Richmond International Airport

[evanf]

On June 9, 2016 at 3:45 PM, eandslee said:

Great!  Also want to know if the flight to Denver was full. If we can get those direct flights to Denver full, overflowing even, then you just might get your direct flights to the west coast from RIC. I know Richmond can sustain direct flights to the west, we just have to prove it by filling the one direct flight west that we have. I'm hopeful that more direct flights west will be announced soon. 

 

Me too. Imagine a 5 hr. flight from Richmond to LA!? I will talk to my sister and report back to you guys.

 

23 hours ago, hikendesign said:

Good to hear about SNA airport. I'm flying United through Chicago to SNA to visit family in Laguna Beach over the Christmas holidays.  Got tickets on Monday.  Glad to hear Good news about the airport, hadn't flown through there but it was recommended.  Had flown to Sony Bono airport in Palm Springs once, not bad either.  Had outdoor shopping, dining etc.  Good weather, beautiful scenery, why not be outside.  

It was my first time flying into the area but everyone I've talked to recommends it over LAX especially if you are going to Orange county. I think it actually ended up being cheaper than LAX anyways.

[flack4ric]

Just dropping in to say hey! Glad to see the various discussions about RIC-related developments. Aside from this forum, keep in mind that RIC maintains a Facebook page and is very active on Twitter (@Flack4RIC). One hot topic over the last few weeks has been wait times at checkpoints. Just so you know, RIC's wait times average less than 10 minutes. The busiest period is early AM with the many kick-off flights before 8:30AM. During absolute peaks, we can see wait times spike to 20-25 minutes, but much of the rest of the day in walk up and go through.

[eandslee]

Flack4ric,

Thanks for stopping by!  We love it when we can talk about RIC and its growth and services. If you ever have anything to add, you are always welcome to post here. Thanks for being a great ambassador to the airport, especially over all social media where the message of RIC and its services can be delivered to more people everywhere. Here's to RIC's future growth and excellent service! 

FLY RIC!

- Eandslee (aka Hooforce on other social media)

[blopp1234]

Went on vacation last week and flew out of Richmond to Charlotte. When we arrived at Richmond at around 5:30 in the morning, the airport was somewhat alive, which I was suprised it was that early... But it didn't feel crowded at all. It was the opposite of Charlotte. The amount of delays and problems we experienced at Charlotte were terrible. It was crowded and you could barely move through the concourses. The concourses were no were near as nice as the 2 concourses at RIC. While I would like to see RIC's concourses updated to be more like the main terminal, it feels like a much nicer and cleaner airport than other airports larger than it. 

Fly RIC!!

[eandslee]

3 hours ago, blopp1234 said:

Went on vacation last week and flew out of Richmond to Charlotte. When we arrived at Richmond at around 5:30 in the morning, the airport was somewhat alive, which I was suprised it was that early... But it didn't feel crowded at all. It was the opposite of Charlotte. The amount of delays and problems we experienced at Charlotte were terrible. It was crowded and you could barely move through the concourses. The concourses were no were near as nice as the 2 concourses at RIC. While I would like to see RIC's concourses updated to be more like the main terminal, it feels like a much nicer and cleaner airport than other airports larger than it. 

Fly RIC!!

Thanks for the report Blopp!  Glad you had a great experience at RIC...and thanks for flying RIC!  Your support just may help to get more flights to new destinations.  Here's to our growing airport!

[drayrichmond]

12 hours ago, blopp1234 said:

Went on vacation last week and flew out of Richmond to Charlotte. When we arrived at Richmond at around 5:30 in the morning, the airport was somewhat alive, which I was suprised it was that early... But it didn't feel crowded at all. It was the opposite of Charlotte. The amount of delays and problems we experienced at Charlotte were terrible. It was crowded and you could barely move through the concourses. The concourses were no were near as nice as the 2 concourses at RIC. While I would like to see RIC's concourses updated to be more like the main terminal, it feels like a much nicer and cleaner airport than other airports larger than it. 

Fly RIC!!

I flew from RIC just a few weeks ago to Newark then on to Seattle, every time I go to RIC I am very pleased and thankful that it is my airport; clean, fast, and easy!

[jbjust]

Just finished booking a West Coast itinerary and, for the umpteenth time, I have to fly to Atlanta to spend the night because the latest flight from the West Coast to Richmond that isn't a red-eye flight leaves at 1 p.m.  We desperately need a directly flight to the West Coast.   

[drayrichmond]

19 minutes ago, jbjust said:

Just finished booking a West Coast itinerary and, for the umpteenth time, I have to fly to Atlanta to spend the night because the latest flight from the West Coast to Richmond that isn't a red-eye flight leaves at 1 p.m.  We desperately need a directly flight to the West Coast.   

Yes we do! flew to Seattle a few weeks ago and getting there wasn't so bad, flew to Newark then on to Seattle, but getting back was a huge pain. Had to take a redeye that left Seattle at midnight to Chicago then a two hour layover until the only flight to Richmond. (this was on United)

We really need a flight to at least LA or San Fran, I don't know exactly what west coast port is the big hub, but we need a direct flight to it. 

[jbjust]

1 hour ago, drayrichmond said:

Yes we do! flew to Seattle a few weeks ago and getting there wasn't so bad, flew to Newark then on to Seattle, but getting back was a huge pain. Had to take a redeye that left Seattle at midnight to Chicago then a two hour layover until the only flight to Richmond. (this was on United)

We really need a flight to at least LA or San Fran, I don't know exactly what west coast port is the big hub, but we need a direct flight to it. 

I call that Chicago layover flight back the "pink eye" instead of a proper red eye. 

[eandslee]

3 hours ago, drayrichmond said:

Yes we do! flew to Seattle a few weeks ago and getting there wasn't so bad, flew to Newark then on to Seattle, but getting back was a huge pain. Had to take a redeye that left Seattle at midnight to Chicago then a two hour layover until the only flight to Richmond. (this was on United)

We really need a flight to at least LA or San Fran, I don't know exactly what west coast port is the big hub, but we need a direct flight to it. 

Yeah, Richmond definitely needs more west coast direct flights...and then to your other point, more flights altogether so as to avoid the wait you had to make before there was even a flight to Richmond from Chicago. I know that there are people everyday who travel to the west coast from Richmond, I just don't know how many. The question is, if there are folks flying to the west coast who live in Central Virginia, are they going to one of the DC airports to fly direct or are they using RIC where they might pay a little more and have a connection...or two?  RIC really needs to get direct flights to the west coast to keep those going to DC airports flying out of RIC instead. It's the case of the chicken and the egg - the airlines want to see a demand before they start flights, plus the community has to pony up money to reduce the risk to the airline if the route fails. BUT, you can't generate demand without getting those flocking to other airports to fly out of RIC instead. So there lies the conundrum. Perhaps we need to lure in a company with close ties to the west coast who will bring in many employees and business travelers who will need to fly west in a regular basis. That's the best and quickest way I see a direct flight to the west coast happening soon (not that I know of any company moving to Richmond who has ties to the west coast). Certainly Stone Brewery does, but not sure how much demand there is from that company to have direct flights to San Diego....  Just something to think about. I'd love to see direct flights to the west, but if we get them, it will be a direct reflection of the Richmond economy AND we'd better use it so as not to lose it!

[jbjust]

eandslee,

I may be wrong, but I think there is ample information circulated throughout the industry which shows the originating zip codes of flyers and their destinations.  I think the airlines know that I drive to Dulles if I fly internationally rather than connect from Richmond.  I have not yet driven to D.C. to catch a direct flight to the West Coast, but I was tempted this time. 

[eandslee]

1 minute ago, jbjust said:

eandslee,

I may be wrong, but I think there is ample information circulated throughout the industry which shows the originating zip codes of flyers and their destinations.  I think the airlines know that I drive to Dulles if I fly internationally rather than connect from Richmond.  I have not yet driven to D.C. to catch a direct flight to the West Coast, but I was tempted this time. 

I always thought that the airlines or airports had kept that information proprietary, but I will do some searching and see what I can find out. In the meantime, keep flying out of Richmond jbjust!  I know it can be tough sometimes, but you are making a difference. 

[jbjust]

You're probably right.  I'm guessing United and Delta know about me at least.

[eandslee]

In case you haven't looked at the latest statistics for the airport lately, Richmond International served 3.52 million passengers this past year (their fiscal year which ended at the end of June), which is really close to its record of 3.6 million passengers in 2007, before the Great Recession! This is great news and we are well on our way to hitting a record 4 million passengers soon. 

 

On another, but good, note (which will help RIC hit a record for passenger count) it was announced that Southwest Airlines will reinstate non-stop service from Richmond to Orlando on Saturdays and Sunday's beginning in January and February 2017!  Orlando happens to be Richmond's third most frequented route behind Altanta and Boston. Use this service folks!  I'm hoping for more service to new markets and hoping for the entrance of a new airline at RIC. I would love to see Frontier Airlines land at RIC with destinations to the west. If the statistical trend keeps up and improves, other airlines will take notice and expand service.  Let's use RIC whenever possible. Fly RIC!

 

For reference:

http://m.richmond.com/business/article_a28a0859-ef31-54b9-b1e1-cfd9f7777b06.html?mode=jqm

[jbjust]

$200 is crazy.  You're easily out another $20 in gas and parking is twice as expensive.  I only drive to Dulles to fly when I'm flying internationally and having something go screwy with the connection would be catastrophic.  

[eandslee]

4 minutes ago, hikendesign said:

exactly - add up all the extras and you're about even and then stuck with the commute.  Here's a scenario and has happened, delayed flight coming back to Dulles, arrive at almost midnight, enjoy your drive home.  Another one, plane got in on time, driving I-95 heading home, stuck in traffic due to an accident for more than 1 hour, enjoy your drive home....The kicker, the company paid for the flight, even more ridiculous.  There's no restriction on cost, they would have paid for whatever....

Aw man, that sucks!  It just doesn't make too much sense to go north.  Just fly out of RIC.  Got to get all the local businesses onboard with that idea too. I understand the direct flight thing. RIC needs to be better at this, but this will get better when the airport is used more. It will happen. Just keep using RIC as much as possible. There is a lot good happening there. 

[blopp1234]

With the amount of people flying out of RIC going up and reaching almost the record amount of passengers, could we see in the near future having concourse B expanded to have the same amount of gates as concourse A or add a new concourse?  

Edited July 28, 2016 by blopp1234

[tparkerzut]

Sad to say I just booked a flight out of Reagan (sorry). I'm only going to Hartford but nothing seemed to be working out from RIC. I needed to leave in the evening after work and return back afternoon to early evening (out of convenience really). As soon as I limited my times of course the price shot up 150 dollars and there were no direct flights. 3-4 hour layovers plus longer flight times because the layovers were Charlotte or Georgia, plus an extra 130 dollars for the plane ticket means I'm going to DC. Yes it's a 2 hour car ride (hopefully) but a direct flight and cheaper. If it had been a further flight time I may have flown out of RIC but its only an hour flight that was turning into 5 hours.

With that said I flew out of RIC to Montreal (layover in NYC) and back from Quebec City (layover in NYC) in May and it was great and completely worth it! Tickets where only about 50 bucks more and RIC is always a breeze. Wish it was always more convenient!

[eandslee]

41 minutes ago, blopp1234 said:

With the amount of people flying out of RIC going up and reaching almost the record amount of passengers, could we see in the near future having concourse B expanded to have the same amount of gates as concourse A or add a new concourse?  

If RIC can land another airline and add additional passengers served, I can see Concourse A expanded, but right now we have enough gates to serve the airlines we have. Another airline would require more leased gates and therefore might call for an expansion depending on how many gates are leased. Also, don't forget that it would also be good if any of the current airlines serving RIC would expand their service and require additional gates. It is in the master plan of the airport to expand Concourse A next. It will happen, it's just a matter of how fast RIC can grow...which is why I heavily promote flying out of RIC when you can.  Tell your neighbors and friends to do the same.  I hope to see an expansion in the next several years, but hopefully something happens to make it happen sooner.

Edited July 28, 2016 by eandslee

[Shakman]

51 minutes ago, blopp1234 said:

With the amount of people flying out of RIC going up and reaching almost the record amount of passengers, could we see in the near future having concourse B expanded to have the same amount of gates as concourse A or add a new concourse?  

Actually Concourse B has more gates than Concourse A.

[blopp1234]

7 minutes ago, eandslee said:

If RIC can land another airline and add additional passengers served, I can see Concourse A expanded, but right now we have enough gates to serve the airlines we have. Another airline would require more leased gates and therefore might call for an expansion depending on how many gates are leased. Also, don't forget that it would also be good if any of the current airlines serving RIC would expand their service and require additional gates. It is in the master plan of the airport to expand Concourse A next. It will happen, it's just a matter of how fast RIC can grow...which is why I heavily promote flying out of RIC when you can.  Tell your neighbors and friends to do the same.  I hope to see an expansion in the next several years, but hopefully something happens to make it happen sooner.

I don't think it will be as much about the ridership because RIC's passenger count keeps rising. I think that if we can land 1 more airline then we will see a concourse expansion. The key is landing more flights which will create demand for more gates. Look at Memphis. Their ridership isn't going up all that much and they have about 67 gates(3 times more than RIC currently does) when they only have about 250,000 more annual riders. It's all about getting flights out west(like y'all were saying) and landing additional airlines. If we can attract a new airline, then concourse A will be expanded. 

@Shakmansorry was a typo, forgot to fix it.

[jbjust]

21 minutes ago, blopp1234 said:

I don't think it will be as much about the ridership because RIC's passenger count keeps rising. I think that if we can land 1 more airline then we will see a concourse expansion. The key is landing more flights which will create demand for more gates. Look at Memphis. Their ridership isn't going up all that much and they have about 67 gates(3 times more than RIC currently does) when they only have about 250,000 more annual riders. It's all about getting flights out west(like y'all were saying) and landing additional airlines. If we can attract a new airline, then concourse A will be expanded. 

@Shakmansorry was a typo, forgot to fix it.

Memphis used to be a Delta mini-hub (maybe a holdover from Northwestern, but not sure), which is the reason it has so many gates. 

[Wahoo 07]

3 minutes ago, jbjust said:

Memphis used to be a Delta mini-hub (maybe a holdover from Northwestern, but not sure), which is the reason it has so many gates. 

Memphis was a Republic Air, then Northwest Hub.  When Delta acquired NWA, it downgraded Memphis.

[eandslee]

42 minutes ago, Wahoo 07 said:

Memphis was a Republic Air, then Northwest Hub.  When Delta acquired NWA, it downgraded Memphis.

Yeah, Memphis doesn't serve nearly as many passengers as it used to.  It mostly serves FexEx now. Currently, Memphis serves about 3.7 million passengers a year. 

[Wahoo 07]

A record September for RIC

 

http://www.richmond.com/business/local/article_3a0b3228-1606-58b1-8c74-c365ff52cee0.html