KCRag Forum

dev49 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 05, 2024 2:15 pm Will be interesting to see if Spirit can make them work after JetBlue couldn’t. Really hope they can make it work.

Lower price helps. No interline hurts.

Flying Spirit also hurts

langosta wrote: ↑Fri Apr 05, 2024 9:20 am NK adding daily NYC(Newark) and BOS from KCI. I believe this will more than replace the capacity lost when B6 pulled out.

Hardly a 1 for 1 replacement though. tired of being serviced by budget airlines. Even though jet blue probably is classified as budget it's definitely was better than Spirit.

KCPowercat wrote: ↑Sun Apr 07, 2024 5:29 pm

langosta wrote: ↑Fri Apr 05, 2024 9:20 am NK adding daily NYC(Newark) and BOS from KCI. I believe this will more than replace the capacity lost when B6 pulled out.

Hardly a 1 for 1 replacement though. tired of being serviced by budget airlines. Even though jet blue probably is classified as budget it's definitely was better than Spirit.

Jet Blue for Spirit is a down grade in quality. Total seats will increase. On time and operational performance will probably IMPROVE with this change.


Delta (already announced) adding a 2nd daily JFK flight this summer. Last week they changed it to upgrade the flight to a nicer airplane so theres that.

Southwest starting Columbus is another spoke that will help fill connecting traffic. Might take this route for a weekend trip. The announcement that Cabo is going 4x weekly is no surprise given how well that route is doing

From Justin Meyer

A few nice additions for Kansas City (MCI) in this week's airline schedule load:

AUG 2024:
AA - DCA -1 to 2/day, ORD +1 to 6/day, DFW +1 to 7/day, PHL +1 to 4/day

SEP 2024:
UA - ORD +1 to 6/day

OCT 2024:
AA - ORD +2 to 6/day, PHL +1 to 3/day
UA - ORD +1 to 6/day

NK adding both DTW & DFW in July.
- DTW 3x weekly
- DFW 4x weekly

langosta wrote: ↑Sun Apr 28, 2024 7:20 pm From Justin Meyer

A few nice additions for Kansas City (MCI) in this week's airline schedule load:

AUG 2024:
AA - DCA -1 to 2/day, ORD +1 to 6/day, DFW +1 to 7/day, PHL +1 to 4/day

SEP 2024:
UA - ORD +1 to 6/day

OCT 2024:
AA - ORD +2 to 6/day, PHL +1 to 3/day
UA - ORD +1 to 6/day

Mayor meeting with the President of UA again this week. Mayor or City Manager meet with UA senior execs and staff every few months, at least publicly more than any other airline.

^ I thought a United Lounge was coming to KC?

brewcrew1000 wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2024 8:52 am ^ I thought a United Lounge was coming to KC?

Nope?¿ both lounge spaces are claimed

langosta wrote: ↑Sun Apr 28, 2024 7:20 pm From Justin Meyer

A few nice additions for Kansas City (MCI) in this week's airline schedule load:

AUG 2024:
AA - DCA -1 to 2/day, ORD +1 to 6/day, DFW +1 to 7/day, PHL +1 to 4/day

SEP 2024:
UA - ORD +1 to 6/day

OCT 2024:
AA - ORD +2 to 6/day, PHL +1 to 3/day
UA - ORD +1 to 6/day

I feel like MCI needs more flights to places other than hubs. Making everybody fly through Chicago is not ideal. Having that many flights a day to hubs and increasing those flights doesn't really help KC that much. The DCA addition is nice though.

GRID wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2024 1:17 pm

langosta wrote: ↑Sun Apr 28, 2024 7:20 pm From Justin Meyer

A few nice additions for Kansas City (MCI) in this week's airline schedule load:

AUG 2024:
AA - DCA -1 to 2/day, ORD +1 to 6/day, DFW +1 to 7/day, PHL +1 to 4/day

SEP 2024:
UA - ORD +1 to 6/day

OCT 2024:
AA - ORD +2 to 6/day, PHL +1 to 3/day
UA - ORD +1 to 6/day

I feel like MCI needs more flights to places other than hubs. Making everybody fly through Chicago is not ideal. Having that many flights a day to hubs and increasing those flights doesn't really help KC that much. The DCA addition is nice though.

Any particular destinations come to mind? For a city the size of KC, the N/S coverage is pretty good - all things considered.

Unfortunately, the DCA frequency is a reduction (from three to two daily).

Agreed that more nonhub flights (on full-service airlines) would be nice. Particularly RDU, BNA, BOS, LAX, LGA, etc. And of course the elusive European nonstop.

hartliss wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2024 3:56 pm

GRID wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2024 1:17 pm

langosta wrote: ↑Sun Apr 28, 2024 7:20 pm From Justin Meyer

A few nice additions for Kansas City (MCI) in this week's airline schedule load:

AUG 2024:
AA - DCA -1 to 2/day, ORD +1 to 6/day, DFW +1 to 7/day, PHL +1 to 4/day

SEP 2024:
UA - ORD +1 to 6/day

OCT 2024:
AA - ORD +2 to 6/day, PHL +1 to 3/day
UA - ORD +1 to 6/day

I feel like MCI needs more flights to places other than hubs. Making everybody fly through Chicago is not ideal. Having that many flights a day to hubs and increasing those flights doesn't really help KC that much. The DCA addition is nice though.

Any particular destinations come to mind? For a city the size of KC, the N/S coverage is pretty good - all things considered.

Still missing places like Sacramento, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, etc. plenty of gap filling that could be occurring for sure

hartliss wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2024 3:56 pm

GRID wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2024 1:17 pm

langosta wrote: ↑Sun Apr 28, 2024 7:20 pm From Justin Meyer

A few nice additions for Kansas City (MCI) in this week's airline schedule load:

AUG 2024:
AA - DCA -1 to 2/day, ORD +1 to 6/day, DFW +1 to 7/day, PHL +1 to 4/day

SEP 2024:
UA - ORD +1 to 6/day

OCT 2024:
AA - ORD +2 to 6/day, PHL +1 to 3/day
UA - ORD +1 to 6/day

I feel like MCI needs more flights to places other than hubs. Making everybody fly through Chicago is not ideal. Having that many flights a day to hubs and increasing those flights doesn't really help KC that much. The DCA addition is nice though.

Any particular destinations come to mind? For a city the size of KC, the N/S coverage is pretty good - all things considered.

I'm not sure, maybe KC is okay. It was just always frustrating to me when I lived there. I mean it seems like most flights go to ORD, DEN and DFW. I'm not sure how much that has changed.

I'm not sure if KC serves places like Louisville, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Birmingham, Buffalo, Norfolk, Raleigh, Jacksonville, Tulsa, OKC, Little Rock, Memphis, Padre Island, more service from legacy airlines to cities like Boston, Charlotte etc.

KC is not bad though for me since I have two local airports with nonstops there (three if you count Dulles, but I only use Dulles for international flights since it's a 90 min drive minimum.)

For KC being in the middle of the country, serving a pretty big metro and region and now having a nice terminal. I don't see why MCI can't have twice (or at least 50% more) traffic it has now plus at least one transatlantic in 10-15 years.

There are roughly 3 SW hubs and 1 AA and UA hub between KC and most of those listed.

langosta wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2024 5:04 pm There are roughly 3 SW hubs and 1 AA and UA hub between KC and most of those listed.

And Delta has MSP also which is the closest hub to KC and a super easy flight and a very convenient airport. I think that is the issue with MCI not being able to be a hub like Salt Lake. SLC doesn't really have a large cluster of cities close by so it has no completion at all

GRID wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2024 4:57 pm For KC being in the middle of the country, serving a pretty big metro and region and now having a nice terminal. I don't see why MCI can't have twice (or at least 50% more) traffic it has now plus at least one transatlantic in 10-15 years.

STL is building a 60-gate, $3 billion new terminal that will kick off in the next 1-2 years. Hard to compete.

GRID wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2024 4:57 pm

hartliss wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2024 3:56 pm

GRID wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2024 1:17 pm

I feel like MCI needs more flights to places other than hubs. Making everybody fly through Chicago is not ideal. Having that many flights a day to hubs and increasing those flights doesn't really help KC that much. The DCA addition is nice though.

Any particular destinations come to mind? For a city the size of KC, the N/S coverage is pretty good - all things considered.

I'm not sure, maybe KC is okay. It was just always frustrating to me when I lived there. I mean it seems like most flights go to ORD, DEN and DFW. I'm not sure how much that has changed.

I'm not sure if KC serves places like Louisville, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Birmingham, Buffalo, Norfolk, Raleigh, Jacksonville, Tulsa, OKC, Little Rock, Memphis, Padre Island, more service from legacy airlines to cities like Boston, Charlotte etc.

KC is not bad though for me since I have two local airports with nonstops there (three if you count Dulles, but I only use Dulles for international flights since it's a 90 min drive minimum.)

For KC being in the middle of the country, serving a pretty big metro and region and now having a nice terminal. I don't see why MCI can't have twice (or at least 50% more) traffic it has now plus at least one transatlantic in 10-15 years.

Makes complete sense - for the most part you do have to go through one of the big hubs (especially if you aren't flying Southwest)

Off the top of my head...KC at one point did fly to a lot of those cities. However, industry consolidation and bankruptcy has changed the game.

Louisville and Jacksonville - ExpressJet (operated independently but that failed fairly quickly and they reverted back to 100% regional carrier)
Pittsburgh - US Airways (no longer operates as a hub for the carrier), Vanguard
Cleveland - Continental/United (no longer operates as a hub for the carrier)
Cincinnati - Delta (no longer operates as a hub for the carrier)
Buffalo - Vanguard
Tulsa, OKC - Southwest (largely used as a one-stop route to DAL prior to Wright amendment expiring)
Memphis - Delta (no longer operates as a hub for the carrier)

Boston is such an interesting market - at one point you had WN and DL. Then AA tried it briefly and then JetBlue. Now it is just 2/x on Delta.

Charlotte - 4 or 5X per day on American. Not bad on frequency

KC flew to Memphis on Northwest nonstop...Tulsa/OKC should have directs IMO

brooksidebadgers wrote: ↑Fri May 03, 2024 3:31 pm KC flew to Memphis on Northwest nonstop...Tulsa/OKC should have directs IMO

Memphis was a Northwest/Delta hub but now has a diminished role in air traffic. Tulsa/Okc/Oma/Des Moines will only survive with significant connecting traffic. These are some of the emptiest Southwest flights out of STL