Scheduled service to DTW

None that I know of.

At the prices they are charging, American Airlines/Eagle isn't long for Toledo Express either.

rather than fight what consumers appear to generally want, the port authority ought to ensure there is shuttle service to dtw from franklin park and central union terminal.

gunz - being cheap is what caused Toledo to lose more air service. Use your car or a cab, pure and simple. Save $50 r/t on airfare and pay an extra $100 in parking, not to mention the extra gas it takes to get up there and back.

old - just because they are charging higher prices, doesn't mean they are making money. They don't want the passenger who wants the $100 r/t fare to Florida. Why fill 50 seats at $50 when they can fill 40 seats at an average fare of say $350 r/t?

American is happy with their service right now, Delta screwed themselves. Don't support what is out there even if it's a litle bit more, won't be there in the future.

enjoy - why? they won't make money off of that...They have figured out what people want..nothing out of here. There will still be an airport even if there is no airline service...

Wow people are stupid.

Like the previous poster said, being cheap is what caused the airline service to leave Toledo. Fuel costs are high, the regional jets are expensive to operate, and people want $70 one way seats. Stop being stupid.

It is the Port's job to bring jobs and income to Toledo...not Detroit and Michigan. If you want to spend your money up there, by all means do it on your own dime.

Airlines are in the business right now to increase profits and yields. They are dumping cheap, low yield routes (and customers) and going after business travelers. There is a reason why ticket prices have gone up $60 this year, and expected to go up another 60 or so. They want to cheap "walmart" traffic to find somewhere else to go and let the seats be taken by high yield business traffic.

This is exactly what American is doing in Toledo. They are serving business clients and don't want the cheap leisure travelers.

^^Wow.

So, TOL is failing and it's the customer's fault? They're "stupid"?

That's a pathetic excuse, and a non-starter since it doesn't answer the questions or solve the problem.

Customers, and every major airline save one, have voted with their feet and wallets. A competitive business will do what it has to do to win them back. The PA is unwilling to do that, apparently, so here we are.

As for the "business traveler" theory, if that is the case, TOL is doomed as a passenger terminal. We are the mirror image of Youngstown. Fortune 500 companies have dried up in this neck of the woods and those with employees who need to get anywhere quickly are heading to DTW.

Of course it is the customers fault. Going all the way back to AirTran. They had extremely affordable, competitive fares, a good schedule...and the local populace still went to Detroit. Shunning one of the largest low fare airlines in the nation.

Is the Port not at fault? Of course not. There is more they can do, or just get out of the airport business all together and let an Airport Authority take it over or a private firm run it. However, the Toledo traveler is spoiled with cheap fares provided by Spirit which has destroyed yields on certain routes. They also refuse to support business destinations and just want the cheap seats to Florida or Vegas. There is a reason why even low fare airlines are bailing on those markets or going to an Allegiant/Spirit model.

Toledo had the service on many airlines, nearly 40 flights a day, on planes from the smaller 19 seats up to 180 seat jets. They didn't support it. They complain the air fares are too high, but yet don't recognize that hey...gas is 3.50 a gallon for a reason, jet fuel isn't going to be cheap either. Everyone wanted jets instead of the more efficient turboprops, and airlines are trying to do what they can to unload them right now if at all possible. The other major argument from Toledo was lack of nonstop flights to more cities. The airline response - "you don't support our current flights, why give you more?"

People want more without having to earn it through loyalty. So yes...stupid.

As it has been explained to me, American is NOT service the Toledo-based flier. They are serving those that need to get to Toledo. Yes there are local travelers on them, but that isn't the target market. Allegiant and the charter operation by Direct Air is for Toledo-based travelers...and go figure those are the low yield, vacation destination folks the majors don't want. Heck even Allegiant is thinking of mimicking Spirit and starting to bill for carry on bags and such.

Airlines are trying to make money and the local market won't support them. The expected fare (an airline can make) for Toledo is too low that new airlines won't touch it right now. There was one recently interested but there would be no way they could make money, even with full planes, based on the expected fare of the Toledo market. It is just too cheap right now for anyone to go into TOL without a massive subsidy to assist during the ramp up phase. Unfortunately I don't see Toledo doing what Wichita or Northwest Florida Panhandle Airport have done and offered up around $6 and $3 million dollars respectively per year. That money bought Wichita AirTran service and Southwest to the Florida airport. Once AirTran and Southwest merge, Wichita will likely get access on the nations largest domestic airline.

So when I say the local consumer is stupid, it is to the point that they don't have a clue on how this is suppose to work. Maybe it is the fact that the area isn't filled with people who are innovative difference makers that are willing to take a risk to improve their community. There is no community loyalty by the businesses or residents of the city, so why should any outside firm take a chance?

The decline in passenger service at the airport, thankfully the cargo and general aviation services will keep the airport profitable in the future, is just another indicator that Toledo has to reinvent itself. The community leaders need to get away from the rust belt mentality that they deserve something for nothing. The huge sense of entitlement is astonishing considering it is a dying city with no ambition. Look at the cities with rapid growth and study with what they are doing. They are taking chances, investing dollars into renovations or new community projects to improve the city's own mentality.

Up the road some from me is a city that was dead from the oil bust and wanted to change. They took a chance asking the tax payers for a sales tax increase to fund local projects. That has been on going now for 15 years and the impact has been huge. Population is exploding as people move in, unemployment is around 6%, and they are watching a new 850 ft skyscraper being built in a once dead city core.

Toledo has tremendous resources at their disposal, but no one wants to make the tough choices or try to change. Everyone wants it kept the way it has been for decades. They like their same tired and recycled politicians. They also don't want to make the sacrifice and pay for the things that need to be improved, instead they want it for free or for someone else to pay. They also don't want to move the local economy out of the manufacturing and union hands.

So yes. It is the customers' fault. It is the city's fault. They are refusing to educate themselves and change what needs to be changed.

Recently, DTW reduced their daily parking from $21 to $10 per day. Not sure how long it will last.
If we are going away for a week, we usually take a limo. It's not that expensive, get dropped at the gate, help with your luggage and enjoy an adult beverage & relax.
Compared to eight days at $21, its comparable.

You are correct Hoops. The Big Blue Deck reduced to $10/day at the North Terminal. The deck at the Mac Terminal is still $20/day. A limo or cab would be the cheapest way to get up there.

yup... if you're going on a long trip with a few people to cover the costs, it's actually as expensive to take a limo as it is to drive and park and a limo is WAY more fun. :)

It only cost us 50 bucks an hour to get a sedan up to DTW. It didn't even take us a whole hour to get up there.

I live in Point Place, and it may take an extra 10 minutes to drive to DTW rather than TOL. There just isn't enough demand for two passenger airports less than an hour apart, and I really would like to see some interstate cooperation on shuttle service.

lfrost: curious because I have to do this several times each month and am realy, really tired of the drive, the search for a decent parking space, and the cost (gas, time and parking fees.) The $50 per hour... was that based only on your time in the car, or did it also include the driver's return to T-town? If only your time, what company did you use? All other insight and info is appreciated.... I'm traveling to another state on a weekly basis to support a friend through cancer treatments.... the costs can really add up.

I think that it was only for time spent in the car because we only booked the car for an hour. You have to remember though that this was back in 2007-2008, so prices may have changed since then. I believe it was first class limo that we used.

I bet if a sceduled 4 round trips a day were scheduled on small bus from Toledo...example Franklin Park mall....a significant profit could be made.

scheduled