T.F. Green Airport Developments

[runawayjim]

I don't think it is all that quick, I find the regular system works fine. Then again the one time I flew southwest, I got there especially early to be part of the special screening, and end up getting a horrible seat.

the southwest boarding seems faster than assigned seats. as long as you check in online (which i assume anyone posting here can do since you've all got internet access) ahead of time (24 hours in advance), you'll almost definitely get A group, meaning just about any choice of seat, especially out of PVD (since flights leaving here generally originate here and aren't passing through from somewhere else). and i've never stood in line more than half an hour (usually i wait until the plane arrives and then get in line, or i'm already sitting "in line" in the row of seats that loosely corresponds with the group i'm in... always A). families are the only problem here, but if they get group A and just go to the back of the plane, they'll always have a seat. i've never had to sit behind the wings on southwest, and usually, i'm in the first 5 rows and have a window seat.

the complaint i have about boarding with assigned seats is that for some reason, they board the front of the plane first. they should start from the back and move forward. otherwise, the people getting on last end up having to wait for people standing in the aisle trying to organize their stuff. if the people in back got on first, you wouldn't have that issue.

that is weird that you got on last because of the extra screening. i saw a whole family be randomly searched while they were waiting at the gate. they were then allowed to get in the pre-board line, getting on before anyone... only restricted to sit outside the exit rows (which is like 6-12 seats).

No, but what Mike is saying that those planes are not out of date at all. CRJs and ERJs are constantly rolling off the assembly lines.

then why use them for flights over an hour long? sitting in their smaller seats with less leg room than the other planes (whatever southwest uses are perfect) for more than an hour is awful. i could barely move when i got up, not to mention sitting in a window seat, my head was jammed against the wall because of the curvature of the plane.

[webbage]

then why use them for flights over an hour long? sitting in their smaller seats with less leg room than the other planes (whatever southwest uses are perfect) for more than an hour is awful. i could barely move when i got up, not to mention sitting in a window seat, my head was jammed against the wall because of the curvature of the plane.

The airlines wanted to cut capacity...and they got it.

And before you complain about US using a small plane for a somewhat longer flight, have fun flying one of these to Atlanta:

http://jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=5751616.

[runawayjim]

The airlines wanted to cut capacity...and they got it.

And before you complain about US using a small plane for a somewhat longer flight, have fun flying one of these to Atlanta:

http://jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=5751616.

not being a fan of atlanta, i probably won't be going back there anytime soon. i won't be surprised if delta adds more flights and starts using bigger planes with more capacity from PVD though. people are growing tired of logan and PVD is doing nothing but improving.

[webbage]

not being a fan of atlanta, i probably won't be going back there anytime soon. i won't be surprised if delta adds more flights and starts using bigger planes with more capacity from PVD though. people are growing tired of logan and PVD is doing nothing but improving.

People were already tired of Logan...and DAL cut capacity. We're down from two 757s a day mainline to one MD-80!

[quente]

The non-assigned seating has been a Southwest tradition, which they claim speeds up time. Personally, I've always gotten the seat I wanted by just getting in line about a half hour before (seat 17A if you must know).

OK, I'll ask - Why does it have to be 17A? Is it an exit row? Bulkhead?

the complaint i have about boarding with assigned seats is that for some reason, they board the front of the plane first. they should start from the back and move forward. otherwise, the people getting on last end up having to wait for people standing in the aisle trying to organize their stuff. if the people in back got on first, you wouldn't have that issue.

One of life's great mysteries . . . why do they do that? Is it one of those "value-added amenities" that makes the people in first class feel like they got their moneys worth?

i could barely move when i got up, not to mention sitting in a window seat, my head was jammed against the wall because of the curvature of the plane.

Ugh - those seats are wretched. If you're over 5 feet tall, you're gonna be suffering!

[dgreco]

Continental Actually boards backwards forward, but then again I have never been on more than a 4 seater plan there, usually a 3, and its uncomfortable anyway.

[Magellan98]

Generally, I think most airlines start boarding their prefered folks first (First Class, Gold Frequent Flyers, etc), families with kids, and then start from the back and move forward. Having flown out to Seattle and back this weekend on United and UsAirways that was how it was done. I think the problem is less how the aircraft seating order is established and more people's incompetence. I love how people with zone 3 printed on their boarding card feel they can board with zone 1. Since when is row 10 part of rows 20 and higher? What really gets me is the lack of common sense and manners. I was connecting in Phoenix and my inbound flight was late so the pilot kindly asked that only those people making connections be allowed to deplane first so that they could try and make their flights. Do you think any of the jerks on the plane listened? Of course not.

Anyway, I think Lufthansa has the best boarding practice - provided everyone actually follows the directions. They have tons of zone numbers. As high as 8 or 9 I think. Basically, once 1st and business class is boarded, they board the rest of the plane starting at the back window seats and center seats first. So Zone 1 is all the window and center seats in rows 20-30, then zone 2 is the aisle seats in the same rows. Very logical. But again, beacuse you have to rely on the majority of people following direction it isn't always full proof.

Also, I just want to comment on USAirways. I think they are a fine airline. I've encountered problems with them yes - but I've had the same problems with every single other airline I fly at some point or another - even the so called "best" airlines like Singapore and Virgin. My most recent flight Monday was on USAirways and it was delayed, but every crew memeber on that plane was so apologetic and genuinely concerned that we were running late that I still came away with an overall positive experience. They kept us informed of what was happening and why we were late (which I think is KEY!) and tried their best to make the experience as pleasent as possible.

[runawayjim]

every airline i've flown has boarded front to back. put the damn first class people on last. they can wait to get their champagne. that's what pisses me off the most. they board front to back (and yes, the whole plane, never been on one that did back to front) but in addition to boarding the front of coach first, the flight attendants bend over backwards to get the people in first class their drinks while other people are boarding, making people stand there and wait until the flight attendants are out of the way to get back to their seats. and don't get me started on the 1 bathroom for the 20 first class passengers and the 1 bathroom for the 100+ in coach. i say do away with first class on all flights under 3 hours. that's one of the reasons southwest is doing so well, there's no first class.

[mental757]

as long as ewveryone here chooses PVD (over BOS), I'm happy. The more people that live in the PVD and go to BOS, the less likely the things you choose BOS for won't ever get fixed in PVD! This means if you're not happy with the flights, fares, or frequency of the choices from PVD and you go to BOS, the airlines won't see the need to add them in PVD.

The passenger and carry-on baggage screening at PVD is about to get MUCH better - the reconfigured and expanded screening checkpoint and cnetralized and enlarged passenger queuing area will open by mid-November. This will speed up the actual screening process and provide a much more organized queuing area for passengers waiting to be screened. The improvements will also alleviate some of the congestion in front of the airline ticket counters during peak times when the (old) passenger queuing lines would criss-cross in front of the counters. Much more to come, but this is the first major benefit of the renovation!!!

[CtownMikey]

no problems or delays at logan, tfgreen or san jose this yr for me

[runawayjim]

as long as ewveryone here chooses PVD (over BOS), I'm happy. The more people that live in the PVD and go to BOS, the less likely the things you choose BOS for won't ever get fixed in PVD! This means if you're not happy with the flights, fares, or frequency of the choices from PVD and you go to BOS, the airlines won't see the need to add them in PVD.

The passenger and carry-on baggage screening at PVD is about to get MUCH better - the reconfigured and expanded screening checkpoint and cnetralized and enlarged passenger queuing area will open by mid-November. This will speed up the actual screening process and provide a much more organized queuing area for passengers waiting to be screened. The improvements will also alleviate some of the congestion in front of the airline ticket counters during peak times when the (old) passenger queuing lines would criss-cross in front of the counters. Much more to come, but this is the first major benefit of the renovation!!!

i never have a problem at PVD with the security checkpoint and my carry on stuff. what i don't like is checking luggage... i have to stand there and wait for them to send it through the machine. why is PVD the only airport i've been to that does this?

[mental757]

i never have a problem at PVD with the security checkpoint and my carry on stuff. what i don't like is checking luggage... i have to stand there and wait for them to send it through the machine. why is PVD the only airport i've been to that does this?

at the time, it was the only place to put the machines, and unfortunately, the TSA at PVD require you to wait until your stuff is cleared before you go on your way. It's their call on that, not the airport's or the airline's. Other airports allow you to either 'drop and go' or have 'in-line' screening (behind the scenes). By the end of 2007, PVD will have in-line, so it will just like before 9-11 - you check in at the ticket counter and you bags go down the belt right there to be checked - no more waiting for the baggage to clear before you go to the checkpoint!

[runawayjim]

at the time, it was the only place to put the machines, and unfortunately, the TSA at PVD require you to wait until your stuff is cleared before you go on your way. It's their call on that, not the airport's or the airline's. Other airports allow you to either 'drop and go' or have 'in-line' screening (behind the scenes). By the end of 2007, PVD will have in-line, so it will just like before 9-11 - you check in at the ticket counter and you bags go down the belt right there to be checked - no more waiting for the baggage to clear before you go to the checkpoint!

that's good news. the only thing i do like about it is that if, for some reason, they find something questionable, they're able to ask you there (not that it's ever happened to me, but in case it does). but it just takes that much longer, especially if the airport is busy. i prefer to get through security as quickly as possible so i can sit back and relax or grab a bite to eat before getting on the plane.

[markOne]

every airline i've flown has boarded front to back. put the damn first class people on last. they can wait to get their champagne. that's what pisses me off the most. they board front to back (and yes, the whole plane, never been on one that did back to front) but in addition to boarding the front of coach first, the flight attendants bend over backwards to get the people in first class their drinks while other people are boarding, making people stand there and wait until the flight attendants are out of the way to get back to their seats. and don't get me started on the 1 bathroom for the 20 first class passengers and the 1 bathroom for the 100+ in coach. i say do away with first class on all flights under 3 hours. that's one of the reasons southwest is doing so well, there's no first class.

I surprised that you and I have such different experiences.

When I fly passengers needing assistance, families with small children, children flying alone, and first / business class passengers board first. Then the planes load from back to front.

Of course people who are special (in their own mind) ignore the system and get on the plane whenever they want. I feel that the airline should not let people trying to get on the flight before their section is called board until the very end. To help keep that from becoming a situation which holds up the line they should make an announcement saying that boarding passes will be checked and if you are in line too soon you will board last. Then I can tend toward the draconian.

One thing I never like is the fact they many airlines often call a new section only to have all of those folks stand in the jetway waiting for the previous section to just get into the plane. I say let the later sections wait until the jetway is almost clear. It is fairly well established they can scan tickets much faster than people can take their seats.

Have you tried flying Spirit Air? I have only flown them to Ft. Lauderdale but I like the fact their flights are direct and the seats are comfortable (I am NOT small). Their prices are low if you book early and you can upgrade to Spirit Plus (business class) for ~$50. They are one of the few airlines with adjustable head rests on all seats which I can get high enough to use. I may only be 6'3" but all of my height is in my torso so most airline seats only go up to my shoulders.

I have to say that one of my 6:30am flights from PVD to FLL was delayed for 4 hours, They gave us all vouchers and seemed to be genuinely sorry about the delay while keeping us informed. That was a good thing since I was not happy about being up early enough to make a 6:30am flight in the first place and the fact that we didn't leave until 10:30 was irritating to say the least.

[mental757]

I surprised that you and I have such different experiences.

When I fly passengers needing assistance, families with small children, children flying alone, and first / business class passengers board first. Then the planes load from back to front.

Of course people who are special (in their own mind) ignore the system and get on the plane whenever they want. I feel that the airline should not let people trying to get on the flight before their section is called board until the very end. To help keep that from becoming a situation which holds up the line they should make an announcement saying that boarding passes will be checked and if you are in line too soon you will board last. Then I can tend toward the draconian.

One thing I never like is the fact they many airlines often call a new section only to have all of those folks stand in the jetway waiting for the previous section to just get into the plane. I say let the later sections wait until the jetway is almost clear. It is fairly well established they can scan tickets much faster than people can take their seats.

Have you tried flying Spirit Air? I have only flown them to Ft. Lauderdale but I like the fact their flights are direct and the seats are comfortable (I am NOT small). Their prices are low if you book early and you can upgrade to Spirit Plus (business class) for ~$50. They are one of the few airlines with adjustable head rests on all seats which I can get high enough to use. I may only be 6'3" but all of my height is in my torso so most airline seats only go up to my shoulders.

I have to say that one of my 6:30am flights from PVD to FLL was delayed for 4 hours, They gave us all vouchers and seemed to be genuinely sorry about the delay while keeping us informed. That was a good thing since I was not happy about being up early enough to make a 6:30am flight in the first place and the fact that we didn't leave until 10:30 was irritating to say the least.

hi markone: you'll be happy to know (if you don't already of course) that Spirit is adding a second FLL (again) departing at 2:00pm effective 3/1/07 and a second Ft. Myers (RSW) flight (for the first time, PVD will have 2) at 4:10pm effective 2/15/07. Spirit is also upgrading thier morning RSW flight to a 321 for the entire winter/spring season - that aircraft is the largest capacity wise at PVD with 198 seats!

[runawayjim]

I surprised that you and I have such different experiences.

When I fly passengers needing assistance, families with small children, children flying alone, and first / business class passengers board first. Then the planes load from back to front.

Of course people who are special (in their own mind) ignore the system and get on the plane whenever they want. I feel that the airline should not let people trying to get on the flight before their section is called board until the very end. To help keep that from becoming a situation which holds up the line they should make an announcement saying that boarding passes will be checked and if you are in line too soon you will board last. Then I can tend toward the draconian.

One thing I never like is the fact they many airlines often call a new section only to have all of those folks stand in the jetway waiting for the previous section to just get into the plane. I say let the later sections wait until the jetway is almost clear. It is fairly well established they can scan tickets much faster than people can take their seats.

Have you tried flying Spirit Air? I have only flown them to Ft. Lauderdale but I like the fact their flights are direct and the seats are comfortable (I am NOT small). Their prices are low if you book early and you can upgrade to Spirit Plus (business class) for ~$50. They are one of the few airlines with adjustable head rests on all seats which I can get high enough to use. I may only be 6'3" but all of my height is in my torso so most airline seats only go up to my shoulders.

I have to say that one of my 6:30am flights from PVD to FLL was delayed for 4 hours, They gave us all vouchers and seemed to be genuinely sorry about the delay while keeping us informed. That was a good thing since I was not happy about being up early enough to make a 6:30am flight in the first place and the fact that we didn't leave until 10:30 was irritating to say the least.

every flight i've been on recently has had that pre-board (special needs, elderly, and families with small children) before all other groups, then first class (if there is one), then people who belong to some special club with that airline, and finally everyone else, starting from the front of the plane. that's how it was with AA, us air, delta, and NWA.

i don't know if the person takign tickets shoudl necessarily tell those who get on at the wrong time they'll go last, but they should tell them they have to wait until their section is called. i'm pretty sure southwest does that if you try to board with a different group.

as for having people waiting on the jetway, i don't think it's that big an issue. it's just a line. let people wait. however, i will say this. i've never had to stand and wait on the jetway with southwest, it's always moving pretty well (but i've always been group A).

the biggest reason i think southwest boards faster than other airlines is because they don't have assigned seats (people looking for their seat number) and they also don't have first class or any special clubs that allows people who pay more to get on first. they treat everyone as equals (aside from that pre-board group).

[dgreco]

every flight i've been on recently has had that pre-board (special needs, elderly, and families with small children) before all other groups, then first class (if there is one), then people who belong to some special club with that airline, and finally everyone else, starting from the front of the plane. that's how it was with AA, us air, delta, and NWA.

i don't know if the person takign tickets shoudl necessarily tell those who get on at the wrong time they'll go last, but they should tell them they have to wait until their section is called. i'm pretty sure southwest does that if you try to board with a different group.

as for having people waiting on the jetway, i don't think it's that big an issue. it's just a line. let people wait. however, i will say this. i've never had to stand and wait on the jetway with southwest, it's always moving pretty well (but i've always been group A).

the biggest reason i think southwest boards faster than other airlines is because they don't have assigned seats (people looking for their seat number) and they also don't have first class or any special clubs that allows people who pay more to get on first. they treat everyone as equals (aside from that pre-board group).

I flew AA about 5 or 6 times, and I can only remember once them doing from front back, this was also the most recent time which was about a year and a half ago, besides that I always fly continental and they seem to have a smooth system. I never have any problems with getting on.

Also the bathroom issue is a must fix, definately one of the most annoying things in the world.

[MikeycPVD]

the canceled flight was related to the plane. not having enough staff at PVD created HUGE lines for the 2 people rescheduling a full flight. my flights were during the summer, so there was no blizzard anywhere, they were all domestic, so no weather "half a world away" and they were all on the east coast, so nothing across the country that affected it.

Well I don't mean to dwell on this but seeing as you put it "flights from PVD to ATL through CLT and DCA were all delayed/canceled" sounds like ATL was experiencing problems that day which had nothing to do with US Airways. Georgia in the summertime = daily convective activity.

so does that station manager work for the airport or the airline?

so the fleet is up to the airport?

As I said, it's the airline station manager for the airport that does the hiring. The fleet is up to the airline, of course. The type of aircraft that service an airport has more to do with the size and demographics in which that metro area plays host to.

i fly out of PVD on the airlines that are most reliable, my experience has been southwest is the best, including awesome customer service (the us air customer service, which i know is hired by us air, was not very helpful and somewhat rude). plus southwest does not use tiny planes, probably because their prices are awesome so people fly them as much as possible.

Southwest doesn't use "tiny" (and I imagine you're referring to Regional aircraft) because their network doesn't call for it. They are not flying multiple legs a day from cities a few hundred miles apart, servicing towns with a couple 10-thousand people living there. They fly 73s because they are a point-to-point airline. There are a prescribed number of people flying between 1 city and the next on any given day. Major and network carriers not only serve a city pair (hub and spoke), but all the rest of the cities you can potentially connect with. That's why on US Airways (for example) you have no less than 5 aircraft types flying the PVD-PHL route a day, because different times during the day warrant different loads, based on O&D versus connecting. Why is there a 70 passenger RJ flying the 13:30 flight and a 140 passenger Airbus flying the 15:30? All the European international flights leave after 4pm so more people will be booked on the flight allowing for the shortest layover time.

then why use them for flights over an hour long? sitting in their smaller seats with less leg room than the other planes (whatever southwest uses are perfect) for more than an hour is awful. i could barely move when i got up, not to mention sitting in a window seat, my head was jammed against the wall because of the curvature of the plane.

As webpage said, we're living in a world of reductions now. By the way, RJs have revolutionized the word "Regional." Take our Toronto flights, for example. Canada's fairly close by, those are flown by Beech 1900D turboprop regional aircraft..takes one 90 minutes to get up to YYZ. You can board a Regional Jet and spend the same amount of time flying much further, say Chicago or Charlotte. Oh and by the way, I peeped your myspace, you're 5'8". I'm over 6' so, buddy, what kind of problems were you experiencing with the height of the cabin?? I'm in the CRJ every night cleaning up and I make do just fine - barely, but just fine.

[MikeycPVD]

Well I don't mean to dwell on this but seeing as you put it "flights from PVD to ATL through CLT and DCA were all delayed/canceled" sounds like ATL was experiencing problems that day which had nothing to do with US Airways. Georgia in the summertime = daily convective activity.

As I said, it's the airline station manager for the airport that does the hiring. The fleet is up to the airline, of course. The type of aircraft that service an airport has more to do with the size and demographics in which that metro area plays host to.

Southwest doesn't use "tiny" (and I imagine you're referring to Regional aircraft) because their network doesn't call for it. They are not flying multiple legs a day from cities a few hundred miles apart, servicing towns with a couple 10-thousand people living there. They fly 73s because they are a point-to-point airline. There are a prescribed number of people flying between 1 city and the next on any given day. Major and network carriers not only serve a city pair (hub and spoke), but all the rest of the cities you can potentially connect with. That's why on US Airways (for example) you have no less than 5 aircraft types flying the PVD-PHL route a day, because different times during the day warrant different loads, based on O&D versus connecting. Why is there a 70 passenger RJ flying the 13:30 flight and a 140 passenger Airbus flying the 15:30? All the European international flights leave after 4pm so more people will be booked on the flight allowing for the shortest layover time.

As webpage said, we're living in a world of reductions now. By the way, RJs have revolutionized the word "Regional." Take our Toronto flights, for example. Canada's fairly close by, those are flown by Beech 1900D turboprop regional aircraft..takes one 90 minutes to get up to YYZ. You can board a Regional Jet and spend the same amount of time flying much further, say Chicago or Charlotte. Oh and by the way, I peeped your myspace, you're 5'8". I'm over 6' so, buddy, what kind of problems were you experiencing with the height of the cabin?? I'm in the CRJ every night cleaning up and I make do just fine - barely, but just fine.

And I clearly haven't mastered this reply-quote thing, but as long as my point is made that's all I care about.

[runawayjim]

And I clearly haven't mastered this reply-quote thing, but as long as my point is made that's all I care about.

yeah, i'm 5'8", and i could barely move in and out of my seat and when i was seated for the 1.5 hour flight, my head was cramped.

and the reply-quote thing only allows 3 quotes per reply i think and then it displays the code. it's meant to stop line by line responses as prohibited by the rules.

[MikeycPVD]

yeah, i'm 5'8", and i could barely move in and out of my seat and when i was seated for the 1.5 hour flight, my head was cramped.

and the reply-quote thing only allows 3 quotes per reply i think and then it displays the code. it's meant to stop line by line responses as prohibited by the rules.

Gee, thanks.

[mental757]

I like USAirways and fly them the most - have had little to no issues with them at all. I also fly Southwest the second most and have had little issue with them - sometimes is just the (bad) luck of the draw so to speak...

[Frankie811]

Traffic at Green dropping

Passenger traffic at T.F. Green Airport fell by 11.6 percent in September, the 12th consecutive month in which air travel declined, according to figures released this week by the Rhode Island Airport Corporation.

http://www.projo.com/business/content/BZ_G...3F.2787aa6.html

[dgreco]

Traffic at Green dropping

Passenger traffic at T.F. Green Airport fell by 11.6 percent in September, the 12th consecutive month in which air travel declined, according to figures released this week by the Rhode Island Airport Corporation.

http://www.projo.com/business/content/BZ_G...3F.2787aa6.html

Will the construction bring air traffic back? or new carriers?

[webbage]

Will the construction bring air traffic back? or new carriers?

While the renovations won't hurt, I don't think they will do much for an increase in service. The train station, however, will certainly help in that department.

Why the journal and others keep whining about this I don't know. Cuts haven't been new for many, many American airports.

Also the article makes one error - the flight to Ft. Myers starts this week (the ninth I believe). Spirit will be using an A321, which holds 198 passengers. Later in the winter, however, Spirit will be adding two new flights, an extra A319 for FLL and for RSW (they hold 138).

And while this isn't a huge help, we now have a nonstop to/from FLL on SWA on weekends.