Delta flights ‘terrific news’

This is what I read when I picked up the Cincinnati Enquirer yesterday. Really? The ironic part is that the ‘news’ comes the same day that Chiquita Brands International reported that they will be leaving Cincinnati for Charlotte, N.C., “in part due to the decline in flights at CVG as Delta has scaled back its hub there”, despite Delta’s claims that they are “focused on their business customers”.

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“As much as people want destinations, they also want convenience, they want frequency: ‘Get me there today. Get me there so I can do business and then get back,’ ” said Steve Stevens, president of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

So, why is it that the airline has insisted on making the business passengers travel through cities like Detroit to get to even the closest places like Buffalo, NY, causing them more time and trouble. The more flights that you add to an already busy airport just leaves more room for error. Do I think that Detroit is a nice airport? Yes, it’s great. If you’re stuck there with a flight cancellation or delay, there is plenty of shopping and restaurants to keep you busy. Does this make it a good idea? That depends. I would rather have a smaller airport that I can get in and out of quickly than one where I might actually get stuck with too many flights at one time.

I told a co-worker that they will probably just add more flights to Detroit and Atlanta, which does not help the problem. One such flight planned is a flight to Oregon from Cincinnati. Through Salt Lake City! How does that help the business traveler save time when they still have to stop? At least there’s wifi on the plane, right?

What flights would you like to see leaving NON-stop from the CVG airport?