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Grand Rapids Airport (GRR) News and Developments


joeDowntown

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I've seen them some where before probably out west whcih i don't know if GRR needs more western connections at this point, LA would be nice in the future, I wish air canada wouold come back with int flights to Toronto (were still on the route map?), also I've used US air and thought it was nice too bad they pulled out from Phila and Pitt. And another former airline ATA (lots of flights to Hawaii)

Southwest would be the best carrier to bring here IMO with flights to SoCal (doubtful)

jetblue or air tran would be good discount carriers to have

Edited by GR8scott
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That's correct, SouthWest is a pretty amazing case study on how to do things right in the airline industry. One of the reasons flights are so expensive is due to fuel costs. How does SouthWest do it? They have extremely good business credit, and can sign long term fixed pricing deals on fuel. Airlines like NWA, and others that have filed for Bankruptcy don't have that luxury, they have to pay market rates. That alone costs the non-fixed price airlines to lose MILLIONS immediately from the bottom line. FWIW, There was a story about this on NPR a while back, so I'm not just spewing things out of my rear.

EDIT: I also believe that the EU subsidizes part of the airline industry, I'll have to do some looking

Southwest shorted the market at the right time with regards to fuel. They're still buying oil at 40$ while everyone else is nearly double that, that is the way they've been so successful. Those contracts expire within the next 2 years, and then they'll have to play on the same field as everyone else.

Conversely, they have used the money for good things, like capital expeditures, they have nice airplanes, don't do the traditional spoke and hub, and pay their employees well.

Take a look at American Airlines, super-old fleet, union and employees and management all on different pages, use the spoke and hub methodology, are expensive to fly internationally.

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I'm pretty sure Frontier has a Hub in Denver, which would make sense that cities like Des Moines, and Omaha would have connections there given their proximity. Northwest has the corner on that market in GR, United not far behind because of it's proximity. It wouldn't make much sense for Frontier to come here, there is not that great of a market for them. It'd make more sense for Southwest or a USAirways type to move in and buys some gates.

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Based on this route map, I'd say it's pretty safe to assume that Frontier's hub is Denver. United is currently running one direct flight per day between GRR and Denver. I wonder how their numbers have been on those flights?

I think Southwest would be a great addition to GRR. I'd also like to see jetBlue, or possibly the return of US Airways.

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Based on this route map, I'd say it's pretty safe to assume that Frontier's hub is Denver. United is currently running one direct flight per day between GRR and Denver. I wonder how their numbers have been on those flights?

I think Southwest would be a great addition to GRR. I'd also like to see jetBlue, or possibly the return of US Airways.

We'll never see JetBlue @ GRR, unless we really blow up in the business world, we don't fit their business model.

I agree with the US Airways though, it'd be great to see them back in GR. They have a lot of flights to the carribean, through their hub in Charlotte (which is an awesome airport.)

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Based on this route map, I'd say it's pretty safe to assume that Frontier's hub is Denver. United is currently running one direct flight per day between GRR and Denver. I wonder how their numbers have been on those flights?

I think Southwest would be a great addition to GRR. I'd also like to see jetBlue, or possibly the return of US Airways.

I always find it interesting that Great Lakes Airways doesn't serve the Great Lakes area...

We'll never see JetBlue @ GRR, unless we really blow up in the business world, we don't fit their business model.

I agree with the US Airways though, it'd be great to see them back in GR. They have a lot of flights to the carribean, through their hub in Charlotte (which is an awesome airport.)

I'd love to have non stop to Charlotte. Especially with family in the Greensboro area, that'd make the trip so much easier (instead of stopping to Chicago, blech)

Edited by snoogit
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From a Airline Industry Q&A on USAToday.com's website:

Grand Rapids, Michigan: First of all, I love your column. I have to check it everyday!! I appreciate your articles. GRR seems to have a lot of travellers most of which transfer through DTW. What are the possibilities of any low-fare carriers coming to GRR?

Ben Mutzabaugh: Thanks! I think GRR (Grand Rapids, Mich.) has a decent chance for low-cost service. I could especially see it fitting into the mix for JetBlue (JFK service) or AirTran (Atlanta and Florida service). The problem with GRR is that both those carriers probably have other cities that rank higher on their "expansion lists." It's not the GRR wouldn't work, but they may have options that they feel are more lucrative. But, down the road, I think someone will probably take a stab at GRR.

I wouldn't say 'never'. ;)

We'll never see JetBlue @ GRR, unless we really blow up in the business world, we don't fit their business model.

I agree with the US Airways though, it'd be great to see them back in GR. They have a lot of flights to the carribean, through their hub in Charlotte (which is an awesome airport.)

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Don't you think that a discount carrier at GRR would draw from a larger customer base than just metro GR? Wouldn't folks in K-zoo, Lansing, Battle Creek, not to mention north of GR, etc. also take advantage of discount service through GRR? I've been wondering about this. Since none of those airports have discount service, it seems logical that travellers from those areas would take advantage of GRR being only 75 miles or less from those towns. Or do you think they would just stick with airlines that serve their home airports? I suppose some of them would go to DTW or even Chicago, but if it were me, I would much rather fly out of GRR if we had a few well-chosen destinations/connections.

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Sorry, I meant one of the big discounts - i.e. Southwest, Jetblue, etc.

I was under the impression our Chamber of Commerce was working with area business leaders to subsidize a low-cost air carrier, i don't know if it stalled, or if it's still in the works, but it would be terrific to have southwest fly here 4x a day or something, but like i said before, I don't think we fit JetBlue's demographic at all.

We've had 757's coming in at night from united, which is encouraging, biggest thing that is getting landed there on a regular basis!

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We've had 757's coming in at night from united, which is encouraging, biggest thing that is getting landed there on a regular basis!

Wait a minute - we have United 757s landing at GRR? I don't think that's true - As far as I knew, the largest aircraft that landed regularly here was the daily fedex A300... actually 2 of them, I think. But I'm pretty sure that the largest passenger aircraft that land at GRR are either UAL 737s or NWA A320s.

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Wait a minute - we have United 757s landing at GRR? I don't think that's true - As far as I knew, the largest aircraft that landed regularly here was the daily fedex A300... actually 2 of them, I think. But I'm pretty sure that the largest passenger aircraft that land at GRR are either UAL 737s or NWA A320s.

Sparky my friend, the FedEx's are a310's, we have some a320's some a319's, a bunch of DC-9's, and yes, a few 737's and one 757-200. It's landing at 9:02 tonight! It is a united from ORD. I don't know if it is just for the season or what, but it has landed 4 nights in a row!

It's UAL490 ftr.

And a boatload of Gulfstream G-V's. I love how Alticor created a company called G5 leasing, and leases all of its G5's out to Alticor. Brilliant!

Edited by NorthEnder
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Sparky my friend, the FedEx's are a310's, we have some a320's some a319's, a bunch of DC-9's, and yes, a few 737's and one 757-200. It's landing at 9:02 tonight! It is a united from ORD. I don't know if it is just for the season or what, but it has landed 4 nights in a row!

It's UAL490 ftr.

And a boatload of Gulfstream G-V's. I love how Alticor created a company called G5 leasing, and leases all of its G5's out to Alticor. Brilliant!

Dude, you're an airport insider?!? Awesome! I had no idea about the 757. That's sweet. If you can ever verify that it's landing again with some lead time, let me know. I'd love to get some photos.

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Dude, you're an airport insider?!? Awesome! I had no idea about the 757. That's sweet. If you can ever verify that it's landing again with some lead time, let me know. I'd love to get some photos.

:rofl:

I meant we as in me and you, and GRR.

http://flightaware.com/live/airport/KGRR :ph34r:

Times listed are about 8 minutes off, BTW, for security.

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..and one 757-200 ... I don't know if it is just for the season or what, but it has landed 4 nights in a row!

It's UAL490 ftr.

I was just looking at flights in February and outbound UA 365 at 840 AM is a 757-200 and the matching inbound flight is 664 arriving at 804 PM. So while the flight number and time will change, it doesn

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Northender was indeed correct. Here's the 757-200, parked right now on the GRR tarmac:

328731951_2916063c5a_b.jpg

Yes, I am willing to make a special trip to the airport to take a picture of an airplane at 9:30 at night. I am a nut.

Nice picture.

I don't blame you, I'm a commerical airplane nut too. You have some awesome pictures of GRR on your photo pages. You should post some of them on airliners.net. GRR is woefully underrepresented over there. Even Traverse City has more pictures of their airport on airliners.net than GRR does. I think some pictures of FedEx A-310s and United 757s would be nice. I'd love to do it myself, but I live 2000 miles away.

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Nice picture.

I don't blame you, I'm a commerical airplane nut too. You have some awesome pictures of GRR on your photo pages. You should post some of them on airliners.net. GRR is woefully underrepresented over there. Even Traverse City has more pictures of their airport on airliners.net than GRR does. I think some pictures of FedEx A-310s and United 757s would be nice. I'd love to do it myself, but I live 2000 miles away.

Believe me, I've tried to get some of my pics on a.net, but they've all been turned down. I have no idea how to meet their standards...

But thanks for the praise! I do appreciate it. And i'm proud to say that I started the GRR flickr group...

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