I had big hopes when MassPort took over last July, but figured they would go slow. Now I just don't know. Direct Air was a good start but just that I start. After all the e-mails and phone calls I have gotten, personally I would not fly with them.
How we can not get any flights from Boston? Leisure travel flights to cruises? One flight per week to Florida? We need to make something happen.
Travel bank!!! Click here for a story
Same Time Next Year
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It’s been nearly a year since I wrote about the problems that come from
having 11 bosses who are not on the same page about anything, as well as
suggestion...
5 months ago
19 comments:
Boy, am I glad to hear you're NOT going to be flying on Direct Air. I don't think you EVER have. Best news I've heard since Massport took over--certainly.
ben
Bill said, "After all the e-mails and phone calls I have gotten, personally I would not fly with them."
I'm suprised you are making a statement like this one. If everyone currently reading this blog and/or who were thinking of flying out of Worcester thought the same thing, what incentive would MassPort have to bring more flights to Worcester?
And don't forget the name of your blog is flyorh! :)
My wife and daughter flew it twice. I could not go to Florida.
Do you want me to lie and say it was great? It wasn't.
Worcester can be a great airport but we need better airlines. That was my point.
Maybe if we were able to start a Travel Bank and raise money, it would help attract a better airline?
Bill
Ben and Dave:
Think ORH can be a great airport, but right now Direct Air just does not cut it for me.
On the other hand, if Allegiant was still here I would fly them. THey have their own fleet and are very reliable.
Direct Air has not fleet, rents inferior planes (too bad they do not have Virgin still) and have alot of delays with no real assitance or information from the people on the ground.
I would just rather fly JetBlue out of Boston or SouthWest out of Providence. My whole throught process was that MassPort would be able to bring in airlines like this.
Disappointed that one year in, we have nothing.
Bill
I have flown Direct Air three times. Two times everthing went well, no delays or anything. Third time I was rerouted and it delayed my ariaval a couple hours. Didn't like it at the time but I was only late by a couple hours. Delays happen at all airports nd all airlines.
The thing with Worcester is I can not go anywhere else but Florida and Myrtle Beach. I would like to see a shuttle with and airline like JetBlue or US Air to a hub so I can go anywhere in the country.
I think a Travel Bank is a good idea.
And 5 years from now, you will still have nothing at ORH. It is never going to become what you want it to become.
I have said it too many times the last week or so.....(Massports 1st anniversary) NOThing of any significance has happened at the airport in a year. WTH has the CC been on this issue? Passing AZ. resolutions?? Massport should have been able to hit the ground running July, 2010, esp. after leasing the place for 9 yrs, they had plenty of time to get get their feet under the proverbial desk.
SORRY...but another unfulfilled Worcester dream of better/more comm air service.....and God dammit :) do not call me a naysayer..........I call em as I see em.
Meanwhile back at the ranch, 5 miles to the east (as the crow flies) we're now debating spending an extra $30M to make a new bridge More aesthically pleasing........then southwesterly, 3.5 miles from the bridge we've wizzzzzed away at least $30M (times 5?) on low income housing units that cost $200,000 more to build per unit than they s/b costing. If bridges had low income residents that could vote, Havana Jim and Barack O'Brien would find the extra 30M$ for the fancy bridge in a NY minute.
BTW there"s anoterh utter failure on a 28" Schwinn that many folks had High hopes for.....i.e. Barack O'B.
I had a grate weakend...IN WORCESTER....hope y'awl did two. Greenhill Paaaaaaaak looks great. Why cant we re-open the beach that was there years ago?? The carp going to eat the littel kiddies????...assuming there's still carp in there?
WTH is a Travel Bank? They come to me house with a bank on wheels? Beware this may violate the vendor push cart ordinance re retail sales on wheels....esp if the bank is handing out lollipops to the kids in the neighborhood.
Also congrats the Somerville Irish Setter for another successful NOLA fest I assume???????
Wow .... T&G poll re:lake bridge running 4:1
IN FAVOR OF LESS COSTLY BRIDGE.
i CAN ASSURE U IF wORC & sHREWSB HAD TO PAY FOR THAT BRIDGE OUTTA THIEr OWN POCKETS It would be built for prob 50M$ and still be nice
Jahn
It pains me to say this , but you are 100% correct.
I had this completely wrong!! Really expected big things from Massport.
Bill
Look at the bright side Bill. At least our local tax dollars aren't being thrown away into a underutilized airport.
It really did look like a real airport in the movie Knight & Day.
Unfortunately it is what is -not crowded and overpopulated with outsiders, and that the way they like it up there according to some associates up there.
Southwest in Rhode Island is not that far away--rte 146 to 295 and you're there. That is what I mainly use now.
Keep up the good fight!
Gentlemen;
a major airline is not here because there is no business....if there was there would be a major airline....my buddy flies Direct Air to FLA about four times a year...and he lives in Raynham and he raves about it....Plattsburgh new airport booming..Barnstable booming...both much smaller cities than Worcester..my festival was a huge success...all because of folks who traveled into the city..maybe 10% of the paid attendees were from Worcester-a di
grace..this city only has itself to blame for it's middle class population loss, educated youth loss and poverty gain....having a population wherein 90% of it is disenfranchised, non involved is nothing to brag about yet it does all the time when it brags that it is the second biggest city in New England....Boston just beat out Austin, TX as a city with more involved, educated youth-this is something to brag about...having more losers is not!
<<< Thot I had a bet with a certain adult beverage store owner about the success of airport after MP's takeover? :).
I think it was 30 pack of warm Bud?? (it takes me all summer to go through that...thus the need for warm beer).
Hey I think have made 1-2 wrong predictions here myself...... :) ........++++ happens.
Someone(s) here said ORH would be basically mothballed until capacity utilization At logan ( and Handscome??) was maxed out........who ever said that had a great Magic 8 ball.
Would like to get folks thots on this add'l $30M for the lake bridge
Rootin' for this airport is like waiting sincve 1972 for the Bruin's to bring home a Stanley Cup
Worc reallly needs a hattrick very soon in its econ. dev'ment....lest we be relegated to the backwoods
Also meant to add, has anyone ever contemplated what would happen to DA's abilty to rent planes from other carriers if teh oterh carriers didnt have excess capacity...also known as available rental time for unused planes.
Is DA kinda like the Texas cattleman with a big hat and no cattle and when I really need a side of beef (lotsa ORH flights ) he aint got it.
I know its EZ for me to be critical.....but.......methinks we have another important Worc econ. devment issue about to go down in smoke and city hall is MIA
Bill, I think it's high time you put together a plan for a travel bank to attract Jetblue.
Like the story you linked to, start asking for non-binding pledges to gauge interest in an air bank.
Rumor has it that Direct Air is shut down for the summer in Worcester. A friend of mine received an email from them saying so. I tried to book some flights on their website and there doesn't appear to be any flights.
At the same time however, i drove by recently and there appeared to be a lot of cars there. Bill, any truth to this rumor? If so, not looking good for air service at the airport.
I will pledge some money for a travel bank and help if I can.
Anonymous said...
"Rumor has it that Direct Air is shut down for the summer in Worcester. A friend of mine received an email from them saying so. I tried to book some flights on their website and there doesn't appear to be any flights."
I don't think that is true Anonymous. They are advertising for the fall season. Why would they be doing that if they were having problems. The only flights that were discontinued was West Palm which will be added back in the Fall. This is the way Direct Air operates because they are seasonal destintaions ala Myrtle Beach which they suspend from November to March.
Paulie, I respectfully disagree about Worcester not having a business community. It may not be as strong as in the past but we still have major employers in town that need to fly and that is not even counting the number of colleges and medical employees. However with the low cost options available in Boston and Providence with Southwest and JetBlue, what is the incentive for the airlines or the prospective passengers to change their flying habits?
Any airline that comes to Worcester to serve the business community would have to have multiple flights and be patient which in this day and age is unrealistic because of the high cost of doing business.
I'm afraid the best Worcester can hope for is to aggressively tap into the leisure market with more than just Direct Air.
David Z.......I meant busines as in a customer base that support more than Direct.Air....
For the record, Bill--flew down to Sanford today on Direct. I counted 148 getting off from Punta Gorda.. 2 hrs 17 min later landed in Sanford --no hassles at either end--all in all a great flight for $ 79.00
ben
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