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For Better Or Worse, Our Airport
As Bradley eyes the big time, are Connecticut business travelers geting the service they need?
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Business New Haven
8/19/2002
By: Priscilla Searles
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Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks is the flyway of choice for most people traveling from Connecticut (at least those north and east of Fairfield County). But just how easy or hard is it to get to where you're going from Bradley?
Despite its growth in volume over the past several years, Bradley remains a relatively small airport - just 51st in the nation in passenger volume. With roughly 140 daily departures, Bradley is served by 15 passenger airlines. Between January 1, 2001 and last September 11, 6,888,031 passengers flew out of Bradley.
Bradley is operated by the state's Department of Transportation through its Bureau of Aviation & Ports, one of only two airports in the county operated by a state transportation authority.
Even under the heavy hand of state bureaucracy, Bradley is in expansion mode. A $200 million comprehensive improvements program will add thousands of parking spaces, a new terminal to the east of Terminal A, 12 more gates, more retail space and additional restaurants.
To frequent business travelers, the most useful measurement of an airport's efficacy is: how many direct flights to how many destinations?
Bradley is sometimes criticized for not offering enough direct flights, although passengers today can travel direct from Windsor Locks to cities such as Dallas, Chicago, multiple Florida destinations, Toronto and Montreal. But if you want to fly to Houston, for example, you're in for some plane-changing.
Explains Stanley Dalnekoff, president of New Haven Travel: “Generally there are cutbacks in direct flights across the board. I don't think the availability of direct flights has changed much - i.e., staying on same plane but making a touchdown at an airport before destination. Airlines generally have cut back on all flights - about 15 percent since September 11. It's only partially due to September 11; a weakening economy has also contributed to this situation. If economy were stronger we wouldn't have this drop, about 20 percent [overall] during the last year.”
Dalnekoff observes that remaining flights are fuller now, as fewer available seats make existing flights packed, and airlines are quicker to cancel undersold flights.
“Nonstops generally do not yield as much revenue as a flight which falls within an airline's hub-and-spoke configuration,” he says. “You have also to take into consideration the increase in number of economy [carriers] such as Jet Blue” and Southwest, whose lower fares are cutting into the revenues of larger, more established airlines.
In spite of the fact that most travelers would prefer to fly nonstop, “It makes more sense [from an airline perspective] to make a stop to assure that the plane is full,” says Dalnekoff. “A cross-country flight, for example, has to be full to make it pay, so a stop in Chicago makes more sense than going on to the coast with empty seats. There just aren't enough people going from Hartford to San Francisco to justify many non-stop flights.
“Bradley has become normalized following September 11 and the waiting in line to check in really isn't any different that it was before - or not much worse on most days,” explains Dalnekov. “Inspection takes longer now but it's become much better organized. There are a few exceptions but as a rule it's running fairly smoothly.”
Dalnekov points out that business travelers generally have electronic tickets, allowing them to use machines to check in. The machines are well placed at Bradley and it is rare to find the long line that you often see at many airline check-in counters.
When it comes to security, frequent travelers are becoming accustomed to the new rules. More luggage is being opened at Bradley when going through the security checkpoints. More handbags are being emptied and most flyers have learned not to pack items such as manicure scissors in carry-ons because security people on their toes will not permit “potential weapons” to be carried on the plane.
Security people are also electronically scanning more people at the security checkpoint for possible items concealed in pants pockets, etc. Business travelers have learned to allow extra time at security points. It tends to give most travelers as sense of comfort, a feeling of being safe, in spite of the fact that it is not a perfect system. Items that should not be taken on planes still get through, as frequent FAA checks reveal.
The frustration level of passengers often escalates when boarding. Airlines are pulling passengers aside to search them, sometimes as many as every third passenger. There doesn't seem to be any logic to who gets pulled aside for this oft-humiliating experience. Disabled people have to take off their shoes. Mothers have to empty diaper bags and in spite of portable screens, all of this is done in view of the boarding passengers.
“The problem now with security checks is that in this era of political correctness, valuable time is spent by security agents examining 85-year-old grandmothers in wheelchairs,” acknowledges Dalnekoff.
Airlines are becoming stricter about the number and size of carry-ons, enforcing rules that have been in place for some time. Business people often try to board with luggage, laptop, briefcase, etc. but often are forced to surrender some luggage at the gate. Full flights just don't have room for unlimited carry-ons.
Despite the enhancements, the Bradley experience is but no means problem-free. “Construction has made getting in and out of the airport much more difficult,” says Dalnekoff. “Parking is also a problem. There isn't enough - a big inconvenience for the business traveler who is flying in and out the same day and wants to park at the airport rather than at a drive-and-fly [long-term parking facility]. But the addition of the new parking garage presently under construction should help this situation. And long-term parking is cheaper than New York.”
Dalnekoff points out that access to New York airports, by contrast, is more difficult than ever. “Connecticut has a lot of high-tech and international companies,” he notes. “I hope we'll see international flights going into Bradley.”
Love it or hate it, Bradley remains the only in-state option for Connecticut flyers, and will remain so for the foreseeable future. But its convenience is inversely proportional to one's driving distance to and from Windsor Locks.
Notes Roger Joyce of the Bilco Corp. in West Haven, the first chairman of the Tweed-New Haven Airport Authority [see accompanying story], “Portal-to-portal time is problematic for those living along the shore, and depending which town one may live in it might be more convenient to reach New York airports or T.F. Green” in Warwick, R.I. “If you live in Madison, T.F. Green is going to be easier,” he adds. “Flight offerings from there are excellent.”
“Bradley does have a much improved flight schedule, particularly over the past five years,” Joyce says. “They brought in Southwest, for example, providing an array of new non-stop destinations.” Southwest thrives on second-tier cities, a convenience for business travelers who have to get directly to places like Phoenix, Ariz., previously accessible only through Chicago or Nashville, Tenn.
“Bradley should continue to grow and improve, as it seems to be trying to do now,” says Joyce. “But there are flights that aren't available at Bradley that would be a major boost to Connecticut travelers. We have an office in the United Kingdom and have to fly in and out of [New York's] JFK. The congestion on I-95 can add many hours to the trip. I would encourage a London flight out of Bradley. I think it would be great. I also think that Tweed needs to improve and grow, reaching the hub airports within a 1,000 miles.”
Judy Richards, executive administrative assistant to Marjorie Dorr, president of Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield East, makes travel arrangements for her boss. “In spite of the fact that Bradley doesn't have direct flights to Indianapolis where our corporate headquarters are,” says Richards, “we use Bradley almost exclusively. This is an inconvenience but to travel to New York would be more inconvenient because of the difficulty getting there and parking is impossible. If you can get through the traffic and find parking you still have to get to the terminal. Hartford is easier - a lot more accessible. Parking is right there and it only takes an hour from New Haven to get there.”
Adds Richards: “Some of our executives do fly out of T.F. Green, but Bradley is still the airport of choice. You have to be crazy to want to drive to New York or even take the limo. We pretty much use Bradley exclusively.
“Time is valuable to the business traveler,” Richards adds. “We need to maximize executive's time. We need to move people around a lot and our destinations tend to be located in the middle of the country. We have a lot of people flying in and out of the state and we always suggest flying into Bradley because of convenience and ease of getting in and out of the airport.”
Bradley is still using its original facility, the oldest operating terminal in the nation. Far from being modern, it is regarded as depressing by many travelers. The upgrade of Terminal A will improve the environment for flyers.
Richards points out that the interior of Bradley “isn't wonderful,” that the restaurants at the airport are few and not very good, and that the selection of boutiques is second rate.
Indeed, the Hartford Courant made improving amenities at Bradley the subject of a full-page August 4 editorial, also arguing that control of the airport should be transferred from the DOT to a quasi-public airport authority.
Nevertheless, experienced travelers such as Richards are sanguine about Bradley's spare amenities. “I think most airports look pretty much the same inside if you are sitting in a seat at a gate waiting to board,” she says. “And it is true that good restaurants are hard to find at Bradley, but we tend to book early-morning flights so restaurants and shopping aren't that important to our people.
“Still, it would be nice to have a restaurant to sit in while waiting for a flight and if you have to pick up a quick gift or have forgotten to pack something, additional retail space could be handy,” she adds.
For better or worse, most travelers make allowances for Bradley. It's still a better alternative to the nightmare of getting to New York airports. And until the Tweed boosters succeed in selling their story to skeptical carriers, it's just about the only alternative southern Connecticut has.
D.C.: Can't Get There From Here
Even if US Air survives, Tweed's Capitol connection won't resume
US Airways, which halted service from Tweed-New Haven Airport to Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, told BNH that it would not resume that service even before the airline announced August 11 (as this edition went to press) that it would file for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. bankruptcy code.
And even though US Airways officials said the airline would continue normal operations for the time being, the decision not to resume the New Haven-Washington flights meant that travelers flying from New Haven would have access to just one direct air destination: Philadelphia, Pa.
“We don't have the aircraft available to operate at the same level that we did pre-9/11 that we need,” said David Castelveter, a spokesman for US Airways, speaking on August 9. “I don't see any immediate change for New Haven to Washington in the near future. I'm uncertain what our plans will be in the future for the New Haven-to-Washington run. We have to put the aircraft where they make the most sense.”
US Airway remains the only commercial carrier operating from Tweed. Still, officials of the 14-member Tweed Airport Authority express optimism that another airline may be lured to New Haven, despite the grim history of commercial service at the airport.
Before September 11 US Airways offered direct flights to Washington and Philadelphia. Following the terrorist attacks, Reagan National Airport was closed until October 4 in part because of its proximity to potential terrorist targets such as the White House and U.S. Capitol. Since then, it's been the City of Brotherly Love only for New Haven flyers - or no city at all.
“At one point in time there were three flights a day to Washington,” explains Tweed airport manager Rick Lamport. “Business people could get an early morning flight and fly back the same day. That service had resumed only three weeks before September 11.”
Lamport believes that “Clearly there is a call for this service, and business people would utilize it because it saves so much time. It was good for the business community while we had it, and we need to get it back.” If so, it will have to be with a carrier other than US Air.
Lamport is realistic about the prospects of attracting other airlines to New Haven. “When United had flights out of Tweed,” he says, “the Chicago flights were popular, but United felt they could make more elsewhere and moved out. I believe those flights were making money at the time. People could leapfrog over the New York airports. But now, US Air has no competition; they have captive market for the New Haven flights to Philadelphia and hence, the flights are more expensive. A Florida vacation, for example, is price-driven. Even if they had direct flights they would have to be competitive.”
“We get a lot of requests for flights out of Tweed, but the rates are not competitive with either Hartford or New York so most travelers opt for flying out of either Bradley or New York,” says Cristy Lombardi, manager of RaceBrook Travel in Orange. Most often, she says, Bradley is the first choice.
“If Tweed is able to add direct fights the most popular request we get are flights to Florida,” says Lombardi, “because the choice is limited for direct service to Florida, Delta and Southwest being the primary carriers to that area. At present you can't fly to New York from Tweed on a major carrier but you can pretty much go anywhere you want through Philadelphia.”
Lombardi adds: “I get a lot of business people that want to fly to Washington, D.C. and would like to see that service restored. What I've noticed since September 11 is that nonstop service has been severely cut, causing people to change planes more often than not. People are flying again but there isn't enough air service to accommodate them with multiple non-stop possibilities. In other words, people are still traveling but it is a lot more inconvenient for the travelers because the airlines have them changing planes.
“Airlines aren't flying half-full so, for example, people that were flying non-stop before September 11 are now making a stop to pick up more passengers or changing planes,” she adds.
To those who believe that service enhancements at Tweed can come only at the expense of Bradley, Tweed Airport Authority Chairman Lawrence J. DeNardis says the authority is committed to seeing Bradley remain the state's major long-haul airport, but believes Tweed should grow into a major commuter airport with perhaps 30 to 35 daily flights.
“It is a function of the authority to be working with a number of airlines and we are,” explains DeNardis, “providing them with market and leakage data and business travel patterns for the area.” DeNardis points out that more than ten million air passengers originate in Connecticut each year. “Forty-five percent of that number begin or end in southern Connecticut,” says DeNardis. “Over 40 percent of the state's air passengers leak to out-of-state airports. This is $1 billion a year in economic benefits going outside Connecticut.”
DeNardis asserts that in order to be competitive in the 21st century, southern Connecticut travelers can't be dependent on out-of-state airports such as New York or T.F. Green in Warwick, R.I. “We are making it increasingly difficult for global businesses to choose a southern Connecticut location.”
Adds DeNardis: “Changes in the economy and travel patterns brought about by the events of the past year have dictated a shift in the operating strategy of all airlines. Where previously they were in an entrepreneurial mode, now they are more cautious.”
Still, DeNardis says, “I believe airlines will soon become more entrepreneurial than they have been in the last year, and when they do we have a good case to make for Tweed.”
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