Frontier Airlines adding flight to Washington Dulles from St. Augustine

[johnny_simpatico]

Don't know what the schedule looks like, but it opens up new possibilities for flying overseas. Dulles serves many international airlines with reasonable fares, such as Turkish. It's fairly competitive.  Apart from Delta through ATL, most connections from JAX involve regional jets, which are cramped and piloted by underpaid and inexperienced staff.

[ProjectMaximus]

Don't know what the schedule looks like, but it opens up new possibilities for flying overseas. Dulles serves many international airlines with reasonable fares, such as Turkish.

United has two or three daily flights between JAX and IAD. Of course, they are more expensive than I expect Frontier will be, but just saying.

[johnny_simpatico]

... and I believe the UA flights are on RJs.

[ProjectMaximus]

Welp...that didnt last long.

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/blog/morning-edition/2014/10/frontier-airlines-flights-stopping-between-st.html

[iMarvin]

More flights for St Augustine:

St. Augustine airport to get new direct flights to Charlotte

The Northeast Florida Regional Airport in St. Augustine is getting new, seasonal nonstop service from ViaAir — the second carrier to offer passenger service to the airport this year.

The service, between Charlotte Douglas International Airport and St. Augustine, will begin on Dec. 19. The 30-seat Embraer EMB-120 aircraft will fly on select dates through Jan. 20.

The flight is a big deal because it helps connect Northeast Florida to a big banking city, helping efforts to expand that industry here.

Read more at http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2014/12/04/st-augustine-airport-to-get-new-direct-flights-to.html

[thelakelander]

Nice!

[ProjectMaximus]

I'm sure it's a positive step but it seems pretty minimal to me. Appears to be a one-month trial flying once daily only on weekends. Combined with Frontier cutting the Dulles flight looks like the only scheduled commercial flight may soon be to Trenton. Hopefully the momentum can get going again.

[finehoe]

Dulles is hurting these days:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/nationals-explosive-growth-threatens-dulles/2014/11/28/51cba95c-76f3-11e4-8893-97bf0c02cc5f_story.html

[spuwho]

Dulles is hurting these days:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/nationals-explosive-growth-threatens-dulles/2014/11/28/51cba95c-76f3-11e4-8893-97bf0c02cc5f_story.html

Interesting. I never thought of Dulles as an optimal airport for domestic travel in and out of the District.  I always fly into Reagan simply because I have access to transit.

And yes, Congress does mess with airline arrangements.  When I worked in Chicago and had to fly to DC a lot, I could always get a flight fast because United always had a flight ready at the first gate across from check in and security. It is known locally as the "Congressman Special" because they (the local members of Congress) needed uninhibited access to a flight without having to walk the concourse like normal people and have to deal with those pesky & intrusive constituents.

When an elected official was on the flight, it would be full. But for the most part it wasn't. But United keeps it going lest they get a call from the House Subcommittee on Transportation.

[copperfiend]

I flew into Dulles one time because it was signifigantly cheaper. It seemed severely outdated. Only good thing was it was a ghost town at 7am and was one of the easiest airport experiences I have had.

[Gators312]

I'm sure it's a positive step but it seems pretty minimal to me. Appears to be a one-month trial flying once daily only on weekends. Combined with Frontier cutting the Dulles flight looks like the only scheduled commercial flight may soon be to Trenton. Hopefully the momentum can get going again.

I agree, it's a seasonal add by a charter company.  It's something, but not much. 

The flight is a big deal because it helps connect Northeast Florida to a big banking city, helping efforts to expand that industry here.