OKC/Will Rogers Air Service Discussion

[OUman]

Haha, good stuff! I think there are some photos of Braniff 727s at OKC on the web if I recall. I did not know about the Southwest beer-bust flights, funny!

[jmarkross]

Haha, good stuff! I think there are some photos of Braniff 727s at OKC on the web if I recall. I did not know about the Southwest beer-bust flights, funny!

The beer-bust flights was where they got the angle of crazy and funny flight attendants...still working for them, I have always liked Southwest...I don't expect a big meal experience at 35,000 feet--I mean--how dumb is that! Airlines are bus lines, travel light, minimal baggage...I get driven to distraction with people who think of it as some kind of big time. It was in 1960--in Doris Day movies--not today.

[Kerry]

...I don't expect a big meal experience at 35,000 feet--I mean--how dumb is that...

Back in the day it was the only you could get a meal on your trip. Airports weren't like they are today. When I was connecting through ATL twice a week I always got Popeye's chicken in Terminal B and ate it on the plane. I should have bought two meals and sold one on the plane to the higest bidder because 30 mintues into a 4 hour flight to San Fran I could sense every within aroma range wanting some.

[SkyWestOKC]

The operator of the concessions inside of Will Rogers will be updating the stores sometime this year.

We will have:
CNBC News OKC*
CNBC News Express *,**
Pops Travelmart ***
Bricktown Marketplace
EA Sports
Brighton
InMotion Entertainment.

*Already have, won't change
**Pre-Security
*** 2 locations, one in the West Concourse, the other in the central concourse.

Not sure if we have Pops Travelmart, I don't think we do. So everything except for the CNBC stores/marts the rest will be new.

Note: this isn't an addition to the retail, the current retail contracts are up so they are switching stores/themes.

[okclee]

Those all sound like very good upgrades, can't wait to see them opened.

[SkyWestOKC]

Today at the airport trust.

http://okc.gov/AgendaPub/view.aspx?c...fileid=1128373

Long read, basically:
When the new Portland Ave. alignment is completed (let out for bid this month). They will try and turn part of the land on the East Side of the airport (adjacent to I-44) into business, hotel, retail, and a "Small Urban Retail Village." The parts anyway that won't be on the same side of the street as Portland and won't have airfield access. Might as well do something with the land. The urbanites on the forums should love this, although the plans don't involve residential. (With good reason, not many people want to live across the street from the airport (I wouldn't mind, in fact I'd love it).) But this is a start to some development near the airport. They are designing Portland to be pedestrian friendly with sidewalks and crosswalks (in the urban village type thing) and no outparcel sites or freestanding restaraunts/shops are in favor, development needs to be atleast two story buildings with floor level retail and 2nd level office. Person in mind, car on the backburner. The exception to that seems to be a gas station or two.

I don't have time to read through it again, so I hope I got all of that right. It's a long read, but skimming over it wouldn't hurt you. It's interesting I think.

[SkyWestOKC]

http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/9805/okcterm.jpg

Here is a map of the proposed retail locations inside of the terminal.

[Kerry]

With good reason, not many people want to live across the street from the airport (I wouldn't mind, in fact I'd love it).

I would love to live in a condo over looking the runway. That would be awesome. I wouldn't even have a TV and I would face the sofa towards the window.

[SkyWestOKC]

Same.

[ljbab728]

I read through a small part of that and it looks like a very ambitious project. There was one section that I'm not sure how well thought out it was though.

It reads:

"Finally, there is also a need for a large home improvement store like Home Depot or Lowe's, which could also be enhanced by a smaller hardware store and complimentay home improvement stores (carpet, tile, paint, window coverings, etc.)."

Maybe I'm not familiar with how things work but why would a store like Home Depot or Lowe's want to build in a location where stores with competing products would be located? Would that be like how most of the furniture stores in OKC congregate in one area?

[SkyWestOKC]

Yeah...didn't follow with that one either. I don't understand how they propose urban and pedestrian friendly stores, but sugget big box suburban stores.

[okclee]

Today at the airport trust.

http://okc.gov/AgendaPub/view.aspx?c...fileid=1128373

Long read, basically:
When the new Portland Ave. alignment is completed (let out for bid this month). They will try and turn part of the land on the East Side of the airport (adjacent to I-44) into business, hotel, retail, and a "Small Urban Retail Village." The parts anyway that won't be on the same side of the street as Portland and won't have airfield access. Might as well do something with the land. The urbanites on the forums should love this, although the plans don't involve residential. (With good reason, not many people want to live across the street from the airport (I wouldn't mind, in fact I'd love it).) But this is a start to some development near the airport. They are designing Portland to be pedestrian friendly with sidewalks and crosswalks (in the urban village type thing) and no outparcel sites or freestanding restaraunts/shops are in favor, development needs to be atleast two story buildings with floor level retail and 2nd level office. Person in mind, car on the backburner. The exception to that seems to be a gas station or two.

I don't have time to read through it again, so I hope I got all of that right. It's a long read, but skimming over it wouldn't hurt you. It's interesting I think.

Nice find Skywest, thanks for always keeping us up to date with WWRA. I am going to take this topic to it's own thread discussion. This could be a very big development for Okc!

[Rover]

Yeah...didn't follow with that one either. I don't understand how they propose urban and pedestrian friendly stores, but sugget big box suburban stores.

Sounds like airport people trying to be developers and don't understand how retail location works. Sounds like they will take whoever signs up first.

[SkyWestOKC]

Except for this plan was designed by a professional land use consultant, not the airport.

[OUman]

^Yeah, I scanned the PDF on that. It will be a mixed-use project. The only questions I have about this project are namely, how pilots might think of a development like this so close to one of the main runways (granted, other airports have similar developments fairly close as well, but right now, the land is free and clear of any structures-except for the ARINC and now Atlantic Aviation hangars), and also whether birds might become more problematic.

[SkyWestOKC]

Pilots won't care. The building limit to the runway doesn't extend beyond taxiway H. Most pilots I talk to say the lack of anything near the airport, at night creates a "landing carrier" effect which can make visual approaches more challenging since reference objects are limited. I'm no pilot so I can't say what is best.

[DelCamino]

Skywest -- any news on the progress of the new airport website?

[SkyWestOKC]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110212/MONEY/702129842/0

All of that began last year with the Orlando and Tampa expansion we shared with Omaha. Too bad we didn't really support our half of the deal as good as Omaha (not really our fault with terrible flight timings). Looks like they are confirmed by Frontier as a focus city.

[venture]

We need to remember that Omaha was a focus city for Midwest for many years. It seems they are starting to beef it back up a bit.

Granted it would have been nice if OKC would have supported the service more, but people are too tied to Southwest and American even if they are required to make a stop/connection en route.

[SkyWestOKC]

True, however, there's a possibility had the service done better, we would also be getting some of these routes, or even just more attention from Frontier in general.

[HOT ROD]

it will be interesting if the OMA-LAX routes work, those times dont seem to be too good to me.

[Kerry]

I read through a small part of that and it looks like a very ambitious project. There was one section that I'm not sure how well thought out it was though.

It reads:

"Finally, there is also a need for a large home improvement store like Home Depot or Lowe's, which could also be enhanced by a smaller hardware store and complimentay home improvement stores (carpet, tile, paint, window coverings, etc.)."

Maybe I'm not familiar with how things work but why would a store like Home Depot or Lowe's want to build in a location where stores with competing products would be located? Would that be like how most of the furniture stores in OKC congregate in one area?

Here in Jax we have a 'home improvement" district. In addition to the Lowes there many specialty retailers that carry items you just can't get at Lowes or Home Depot like special tile, window treatments, certain brands of carpet, high quality paint, landscape products, natural stone, swimming pools, play sets, wallpaper, cabinets, specialty lighting and ceiling fans, counter tops, and design services. While Lowes/Home Depot might carry some of these items, they don't have near the in-stock selection as specialty retailers. One of the fan stores we went to had 500 styles in stock from dozens of manufacturers - Lowes had about 30 styles from 2 manufacturers.

[venture]

it will be interesting if the OMA-LAX routes work, those times dont seem to be too good to me.

But freshly baked chocolate chip cookies will make up for a slight off time, right? :-) lol

[SkyWestOKC]

So far, the AA flight to LAX is selling pretty good for April bookings. Some flights are already 1/3rd sold, two months out in coach. First is also selling a bit as well, good for two months out.

[HOT ROD]

How is United doing on the LAX route? they have two dailies still? Any info on DUL?