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« Previous Story | The Industry Report Home Page | Next Story » Leaving On A Prop Plane? Rockies Flights Up In The AirBy Steamboat is losing 7,000 seats as United Express switches mainly to props from Denver to the Yampa Regional airport. The resort will have upgraded jet service from Chicago on American, and from Salt Lake City on Delta, as well as more Northwest flights. "With more mainline seats," Steamboat believes "the quality of product has improved significantly," a spokesman said. Struggling United Airlines this spring divorced Air Wisconsin, which flies daily jets under the United banner into Aspen from Denver. Result: that jet service will end after this winter. Rather than be left with only prop service, the Aspen community is busy searching for jet alternatives for 2006. "Our short-term outlook is outstanding," Bill Tomcich, president of Stay AspenSnowmass, the central reservations agency, told The Industry Report. "Long-term outlook has a question mark." He said he was "certain" that eventually Aspen's winter service would be better than in the past, "whether it's a new jet or an advanced turboprop model." Aspen is crucial to United, he said, because the higher fares passengers pay to use Aspen's Sardy Field means an extra $10-million in United's coffers. Gunnison, serving Crested Butte, has scored a victory, getting daily nonstop United jets from Denver for the upcoming winter. That's a boost from weekend service last winter. Telluride/Montrose air service director Scott Stewart says the frequency of winter flights will be very similar to last winter's. United will continue to fly weekend jets from Denver into Montrose. Smaller daily props mean a net loss of 3,000 seats, but the numbers better reflect the resort's needs, said Stewart. Montrose also has direct service from six other major cities. Kent Myers, a consultant to several regional air authorities, says his client Eagle (near Vail) could emerge a big winner. Eagle will see nonstop jets from Denver and 12 other major cities on six airlines this winter. If, in 2006, only prop planes, rather than jets, ferry visitors from Denver to Aspen, "there's a potential upside for Eagle," he told The Industry Report. That airport is 90 minutes from Aspen. According to Myers, almost 20 percent of Eagle's passengers already come from or head to the Aspen area. « Previous Story | The Industry Report Home Page | Next Story » |
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