Richmond International Airport

[burt]

Burt, most of these are "less than daily," but there may be more one-stop destination/origination points than you might have imagined:

Outbound, from RIC to:

Colorado Springs, Phoenix, San Antonio, Salt Lake City, Kalamazoo, Nashville, Burlington, Charleston, Cedar Rapids, Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Memphis, New Orleans, Fort Myers, South Bend, Sarasota, St. Louis, Edmonton, Omaha, Providence, Birmingham, Greenville-Spartanburg, Greensboro, Raleigh-Durham & Tallahassee.

Inbound to RIC:

Austiin, Asheville, Nashville, El Paso, Sioux Falls, Ft. Wayne, Greensboro, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Harrisburg, Chicago Midway, Memphis, New Orleans, Monterrey (NL), Omaha, Ft. Myers, Sacramento, Traverse City & Ft. Walton Beach.

The list of one-stop flights changes with monthly schedule updates. We tend to have 2-3 Caribbean onestops during the winter, for example.

Flack4RIC

This list is a revelation. Thanks, Flack.

I note that there are two International flights -- outbound to Edmondton, in the Province of Alberta, and inbound from Monterrey in Mexico.

[crashvt03]

Burt, most of these are "less than daily," but there may be more one-stop destination/origination points than you might have imagined:

Outbound, from RIC to:

Colorado Springs, Phoenix, San Antonio, Salt Lake City, Kalamazoo, Nashville, Burlington, Charleston, Cedar Rapids, Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Memphis, New Orleans, Fort Myers, South Bend, Sarasota, St. Louis, Edmonton, Omaha, Providence, Birmingham, Greenville-Spartanburg, Greensboro, Raleigh-Durham & Tallahassee.

Inbound to RIC:

Austiin, Asheville, Nashville, El Paso, Sioux Falls, Ft. Wayne, Greensboro, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Harrisburg, Chicago Midway, Memphis, New Orleans, Monterrey (NL), Omaha, Ft. Myers, Sacramento, Traverse City & Ft. Walton Beach.

The list of one-stop flights changes with monthly schedule updates. We tend to have 2-3 Caribbean onestops during the winter, for example.

Flack4RIC

It should be noted though, that you aren't always going to be on the same plane all the way to these destinations. I've flown on a few of these flights before, and I've always had to change planes in Detroit, Atlanta, etc. Plus, I've been told that if you do need to change planes in DTW/ATL/etc and are late arriving, there is no guarantee that the connecting plane will wait for you. I haven't had this happen to me, so I'm not 100% sure this is true. One other thing to note, if you do fly one of these routes, you will only get credit for 1 segment and the number of miles between RIC and that destination, not the traditional 2 segments and possibly more miles. At least this was the case on Delta. I flew a 1-stop to Moline via DTW and only got 1 segment and 754 miles instead of 2 segments and 1000 miles. I tried to get Delta to give me the additional credit but they wouldn't. I'm not sure if this is the norm on other airlines, but thought everybody should be aware.

[burt]

RIC upgrades parking lot shuttle.

The airport also announces that May traffic was down by only 613 passengers (0.2%) from May of last year.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/business/2010/jun/30/b-airp30-ar-260042/

[calwinston]

RIC upgrades parking lot shuttle.

The airport also announces that May traffic was down by only 613 passengers (0.2%) from May of last year.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdis...rp30-ar-260042/

Also they are opening a USO Center inside the airport July 13. This is obviously in contibution to the expansion at Ft Lee.

[flack4ric]

It should be noted though, that you aren't always going to be on the same plane all the way to these destinations. I've flown on a few of these flights before, and I've always had to change planes in Detroit, Atlanta, etc. Plus, I've been told that if you do need to change planes in DTW/ATL/etc and are late arriving, there is no guarantee that the connecting plane will wait for you. I haven't had this happen to me, so I'm not 100% sure this is true. One other thing to note, if you do fly one of these routes, you will only get credit for 1 segment and the number of miles between RIC and that destination, not the traditional 2 segments and possibly more miles. At least this was the case on Delta. I flew a 1-stop to Moline via DTW and only got 1 segment and 754 miles instead of 2 segments and 1000 miles. I tried to get Delta to give me the additional credit but they wouldn't. I'm not sure if this is the norm on other airlines, but thought everybody should be aware.

crashvt03 - as noted, many of these one-stop options are "less than daily." In some cases, it is a very specific routing available 1-2 days per week. And the next schedule change will change both lists. The flight credit piece was a very good add to the discussion.

Flack4RIC

[flack4ric]

Also they are opening a USO Center inside the airport July 13. This is obviously in contibution to the expansion at Ft Lee.

calwinston, the USO Center at RIC had its "soft opening" on Thursday, June 24. It is now operational daily 09:00-21:00. Staff and volunteers tell us its already beating usage projections.

The Grand Opening is slated for July 13.

Flack4RIC

[flack4ric]

Due to proximity to airports such as IAD, we see diversions at RIC with some frequency, including Aer Lingus on Monday, June 28th.

Flack4RIC

[flack4ric]

Another image of the Aer Lingus visit from earlier in the week.

Flack4RIC

[burt]

Flack, thanks for the updates and pictures.

The Aer Lingus plane is an A330 Airbus.

Did the passengers from Ireland disembark through a jetway at RIC or were they shuttled from the tarmac to the terminal to clear customs?. And were they then bused to IAD?

Good to read (and see) that the new USO is exceeding expectations. Isn't it beyond the ticketing hall on the second level?

Edited July 2, 2010 by burt

[Shakman]

Flack, thanks for the updates and pictures.

The Aer Lingus plane is an A330 Airbus.

Did the passengers from Ireland disembark through a jetway at RIC or were they shuttled from the tarmac to the terminal to clear customs?. And were they then bused to IAD?

Good to read (and see) that the new USO is exceeding expectations. Isn't it beyond the ticketing hall on the second level?

Aer Lingus use to fly non-stop between Dublin, Ireland and IAD. Due to low load factors, that flight no longer exists. The Aer Lingus A332 flight seen in the photos actually originated from Madrid. United flies non-stop between IAD and MAD, via Aer Lingus, five times weekly. United and Aer Lingus have an agreement in which United provides the administrative support while Aer Lingus takes care of the logistics under a two year pilot program. If successful, this similar arragements may apply to additional international destinations. This all stems from an aviation agreement between the US and EU. I would explain the agreement but I cannot think at the moment.

Edited July 2, 2010 by Shakman

[burt]

Flack posted a picture of the new USO outpost at RIC a few entries above.

Here's a news story about it which is on the first (baggage carousel level) of the airport.

The Airport Commission has offered another 500 s/f or so to enlarge the facility.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2010/jul/04/b4-usoo04-ar-263749/

[burt]

Jet Blue reports $30 million 2nd quarter profit and is optimistic about the rest of the year. It forecasts more flying to the destinations it serves.

Maybe that will translate to more Jet Blue flights to and from RIC.

From today's RTD:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/business/2010/jul/22/bluegat22-ar-346848/

[burt]

Passenger traffic dropped 1.8% at RIC in June of 2010. About 5,000 fewer travelers flew in and out of the airport than in June of 2009.

Meanwhile, Newport News/Williamsburg Airport saw an increase of 7.8% this June over a year ago.

The number of flyers at RIC totaled 298,140 this June compared to 303,474 last year. At Newport News traffic in June of 2010 totaled 104,843 compared to 97,278 a year ago.

Richmond info from today's RTD and Peninsula figures from yesterday's Virginian Pilot:

http://www2.timesdis...rp31-ar-356264/

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/07/newport-news-airport-sees-increase-traffic-june?cid=rltd

Edited July 31, 2010 by burt

[wrldcoupe4]

Has anyone else noticed the Frontier Airlines billboard advertising in Richmond? I suspect that it's due to their flights out of Newport News...

[eandslee]

Has anyone else noticed the Frontier Airlines billboard advertising in Richmond? I suspect that it's due to their flights out of Newport News...

Yeah, Richmond always gets screwed when it comes to low-cost airlines, except in the case of JetBlue (that was the best thing that has happened to RIC in a while). Norfolk area has Southwest, they've got JetBlue, they've got Airtran and now they've got Frontier (now their trying to take potential customers from Richmond - makes sense, but Richmond is more centrally located in the state and, to me, would see to be a better location from which to fly in and out of). What is the curse that keeps following RIC?

[burt]

Yeah, Richmond always gets screwed when it comes to low-cost airlines, except in the case of JetBlue (that was the best thing that has happened to RIC in a while). Norfolk area has Southwest, they've got JetBlue, they've got Airtran and now they've got Frontier (now their trying to take potential customers from Richmond - makes sense, but Richmond is more centrally located in the state and, to me, would see to be a better location from which to fly in and out of). What is the curse that keeps following RIC?

Eric, I don't think Norfolk (nor Newport News) has Jet Blue. They are not listed as destinations on Jetblue.com.

And doesn't RIC still have AirTran? They have discontinued their LGA service, but doesn't it still fly between RIC, Atlanta and Florida?

Edited August 1, 2010 by burt

[Icetera]

Eric, I don't think Norfolk (nor Newport News) has Jet Blue. They are not listed as destinations on Jetblue.com.

And doesn't RIC still have AirTran? They have discontinued their LGA service, but doesn't it still fly between RIC, Atlanta and Florida?

AirTran was still here as of two months ago. Disappointingly, our traveling has been greatly reduced so I have not checked since then.

[flack4ric]

Eric, I don't think Norfolk (nor Newport News) has Jet Blue. They are not listed as destinations on Jetblue.com.

And doesn't RIC still have AirTran? They have discontinued their LGA service, but doesn't it still fly between RIC, Atlanta and Florida?

burt, Icetera & eandslee - good afternoon. RIC has service from AirTran (Atlanta & Orlando) and JetBlue (JFK, BOS, Orlando & Ft. Lauderdale). Having seen fares and service prior to their arrivals, we feel fortunate to have these options. Combined, passenger traffic between (New York and Atlanta) and Richmond represents nearly 20% of all travel at RIC. Neither of those markets could be better served than they are today. Moreover, being connected to hubs at JFK and ATL opens many additional possibilities to use the two airlines and certainly keeps pricing and booking rules in line for markets served via either network.

We also have good access to domestic and international networks operated by comprehensive network carriers ("legacy" airlines) such as American, Continental, Delta, United, US Airways and international hubsite access via Air Canada.

A column attributed to RIC's CEO a couple of months ago noted:

Upon close examination, it is evident that Richmond is well-served by the right airlines going to the right places.

And further noted:

Today, Richmond International Airport is a modern gateway for Virginia’s Capital Region, easy from the highway to the jetway, with the good fortune of having attracted and retained sufficient airline competition to provide affordable fares while maintaining vital access to our most-demanded destinations.

All true.

Flack4RIC

Edited August 2, 2010 by flack4ric

[burt]

Thanks, flack.

I'm posting the airport website again so that we can access it without having to back up several pages on this thread.

http://www.flyrichmond.com

Edited August 2, 2010 by burt

[flack4ric]

Thanks, flack.

I'm posting the airport website again so that we can access it without having to back up several pages on this thread.

http://www.flyrichmond.com

Burt, thank you. One change folks might notice on RIC"s home page http://www.flyrichmond.com/ is a recently-added "CONNECT WITH US" section that includes links to: RIC's Twitter account, Facebook fan page, fare deals via Airfarewatchdog.com, and the primary Foursquare venue for the airport. We'd love to have everyone connect with us!

Flack4RIC

[burt]

American Eagle will add a second non-stop from RIC to Miami International on a seasonal basis. It begins November 18th.

From today's RTD

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/business/2010/aug/05/b-amer05-ar-413329/

Edited August 5, 2010 by burt

[crashvt03]

I heard a rumor today about Delta's service to LGA and JFK that I'm hoping Flack can shed some light on.

Apparently US Airways cancelled a bunch of slot leases to Delta due to the failed slot exchange with DCA and LGA. As a result, Delta is cutting back it's LGA service to many cities, including completely abandoning RIC. Depending on the day of the week, Delta currently flies 2 or 3 flights a day to LGA and was going to increase their service to 4 or 5 flights a day in September.

Due to the cancellation of RIC-LGA, I heard that Delta is going to increase their service on RIC-JFK to 4 flights a day. They currently only fly 1 flight a day and were going to increase it to 2 flights a day in September.

All of this is supposed to happen sometime in November.

Has anybody else heard anything about this? Flack, can you confirm whether this is happening?

[burt]

I heard a rumor today about Delta's service to LGA and JFK that I'm hoping Flack can shed some light on.

Apparently US Airways cancelled a bunch of slot leases to Delta due to the failed slot exchange with DCA and LGA. As a result, Delta is cutting back it's LGA service to many cities, including completely abandoning RIC. Depending on the day of the week, Delta currently flies 2 or 3 flights a day to LGA and was going to increase their service to 4 or 5 flights a day in September.

Due to the cancellation of RIC-LGA, I heard that Delta is going to increase their service on RIC-JFK to 4 flights a day. They currently only fly 1 flight a day and were going to increase it to 2 flights a day in September.

All of this is supposed to happen sometime in November.

Has anybody else heard anything about this? Flack, can you confirm whether this is happening?

Crashvt03, If Delta cut RIC/LGA service, would that mean there would be absolutely no commercial nonstop flights between the two airports by any airline?

That's a horrible thought to contemplate! Could Continnental pick up some of the slack by adding nonstops to Newark Liberty?

I just checked http://www.flyrichmond.com and see that United has a few one-stop flights to LGA -- 3 via IAD and 2 via PHL.

Edited August 18, 2010 by burt

[crashvt03]

Crashvt03, If Delta cut RIC/LGA service, would that mean there would be absolutely no commercial nonstop flights between the two airports by any airline?

That's a horrible thought to contemplate! Could Continnental pick up some of the slack by adding nonstops to Newark Liberty?

I just checked http://www.flyrichmond.com and see that United has a few one-stop flights to LGA -- 3 via IAD and 2 via PHL.

Burt, US Airways flies non-stop between RIC and LGA. According to their website, there are 6 daily flights on a random day I choose in September. So it's not like we are completely losing service to LGA. But for those frequent fliers that like to stick to certain airline alliances, losing Delta to LGA will hurt.

[burt]

Burt, US Airways flies non-stop between RIC and LGA. According to their website, there are 6 daily flights on a random day I choose in September. So it's not like we are completely losing service to LGA. But for those frequent fliers that like to stick to certain airline alliances, losing Delta to LGA will hurt.

Well, I'm totally rattled. I would have sworn I read within recent months that US Air was planning to pull all its RIC flights out of LGA and turn over some LGA slots to Delta.

So, US Air will contunue serving LaGuardia, right?