1 hour ago, Mov2Ohio said:

Worst seats I've ever sat on. It's like their seats are steel, with the thinnest layer of fake leather directly over the steel. AND they don't recline. F that, especially on a long route!

 

1 hour ago, Mov2Ohio said:

Worst seats I've ever sat on. It's like their seats are steel, with the thinnest layer of fake leather directly over the steel. AND they don't recline. F that, especially on a long route!

So now you’re saying I have a fat a** so I can’t tell there’s no cushion 😜

2 hours ago, Mov2Ohio said:

Worst seats I've ever sat on. It's like their seats are steel, with the thinnest layer of fake leather directly over the steel. AND they don't recline. F that, especially on a long route!

It’s actually interesting that you weren’t immediately put in prison for reclining your seat

 

Signed

 

6’4” traveler

23 hours ago, bumsquare said:

It’s actually interesting that you weren’t immediately put in prison for reclining your seat

 

Signed

 

6’4” traveler

Reclining is only an extra $99.85!  (per minute)

On 11/11/2023 at 1:32 PM, Mov2Ohio said:

Worst seats I've ever sat on. It's like their seats are steel, with the thinnest layer of fake leather directly over the steel. AND they don't recline. F that, especially on a long route!

 

Not that I want to keep going off topic, but agreed - my husband usually plans the flights for our trips and I’ve put my cloven hoof down. Any flights over 2.5 hours are on any airline other than Frontier; Spirit gets an extra half hour with that extra layer of a paper towel they call “cushion”.

3 hours ago, MayDay said:

 

Not that I want to keep going off topic, but agreed - my husband usually plans the flights for our trips and I’ve put my cloven hoof down. Any flights over 2.5 hours are on any airline other than Frontier; Spirit gets an extra half hour with that extra layer of a paper towel they call “cushion”.

 

 

Seems like it would be a relatively low cost to make your seats that don't move at least comfortable!!

I've taken Frontier and Spirit airlines more times than I'd like to remember.

 

Absolute rubbish. Both of them. And the savings are neither significant nor worth the stress and tensions and unpleasantness and physical pain both preceding and during the travel. 

 

Stick with Southwest if you can.

1 hour ago, TBideon said:

I've taken Frontier and Spirit airlines more times than I'd like to remember.

 

Absolute rubbish. Both of them. And the savings are neither significant nor worth the stress and tensions and unpleasantness and physical pain both preceding and during the travel. 

 

Stick with Southwest if you can.

Never flown SPirit. Frontier is not that bad if you can sit in the first 4-5 rows and have a normal tray table.

 

I’m at CLE Hopkins and they are setting up for a press conference to introduce the installation of the Viktor Schreckengost sculpture just above the Pre-Check security entrance in the middle of the check in area. It looks nice! They were handing out cookies, which I enjoyed. 

 

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2022/10/once-forgotten-viktor-schreckengost-sculpture-to-be-reinstalled-at-cleveland-hopkins-international-airport.html?outputType=amp

 

 

Render from article:

Where's my giant paper airplane!!?????

lol, government is hilarious.  They hold pressers and have cake for every picture that goes on the wall at that place

27 minutes ago, surfohio said:

Where's my giant paper airplane!!?????

 

It's too bad they couldn't find a way to relocate those.  I always thought they were pretty cool.

Here is a link which contains a photo of the "paper" airplane.

 

https://ianmcconnellphotography.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/cleveland-airport-paper-airplanes/

On 11/12/2023 at 8:34 PM, TBideon said:

I've taken Frontier and Spirit airlines more times than I'd like to remember.

 

Absolute rubbish. Both of them. And the savings are neither significant nor worth the stress and tensions and unpleasantness and physical pain both preceding and during the travel. 

 

Stick with Southwest if you can.

 

Going to poke at this one more time- but Spirit is substantially cheaper if you buy your tickets at the airport (precovid I got a RT to Tampa for $26). If you are a light traveler (I'm talking backpack, tops) it's great for what it is. It's the Greyhound of the skies lol. 

"enilria", an aviation blogger, has posted an analysis of Dublin's Q2, 2023, transatlantic traffic. CLE-DUB was the only route that earned his top rating "great"; he reported 95% loads at an average one-way fare of $590. It was only for 45 days of flying, but still a very nice result.  

 

The Irish aren't giving the product away as the Icelanders did.

Good news. Now let's hope the flight goes daily next year, at least for the summer.

Total passengers thruough October: 8,232,633  (7,306,395 in 2022)

 

Will we reach 10mil?

On 11/12/2023 at 8:34 PM, TBideon said:

I've taken Frontier and Spirit airlines more times than I'd like to remember.

 

Absolute rubbish. Both of them. And the savings are neither significant nor worth the stress and tensions and unpleasantness and physical pain both preceding and during the travel. 

 

Stick with Southwest if you can.

 

Southwest has delayed us more times than Frontier or Spirit, although Frontier killed my wife's back and thus our Cancun vacation, while Spirit once nickeled and dimed us on VERY SLIGHTLY oversized bags to the point that we almost got into a fight with the gate agent who refused to let us on board with those bags. So we had to gate-check them at great expense.

32 minutes ago, KJP said:

 

Southwest has delayed us more times than Frontier or Spirit, although Frontier killed my wife's back and thus our Cancun vacation, while Spirit once nickeled and dimed us on VERY SLIGHTLY oversized bags to the point that we almost got into a fight with the gate agent who refused to let us on board with those bags. So we had to gate-check them at great expense.

Spirit is the worst, though I've not flown Southwest yet (and probably never will). Frontier is cramped, and they also nickel and dime you, but at least their computer system doesnt go down for multiple days and totally screw up travel for who knows how many people.

On 11/17/2023 at 4:02 PM, LibertyBlvd said:

Here is a link which contains a photo of the "paper" airplane.

 

https://ianmcconnellphotography.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/cleveland-airport-paper-airplanes/

 

It would be nice if we ever got to use that Terminal again and United stopped holding CLE hostage

 

On 11/28/2023 at 9:54 AM, Dougal said:

"enilria", an aviation blogger, has posted an analysis of Dublin's Q2, 2023, transatlantic traffic. CLE-DUB was the only route that earned his top rating "great"; he reported 95% loads at an average one-way fare of $590. It was only for 45 days of flying, but still a very nice result.  

 

The Irish aren't giving the product away as the Icelanders did.

 

It pained me to hear this... but the DUB-CLE route is also huge for Irish passengers, though only a fraction of them stay in Ohio. 

 

My cousin works for a large pharma company and lives on Ireland's west coast. He flies to Cleveland and buys a Southwest or Delta ticket to Atlanta at the airport. He's only had to wait overnight once since doing it, and has made the trip 5x since May. 

3 minutes ago, YABO713 said:

 

It pained me to hear this... but the DUB-CLE route is also huge for Irish passengers, though only a fraction of them stay in Ohio. 

 

My cousin works for a large pharma company and lives on Ireland's west coast. He flies to Cleveland and buys a Southwest or Delta ticket to Atlanta at the airport. He's only had to wait overnight once since doing it, and has made the trip 5x since May. 

I'd encourage that behavior if it lets us keep the route, even if it's not directly bringing travelers and their money to Cleveland.

19 minutes ago, YABO713 said:

 

It pained me to hear this... but the DUB-CLE route is also huge for Irish passengers, though only a fraction of them stay in Ohio. 

 

My cousin works for a large pharma company and lives on Ireland's west coast. He flies to Cleveland and buys a Southwest or Delta ticket to Atlanta at the airport. He's only had to wait overnight once since doing it, and has made the trip 5x since May. 

 

Aer Lingus is supposed to join the OneWorld airline alliance perhaps as early as next year, which should also benefit the CLE-DUB route.  It will mean that inbound passengers will be able to connect to American Airlines flights more easily. 

2 hours ago, KJP said:

 

Southwest has delayed us more times than Frontier or Spirit, although Frontier killed my wife's back and thus our Cancun vacation, while Spirit once nickeled and dimed us on VERY SLIGHTLY oversized bags to the point that we almost got into a fight with the gate agent who refused to let us on board with those bags. So we had to gate-check them at great expense.

I've had my share of delays with Southwest, such as last night for about 40 minutes, plus their archaic computer system is a massive ticking time bomb.

 

But the planes are more comfortable, especially for leg room, coffee/snacks are standard even on short trips, and passengers, in my experience, act like human beings.

 

Honestly, all air travel in the US is garbage. Deregulation is part of it; 9/11's nonsensical security theatrics another; people getting fatter and angrier another; limited alternative options another; staffing issues another; insane airport prices for food another. And so on.

 

Airports and airlines are microcosms of everything wrong in the US these days.

1 hour ago, TBideon said:

Honestly, all air travel in the US is garbage. Deregulation is part of it; 9/11's nonsensical security theatrics another; people getting fatter and angrier another; limited alternative options another; staffing issues another; insane airport prices for food another. And so on.

 

Airports and airlines are microcosms of everything wrong in the US these days.

Amen.  We almost always fly Southwest for all the reasons you state.  Their archaic computer system is an issue, but they are finally working on upgrades.  Founder and former CEO Herb Kelleher would have never let that happen, but when he retired and a bean counter accountant took over, he refused to invest in computer upgrades. The employees union begged him for years to no avail. 

 

There have been multiple articles this year about how all travel in the US has become such a pain.  The richest country in the world has one of the sh*****t transportaton systems among developed countries.

Edited November 29, 20231 yr by gildone

Not a fan of Southwest.  They have some perks like an upbeat culture and ethos....but you are right, its a ticking time bomb and detonated last holiday season...that was an epic meltdown.  There is something about Southwest that is just not up to snuff with United/American/Delta.  Like the lining up thing is just weird to me and awkward.  Always people just standing in the wrong spot, etc.  It just doesnt seem like a necessary way to board the plane.

 

Side note, i do have to fly SW if im going to Nashville and im usually in the B group.  Human behavior is funny because nobody wants to sit in the middle or next to other people....they would much rather sit in the far back in an aisle/window and hope they have nobody in the middle.  I usually just ask the boarding agent if the flight is full or close and if they yes, just grab the first middle seat available, usually in the first few rows.

Exactly. I just look for an early middle seat (I'm always B or even C group), and rarely has anyone given me attitude. You certainly get off the plane a lot faster that way.

1 hour ago, BelievelandD1 said:

Not a fan of Southwest.  They have some perks like an upbeat culture and ethos....but you are right, its a ticking time bomb and detonated last holiday season...that was an epic meltdown.  There is something about Southwest that is just not up to snuff with United/American/Delta.  Like the lining up thing is just weird to me and awkward.  Always people just standing in the wrong spot, etc.  It just doesnt seem like a necessary way to board the plane.

 

Side note, i do have to fly SW if im going to Nashville and im usually in the B group.  Human behavior is funny because nobody wants to sit in the middle or next to other people....they would much rather sit in the far back in an aisle/window and hope they have nobody in the middle.  I usually just ask the boarding agent if the flight is full or close and if they yes, just grab the first middle seat available, usually in the first few rows.

 

Yeah - but the anarchy of choosing your own seat and he adrenaline rush that follows is worth it

 

1 hour ago, BelievelandD1 said:

  Human behavior is funny because nobody wants to sit in the middle or next to other people....they would much rather sit in the far back in an aisle/window and hope they have nobody in the middle. 

 

That's not funny, it's just another example of how Americans value elbow room more than others do.

Just now, E Rocc said:

 

That's not funny, it's just another example of how Americans value elbow room more than others do.

 

Of course, but people think since they are going to the back they are going to get that elbow space...but the plane is going to be full...so why not just sit in the front of the plane

3 hours ago, BelievelandD1 said:

Not a fan of Southwest.  They have some perks like an upbeat culture and ethos....but you are right, its a ticking time bomb and detonated last holiday season...that was an epic meltdown.  There is something about Southwest that is just not up to snuff with United/American/Delta.  Like the lining up thing is just weird to me and awkward.  Always people just standing in the wrong spot, etc.  It just doesnt seem like a necessary way to board the plane.

 

Side note, i do have to fly SW if im going to Nashville and im usually in the B group.  Human behavior is funny because nobody wants to sit in the middle or next to other people....they would much rather sit in the far back in an aisle/window and hope they have nobody in the middle.  I usually just ask the boarding agent if the flight is full or close and if they yes, just grab the first middle seat available, usually in the first few rows.

I'm sure the aisle and window people look at you like you have 3 heads! :) 

In all seriousness.... does anyone know if there are plans to reclaim Terminal D?

City hits snag in talks with airlines to pay for new terminal at Cleveland Hopkins airport

Published: Nov. 29, 2023

By Susan Glaser, cleveland.com

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The city’s plan to pay for a new terminal at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport has hit a snag, as several airlines have questions about the project and its increasing costs.

 

Airport director Bryant Francis, speaking before a Cleveland City Council committee Wednesday, said the city initially hoped to have a new lease agreement with the airlines in place by the end of this year. The agreement would outline a plan to pay for the first phase of the project, now slated to cost about $1.1 billion.

 

Instead, the city plans to extend the existing lease agreement for another two years, while negotiations continue on the scope and cost of the new terminal.

 

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/11/city-hits-snag-in-talks-with-airlines-to-pay-for-new-terminal-at-cleveland-hopkins-airport.html

31 minutes ago, YABO713 said:

In all seriousness.... does anyone know if there are plans to reclaim Terminal D?

No. It will be demolished in one of the construction phases. With the airlines moving away from regional jets, it’s obsolete. (The bigger jets don’t fit)

18 hours ago, Luke_S said:

City hits snag in talks with airlines to pay for new terminal at Cleveland Hopkins airport

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/11/city-hits-snag-in-talks-with-airlines-to-pay-for-new-terminal-at-cleveland-hopkins-airport.html

 

A couple airlines are apparently complaining about future lease costs.  According to airport data, $248 million of the projected PAL1 costs are for parking. It's even more in PAL2.

 

I wonder if some of this could be saved by combining airport "economy" parking with the underused Brookpark Rapid Station.  Let's say CLE strikes a deal with RTA to give RTA a parking fee and a fee for round trip RTA rail fare to and from the airport. The station lot could probably take a thousand cars a day.  Let's say RTA gets $3 a day for parking and $1 for the Rapid ride to/from the airport - that's roughly $1+ million annually for RTA at little or no cost to them.  The airport saves the construction and operating cost of at least one surface lot and still collects $10 a day, again almost pure profit (of which they give $3 plus the rail fare to RTA).  A significant win for both?  I wonder if they even considered it. 

https://www.cleveland.com/travel/2023/12/cleveland-to-dublin-who-flew-on-cles-new-aer-lingus-route-and-why-this-european-flight-could-work.html

@Dougal Great idea. Let me encourage you to suggest it to Cleveland Airport officials (Policy/Corporate Affairs Manger Kevyn Shaw [email protected]) and GCRTA Property Manager James Reed [email protected]

On 12/5/2023 at 8:49 PM, KJP said:

@Dougal Great idea. Let me encourage you to suggest it to Cleveland Airport officials (Policy/Corporate Affairs Manger Kevyn Shaw [email protected]) and GCRTA Property Manager James Reed [email protected]

 

Ok, Ken, I sent it.  If nothing else, it will probably give them a chuckle.  🙂

6 minutes ago, Dougal said:

 

Ok, Ken, I sent it.  If nothing else, it will probably give them a chuckle.  🙂

 

Or, a "hmm, great idea! Now why didn't I think of that?!?" Or, "Since I didn't think of it, I'm going to devote every fiber of my being to make sure it never happens!"

Looking at this map of the potential Amtrak expansion, the airport seems to be on the existing rail lines as well as the 3C+D line.  Does Amtrak plan to add the airport to the Lake Shore and the Capitol Limited?  If so, that could become a busy stop going by how BWI Airport traffic has grown over the years. 

 

[/img]

On 12/7/2023 at 4:24 PM, Dougal said:

Looking at this map of the potential Amtrak expansion, the airport seems to be on the existing rail lines as well as the 3C+D line.  Does Amtrak plan to add the airport to the Lake Shore and the Capitol Limited?  If so, that could become a busy stop going by how BWI Airport traffic has grown over the years. 

 

[/img]

Yes. If 3C+D happens, Amtrak intends to build a Cleveland Hopkins station. They are also showing a CLE Hopkins station on the proposed CLE-Toledo-Detroit-Pontiac route (which would also include a new station at Detroit Wayne airport!) I’m relatively confident they would have the long distance trains stop at Hopkins as well, as the trains would pass right through that new station. Last time around, the proposal for the Hopkins station was at Puritas right next to the Rapid Station. (That location only works with the Lakefront station - if we get trains back to Terminal Tower, airport station would have to be further south.)

Frontier to announce new Caribbean destination from CLE.

 

https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/cleveland/frontier-airlines-cleveland-hopkins-international-airport-caribbean-nonstop-route/95-4b587a93-3e26-4177-af45-4a476a11028a

On 12/7/2023 at 4:24 PM, Dougal said:

Looking at this map of the potential Amtrak expansion, the airport seems to be on the existing rail lines as well as the 3C+D line.  Does Amtrak plan to add the airport to the Lake Shore and the Capitol Limited?  If so, that could become a busy stop going by how BWI Airport traffic has grown over the years. 

 

[/img]

 

While the proposed services would, long-distance trains like the Lake Shore and Capitol probably wouldn't stop at the airport even though it's the same tracks that the proposed 3C and CLE-TOL-DET corridors would use between downtown and Berea. Long-distance trains that share the same route as corridor services usually skip suburban stops and smaller cities that corridor trains serve. Corridor services generally make all stops, except for routes with frequent enough services to allow for peak-hour expresses. 

 

14 minutes ago, LibertyBlvd said:

Frontier to announce new Caribbean destination from CLE.

 

https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/cleveland/frontier-airlines-cleveland-hopkins-international-airport-caribbean-nonstop-route/95-4b587a93-3e26-4177-af45-4a476a11028a

Im guessing Punta Cana. I took Frontier there years ago from Chicago.

6 minutes ago, KJP said:

 

While the proposed services would, long-distance trains like the Lake Shore and Capitol probably wouldn't stop at the airport even though it's the same tracks that the proposed 3C and CLE-TOL-DET corridors would use between downtown and Berea. Long-distance trains that share the same route as corridor services usually skip suburban stops and smaller cities that corridor trains serve. Corridor services generally make all stops, except for routes with frequent enough services to allow for peak-hour expresses. 

 

Makes sense.  There aren't many flights scheduled at the time those trains pass by.

5 minutes ago, WindyBuckeye said:

Im guessing Punta Cana. I took Frontier there years ago from Chicago.

dont they already go to Punta Cana? Edit...i checked and they do.  My guess will be Jamaica.

Edited December 13, 20231 yr by BelievelandD1

2 minutes ago, WindyBuckeye said:

Im guessing Punta Cana. I took Frontier there years ago from Chicago.

 

I think they already fly CLE-Punta Cana.  I'll guess Montego Bay or Nassau.

13 minutes ago, Dougal said:

 

I think they already fly CLE-Punta Cana.  I'll guess Montego Bay or Nassau.

 

Nassau is TECHNICALLY on the Atlantic, not the Caribbean. Sorry. Thanks for playing Jeopardy. 

I'm also guessing Nassau in spite of YABO's technicality. There was a direct flight there on United that is apparently gone now, so I think Frontier will try to fill that void.

1 hour ago, YABO713 said:

 

Nassau is TECHNICALLY on the Atlantic, not the Caribbean. Sorry. Thanks for playing Jeopardy. 

 

Well, TECHNICALLY the word "Caribbean" is a region, not the actual sea.  So yes, Bahamas are part of the Caribbean but not in the Caribbean Sea.

4 hours ago, ColDayMan said:

 

Well, TECHNICALLY the word "Caribbean" is a region, not the actual sea.  So yes, Bahamas are part of the Caribbean but not in the Caribbean Sea.

Lawyering the lawyer