Fewer hubs limit travel options

If you live in “flyover country,” you may have noticed it’s becoming quite a challenge to fly around the country from regional hubs. That’s because airlines have been cutting flights to regional cities in an effort to boost the bottom line. Recently Delta slashed twenty-five percent of their flights in Memphis, Pittsburgh’s airport has seen flights drop to 165 flights to 37 airports around the country. San Jose, Las Vegas, St. Louis, Columbus, Raleigh, and even Baltimore has see airlines pull out completely, eliminating vital hubs and placing a greater burden on travelers to get to International airports if they want to fly.

But while some airlines are pulling out, Southwest Airlines, and other low cost carriers are seeing an opportunity. But even these airlines can’t grow fast enough to fill the void. They are boosting flights to mid sized destinations, but that still leaves smaller cities without a viable option. Cities like Lexington Kentucky, Lafayette, Louisiana, and Lexington, Kentucky will either lose service completely or have flights reduced to one or two per day.

So, what can travelers who live in smaller cities do to cope? Try booking your airfare through larger regional hub. That may require driving to a larger city more than an hour away, and at $4 a gallon, that won’t be cheap. If your city still has one or two flights a day, it may mean adjusting your flight schedule and adding an extra stop, even if it’s not in the direction you want to go. That’ll also add to your airfare. Choose a huge leisure destination like Las Vegas, or Orlando. Many still have flights to these vacation destinations. But until the economy improves, and there are signs it may be, flyers from smaller cities will just have to get creative if they want to see the world by air.

Hat Tip – CNN