Spirit Airlines announced new service beginning March 3 to Fort Lauderdale from Yeager Airport, and on May 5, 2011, they will add service to Myrtle Beach. These announcements are the latest in a series of new service announcement over the past year and a half. American Airlines has instituted service to New York LaGuardia and Chicago O’Hare and AirTran began service to Orlando. Each of these new routes has proved to be very popular for the traveling public and they have resulted in net new passengers flying from Charleston.
Spirit Airlines has been flying since 1980 and are headquartered in Miramar, Fl and operate more than 150 daily flights to 40 destinations including locations in the Caribbean and Latin America. The aircraft that they operate are Airbus 319’s, 320’s and 321’s all large modern jet aircraft. The equipment that will be used on the flights to and from Charleston will be the 145 seat Airbus 319.
Famous for $9 fare sales, Spirit models itself as an Ultra-Low Fare Airline that lets the passenger only pay for the services that they use on the flight. The majority of the tickets are sold on www.spiritair.com
The schedule for the new service will be Tuesday Thursday and Sunday to Fort Lauderdale departing Charleston at 6:00 pm and arriving in Fort Lauderdale at 8:15 pm. Return flights from FLL depart at 2:45 pm and arrive in CRW at 5:00 pm. On May 5, with the addition of Myrtle Beach service the schedule changes as follows: From CRW leaving 8:10 pm and arriving FLL 10:25 pm and from FLL leaving 1:15 pm arriving 3:30 pm. From CRW leaving 4:10 pm to Myrtle Beach and from Myrtle Beach leaving 6:15 pm arriving 7:30 pm.
Not only do these flights allow for travelers in West Virginia to travel, but is provides an opportunity to increase market draw for West Virginia’s tourism attractions. The airport has worked with the State Division of Tourism and various tourism entities over the years to promote travel to WV from the various non-stop destinations served from Yeager Airport. These efforts have proven effective and we believe that tapping the South Florida market to promote white water rafting, mountain biking, mountain vacations and snow skiing will be equally profitable.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Taking a Bite out of The Big Apple
Air travel opens a community to the world and the world to a community. West Virginia is blessed to have the number of non-stop flights to major US cities and one-stop connections to virtually every major city in the world. American Airlines started non-stop service to New York City in April of 2009, with a flight leaving Charleston at 6:40 am and landing at LaGuardia Airport at 8:30 am. My wife and I took advantage of a great deal on airfare and hotel rates for a 3 day get-a-way at the end of August. (A tip: look for deals on non-traditional travel days and times of the year.)
Upon landing at LGA, we bought subway/bus unlimited trip tickets for three days and headed off for our hotel located on 44th Street just off Times Square. Because it was a Monday there were open rooms so we were able to check in early and drop our bags and make our way down to Chinatown and Little Italy. Tudor’s Biscuits for breakfast and Eggplant Parmesan on Mulberry Street for lunch on the same day, air travel really is a miracle of the modern age.
New York City is such an adventure, we had tickets for Phantom of the Opera, at the Majestic Theater also located on 44th Street, after a dinner at Saju Bistro, where we took advantage of a late summer tradition in NYC the Prix Fixe menu where you can have a 4 course meal chosen from the regular menu for thirty dollars each. The next day we visited museums on 5th Ave, known as the Museum Mile, I think one could visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art every day for a year and still not be able to see every exhibit.
That night we had a special treat of having front row seats at the legendary Birdland Jazz Club, and we heard Leny Andrade. Tony Bennett was in the house that night enjoying dinner and the show. Birdland is a very intimate setting with seating for maybe 150 at most. Before the show we had tapas at a Cuban bar and had walked along 5th Ave looking at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Rockefeller Center and the famous high end retail shops that dot the street.
I know this is more of a travelogue than is usual, but the point of all of this, is that air travel provides so many opportunities for people to effectively do business together or to enjoy the offerings of one of the worlds truly great cities. Take advantage of the deals available and select a location and see the wonders of the world, and while you are there invite people to travel to West Virginia to experience Almost Heaven.
Upon landing at LGA, we bought subway/bus unlimited trip tickets for three days and headed off for our hotel located on 44th Street just off Times Square. Because it was a Monday there were open rooms so we were able to check in early and drop our bags and make our way down to Chinatown and Little Italy. Tudor’s Biscuits for breakfast and Eggplant Parmesan on Mulberry Street for lunch on the same day, air travel really is a miracle of the modern age.
New York City is such an adventure, we had tickets for Phantom of the Opera, at the Majestic Theater also located on 44th Street, after a dinner at Saju Bistro, where we took advantage of a late summer tradition in NYC the Prix Fixe menu where you can have a 4 course meal chosen from the regular menu for thirty dollars each. The next day we visited museums on 5th Ave, known as the Museum Mile, I think one could visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art every day for a year and still not be able to see every exhibit.
That night we had a special treat of having front row seats at the legendary Birdland Jazz Club, and we heard Leny Andrade. Tony Bennett was in the house that night enjoying dinner and the show. Birdland is a very intimate setting with seating for maybe 150 at most. Before the show we had tapas at a Cuban bar and had walked along 5th Ave looking at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Rockefeller Center and the famous high end retail shops that dot the street.
I know this is more of a travelogue than is usual, but the point of all of this, is that air travel provides so many opportunities for people to effectively do business together or to enjoy the offerings of one of the worlds truly great cities. Take advantage of the deals available and select a location and see the wonders of the world, and while you are there invite people to travel to West Virginia to experience Almost Heaven.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Value in Travel - The West Virginia Aviation Conference
Yeager Airport along with the West Virginia Aeronautics Commission sponsors and organizes the annual West Virginia Aviation Conference. This year’s event was held at the beautiful Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, WV on August 8 through the 10th. This was the most successful conference we have held and we have received many positive comments.
We attracted national speakers to the conference, including, Kate Lang, the FAA Deputy Administrator, Mike Boyd, President of The Boyd Group, Henry Ogrodzinski, President of the National Association of Aviation Officials, Joe Esposito, Director of Schedule Planning for Delta Air Lines, Lisa Piccione, VP of Government Affairs for National Business Aviation Association, as well as Congressman Nick Joe Rahall, and Governor Joe Manchin and Senator Rockefeller addressed the conference via video because of his need to be in Washington. Each person provided a unique perspective on various hot topic issues in aviation. The conference all so provided sessions on current legal issues, trends in engineering practices and a very informative session on airport emergency response systems.
Attendees from airports in West Virginia, engineering firms, and suppliers, pilots, authority board members, congressional staff members, air traffic controllers, and state officials all were able to learn from the presenters and interact with others from the West Virginia Aviation community. I was told many years ago that when attending a conference that many times the best information is picked up in the hallway or at a reception when talking with a colleague. That was very good advice and very true.
My main point in this post is just not to brag a little about what a great conference the West Virginia Aviation Conference is and to encourage others to attend this wonderful event that is the best value of any conference, but to encourage business related travel in general. In tough economic times, many entities cut travel and training budgets first. In my opinion that is short sighted and pennywise but pound foolish. Business grow when their most valuable resources, their employees, are equipped with fresh ideas and approaches to the business and can implement innovative ideas that will grow the business, and or produce real cost savings that make the business more productive.
We attracted national speakers to the conference, including, Kate Lang, the FAA Deputy Administrator, Mike Boyd, President of The Boyd Group, Henry Ogrodzinski, President of the National Association of Aviation Officials, Joe Esposito, Director of Schedule Planning for Delta Air Lines, Lisa Piccione, VP of Government Affairs for National Business Aviation Association, as well as Congressman Nick Joe Rahall, and Governor Joe Manchin and Senator Rockefeller addressed the conference via video because of his need to be in Washington. Each person provided a unique perspective on various hot topic issues in aviation. The conference all so provided sessions on current legal issues, trends in engineering practices and a very informative session on airport emergency response systems.
Attendees from airports in West Virginia, engineering firms, and suppliers, pilots, authority board members, congressional staff members, air traffic controllers, and state officials all were able to learn from the presenters and interact with others from the West Virginia Aviation community. I was told many years ago that when attending a conference that many times the best information is picked up in the hallway or at a reception when talking with a colleague. That was very good advice and very true.
My main point in this post is just not to brag a little about what a great conference the West Virginia Aviation Conference is and to encourage others to attend this wonderful event that is the best value of any conference, but to encourage business related travel in general. In tough economic times, many entities cut travel and training budgets first. In my opinion that is short sighted and pennywise but pound foolish. Business grow when their most valuable resources, their employees, are equipped with fresh ideas and approaches to the business and can implement innovative ideas that will grow the business, and or produce real cost savings that make the business more productive.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
When the Siren Sounds
The sound of the siren going off at the airport jolts one, no matter how long they have worked here. When the air traffic controllers activate the siren that means that a pilot has declared an emergency and everything else going on at the airport is going to take a back seat to the emergency until it is resolved. On Tuesday July 27, 2010, just before 9 am, the siren sounded. A commercial aircraft 757 with 179 souls on board had a report of smoke in the aircraft and was going to be on the ground in less than eight minutes.
At this point, the airport’s emergency plan goes from a bunch of words and charts in a book, to real life first responders and support personnel on the ground. Yeager Airport is a joint Civil/Military Airport, and the West Virginia Air National Guard maintains a full time professional Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Unit in place, and they are the unit that responds to all airfield emergencies. The Kanawha County Metro 911 Center handles the dispatch and communications with all other responding agencies and support personnel, and those calls go out instantly to all agencies either by radio communications, or via an automated telephone system to support personnel.
A pre-determined response for each type of incident is included in the emergency plan and each agency knows what equipment and personnel is needed to respond to the airport based on the size of the aircraft and the type of emergency. The Federal Aviation Administration also requires each commercial airport to complete an annual review of the plan and every three years to do a live drill of the plan to practice and identify any areas of the plan that need to be improved or changed.
The public has a right to know what is happening during an emergency and they depend upon the local press to provide information. A Public Information Officer is identified in the plan to provide regular updates and notices to the public at large and the press. Using the technology available, the PIO provides regular updates using The Airport’s Website, Facebook and Twitter which local media monitor and are able to receive timely factual and accurate information. If there is a need a press briefing will be held to answer questions and provide additional information.
Our response team, including, airlines serving Yeager, the Transportation Security Administration, Kanawha County Sheriff Department, Charleston Police, Fire and EMT, Kanawha County Ambulance, Pinch Fire Department, Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation, CAMC and Health Net, along with the other agencies mentioned above, work in accordance with the National Incident Management System protocols to establish a joint command and perform the functions outlined in the emergency plan.
Yeager Airport has experienced quite a few pilot declared emergencies of planes that are not bound for Charleston, but rather experience problems near our airspace and make a decision to land at CRW to safely deal with the problem. Each time the airport response team has handled the issues in a professional manner and in the after action reviews we have identified ways that our response can be improved.
I didn’t hear the siren on Tuesday because I was on vacation, and I was out of town last summer when a 737 declared an emergency due to a hole in its fuselage nor was I in town when an aircraft reject takeoff and was stopped by the Engineered Material Arresting System. I am thankful that through modern communications I can stay in contact with the airport response team via my cell phone during an emergency and offer any support that I can. The best part of the entire response team is that it is not dependent upon a person, but rather a group of organizations that know their jobs and have highly trained and dedicated personnel that have the safety of others as their highest priority.
At this point, the airport’s emergency plan goes from a bunch of words and charts in a book, to real life first responders and support personnel on the ground. Yeager Airport is a joint Civil/Military Airport, and the West Virginia Air National Guard maintains a full time professional Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Unit in place, and they are the unit that responds to all airfield emergencies. The Kanawha County Metro 911 Center handles the dispatch and communications with all other responding agencies and support personnel, and those calls go out instantly to all agencies either by radio communications, or via an automated telephone system to support personnel.
A pre-determined response for each type of incident is included in the emergency plan and each agency knows what equipment and personnel is needed to respond to the airport based on the size of the aircraft and the type of emergency. The Federal Aviation Administration also requires each commercial airport to complete an annual review of the plan and every three years to do a live drill of the plan to practice and identify any areas of the plan that need to be improved or changed.
The public has a right to know what is happening during an emergency and they depend upon the local press to provide information. A Public Information Officer is identified in the plan to provide regular updates and notices to the public at large and the press. Using the technology available, the PIO provides regular updates using The Airport’s Website, Facebook and Twitter which local media monitor and are able to receive timely factual and accurate information. If there is a need a press briefing will be held to answer questions and provide additional information.
Our response team, including, airlines serving Yeager, the Transportation Security Administration, Kanawha County Sheriff Department, Charleston Police, Fire and EMT, Kanawha County Ambulance, Pinch Fire Department, Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation, CAMC and Health Net, along with the other agencies mentioned above, work in accordance with the National Incident Management System protocols to establish a joint command and perform the functions outlined in the emergency plan.
Yeager Airport has experienced quite a few pilot declared emergencies of planes that are not bound for Charleston, but rather experience problems near our airspace and make a decision to land at CRW to safely deal with the problem. Each time the airport response team has handled the issues in a professional manner and in the after action reviews we have identified ways that our response can be improved.
I didn’t hear the siren on Tuesday because I was on vacation, and I was out of town last summer when a 737 declared an emergency due to a hole in its fuselage nor was I in town when an aircraft reject takeoff and was stopped by the Engineered Material Arresting System. I am thankful that through modern communications I can stay in contact with the airport response team via my cell phone during an emergency and offer any support that I can. The best part of the entire response team is that it is not dependent upon a person, but rather a group of organizations that know their jobs and have highly trained and dedicated personnel that have the safety of others as their highest priority.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Customer Service - Above and Beyond
The title of the e-mail was one that you dread to open… “To the Manager of “Employee A” I saw in the distribution list that most of the airport staff had been copied on this e-mail, and the employee, who works at the airport does not work for the airport authority. I was very pleasantly surprised when I read the long detailed e-mail from a passenger that praised the airline employee for going above and beyond to accommodate the passenger due to a weather flight cancellation.
Now those of you that are frequent travelers know that weather cancellations can really disrupt travel plans, especially if the weather is at the hub site. Due to the domino effect of massive schedule disruptions because of weather it is not easy to accommodate a passenger with a schedule change.
The e-mail that I read described an employee of Regional Elite, the service company that provides customer service (above the wing) and flight services (below the wing) for Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Continental Airlines at Yeager Airport, that went the extra mile to find a flight connection that enabled the passenger to arrive home in Vancouver, BC the day she was scheduled.
I passed along the e-mail to the President of Regional Elite and the local Station Manager, so that the employee could be recognized for exemplary service. We have a group of dedicated employees at the airport that strive to provide quality customer service even in difficult circumstances. The examples of veteran employees serve as an example to younger employees on the culture of caring that we have at Yeager Airport.
Our police log over the weekend contained two additional examples of employees at the airport doing something that would be considered extraordinary at a large airport, but it was just doing the right thing in West Virginia. Another Regional Elite employee found a purse with more than $2,000 in cash left in a restroom and turned it over to the police to find the owner. Another airport employee found $80.00 cash on the floor and the police was able to return it to its rightful owner.
I believe that genuine caring for your fellow man is a bedrock value of most West Virginians. One advantage of traveling through a smaller regional airport, such as Yeager, is that the traveler is not just treated as another passenger to process, but rather as a person that is special and unique and needs to be cared for.
Granted we are not always perfect, but as a team, including, airline members, TSA members, FAA members, rental car members, concession members and airport staff members we strive to provide service in a manner that meets the real needs of our guest in a genuine caring manner. We welcome feedback, both positive and negative on your experiences at Yeager Airport. You can reach me at rick@yeagerairport.com
Now those of you that are frequent travelers know that weather cancellations can really disrupt travel plans, especially if the weather is at the hub site. Due to the domino effect of massive schedule disruptions because of weather it is not easy to accommodate a passenger with a schedule change.
The e-mail that I read described an employee of Regional Elite, the service company that provides customer service (above the wing) and flight services (below the wing) for Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Continental Airlines at Yeager Airport, that went the extra mile to find a flight connection that enabled the passenger to arrive home in Vancouver, BC the day she was scheduled.
I passed along the e-mail to the President of Regional Elite and the local Station Manager, so that the employee could be recognized for exemplary service. We have a group of dedicated employees at the airport that strive to provide quality customer service even in difficult circumstances. The examples of veteran employees serve as an example to younger employees on the culture of caring that we have at Yeager Airport.
Our police log over the weekend contained two additional examples of employees at the airport doing something that would be considered extraordinary at a large airport, but it was just doing the right thing in West Virginia. Another Regional Elite employee found a purse with more than $2,000 in cash left in a restroom and turned it over to the police to find the owner. Another airport employee found $80.00 cash on the floor and the police was able to return it to its rightful owner.
I believe that genuine caring for your fellow man is a bedrock value of most West Virginians. One advantage of traveling through a smaller regional airport, such as Yeager, is that the traveler is not just treated as another passenger to process, but rather as a person that is special and unique and needs to be cared for.
Granted we are not always perfect, but as a team, including, airline members, TSA members, FAA members, rental car members, concession members and airport staff members we strive to provide service in a manner that meets the real needs of our guest in a genuine caring manner. We welcome feedback, both positive and negative on your experiences at Yeager Airport. You can reach me at rick@yeagerairport.com
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Scouting Out Getting to "The Summit"
I spent the last week in beautiful Pocahontas County, WV at Buckskin Reservation, the Boy Scout Camp at Dilley’s Mill. Enjoying the beautiful scenery and seeing the joy on young boy’s faces as they experience the outdoor wonders that West Virginia has to offer makes sleeping in a tent for a week worth it. Our troop camped with the Buckskin Council Scout Executive, Jeff Purdy, who was there as a father and assistant scoutmaster for his son and another boy from their troop. In speaking with Jeff around the campfire the subject of “The Summit Bechtel Family Scout Reserve” http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/TheSummit.aspx came up and it got me thinking about the number of young scouts that will travel to West Virginia from all over the world to experience the High Adventure Base or every four years the National Scout Jamboree.
This week there were three troops from out of state in camp, one from New Jersey, one from Virginia and one from Ohio. Last year there were two troops from Florida in camp and some of the scouts and leaders flew into the Yeager Airport on AirTran Airways for the week. We have worked with tourism entities in West Virginia, including the West Virginia Division of Tourism, whitewater rafting outfitters, ski resort operators and resort properties to promote air travel opportunities for visitors to the Mountain State so that these entities can expand their markets and attract visitors from a larger geographical area.
I am very excited about the opportunities for Boy Scouts from all over world to be able to come and experience West Virginia adventure first hand and enjoy all that the newest high adventure base will have to offer. It is a proven fact that boys that significantly participate in Scouting grow up and become future leaders and have successful careers due in part to the lessons learned in the Scouting program. Years from now, a CEO of a major corporation or a national political leader will look back with fond memories of West Virginia, as the place they realized that they could be a successful leader because of an experience while attending either the National Jamboree or a High Adventure Base.
Yeager Airport will serve as the gateway for many of these young men and the adult leaders as they travel to West Virginia to participate in the programs offered at the Summit and we are committed to providing a great first impression for them.
This week there were three troops from out of state in camp, one from New Jersey, one from Virginia and one from Ohio. Last year there were two troops from Florida in camp and some of the scouts and leaders flew into the Yeager Airport on AirTran Airways for the week. We have worked with tourism entities in West Virginia, including the West Virginia Division of Tourism, whitewater rafting outfitters, ski resort operators and resort properties to promote air travel opportunities for visitors to the Mountain State so that these entities can expand their markets and attract visitors from a larger geographical area.
I am very excited about the opportunities for Boy Scouts from all over world to be able to come and experience West Virginia adventure first hand and enjoy all that the newest high adventure base will have to offer. It is a proven fact that boys that significantly participate in Scouting grow up and become future leaders and have successful careers due in part to the lessons learned in the Scouting program. Years from now, a CEO of a major corporation or a national political leader will look back with fond memories of West Virginia, as the place they realized that they could be a successful leader because of an experience while attending either the National Jamboree or a High Adventure Base.
Yeager Airport will serve as the gateway for many of these young men and the adult leaders as they travel to West Virginia to participate in the programs offered at the Summit and we are committed to providing a great first impression for them.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Lessons Learned from Twitter and Pizza
Last Friday was a big day at Yeager Airport, the President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, members of the US Senate, and US House, and former President Clinton, all visited West Virginia to pay tribute to Senator Robert C. Byrd at the memorial service held at West Virginia Capital. We also were visited by Mark Knoller, CBS Radio White House Correspondent, who made some tweets about the lack of food, specifically, pizza post security at Yeager Airport.
His tweets attracted some attention, and were retweeted, and Carl Lavin of Forbes.com wrote about the tweets and his blog post was re-tweeted more than 200 times. The next day Aaron Lee of Askaaronlee.com wrote about tweets and those were re-tweeted many times.
So what have we learned from this episode?
1. We have found a method to have tweet mentions forwarded to a few people tasked with monitoring our Social Media presence. A business that fails to respond to Tweets or Facebook posting is like a business that fails to answer its phone in today's environment.
2. During business hours, Tweetdeck is kept open on the computer of the airport receptionist so that we can respond in real time to customer concerns. Ten minutes in Twitter time is like ten hours in real time.
3. We have had discussions with our concessionaire in regard to opening a cafe' post security that will serve food, soft drinks, beer, wine and yes Pizza, in a very visible location. A business can gain valuable insights by listening to what their customers are saying in tweets or other social media postings.
4. I had to figure out how to set up blog and provide my thoughts and insights on Yeager Airport and aviation issues in general. A business that does not proactively interact with its customers using Social Media is missing a great opportunity to effectively communicate with a large segment of its customer base.
His tweets attracted some attention, and were retweeted, and Carl Lavin of Forbes.com wrote about the tweets and his blog post was re-tweeted more than 200 times. The next day Aaron Lee of Askaaronlee.com wrote about tweets and those were re-tweeted many times.
So what have we learned from this episode?
1. We have found a method to have tweet mentions forwarded to a few people tasked with monitoring our Social Media presence. A business that fails to respond to Tweets or Facebook posting is like a business that fails to answer its phone in today's environment.
2. During business hours, Tweetdeck is kept open on the computer of the airport receptionist so that we can respond in real time to customer concerns. Ten minutes in Twitter time is like ten hours in real time.
3. We have had discussions with our concessionaire in regard to opening a cafe' post security that will serve food, soft drinks, beer, wine and yes Pizza, in a very visible location. A business can gain valuable insights by listening to what their customers are saying in tweets or other social media postings.
4. I had to figure out how to set up blog and provide my thoughts and insights on Yeager Airport and aviation issues in general. A business that does not proactively interact with its customers using Social Media is missing a great opportunity to effectively communicate with a large segment of its customer base.
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