PORTLAND, Maine — Southwest Airlines will not expand the number of daily flights AirTran currently offers between Portland and Baltimore when it takes over the service in April, but it will increase service by flying larger planes.
Southwest, the country’s largest domestic airline, announced last week that come spring it would take over service at Portland International Jetport from AirTran, which it acquired in May 2011. AirTran will cease its service in Portland on April 13, 2013, with Southwest picking up the service the next day.
On Monday, Southwest announced the official flight schedule it would use on April 14, which turned out to be unchanged from the three daily round-trip flights AirTran currently offers between Portland and Baltimore.
Southwest will offer nonstop flights from Portland to Baltimore-Washington International Airport on weekdays at 6:05 and 11:55 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.; on Saturdays at 6:05 a.m. and 2 p.m.; and on Sundays at 11:55 a.m. and 5:20 p.m. The airline announced flights would cost as little as $79 one way.
While the number of flights were not expanded, the fact Southwest flies larger planes will in effect expand the service, according to Scott Carr, the jetport’s deputy director.
Southwest flies 143-seat Boeing 737s, while AirTran flies 117-seat Boeing 717s, which represents 156 additional seats each day in the market over what AirTran currently offers, Carr told the Bangor Daily News.
The available connections from Baltimore also will expand upon Southwest’s arrival. Southwest offers connections from Baltimore to 60 cities, a 30 percent increase from the number AirTran has available from Baltimore, Carr said.
Paul Bradbury, the jetport’s director, expressed hope last week that Southwest would offer more daily flights than AirTran currently does. While that didn’t happen, Carr said the jetport would work with the airline to explore future opportunities for expansion.
“This is the initial conversion schedule,” Carr said. “We will continue to work with Southwest as we do with all airlines to offer additional, nonstop cities in the future.”
Southwest will evaluate its performance in the Portland market, the results of which will govern any future decisions regarding the number of daily flights, said Chris Mainz, a spokesman for Southwest. “It’s really too early to say what service will look like down the road.”
In the meantime, Carr said the jetport is just happy to have been selected by Southwest as one of the AirTran airports where it decided to maintain service.
Of the 69 cities AirTran served before Southwest acquired it, 16 cities were dropped and will lose the previously offered service.
“Southwest Airlines is the largest domestic airline in the United States, so to be put on their route map is an important strategic [milestone] of our air service development strategy,” Carr said.
Mainz said Southwest is not considering offering service at Bangor International Airport at this time.
This Stinks!
Come to Bangor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
just hop the bus to portland. worth it.
use concord coach lines
I do like Concord Coach just wish they had more reasonable rates
it cost money to run the company . Did they go up when the price of fuel went up ? They have other cost that they have no control over to . Grayhound 79.00 5h 30m
concord 71.00 4h 15m an they go to logan an grayhound does not concord drops you off at the airline you are taking .
That would be nice….but it isn’t an economic reality. SWA has to fly high-frequency, volume flights to make money. Bangor’s economic profile and population base simply cannot support them at present. Portland, however, can and given the relatively short distance to drive to save hundreds of dollars a ticket, my guess is that Bangor area passengers will continue to do what they’ve been doing since air service at Bangor dropped off/pulled out–drive.
More seats per airplane, but Southwest’s seats are narrower and there’s no business class. Just something to keep in mind if you’re a “passenger of size.”
I will not fly but if I have to, I’ll go to Boston, Manchester or Portland. Was at BIA the other day. There is no information as to where flights are coming in. All the tell you is where to get your luggage and that isn’t right sometimes either. BIA is nothing more than a cluster. You ask for flight information at the counters asnd even they don’t know where their flights are coming or going.
southwest will never come to bangor so don’t waste energy trying to beg them to. There is a big population difference of the greater portland area and the greater bangor area. a realistic expansion of air service into bangor could be pen air that flies 34 seat planes between boston and presque isle to bring daily flights between bangor and boston. I would also watch the start up airline people express thats not looking to compete directly with low cost routes. Bangor might look like a good market for people express during the peek summer months. that could expand to year round service. Hopefully the airlines in bangor now will lower there prices to get more competitive to southwest in portland.