More passengers book flights out of Springfield

A study released in January by aviation consulting firm The Boyd Group showed that leakage – the phenomenon of passengers leaving the market to fly from other airports – at the Springfield airport dropped to 12 percent in 2007 from 30 percent in 2005.

Airport executives point to several factors, from recently added airlines and flight options to a concerted effort to educate the general public about the airport’s ability to compete with its larger neighbors in St. Louis, Kansas City and Tulsa.

Kent Boyd, head of public information and marketing for the airport, cited the addition of Allegiant Air as part of the reason for the brighter numbers. The Las Vegas-based airline began service from Springfield in 2005 and now flies to Las Vegas and Orlando and Tampa, Fla., offering lower fares to those destinations.

“People knew we were here in an abstract sense, but they never really considered us,” Boyd added. “When Allegiant entered the market, it put a lot of talk on the street; it raised awareness and made people look at us.”

Gary Cyr, director of aviation for the airport, added that Allegiant flights from Springfield currently run near capacity, further illustrating the increased traveler numbers from the area.

Allegiant flies nine flights a week from Springfield; the airline averaged about 4,800 passengers each month in 2007, according to airport data. Enplanement numbers for the Springfield airport as a whole surpassed 441,000 in 2007, up 2 percent from 2006.

Competitive pricing

Both Cyr and Boyd pointed to the effect of gas prices on travel habits. As gas prices go up, Boyd said, Springfield airline rates become more competitive for local residents.

“Customers have reached the conclusion that sometimes driving to the bigger airports isn’t worth the effort, or the expense,” Boyd said. “If I’m paying $3 a gallon and considering a trip to Tulsa or St. Louis, I’m talking $40 each way. Plus, if you go to Tulsa, you have to feed the (Will Rogers) Turnpike, and there’s food, and parking, and your time … all of that adds up.”

The key to finding a competitive airline ticket price, Boyd added, is searching as early as possible – preferably at least 21 days before departure.

“It’s the old law of supply and demand – the closer you get to departure, the fewer seats are available, and the higher the price gets for the few that are left,” he said. “If you’re one of the people who buys at the last minute, you’re going to pay the piper.”

He added that flight ticket prices should continue to decrease as more travelers use the airport, both through decreased leakage and overall growth in the metropolitan area.

“Without growth, you don’t see passenger numbers go up, and higher passenger numbers, make ticket prices go down,” he said.

Boosting business travel

About 47 percent of travelers from the Springfield airport are flying for business, according to the 2007 Departing Passenger Survey, while 17 percent are flying for vacation and 15 percent are visiting friends or relatives. Airport officials want to increase business travel out of Springfield, and an advertising campaign launched in September aims to help.

The campaign, produced in conjunction with the Springfield Business & Development Corp., features five familiar Springfield businesspeople talking about their positive experiences with the airport’s convenience and improved flexibility.

One of those five is Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Co. Vice President Sally Hargis. Despite the fact that her company owns a corporate jet, Hargis said she flies commercially nearly two dozen times a year for business and leisure, and she always takes off from Springfield.

“For me, convenience is of primary importance, and the number of connections available from Springfield has significantly increased,” Hargis said. As an example, she pointed to Washington, D.C., where she flies several times a year for business. “There is more than one carrier to choose from; there’s more than one connecting city for some of those carriers; and there are more flexible times of day to choose from to make that business trip easier.”

Cyr said route additions also have helped; one example is American Eagle and United Airlines both flying to Chicago, creating competition. The Boyd Group agreed.

“Springfield-Branson Regional Airport continues to offer travelers excellent access to the air transportation system, providing access to multiple hubs on a number of carriers which ensures a healthy competitive dynamic,” the study said.

Airport spokesman Boyd said the airport’s growth to 12 destinations from nine in the last five years makes the facility more attractive for travelers.

“That’s a lot of destinations for an airport this size, and it makes it very easy for people to connect with other places around the country,” Boyd said. “There are very few places you can’t go with just one connection. You leave Springfield and go to a major hub, get on another plane, and you’re there.”

Still, Cyr said airport officials have looked at adding even more carriers and destinations, including Phoenix.

“I think we would do reasonably well in the Phoenix market, which would open up inexpensive service to the West Coast,” Cyr said. “Will it happen in the next three or four months? Probably not. I can’t give you a time frame, based upon the nature of the industry at the present time. Oil is over $100 a barrel, and that really deters additional service for the airlines.”

Reducing the leakage

While 12 percent may seem high, the Boyd Group’s report said it’s actually a strong figure for an airport the size of Springfield’s. The report also noted that the airport’s ability to reduce leakage is limited.

“(Tulsa, Kansas City and St. Louis) have substantial levels of low-cost carrier service …,” the report said. “As a result, airfares in high-volume markets are generally lower than available at SGF. Absent the entry of (another) low-fare carrier into the Springfield-Branson market, this dynamic is not likely to change and some amount of traffic leakage is very likely to persist.”

A Fare Comparison

Springfield-Branson National Airport officials say the key to getting the best airfares is to book well in advance, preferably 21 days or more. Below are three examples of travel costs for a Monday morning trip to Philadelphia, which requires at least one plane change from Springfield. Flights were priced April 1 on Orbitz.com, for flights leaving April 28 and returning April 30; hotels near the airports were priced via Orbitz for the night of April 27; parking prices are based on information from individual airports.

Passenger A: Flying from Springfield

Flight: $467¹

Long-term parking: $20

Hotel: $0

Driving cost: $0²

Cost of time: $0

TOTAL: $487

Passenger B: Flying from St. Louis

Flight: $183¹

Long-term parking: $18

Hotel: $61

Driving: $32²

Cost of time: $116³

TOTAL: $408

Passenger C: Flying from Tulsa, Okla.

Flight: $223¹

Long-term parking: $20

Hotel: $92

Driving: $31²

Cost of time: $98³

TOTAL: $464

1 – Includes taxes and fees. 2 – Based on travel from Springfield; vehicle getting 20 miles per gallon, with gas at $3 per gallon; and turnpike fees, if applicable. 3 – Based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ $16.17 average hourly wage for Springfield and one hour per 60 miles[[In-content Ad]]