpha]

I have a nearly 4 hour layover in Houston the 3rd Friday of every week.

Maybe you should pick another flight...or fly on the 2nd or 4th Friday of the every week instead

[Outhunder]

Spirit not going through priceline anymore? Tried looking up flights to Cancun and no Spirit.

[ljbab728]

Maybe that is because you are dealing with business people who live in OKC and I am talking to people coming to OKC for business.

Maybe not. I deal with business people from all over the country, many of whom come to OKC for business.

[PhiAlpha]

Maybe not. I deal with business people from all over the country, many of whom come to OKC for business.

In his case, I think that "If you fight for your negativity, you get to live with it."

[Just the facts]

So you admit you are part of the problem?

For sure I admit that and I am literally begging the City to fix the situation so we can all be part of the solution.

[Just the facts]

Maybe not. I deal with business people from all over the country, many of whom come to OKC for business.

And you never hear a single comment about expensive fares or arrival/departure times?

[Rover]

I have a nearly 4 hour layover in Houston the 3rd Friday of every week.

From where to where?

I fly all the time and never experience a 4 hour layover anywhere. If having the cheapest flight is the only criteria, maybe that would happen, but even then, I wouldn't expect a 4 hour layover from here to anywhere.

[Rover]

And you never hear a single comment about expensive fares or arrival/departure times?

I have never had a business opportunity lost here because of expensive fares or times, either coming or going.

[catch22]

For sure I admit that and I am literally begging the City to fix the situation so we can all be part of the solution.

The city has nothing to do with what flights the airlines schedule or how much they charge for them. If you want to make a difference, buy seats on the existing inventory so the airlines will see increased demand and add flights to OKC.

Your mid America world airport is a non starter so don't even try that route again.

[Just the facts]

From where to where?

I fly all the time and never experience a 4 hour layover anywhere. If having the cheapest flight is the only criteria, maybe that would happen, but even then, I wouldn't expect a 4 hour layover from here to anywhere.

OKC to Jacksonville. Southwest just changes the departures for 2016 but I have been leaving OKC at 3:20 getting into Houston about 4:30 with the connecting flight to Jax at 8:30pm (and once it was a scheduled 9PM departure). Right at 4 hours.

[Just the facts]

The city has nothing to do with what flights the airlines schedule or how much they charge for them. If you want to make a difference, buy seats on the existing inventory so the airlines will see increased demand and add flights to OKC.

Your mid America world airport is a non starter so don't even try that route again.

The Airport Trust is part of the City and does have influence over fares, routes, and schedule. It is their primary function; otherwise we don't need them at all and could just outsource airport management to the lowest bidder.

[catch22]

The Airport Trust is part of the City and does have influence over fares, routes, and schedule. It is their primary function; otherwise we don't need them at all and could just outsource airport management to the lowest bidder.

They have no direct influence on fares, schedules, or routes. The Airport Trust is primarily responsible for upkeep of the airport, compliance with the FAA and TSA, and the finances involved in doing those tasks.

[Just the facts]

They have no direct influence on fares, schedules, or routes. The Airport Trust is primarily responsible for upkeep of the airport, compliance with the FAA and TSA, and the finances involved in doing those tasks.

But they do have direct influence - we see them proclaim it every time a new route is introduced - usually with OKC Taxpayer funded subsides.

Oklahomans will soon see smiling Eskimos greeting travelers at Will Rogers
World Airport. Alaska Airlines, with its iconic smiling Eskimo on the
tail of its planes, announced today that it will begin daily nonstop service
between WRWA and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on July 1, 2015.
The west coast airline is the seventh-largest carrier in the U.S. and is new to
Oklahoma City.

WRWA > CURRENT EVENTS

“This is a very exciting announcement
for the Oklahoma City market,” says Mark Kranenburg, Director of
Airports. “Alaska Airlines has been high on our list of targeted airlines
for several years. Not only will Alaska bring great travel opportunities
for our customers, they also bring their excellent reputation for innovation
and customer service.”