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Plattsburgh to DC Flights starting this Summer

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  • Mar 26th, 2018 7:22 pm
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Oct 25, 2009
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Moncton

Plattsburgh to DC Flights starting this Summer

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/news ... plate=mwdt

2 x 50 seats every day to Washington Dulles where there is no going through security again when changing planes (like happens sometime in Boston and New York).

American Airlines subsidized flights from Watertown ART to Philadelphia aren’t particularly cheap, but I blame the large military base. Plattsburgh, on the other hand, has no military and Clinton County only has 81,000 people. So I predict they will have fairly inexpensive tickets to attract people from Vermont, Quebec and Ontario. Unlike propeller planes, regional jets need to be fairly full to remain profitable (keeping in mind these are subsidized flights).

If you are going to DC, you’d really have to be price sensitive, as both Montreal and Ottawa have direct flights into Reagon. Not sure when Toronto Billy Bishop will get US pre-clearance, but you can bet Porter will start flying to Reagon as soon as they do.

Tickets aren’t being sold yet, but look for deals in the very near future (in particular to Florida as United competes with non stop Allegiant and Spirit).

There will likely be subsidized flights from Massena to Boston, as they switch from Baltimore. United will also likely be serving Presqu’Isle PQI to Newark (50 seats x 1 a day). PQI is the closest US airport to Edmundston and Fredericton. http://www.wagmtv.com/content/news/New- ... 16503.html
Toronto is a very small part of Canada
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Nov 24, 2013
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Kingston, ON
Interesting how many small airports near the Canadian border have been expanding into commercial travel. In addition to Watertown (American Airlines to Philadelphia) and this, Ogdensburg (OGS) offers flights on Allegiant Air to Florida.

Plattsburgh has a pretty narrow Canadian market opportunity here though. It's mainly Montreal that's nearby (someone in Ottawa could drive to the much larger Syracuse airport almost as quickly, and driving past YUL already opens up a lot of travel options than YOW).
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Oct 25, 2009
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Mike15 wrote: Plattsburgh has a pretty narrow Canadian market opportunity here though. It's mainly Montreal that's nearby (someone in Ottawa could drive to the much larger Syracuse airport almost as quickly, and driving past YUL already opens up a lot of travel options than YOW).
Syracuse flights are not subsidized. Parking is more expensive and it serves a local market. Plattsburgh exists to serve Canadians. Ottawa to Plattsburgh is 227km via Cornwall. Ottawa-Syracuse is 300km.

Greater Montreal has 4 million people. 11% of Canadians live in Greater Montreal.

People in Three Rivers & Sherbrook have to drive to an out of town airport anyway, Plattsburgh would be mighty tempting to avoid Montreal traffic, especially if the price is right, althoug Burlington is an other option. From Quebec City it would be harder to rationalize, but Plattsburgh is still the closest American airport.

Tax wise it only makes sense on cheap flights, as internal US flights are taxed at 7.5% whereas cross border flights have a flat fee (something like a hundred Canadian $, but only going to the USA).

Montreal Trudeau also has a hard curfew with no flights leaving before 6am. Spirit leverages that with middle of the night flights to their hub in Fort Lauderdale. I don’t know what Unite’d schedule will be, but I assume one of the two flights will be in the early morning, enabling Montreal to beet the curfew or South Shore residents to avoid morning and afternoon bridge traffic.

But obviously Plattsburgh is a niche airport. The price and personal conditions have to be just right. They don’t have a captive audience by any stretch. United will be operating the flight at a loss for the duration of the contract, hence the subsidy. They can’t cancel flights to save money. They either fly empty or drop their fares to rock bottom to attract more Canadians.

By the way, not all Montreal-New York City Greyhound buses stop in Plattsburgh. The bus station is about a $15 cab fare away from the airport. Burlington is further away, but the bus station is at the airport (Burlington doesn’t have subsidized flights). The triangle route bus to Plattsburgh or Burlington, fly to US destination, fly to Montreal is often the cheapest way.
Toronto is a very small part of Canada

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