FlyORH

Keep finding more things that concern me:

• under about us, it says JetBlue--they forgot to change it
• currently they are only flying to Myrtle Beach from 4 locations (Pittsburgh, Newark, Plattsburgh and Columbus).
• currently not flying any planes to Florida
• Worcester still spelled Worchester
• flight map not updated
• special offers--Florida not even mentioned as a destination
• News releases, nothing about Worcester

What is it?

Click here

After I explained what Direct Air is, more or less a middle man. My wife asked why we just did not do this on our own. Great question...

You see Direct Air, formerly Myrtle Beach Direct Air, really is not an airline but a public charter. Typically they do not have alot of money and they just put all the pieces together and really do not own anything:

• lease the planes and crew
• rent the call center
• utilize the FBO or the airport at the originating city and destination city to do all the processing of passengers and baggage

Why couldn't the airport powers to be have done this themselves? Could fit well into all the various programs we have Destination Worcester, Choose Worcester, Buy Worcester--Worcester Airlines...

The other day I was listening to the WCRN Round Table and the "Q" asked Councilor Petty what plan B was, after Councilor Petty said we need to back Direct Air 100% and if that does not work we will work on plan B (more or less that was said). I like Councilor Petty, but when the Q pressed the Councilor what Plan B was, there was not a very clear answer. Let me help you:

1. The Council needs to ask for a report immediately to find out how much would be saved if we downgrade to GA and request to have it by the end of October. That is Plan B.
2. The Council needs to request that an RFP be put together to outright sell or long-term lease the entire airport and request it back to them by November and have it out on the streets by December with a return date of March. Obviously MassPort would get one of the RFP's and they need to reveal their cards once and for all. Anyone who reads this blog knows that I feel we owe a huge debt of gratitude towards MassPort, but they need to either pull the trigger on ORH or not. Waiting for another report like Mr Nemeth suggested is ridiculous. That is Plan C.
3. If there is not a huge savings in Plan B and nobody responds to Plan C then we need to proceed with Plan D--close ORH.

Maybe someone could even ask what Avports had to say after we mailed them the information that they requested.

I really can not believe we are going to charge for parking (7 per day or 42 per week). We need passengers!!! Once we have a couple of airlines there and the parking lots are full then start charging for parking but now?

Yesterday

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First off, I am happy that we have commercial service back to ORH. Like other secondary airports that have been able to achieve a certain level of success, you need to start with secondary airlines, show community support and then attract other airlines. I heard, however, yesterday that unlike other successful secondary airports, who offer free parking prominently on their website and other marketing efforts, ORH will charge $7 per day or $42 per week. This is a mistake.

Second, sorry, but I have concerns about Direct Air:

1. Why did they change name from Myrtle Beach Direct Air to Direct Air?
2. Why did they recently drop, what I think would be popular destinations, like St Pete's and Biloxi? Why?
3. Changed from JetBlue to Virgin America, why?
4. Yesterday's website was totally unprepared. It was not until 9:00AM that the site was changed from Myrtle Beach to Direct Air and, from what I could tell, you could not even make reservations on-line to Punta Gorda until 5:00PM. Hardly the preparation one would think would be in place with their major announcement.
5. They had to call in more operators to their telephone center. Maybe if the website was running, less people would have called, or better yet over-staff the telephone center when you make a major annoucement.

Maybe I am being too difficult, but it just does not show alot of preperation? Sorry...

It looks like it is up and running correctly with DIRECT flights to Punta Gorda/Sanford and no planes to Myrtle Beach yet.

Just clicked on it Myrtle Beach Direct Air.com , like I have done for months, last night and this morning.

It does not go to Myrtle Beach Direct anymore, but goes to pretty much the same sight, the same phone numbers but is now lists Virgina America, not JetBlue, and now calls itself Direct Air. Why did they change names? As a businessman, any time someone changes names, it sends up red flags to me. Do they owe people money?

It also lists Worcester as a City, but the only destination that comes up is Myrtle Beach and Punta Gorda not even listed.

My wife just heard on WXLO that Virgin America is coming to ORH. Let me explain, second tier carriers like Casino, Southern Skyways and Myrtle Beach Direct typically do not own their planes, but lease them. Allegiant is the exception and actually own their own plans, although I believe they lease some others.

In the past Myrtle Beach Direct leased planes from JetBlue, but now they are leasing from Virgin America. Makes you wonder why they switched airlines. Maybe someone should call JetBlue and ask them why? Although technically Virgin America planes themselves will be coming to ORH, it is in fact Myrtle Beach Direct.

If Myrtle Beach Direct plans are to connect through Myrtle Beach to either Punta Gorda and Sanford, people are not going to buy tickets. People will only look at this as an option to go to Myrtle Beach.

In retrospect we should have spent the $300,000 of DOT grant monies keeping Allegiant when we had them. This airline really concerns me.

Although some people think that I consider myself an expert on ORH, I am not even though I slept at a Holiday Inn last night. Made some calls tonight to confirm Casino Air Direct and I do not like the vibes that I am getting? Now I am starting to doubt myself, what if it is not Casino Air Direct?

It only leaves me with one option--Myrtle Beach Direct .

I have had them as a link of my blog and web page for over a year, but they scare me. Why? Well they are based in Myrtle Beach and their management use to be involved with the old Hooters, who owes everyone money. Before that their management was involved with Aviation Advantage, who ran Lehigh Valley Air (owe everyone money) and now Southern Skyways, who seems to be failing everywhere too. Do you see a pattern?

It almost eerie how similar the websites are between Southern Skyways, Myrtle Beach Direct and the former Hooters and Aviation Advantage.... In the end I know beggers can not be choosers and we are about to lose $300,000 in grant monies from the DOT, but lets hope it is Casino Air Direct not Myrtle Beach Direct. Lastly, as far as I can tell, Myrtle Beach Direct does not even fly into St Pete's anymore so where could this SouthWest Florida destination be, Punta Gorda ?

Before I sign off tonight, I am 100% positive that tomorrow one of these two airlines will be announced out of ORH. I personally am hoping for Casino and have huge reservations about Myrtle Beach Direct.

Press Conference tomorrow at 9:00AM at the airport to announce new service. I have been holding out of fear that I would blamed if they decided not to come. For what it is worth, here is my understanding.

Casino Direct Air will be flying a couple of times per week St Pete's . Great news!!! This airline has been doing alot of smaller planes out of St Pete's to Biloxi, but recently signed a deal with Airtran to lease one their larger planes (not sure exactly what kind). Now they will coming to ORH.

In the morning I was depressed after reading WoMag, and now my month long silence is rewarded. Good luck to Casino Air and now we need to support them so more airlines come to ORH.

Casino Direct Air
14700 Terminal Blvd
Clearwater, FL 33762-2936
(727) 828-2270

Here is the link. Pretty depressing stuff. Couple interesting points:

1. "of the 20 airlines we have spoken to since the IMG report". Really? By review of the airport commission minutes maybe one or two airlines, DJ Airline which never became an airline and Skybus that went out of business, have ever been discussed.
2. Hard to getting in touch with our Airport Director. No surprise here.

Before I go any further. Just read it.

Rumor mill is telling me that the Dream Center on Chestnut Street just got a $1,000,000 donation from the Landsdowne Foundation?

Remember the lot that was sold for a dollar to Pharmashpere on the corner of Canterbury and Gardner, where construction was to begin this past March. As far as I know, the terms of coveyance have still not been signed.

Starting November 2nd (there are 6 incoming and outgoing flights per day)!

Cape Air is your window seat to the world and starting November 2nd will be offering new fast flights to Boston’s Logan International Airport from Lebanon, New Hampshire.

Enjoy convenient, daily, fast service to Boston. We have ticket and baggage agreements with most major airlines and this means seamless, stress-free connectionsBook online today and learn more at FlyCapeAir.com or call reservations as 1-800-352-0714.


Effective November 2, 2008Cape Air Flight Schedule PDF

Lebanon Airport5 Airpark Road • West Lebanon, NH • 03784ph (603) 298-8878 • fax (603) 298-5845

This was a complete joke in the City of Worcester for years. Recently mainly with the help of Paul Morano and Jackson Restrepo, they have completely turned the program around. Although I do not know the exact numbers, I would bet that there has been more activity in this program the past 12 months then the prior ten years combined. I have to say that Chandler Business Group helped out alot by working out all the kinks with the successful completion of facades at Suney's and Henry Bahnan's.

Over the week-end I made some comments about my tenant's restaurant, Pupuseria at 82 Pleasant Street. Although we still have a little more work to do, this was also a beneficiary of the Facade Program (new front pictures above). Please note Raymundo is closed on Tuesdays. If you want to learn more about the program, contact Jackson.

Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air did what most other airlines can't seem to do anymore: It reported revenues were up 48 percent to $132 million in the second quarter, in part by scooping up passengers more troubled carriers left behind.

The gain was enough to help Allegiant outrun a 40 percent increase in fuel prices during the last six months. The company's profit, or operating margin, slipped below 4 percent on the quarter, a decrease from a 16 percent margin during the second quarter last year.

Earnings per share were down almost 75 percent for the quarter to 13 cents. That was 1 cent less than Wall Street analysts anticipated, according to one survey. Still, Allegiant officials hailed the fact they made more than they spent while the rest of the domestic airline industry is in shambles. "We can produce strong profit margins at any fuel price," Allegiant CFO Andrew Levy said. "We have the unique ability to be very nimble."

The airline made money by squeezing more people onto each flight, extracting more cash from customers in-flight, flying shorter routes to save fuel and taking advantage of the Las Vegas tourism slump by offering cut-rate deals on hotel and airfare packages. Allegiant officials also believe their business model of flying from small towns to tourist destinations has another advantage because those communities that haven't been hammered as hard as big cities during the real estate and credit market crashes

Does anyone else see the ironies that the day Paul was to throw his New Orleans party, a hurricane is pounding New Orleans. Then to top it off Paul postpones his party, did he realize a storm was coming and it would be bad taste to throw his party??