GSP International

[HSVTiger]

this site may help you find cheap fares, just plug in your city and they will keep you posted.

http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/

[jarvismj]

this site may help you find cheap fares, just plug in your city and they will keep you posted.

http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/

nice.

Thanks

[gs3]

this site may help you find cheap fares, just plug in your city and they will keep you posted.

http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/

Excellent website! Thank you! I know you guys in Huntsville have the same sort of issues being between two Southwest strongholds of BHM and BNA.

[GvilleSC]

I'm about to buy a plane ticket to Europe. From at least one site, GSP is cheaper than Charlotte and Atlanta to my destination. About $25 cheaper than CLT and about $100 than ATL... Just thought it was interesting.

[Danmire]

Whenever I'm flying to Ireland, It always works out that it is cheaper to fly from GSP than it is from ATL or CLT.

[gvillenative]

I think it's only more expensive if you book it last minute. Before I get jumped on I know sometimes you don't have a choice, but in my experience with flying out of there I've had the luxury of booking in advance and have found it to be cheaper most of the time.

[g-man430]

GSP International is currently trying to land Frontier Airlines and have a direct destination to Denver from here. Information involving this proposal can be found here: http://www.regionalaviationpartners.org/Ho..._greenville.pdf I think it's great GSP is finally starting to try to land these low-cost carriers, but it will only be great if they actually come here.

-It's been a while since i've flown into or out of GSP over Greenville. What does it look like at day and night when you guys have done this over the last several years? Is it dense during the day and all litted up at night or is there just forests and fields everywhere? I guess it depends what part of Greenville County you fly over.

[RestedTraveler]

GSP International is currently trying to land Frontier Airlines and have a direct destination to Denver from here. Information involving this proposal can be found here: http://www.regionalaviationpartners.org/Ho..._greenville.pdf I think it's great GSP is finally starting to try to land these low-cost carriers, but it will only be great if they actually come here.

This would definitely be nice for me. I'd have to change my usual Colorado itenerary.

[distortedlogic]

GSP International is currently trying to land Frontier Airlines and have a direct destination to Denver from here. Information involving this proposal can be found here: http://www.regionalaviationpartners.org/Ho..._greenville.pdf I think it's great GSP is finally starting to try to land these low-cost carriers, but it will only be great if they actually come here.

-It's been a while since i've flown into or out of GSP over Greenville. What does it look like at day and night when you guys have done this over the last several years? Is it dense during the day and all litted up at night or is there just forests and fields everywhere? I guess it depends what part of Greenville County you fly over.

Very interesting read! I hope it works. A direct flight to Denver (and maybe another city or two) would be great. (Yet I still hope jetblue is a possibility, as we will need to add a couple carriers, and multiple locations to make the airport is useable for the masses). We might even pull some passengers from the midlands.

I am curious as to how 1M will help lure Frontier here. How will that (relatively) small amount help? And if it's a matter of just 1M, why couldn't the two counties pitch in to provide it, especially given the likely benefits? Was similar efforts being done for jetblue?

IMO, deals like this are a MUST for GSP, and maybe even for the upstate.

[g-man430]

I am curious as to how 1M will help lure Frontier here. How will that (relatively) small amount help? And if it's a matter of just 1M, why couldn't the two counties pitch in to provide it, especially given the likely benefits? Was similar efforts being done for jetblue?

Actually, that 1M in incentives is a very large amount compared to what other airports are offering to land Frontier. Most other airports trying to land this airline are offering between $200,000-$500,000.

[distortedlogic]

-It's been a while since i've flown into or out of GSP over Greenville. What does it look like at day and night when you guys have done this over the last several years? Is it dense during the day and all litted up at night or is there just forests and fields everywhere? I guess it depends what part of Greenville County you fly over.

It's been a couple years for me too. I think it seems bigger at night, just because the lights are so spread out. It makes the area look pretty big.

I knew someone who flew in last Fall, during the daytime. I remember she made a comment that Greenville seems bigger (from ground level) than she thought, as it "didn't look that big from the air." Remember, everything is relative.

[Greenville]

To me, Greenville-Spartanburg looks really impressive at night due to the lights. I remember flying in after dark a few years ago for the first time, and being amazed at how nice and large it looked. It is probably more impressive than the view during the day, as you see a lot of trees (especially around the airport). Plus, we don't have any huge buildings that can be seen from a distance like Charlotte does (with B of A, Wachovia, etc.).

I hope the Frontier recruitment proves to be successful! That would be wonderful. And I certainly agree that we need a couple of these low-cost carriers (JetBlue is a likely candidate, thankfully).

[gvillenative]

this is a little off subject, but what ever happened to Air Canada. Didnt we have a direct flight to Toronto at one time or another. Did it just fizzle out or is my mind just making things up and we never had it to begin with. Frontier would be nice would love to connect in Denver when I come back from my "vacation" in California in July and have one stop in Denver and fly straight into GSP from there. Would be nice. For now I think I'm stuck with a 2 stopper with the first one being in Las Vegas, DARN IT! LOL. Direct from here to Vegas would be nice, arent they like one of the top 5 destinations out of GSP. US and Delta, and dont forget Allegiant they already fly out of there why can't they just add a couple routes to Vegas? I would be all over it. Has anyone ever been through McCarran? Slot machines in the terminals? Never mind the last question Google Earth just answered it for me. With Allegiant be so succesful to and from Orlando, they added flights and now are flying to Tampa/St Pete one would think Vegas would be on the horizon at least a few years out.

[Greenville]

Since JetBlue is definitely considering starting service in Greenville, it might help for all of us to request it. I just found this form on the JetBlue website:

http://www.jetblue.com/email/citysuggest.a...p=where_we_fly1

I just requested "Greenville, SC" for service to "New York, NY" (since that is their hub) and submitted it. I hope some of you will also!

Edited June 4, 2007 by Greenville

[hiker_nc]

we don't have any huge buildings that can be seen from a distance like Charlotte does (with B of A, Wachovia, etc.).

Just wait 'til the 40-story South Financial skyscraper is completed! Oh, wait.

this is a little off subject, but what ever happened to Air Canada. Didnt we have a direct flight to Toronto at one time or another. Did it just fizzle out or is my mind just making things up and we never had it to begin with.

You didn't imagine it. Air Canada was set to offer service between GSP and Toronto a few years back (5-6 maybe?), for like $99 one way. I was excited about an easy way to get back there after a memorable childhood family trip. It also would've made GSP a truly international commercial airport. Unfortunately, Air Canada backed out within a couple of weeks of the first scheduled flight.

I certainly hope GSP gets the grant and successfully woos Frontier or a comparable carrier. A western destination would greatly benefit travelers from miles around, as well as the airport, of course.

[Sonrise]

I wonder if skybus is considering gsp. They're a new startup based in Columbus, Ohio and have a realllllllly unique way of doing business, not sure if it's good or bad but it is unique. They almost exclusively use secondary and in some cases tertiery airports for their flights, keeping the costs low, real low. For example a flight from Greensboro to Columbus can be purchased for $10 each way, $20 r/t! plus tax. No that wasn't a typo. Boston is served by Portsmouth, NH. Charlotte/Raleigh by Greensboro, Seattle and Vancouver are combined into one megalopolis and served by Bellingham, Wa. Hartford is served by Springfield, Mass; Los Angeles is served by Burbank, so on and so forth. They are the epitome of no frills but if you can fly from Greensboro to LA via Columbus for $120 r/t, so what. The really weird thing is every, yes, every flight begins and ends in Columbus. You have to get off of your plane, get your luggage and check in another flight if Columbus isn't your final destination, which odds are it isn't. This is really weird and a majo inconvenience but helps keep thir costs low.

The reason we are right up their alley is that we are smack dab in between to metropolis and skybus could serve Atlanta/Cahrlotte via GSP. I am seriously betting they will be here soon if they succeed.

Here's a link to their website so eveyone can see what I'm talking about:

http://www.skybus.com/

[Greenville]

With airlines complaining of gas prices being outrageous and forcing them to raise their fares, I find it hard to believe that an airline like Skybus can survive on such cheap fares. Even Independence couldn't continue their low fares, and most of theirs were at least $130 or so on average (at least the ones I took).

Edited June 5, 2007 by Greenville

[Greenville]

Here is the link to request Greenville, SC as a future airport for Skybus:

http://ask.skybus.com/about/contact-us.shtml

It can't hurt, guys - and it only takes a minute.

[Sonrise]

Here's the letter I just sent them:

Hi,

I notice that your business model is quite unique in that you serve primarily secondary and tertiary airports that are in close proximity to major cities, i.e Bellingham(Vancouver/Seattle), Portsmouth(Boston) etc. I reside in a city that fits this model exactly and has a state of the art airport.

Greenville, SC is conviently located 1 hour and 20 minutes from Charlotte, NC and 2 hours and 20 minutes from Atlanta on the busy I85 corridor. Greenville is the North American home to BMW, Michellin and Hubbel Lightning as well as a tourist destination to the beautiful lakes and mountains of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mts. GSP is a state of the art airport and can serve your airline quite well.I believe Skybus and GSP are an ideal match. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Seriously we are exactly what type of city they're looking o serve. I mean if they can fly into Portsmouth, NH and St. Augustine, FL, then G'ville is a no brainer. Best thing to do is send them a suggestion extolling our virtues and close proximity to two major cities.

[Greenville]

Good comments, Sonrise. I mentioned some of the same things you did, and also added that the GSP metro area has a population of over 1 million, and routinely loses potential business to airports in Charlotte and Atlanta simply because of the cost difference. It's pretty crazy that a metro of our size doesn't have a low-cost carrier (Allegiant doesn't really count in my book, since they only offer service to 2-3 destinations).

[gvillenative]

I hate to pick on you but you do know someone on here will take offense to the fact that you mentioned BMW is in Greenville. That would be nice though having another low cost airline in here. The more the merrier I like to say

[Sonrise]

I do know that and you are correct. However, right, wrong or indifferent Greenville has more cachet than Spartanburg. Besides I was extolling the virtues of the upstate area but I did take some artistic liberty. Sorry

[Sonrise]

I just received a response in my email:

Thank you for contacting Skybus.

We

[RestedTraveler]

For example a flight from Greensboro to Columbus can be purchased for $10 each way, $20 r/t! plus tax. No that wasn't a typo.

My neighbor had mentioned something to my wife and I about this a while back. That's the current special they have going, though...not sure how long it will last. Each and every Skybus flight has a minimum of ten seats available for just ten dollars right now. Once those seats are gone, the prices fall in line with other low-cost carriers. These guys do have an interesting business model, though...and it certainly can't hurt to try to turn them on to the GSP.

[Sonrise]

Not true, RT.

I randomly selected Columbus to KC in the month of July. $25, $40 and $60 o/w. No airline that I know of offers anything close to this. How they plan on making money beats me. Take a look:

http://www.skybus.com/ChooseFlights.aspx