^Its the Chris Christie 2016 express--look at the where Frontier will be flying to from Trenton--2 cities in NC, 3 cities in Ohio, and 4 cities in Florida.  Despite that, always nice to have more 319 service (and not another RJ) in CLE.

I'm curious how well Frontier will do with these flights.

 

The introductory fares on these are ridiculously cheap ... $78 roundtrip! But with only one flight per day, just two days a week initially (Thursday and Sunday), and not much in the way of connections on those days in TTN, I wonder how full these flights will be with O&D traffic? It does look like they bump these flights up to 4 per week once May hits.

 

I happen to frequent Trenton/Central Jersey, so this is a welcome for me and I can now avoid the Newark or Philly airports.

 

Trenton/Princeton is very transit friendly and very easy get to Philly or NYC. However, the airport doesn't appear to have public transit (commercial aviation is very new at this airport so perhaps this is in the works), but an $8 dollar taxi cab will get you to a train station a few miles away that will whisk you to Philly or NYC for about $16.

 

I'm curious how much advertising Frontier will do with these flights. The fares alone will be some of the cheapest found from CLE in years, which should raise some eyebrows.

FYI, the $8 taxi ride is to SEPTA's West Trenton station which has service only to Philadelphia. A $35 taxi ride gets you to the downtown Trenton station which has Amtrak high-speed and SEPTA and NJT commuter rail service to the entire Northeast Corridor.

 

EDIT: on Google Streetview, it looks like someone can walk from the airport terminal to the West Trenton train station. It's about two miles via two-lane roads (no sidewalks for the first mile, though). There are also two NJT bus routes within a mile of the airport terminal. One of them, the #608, goes from the corner of Grand and Ferry -- about 6,000 feet from the airport terminal -- to the Trenton Transit Center which is the city's main train station on the Northeast Corridor. This bus runs seven days a week, but only goes out to near the airport on weekdays and holidays.

Air Canada has permanently moved. All departures will now depart from Concourse D gate 21.

For what its worth, UAL has dropped an LHR frequency from IAD next summer.  IAD goes from 4 to 3 dailies to LHR.  There doesn't appear to be an off-set to the reduction.  No increases from other hubs to LHR and no sale or lease of the slot.

 

Could be a CLE-LHR next summer.  Just sayin....

For what its worth, UAL has dropped an LHR frequency from IAD next summer.  IAD goes from 4 to 3 dailies to LHR.  There doesn't appear to be an off-set to the reduction.  No increases from other hubs to LHR and no sale or lease of the slot.

 

Could be a CLE-LHR next summer.  Just sayin....

 

Wouldn't the application process for that have to start very soon (like now)?

^Open skies between US and EU and UA already has the LHR slot--I don't think an application to USDOT or UK authorities is required.

 

MD88PILOT--that's great to hear!

^Open skies between US and EU and UA already has the LHR slot--I don't think an application to USDOT or UK authorities is required.

 

MD88PILOT--that's great to hear!

 

I hope so! That would be great to have the London flight back again. I'd also love to have Frankfurt, especially with all of the Eastern Europeans in Cleveland. When I've traveled through to Eastern Europe, the best flights/fares were always through FRA although LHR has quite a few connections to Eastern Europe. But still not as many as FRA.

Did United drop their summer non stops to Seattle from Cleveland? I was searching for fares and did not see any non stops for the summer season.

 

I know last year United decided to swap the summertime Phoenix nonstop for Portland, OR. Now both of these appear to be gone from the schedule for next summer as well.

 

Anyone know if these locations will show up in the schedules in a few months? If not, losing 3 mainline west coast destinations is a pretty bad blow to United service at CLE, especially during the busy summer travel season. United used to fly a 757 last summer between CLE and SEA and it always seemed full. Perhaps there's demand for another carrier, Southwest?, to perhaps scoop up at least one of these.

United Continental to furlough 685 flight attendants

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/sns-united-continental-flight-attendants-20140116,0,5985481.story

 

United Continental will furlough about 685 flight attendants, as the U.S. airline company looks to prune its expenses as part of a $2 billion annual cost-cutting plan announced last year.

 

United said it failed to attract enough takers for its voluntary furloughs and a job share-partnership program, leading it to undertake involuntary furloughs....

 

Although, it looks like legacy United are getting the cuts, not legacy Continental so this may not effect workers based at CLE

 

United Flight Attendants Cry Foul Over Layoffs

 

http://savvystews.com/2014/01/16/united-flight-attendants-cry-foul-over-layoffs/

 

"The airlines have not integrated operations due in part to the fact that there are still labor agreements to be worked out— including that of the flight attendants.

 

If the layoffs announced by United go through as planned, flight attendants that are senior to those working at the Continental operation would be laid off; a violation of seniority."

 

 

Although, it looks like legacy United are getting the cuts, not legacy Continental so this may not effect workers based at CLE

 

United Flight Attendants Cry Foul Over Layoffs

 

http://savvystews.com/2014/01/16/united-flight-attendants-cry-foul-over-layoffs/

 

"The airlines have not integrated operations due in part to the fact that there are still labor agreements to be worked out— including that of the flight attendants.

 

If the layoffs announced by United go through as planned, flight attendants that are senior to those working at the Continental operation would be laid off; a violation of seniority."

 

 

 

The tell-tale sign will be if the union wins and forces more layoffs among legacy Continental workers -- and the company then reassigns legacy United workers to CLE.

Also, very noteworthy today, AA will end CLE-LGA---a route they had for 50 yrs. As part of the deal with DOJ to combine with USAir, AA had to give up slots at LGA and Washington National. Among the LGA routes cut were ATL and MSP, though some 15-20 new routes--generally to smaller places--were added. That's bad---the last thing we need is LESS competition on a very expensive--and busy--route.

Also, very noteworthy today, AA will end CLE-LGA---a route they had for 50 yrs. As part of the deal with DOJ to combine with USAir, AA had to give up slots at LGA and Washington National. Among the LGA routes cut were ATL and MSP, though some 15-20 new routes--generally to smaller places--were added. That's bad---the last thing we need is LESS competition on a very expensive--and busy--route.

 

AA doesn't do well with head to head service.  But I do agree, this route was on of AA "cornerstone" routes.  Now people will have to go to JFK, EWR or PHL for trips into the city.  The loss of the LGA<>CLE/ATL flights hurts me as those were routes I flew often.

 

LGA to CLE is United heavy

LGA to ATL is Delta heavy

LGA to MSP is Delta heavy

 

If I was COO, I might think to give those up as well considering the "new" routes have little or no competition.  A few years ago, AA spent money at JFK, it has a nice international presence and now they can focus more on that airport to compete with B6 and Delta.

Passenger numbers at Hopkins up slightly in 2013 to about 9.1 million. First annual increase since 2007.

 

^and despite repeated cuts by UA.

As someone who flies frequently, it's frustrating that Ohio doesn't have a single major airport (over 30 million annual passengers) or medium airport (roughly 10 million to 30 million annual passengers). Though I guess this isn't too surprising considering how light Ohio is on tourism and the big competition in Detroit and Chicago.

 

In the Bay Area, we have one major airport (SFO), one medium airport (OAK), and one about the size of Cleveland Hopkins pretty close to being medium (SJC). A huge chunk of that traffic is tourism, with tech and convention business making up most of the rest.

 

Did Hopkins ever break 10 million? Is it still the largest airport in Ohio? It's the only major airline hub left in the state (thank you United), so I assume it has the best service by a good margin.

 

Service to Ohio really sucks and it has gotten pretty expensive (to the point I've skipped some weddings). These small airports are becoming much harder to get to. It's getting harder and harder to find decent direct flights to Cincinnati, Columbus, and Indianapolis. I always fly direct into Detroit on Delta, but occasionally I'll see competitive deals on direct United flights into Cleveland. I'm thinking of trying one.

 

How is on-time performance? How is transit to downtown? How is service to the rental car centers? How are amenities? How is the drive to Toledo or Columbus these days? I'm thinking it might be worth flying to CLE on United to save money and drive to other destinations in the state if needs be...

 

*I've never flown to Hopkins, so I want a true good and bad review of the airport from people who fly it frequently. How does it compare to other airports its size? I'm not expecting it to be DTW, but how about IND?

Indianapolis has one of the nicer airport facilities I've been to. It's been a while, so I can't remember specifics, but I remember thinking it was really nice when I was there.

C-Dawg: From a non-industry persective

Hopkins is an older airport, but clean and well maintained.  They recently brought in skymall, so the shops and food court are OK.  It usually ranks at the top for on time performance for United. 

Rental car facility is off site by about a mile or two.  The times I have used them, there is always a shuttle waiting to be filled. 

 

I am struggling to come up with a 1 to 1 comparison with another airport, but I would say Midway for size and basic layout.  Midway is a little more polished, and busier.

 

Again, this is non industry expert opinion

My biggest complaints about Hopkins:

 

1.  Size of the restrooms.  It shows its age and the fact that it wasn't built for as many passengers actually use it.

 

2.  Lack of Starbucks.  FIXED! :)

 

3.  The parking structure constantly fills up.  The other morning I was forced out onto the frozen tundra outdoors where the long term parking ramp once stood.  This is something I hope they fix soon.  I miss the long term ramp!

How is transit to downtown?

 

Awesome!  There is a Red Line (heavy rail) station in the airport connecting the airport to downtown Cleveland, Ohio City, and University Circle among other neighborhoods.

 

I ride the train to and from the airport so I don't have to worry about rides or leaving a car when traveling.  I think Cleveland was actually the first City in the United States to have airport public transit access.

...Did Hopkins ever break 10 million? Is it still the largest airport in Ohio?.... I've never flown to Hopkins' date=' so I want a true good and bad review of the airport from people who fly it frequently. [/quote']

 

Before 9/11, CLE had better numbers. In the last full year before that event, CLE had 13,288,059 passengers (2000) and 13,020,285 passengers in 1999. So it was growing--on its way to 14 million....

 

CLE Hopkins is the busiest airport in the State of Ohio (181,000 operations in 2013) and Cleveland Burke Lakefront (BKL) is 7th (55,000 operations in 2013). (Port Columbus ranked 2d at 128,000 operations.) It is really easy to get in or out the airport on the airside. landside too--no crazy traffic like on the Van Wyck into JFK. Also, as mentioned above, there is heavy rail line connecting the airport to Downtown ($2.25), and other key neighborhoods. The airport train station is INSIDE the terminal, so you don't have to take another train to get to it like some airports require. (You can get the train to/from BKL as well, though you have to walk about 6-7 minutes from the station at E. 9 Street to the terminal.)

 

On the airside, CLE has a excess capacity, so flights are almost always on time arriving and departing. Delays are almost always the result of delays from other airports, such as equipment arriving late. Weather impacts CLE just like anywhere else. Akron's airport (CAK) is desperately trying to undermine all air service in the region by getting people to fly there instead of CLE--putting signs all over CLE. But its not worth it, as the frequencies are at CLE. If you miss your flight to CAK, you may wait a long time---but if to CLE, it may be only a few hours tops.

 

Overall, CLE is an easy airport to use. I heard customs/immigration badly needs updating, but i've never used it personally.

 

 

The narrow/low ceilinged C (United) concourse at CLE isn't terribly different than, say, E-F at O'Hare - or perhaps the less grand/older concourses at SFO, BWI, CLT, LAX, IAH, etc... The D concourse - which services only regional jets/props - is actually the newest, nicest/most like "new" airports - with higher ceilings and some nice food choices... And C-D are connected via an "O'Hare lite" tunnel - like between B-C at ORD. Concourses B is OK... and A is an underused afterthought.

 

What CLE lacks is any grand or tall space - or any sense of "big airport"... And the customs area is detached and Third World.. But they really have done a good job of upgrading the airport, to the ability they can, with the Airmail addition, stores, restaurants, and all that.. When United gets HDTV monitors at each gate, like at other hubs, I'll actually believe they are staying... Until then, it's 90s orange LED signs..

 

At the same time, as a frequent flyer from CLE, it's a great place to travel to/from as a native. I don't know that I'd want to spend hours at CLE - but for 30-45 mins pre-flight, for grabbing a bag post-flight and for no (relative) hassle or fuss - with fairly significant levels of non-stops, all things considered, it's a great home airport. Can't think of a lower hassle one with service this decent...

 

Rental car facility is OK - but not a garage - it's a canopied (if you're lucky) car area, with a mini-SEA main rental car building...

 

Shame the airport can't easily accommodate simultaneous landings or takeoffs due to runway spacing... - even though wouldn't often be needed. This means one landing at a time, etch... with occasionally vectoring into CLE - sometimes by flying past the airport nearly to PA, or so it seems, then back... with plenty of planes in front/behind doing the same. 

 

 

Pugh - worse than CAK advertising, to me, is the PIT advertising on TV and on airport-near billboards.... PIT - despite no longer being a hub, has a nonstop to CDG/Paris... And that doesn't sit well with CLE travelers... me included.

One nice thing about CLE is the "retail" food prices guaranteed by Airmall.  I always choke when I purchase a meal at most other airports nowadays.

 

Speaking of that, are HMSHost and Airmall now coexisting at Hopkins?  The lack of Starbucks previously was because they did not contract with Airmall, IIRC, and I noticed when submitting an expense report today that my Starbucks receipt from the other day said HMSHost on top...

Airmail street pricing is very nice. Grabbing a Coke, etc... prior to flight costs the same $1.79, etc as local convenience store. At ORD, CLT, etch... that drink is $3.50 or more...

It sounds like it's pretty easy to get in and out of CLE. I think I'm gonna give it a try. Thanks for the feedback!

Passenger numbers at Hopkins up slightly in 2013 to about 9.1 million. First annual increase since 2007.

 

 

This is actually quite significant news given the fact that United has pulled back flights from Cleveland this year. It should also be noted that the Akron-Canton airport saw its passenger numbers drop 6% last year or roughly 114,000 less people year over year. In addition, Pittsburgh and Columbus both saw passenger losses as well.

 

Considering many of the airports in the region saw passenger levels decrease and United pulled back flights, yet CLE was still able to show some growth this past year shows that local demand is starting to pick back up. I'm sure some of CLE's slight growth came at Akron-Canton's expense.

 

And with AirTran expected to be fully absorbed into the Southwest system by the end of the year, it will be interesting to see what Southwest does with Akron-Canton. AirTran was the Akron-Canton Airport's success story and what really drove down fares and brought in many passengers from the Cleveland, Youngstown, and Pittsburgh markets. It's a little too early to see what Southwest will do there, especially considering Southwest uses planes with larger seating capacity than AirTran. If Southwest can't fill up the larger aircraft replacing AirTran's at CAK profitably, it wouldn't surprise me to see them move a route or two up to CLE where there's a larger market to work with.

 

Sadly, I think a lot of CLEs growth potential in the next year or two ultimately rests on regaining those passengers who are driving to CAK or PIT. If CLE could take a million of those passengers who now choose CAK back, there'd be more support for several additional non stops from Hopkins.

It should also be noted that CAK is the fastest-growing airport (over 300,000 enplanements) in the Midwest-Northeast region since 2007, with a 120+ percent growth in enplanements. Much of that has come at the expense of CLE and, to a lesser extent, PIT. CAK has been able grow thanks to its low-fare flights and aggressive advertising in Cleveland and Pittsburgh. CAK is less than 50 miles from Cleveland's Public Square and only 20-some miles from its southern suburbs.

 

I give high marks to CLE for its snow and ice removal. For some reason, I recall the last time the airport was closed due to weather was in the mid-90s. We had a blizzard in March 2008 (I remember it because I was flying to England less than a week later) but Hopkins Airport didn't close, although most airlines canceled their flights.

 

Yes, Cleveland was the first city in the western hemisphere to construct a rapid transit line between its downtown and airport in 1968. Although Cleveland had an electric interurban railway (later taken over for a streetcar on Rocky River Drive and Lorain Avenue) between the then-Cleveland Municipal Airport and downtown from 1925 to the late 1930s. In 2013, Cleveland RTA completely rebuilt the rail tunnels into its airport station for $7 million, including new tracks.....

 

 

 

The Hopkins Airport Rail station, right off the center of the baggage claim area and down the stairs/escalators/elevators. At the fare machine at the station's entrance, buy a one-way fare for $2.25 (no transfers) or an all-day pass for $5.00 at the machines with cash or credit card....

 

Also, very noteworthy today, AA will end CLE-LGA---a route they had for 50 yrs. As part of the deal with DOJ to combine with USAir, AA had to give up slots at LGA and Washington National. Among the LGA routes cut were ATL and MSP, though some 15-20 new routes--generally to smaller places--were added. That's bad---the last thing we need is LESS competition on a very expensive--and busy--route.

 

United operated CLE-LGA off continually up to deregulation then sporadically since.  When AA moved HQ from 3rd avenue to DFW, they decimated their NE US ops.  BUF, SYR, ROC all saw B707 service in those days.

To address some of the comments upthread...UAL has not cut flights.  They've tweaked their scheds for seasonal ops but the cut are for the most restored when appropriate or replaced by a different rout.  the avg. daily departures are still in the 200 range give or take a few.

In terms of cuts, I should clarify that the seating capacity has been substantially reduced. Flights to Newark used to be all mainline, CRJ and ERJ are now used a few times a day. The same is now true for flights to Houston and Denver, the latter often used with an ERJ! Even mainline flights to Tampa have been reduced to ERJ's. So even if departures stay similar, aircraft has been downgraded, reducing seats. Those are cuts by United in my opinion.

In terms of cuts, I should clarify that the seating capacity has been substantially reduced. Flights to Newark used to be all mainline, CRJ and ERJ are now used a few times a day. The same is now true for flights to Houston and Denver, the latter often used with an ERJ! Even mainline flights to Tampa have been reduced to ERJ's. So even if departures stay similar, aircraft has been downgraded, reducing seats. Those are cuts by United in my opinion.

 

Yes as a frequent traveler and UAL user, I feel like CLE is becoming the dumping ground for all the old ERJs.  I've gone as far as Dallas, San Antonio and Tampa on them.  Anything over 90 minutes is brutal, especially if you're over 6'.

My biggest issue with CLE is the prices. It's double Columbus prices for the same flights. The airport itself is fine to me. I don't need a fancy airport. I need on time flights and quick security.

In the "Dossier Cleveland" insert into UA's Hemisphere's magazine for February, on P. 22, it says,

 

"CLE [Hopkins is] planing to open a new 250-room upscale airport hotel in 2016."

 

2016 is not that far away---anyone have any details?

 

Just landed at Hopkins and got home.  Somewhere in the capital budget they have to replace some of the moving walkways and escalators.  I've never been in an airport where these things go down as much as CLE.  Today the one of the walkways from C-D was down, as well as the long escalator down to the RTA level.  Adding to my list of complaints about CLE, which while manageable for me, may look bad for connecting passengers.

ERJs are fine if all could be ERJ170s. Those are super planes, almost superior to older mainline. But the 145s, etc... So sick of those

Oh and hate they have prop planes again at CLE, even to DC,  and hate non-jetway gates in D, though even ORD still has a gate or two with stairs

Just landed at Hopkins and got home.  Somewhere in the capital budget they have to replace some of the moving walkways and escalators.  I've never been in an airport where these things go down as much as CLE.  Today the one of the walkways from C-D was down, as well as the long escalator down to the RTA level.  Adding to my list of complaints about CLE, which while manageable for me, may look bad for connecting passengers.

 

I returned last Friday night from a trip and one of the C-D walkways was closed then - I assume the same one.

 

Aside from the whole gate check thing, I kinda like ERJ-145s if I'm by myself.  I love having the window and the aisle.  That being said, I'm only 5'3".

Docta.. I like "A" single seats in ERJ145s too. What I don't like are the inexperienced, 24 year old, $25,000/yr pilots flying them... and the fact they fly like the small planes they are. The 170s fly like much bigger jets....

Docta.. I like "A" single seats in ERJ145s too. What I don't like are the inexperienced, 24 year old, $25,000/yr pilots flying them... and the fact they fly like the small planes they are. The 170s fly like much bigger jets....

 

Some of those 24 year old have more practical experience than you might think. 

Docta.. I like "A" single seats in ERJ145s too. What I don't like are the inexperienced, 24 year old, $25,000/yr pilots flying them... and the fact they fly like the small planes they are. The 170s fly like much bigger jets....

 

If you're over 6' (like me) even the A seats are miserable.    To top off the knee pain, the seat pitch is so small I cannot even work because my laptop screen is too close to my chest--made even more impossible if the person in front of me decides to recline--like the short little $%*s like to do!

In the "Dossier Cleveland" insert into UA's Hemisphere's magazine for February, on P. 22, it says,

 

"CLE [Hopkins is] planing to open a new 250-room upscale airport hotel in 2016."

 

2016 is not that far away---anyone have any details?

 

 

For those who don't visit the Hotel Developments thread (or the Transit Oriented Developments thread).....

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,1977.msg689557.html#msg689557

 

MD88PILOT - I'm certainly not suggesting RJ pilots are unworthy or more experienced pilots are always better... I average 60-70 flights a year - and 3/4 are on ERJs... so I'm used to them - and will fly them hundreds of times in the coming years. Plus, I know the planes do much of the work (you know what I mean...). But when I'm a passenger landing in that snowstorm at CLE w/30 mph gusts - even though odds are overwhelming that we're landing safely - I'd take the tried & true B737 w/25,000 hr vet at controls than smaller, ERJ145 with 1000 hrs pilot, anyday...

 

If I'm way off base... you know best.. tell me so...

I mean the above from a peace of mind standard...

United pulling hub out of Cleveland?

http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/local/2014/02/01/united-pulling-hub-out-of-cleveland/5106115/

WKYC reporting that United will cut the hub at Hopkins. Mayor Jackson to have press conference Monday at 11am

http://m.wkyc.com/topstories/article?a=5106115&f=2000

 

 

Funny, when people were excited about the article they just wrote in their magazine, for whatever reason I felt like something bad was about to happen

It's official.  United will pull it's hub.

http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/local/2014/02/01/united-pulling-hub-out-of-cleveland/5106115/

For those who might know, if when United does de-hub, what's the likelihood of another airline stepping in?

And more depressing news.

United Departure from Cleveland Would Leave $4 Billion Void in Local Economy

http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/22160