Omaha Eppley Airfield

NovakOmaha · Post by **NovakOmaha** » Tue Jul 29, 2014 5:07 am

Southwest serves BWI, Reagan National and Dulles, Washington's three airports. National has tons of service, not limited.

hughes · Post by **hughes** » Tue Jul 29, 2014 12:43 pm

NovakOmaha wrote:Southwest serves BWI, Reagan National and Dulles, Washington's three airports. National has tons of service, not limited.

"Limited" wasn't the right word, admittedly, I meant restrictions on flight distance (similar to LaGuardia, I believe) and the general issues with approach (avoiding the buildings and flying in Pentagon airspace).

ricko · Post by **ricko** » Tue Jul 29, 2014 1:31 pm

hughes wrote:
NovakOmaha wrote:Southwest serves BWI, Reagan National and Dulles, Washington's three airports. National has tons of service, not limited.
"Limited" wasn't the right word, admittedly, I meant restrictions on flight distance (similar to LaGuardia, I believe) and the general issues with approach (avoiding the buildings and flying in Pentagon airspace).

National used to have a non-stop flight limit of 1200 miles, until Sen. John McCain used his leverage to get a non-stop flight from Phoenix. Omaha is about 1100 air miles, which qualifies it for a non-stop (US Airways). The reason I was told Southwest has so few flights in and out of Dulles and National is gate-space-----they were able to wrangle 1 part-time gate at Dulles a few years ago. BWI is their East Coast hub. Great for Baltimore and people who live in Prince George and Anne Arundel Counties (suburban DC) but really inconvenient for the millions of people who live in the Virginia suburbs and northwestern Maryland suburbs of DC. For me, it would be like driving from Lincoln to Eppley to catch a flight. Even though it's called "Reagan National", it does have international flights to Canada.

NovakOmaha · Post by **NovakOmaha** » Tue Jul 29, 2014 3:13 pm

ricko wrote:
hughes wrote:
NovakOmaha wrote:Southwest serves BWI, Reagan National and Dulles, Washington's three airports. National has tons of service, not limited.
"Limited" wasn't the right word, admittedly, I meant restrictions on flight distance (similar to LaGuardia, I believe) and the general issues with approach (avoiding the buildings and flying in Pentagon airspace).
National used to have a non-stop flight limit of 1200 miles, until Sen. John McCain used his leverage to get a non-stop flight from Phoenix. Omaha is about 1100 air miles, which qualifies it for a non-stop (US Airways).

Not USAir. Delta.

OMATOL · Post by **OMATOL** » Mon Aug 25, 2014 9:27 pm

Southwest is bringing back Saturday-only service to Orlando starting in March. Frontier will resume Orlando service this December.

nativeomahan · Post by **nativeomahan** » Thu Aug 28, 2014 9:49 pm

I read recently that Southwest has a shortage of planes in their fleet. Since they began adding service to Mexico they had to pull out of several cities completely (such as Jackson, MS and Key West, FL). Hopefully they will purchase more planes so they can continue their expansion to new markets without cutting back elsewhere.

OMATOL · Post by **OMATOL** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 5:49 am

Allegiant Airlines announced they are coming to Omaha. Twice weekly flights to St. Petersburg (Tampa Bay) start March 5th.

Uffda · Post by **Uffda** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 6:33 am

OMATOL wrote:Allegiant Airlines announced they are coming to Omaha. Twice weekly flights to St. Petersburg (Tampa Bay) start March 5th.

Flew with Allegiant in JULY from Sioux Falls to st Petersburg. They do a great job of charging their passengers for everything.

lmdramos · Post by **lmdramos** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 8:52 am

I bet they are going to wait and see how the flights do to St. Petersburg and will determine whether they will add more flights to other destinations based on their success.

NovakOmaha · Post by **NovakOmaha** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 10:34 am

lmdramos wrote:I bet they are going to wait and see how the flights do to St. Petersburg and will determine whether they will add more flights to other destinations based on their success.

LAX, Orlando would seem natural from Omaha on Allegiant.

I heard a while back that Allegiant was waiting to grow its Grand Island schedule in Florida because the GRI runway was too short. Not sure I understand why as they seem to be able to fly to PHX & LAS.

Post by **Brad** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 10:56 am

NovakOmaha wrote:I heard a while back that Allegiant was waiting to grow its Grand Island schedule in Florida because the GRI runway was too short.

It's shard with an airbase and its 9000' long... Longer than all but one of Eppley's runways.

Speaking of Eppley's long runway, we landed on it the other day a literally tuned off only 1/2 way down. It was a 737 and we literally only used about 4500 feet of an 10,000+ foot runway.

NovakOmaha · Post by **NovakOmaha** » Wed Nov 12, 2014 11:15 am

Brad wrote:
NovakOmaha wrote:I heard a while back that Allegiant was waiting to grow its Grand Island schedule in Florida because the GRI runway was too short.
It's shard with an airbase and its 9000' long... Longer than all but one of Eppley's runways.

Speaking of Eppley's long runway, we landed on it the other day a literally tuned off only 1/2 way down. It was a 737 and we literally only used about 4500 feet of an 10,000+ foot runway.

Then why no service from GRI to MCO or PIE? Again, seems logical.

Candleshoe · Post by **Candleshoe** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 1:28 pm

Brad wrote:
NovakOmaha wrote:I heard a while back that Allegiant was waiting to grow its Grand Island schedule in Florida because the GRI runway was too short.
It's shard with an airbase and its 9000' long... Longer than all but one of Eppley's runways.

GRI's two main runways are listed as 6,608 and 7,002 feet. Runway extension is on the plans for 2016. Allegiant wants a longer runway for Florida flights because of the extra fuel weight.

Post by **Brad** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 1:56 pm

Candleshoe wrote:GRI's two main runways are listed as 6,608 and 7,002 feet.

Oops, I didn't zoom in far enough on Google to see what I was measuring.

Uffda · Post by **Uffda** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 11:05 pm

Priced Allegiant Trip Price March 12th return March 15th

Flights $242.23
Debit Card Discount (-$8.00)
Taxes, carrier charges & gov't fees $67.27
Seat Selections $28.00
Checked Bags $50.00
Total Debit Card Price $379.50
Total Credit Card Price $387.50

The the add-ons
If you want to select a specific seat it is anywhere from $11-17 both ways.
So say $28 for both ways

Personal Bag - Free - One purse, briefcase, laptop computer, small backpack, small camera or food container per passenger.
Carry-on Bag - $10 to $30 now - $11 to $43 pre-departure - $50 to $75 at airport (per bag, each way)
Checked Bags - $15 to $35 now - $16 to $43 pre-departure - $50 to $75 at airport (per bag, each way) max weight 40lb

Did Southwest to Tampa --- just to check

Leaving Same day -- Air Total: $660.20

Interestingly when I selected to check back it only gave the $50 option. Didn't take a carryon for this trip.

If you have them print out your boarding pass it is $5 each time --- you can print your own or use their app and it is free.

Tried another flight at end of april - Th-Sun - Allegiant -- $251 and Southwest $396

Bosco55David · Post by **Bosco55David** » Sun Nov 16, 2014 5:10 pm

Glad to see the Tampa-Clearwater route open up, since PIE is literally a 10 minute drive down the highway for me. That said, I'll probably still do Southwest Tampa-Omaha for the better service and greater flexibility.

joleo · Post by **joleo** » Sun Nov 16, 2014 6:42 pm

Uffda wrote:Priced Allegiant Trip Price March 12th return March 15th

Flights    $242.23
Debit Card Discount    (-$8.00)
Taxes, carrier charges & gov't fees    $67.27
Seat Selections    $28.00
Checked Bags    $50.00
Total Debit Card Price    $379.50
Total Credit Card Price    $387.50

The the add-ons
If you want to select a specific seat it is anywhere from $11-17 both ways.
So say $28 for both ways

Personal Bag - Free - One purse, briefcase, laptop computer, small backpack, small camera or food container per passenger.
Carry-on Bag - $10 to $30 now - $11 to $43 pre-departure - $50 to $75 at airport (per bag, each way)
Checked Bags - $15 to $35 now - $16 to $43 pre-departure - $50 to $75 at airport (per bag, each way) max weight 40lb

Did Southwest to Tampa --- just to check

Leaving Same day -- Air Total: $660.20

Interestingly when I selected to check back it only gave the $50 option. Didn't take a carryon for this trip.

If you have them print out your boarding pass it is $5 each time --- you can print your own or use their app and it is free.

Tried another flight at end of april - Th-Sun - Allegiant -- $251 and Southwest $396

Yes, living hear in DSM, Allegiant is a well known name. I have never flown them myself but most people that I know have a some point and don't mind it because of the price and the nonstop flights. One can get VERY cheap fares if you look at the right days. Allegiant is known for not wasting time either, they have dropped cities before service started or shortly there after. If Omaha wants to have Allegiant survive, it is VERY import this becomes a household name in eastern nebraska like it is here in Iowa for DSM. It will be very important for everyone on this board along with media, print and TV to spread the word. Allegiant does not use traditional booking methods like orbitz, expedia and travelocity, you can only book at their website. http://www.allegiantair.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; If they do well from Omaha, look for additional destinations such as Orlando, Las Vegas and Fy Myers, FL, as well as flights on additional days of the week to Tampa, not just 2x weekly but maybe 3x or 4x weekly. It is all up to you, the citizens of Omaha though to get the word out if you want this airline to succeed in Omaha.

nativeomahan · Post by **nativeomahan** » Mon Nov 17, 2014 8:26 pm

Like any other airline, they will succeed here in Omaha if they deserve to, and fail if they don't.

Post by **Coyote** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 7:40 am

Anyone know why US Airways is moving to the South Terminal? Does it have anything to do with Kracky McGee’s expansion?

Omababe · Post by **Omababe** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 7:44 am

Coyote wrote:Anyone know why US Airways is moving to the South Terminal? Does it have anything to do with Kracky McGee’s expansion?

US Air is merging with American, which is over on the south side. If you've flown with them lately they always say "Thank you for flying US Airways, a member of the American Airlines Group" as you scramble to get out of the plane.

NovakOmaha · Post by **NovakOmaha** » Thu Nov 27, 2014 11:51 am

I may have said this before but I do miss flying to Eppley. I flew into Detroit Metro last night...not my first choice to fly on the busiest day of the year. The place was mobbed. I enjoy having over 600 flights a day & being able to fly non stop to pretty much everywhere I want to go but when I lived in Omaha it was a lot less stressful flying out of and back to Eppley.

Omababe · Post by **Omababe** » Fri Nov 28, 2014 7:25 am

Detroit Metro Airport can be a total zoo! Fortunately I haven't been routed through it for a few years now.

Eppley is really one of the more pleasant airports to deal with. Houston Hobby is another. (IAH is another which tends to be very zooey!) Chicago Midway is not that bad, especially when compared to O'Hare! Other nicer airports to fly into are San Diego and John Wayne in Orange County.

NovakOmaha · Post by **NovakOmaha** » Wed Dec 17, 2014 7:54 am

blueblood wrote:For what its worth I just flew the Southwest nonstop LAX-Oma round trip. Awesome. 3 hours to the West coast is just awesome. Full flight both ways. Anyway I talked to some of the people when I was checking bags. They said the LAX-Oma nonstop is temporary and ends this fall. BUT they said it returns early next year as a permanent Southwest flight. They also said they will be adding an Omaha-Baltimore nonstop about the same time. Thought that was a weird route but thats what they said. Maybe its as close to a Omaha-Washington DC nonstop as Southwest can get. At this point I would call it a rumor but thought it was worth mentioning.

Well, whoever you talked to was right about LAX. Now we'll see if the BWI talk was true. Also beefing up the MCO and PHX frequency for a while.

Southwest bringing back LAX service

NovakOmaha · Post by **NovakOmaha** » Mon Dec 22, 2014 9:09 pm

Coast to coast. Just need Boston, Miami, San Fransisco & San Diego.

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/NovakOmaha/media/flyoma_zps68c5abed.jpg.html

Post by **nebugeater** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 1:18 pm

Eppley to get 2,200 stall garage addition in 2017. There is a drawing on the link. The garage would be to the North of the exiting garage

http://www.omaha.com/money/story--stall ... 69392.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Construction is expected to begin in about a year on a new, 2,200-stall parking garage at Eppley Airfield.
The Omaha Airport Authority Board on Tuesday gave the go-ahead for design work to begin on the approximately $71 million project.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 2:27 pm

Wow that is a pretty big addition. I used to work for Enterprise at the airport and I am sure the rental car companies are going to love the additional space. It was pretty cramped out there especially during the CWS and Berkshire weeks.

GetUrban · Post by **GetUrban** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 2:49 pm

Wow is right. $71 mil. If only they could build this down at Lot D north of the CLINK instead....then shuttle people up to the stinkin airport. I'm always amazed at how many cars are parked at Eppley. It's like everybody is out of town all of the time.

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 2:59 pm

This is a pretty big project. I wonder if the offsite parking outfits will see a dent in their business as a result?

Post by **Coyote** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 6:48 pm

850 Rental Cars stalls? How many are there now? There can't be more than a couple hundred?

NovakOmaha · Post by **NovakOmaha** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 7:27 pm

All right...someone here either does or used to work for the Omaha Airport Authority. Adding 2200 garage stalls and 850 rental spaces. Sure sounds like something big is about to be announced. Not necessarily a need for gates as much as more frequency and larger planes maybe?

Just sounds like they are preparing for more people flying out of Eppley.

Omababe · Post by **Omababe** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 7:36 pm

GetUrban wrote:I'm always amazed at how many cars are parked at Eppley. It's like everybody is out of town all of the time.

There are really no Eppley transportation options other than taxi and private car. During Nov-Mar my company pays for covered parking so I am sure as heck gonna use it! Often times it's difficult to find a good spot. My guess is that the covered floors are almost always over 90% full.

Garrett · Post by **Garrett** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 12:02 pm

Another article today in the World-Herald. Sounds like it could be even bigger than we were first told.

Easing the parking crunch: 6-story, 2,200-stall garage coming to Eppley Airfield in 2017

Paige Yowell OWH wrote:The new garage is to be built north of the existing six-story garage, and construction on phase one of the project would begin in about a year, with an expected completion in fall 2017. The first phase would provide 2,200 parking stalls, with 850 stalls for rental cars and 1,350 public stalls.
Plans also call for a heated walkway connecting the garage to the airport terminal and to a customer service building, where all rental car service counters would be situated.
Phase two will largely be based on demand, said Dan Owens, director of planning and engineering at Eppley. It would include a vertical addition on the west side of the new garage that would provide 800 more stalls.
Owens said that whether to build the full 3,000-stall garage or only 2,200 stalls is still being evaluated based on airport traffic and other factors, such as interest rates.

iamjacobm · Post by **iamjacobm** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 12:16 pm

What funds this? Does the airport make money like this or is it a public assistance type of thing?

Ok I saw the portion for the rental car portion for funding. Still interested to see where $70 million comes from.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 12:32 pm

iamjacobm wrote:What funds this? Does the airport make money like this or is it a public assistance type of thing?

Ok I saw the portion for the rental car portion for funding. Still interested to see where $70 million comes from.

This is all I could find, from the story:

Eppley will fund the project with a combination of revenue bonds and cash reserves

iamjacobm · Post by **iamjacobm** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 12:36 pm

Ahh I overlooked that. I don't know much about airport operations. They kind of seem like a quasi private enterprise. Was never sure what kind of influence the government had.

Post by **Coyote** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 12:49 pm

Are not most airports owned by their respective cities? In this case Omaha Airport Authority? (Who also runs the Millard Airport?)

Post by **Brad** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 1:11 pm

Coyote wrote: (Who also runs the Millard Airport?)

Omaha Airport Authority over sees it, and the FBO is contracted out. I think Hanger One has the contract, but I can't remember for sure.

TitosBuritoBarn · Post by **TitosBuritoBarn** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 1:40 pm

Moving the rental car service counters to the new garage? It does sound like they're planning something for the terminal.

NovakOmaha · Post by **NovakOmaha** » Wed Feb 18, 2015 1:46 pm

It sounds like it's part of the master plan. They said it was all demand driven. This garage was part of the baseline projects. Seems to have been in the plan all along so maybe it isn't part of some imminent announcement.

If you look at the CIP link you see the proposed improvements.

http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/Eppleys-20-Year-Plan-to-be-Built-as-Needed-227896251.html?ref=251

OMATOL · Post by **OMATOL** » Tue Feb 24, 2015 5:20 am

Allegiant will launch twice weekly flights to Oakland starting May 1st.