So, does the price to fly out of Memphis change for the better on Nov 3?

(06-02-2013 08:14 PM)RationalRebel Wrote:  

(06-02-2013 08:09 PM)TiggerFan Wrote:  

(06-02-2013 09:06 AM)RationalRebel Wrote:  There are only about 20 flights now on Saturday. 90 or so during the week. Folks don't travel on Saturday.

Not sure how anybody avoids Saturday travel because of the expnnse. Not like this is new. Regardless of airline.

Who actually travels on a Saturday?

Have no idea what point I was trying to make. Was on my second bottle by that time.

(06-02-2013 09:18 PM)21-17 Best Time I Ever Ha Wrote:  

(06-02-2013 08:14 PM)RationalRebel Wrote:  

(06-02-2013 08:09 PM)TiggerFan Wrote:  

(06-02-2013 09:06 AM)RationalRebel Wrote:  There are only about 20 flights now on Saturday. 90 or so during the week. Folks don't travel on Saturday.

Not sure how anybody avoids Saturday travel because of the expnnse. Not like this is new. Regardless of airline.

Who actually travels on a Saturday?

Leisure travelers who have to be at work on Monday? And my 20-something kids would all probably drive to LR and back to save $300, although I probably wouldn't
. Heck, my daughter and her hubby drove to Nashville to fly to Florida!

Flights to Tampa from here are $500. I will definitely be looking at the new Southern Airways Express service to points south, even though I don't care for smaller planes, particularly. I am ready to be treated like a human once again, and I like the idea of "retro" flying they are promoting. Yep, flying is no longer fun or glamorous in the least.

I got a MEM-TPA for $305 last week. July 8-11, nonstops both ways. Thought that was decent.

As for Southern Airways Express, I'll eat this iPad if that "airline" lasts 6 months.
No EAS subsidies = Automatic death sentence
Anyone thinking about using them really should research the name Stan Little first.
Whoever Stan conned to invest any money into this deserves to lose their money.

(06-03-2013 02:49 PM)TiggerFan Wrote:  

(06-02-2013 08:14 PM)RationalRebel Wrote:  

(06-02-2013 08:09 PM)TiggerFan Wrote:  

(06-02-2013 09:06 AM)RationalRebel Wrote:  There are only about 20 flights now on Saturday. 90 or so during the week. Folks don't travel on Saturday.

Not sure how anybody avoids Saturday travel because of the expnnse. Not like this is new. Regardless of airline.

Who actually travels on a Saturday?

Have no idea what point I was trying to make. Was on my second bottle by that time.

Haha. I can't remember taking many Saturday flights, but my guess is the major hub airports are,proportionally, not far from what MEM is on a Saturday. There simply isn't enough demand.

noticed the many empty gates when I flew in last Thanksgiving week. Airport was built for the 250 northwest flights, not getting that now.

(06-03-2013 06:22 PM)RationalRebel Wrote:  

(06-02-2013 09:18 PM)21-17 Best Time I Ever Ha Wrote:  

(06-02-2013 08:14 PM)RationalRebel Wrote:  

(06-02-2013 08:09 PM)TiggerFan Wrote:  

(06-02-2013 09:06 AM)RationalRebel Wrote:  There are only about 20 flights now on Saturday. 90 or so during the week. Folks don't travel on Saturday.

Not sure how anybody avoids Saturday travel because of the expnnse. Not like this is new. Regardless of airline.

Who actually travels on a Saturday?

Leisure travelers who have to be at work on Monday? And my 20-something kids would all probably drive to LR and back to save $300, although I probably wouldn't
. Heck, my daughter and her hubby drove to Nashville to fly to Florida!

Flights to Tampa from here are $500. I will definitely be looking at the new Southern Airways Express service to points south, even though I don't care for smaller planes, particularly. I am ready to be treated like a human once again, and I like the idea of "retro" flying they are promoting. Yep, flying is no longer fun or glamorous in the least.

I got a MEM-TPA for $305 last week. July 8-11, nonstops both ways. Thought that was decent.

As for Southern Airways Express, I'll eat this iPad if that "airline" lasts 6 months.
No EAS subsidies = Automatic death sentence
Anyone thinking about using them really should research the name Stan Little first.
Whoever Stan conned to invest any money into this deserves to lose their money.

My ticket was a two-week-out deal and I know this is a busy time for Florida traffic, being early June, but still.....
Just 2-3 years ago I could go to Tampa or Sarasota for $230 any time.

And I will also be surprised if Southern Airways makes it very long, but it's a lovely concept. I might give them a try. It's a really needed service.

(06-04-2013 02:03 PM)21-17 Best Time I Ever Ha Wrote:  

(06-03-2013 06:22 PM)RationalRebel Wrote:  

(06-02-2013 09:18 PM)21-17 Best Time I Ever Ha Wrote:  

(06-02-2013 08:14 PM)RationalRebel Wrote:  

(06-02-2013 08:09 PM)TiggerFan Wrote:  Not sure how anybody avoids Saturday travel because of the expnnse. Not like this is new. Regardless of airline.

Who actually travels on a Saturday?

Leisure travelers who have to be at work on Monday? And my 20-something kids would all probably drive to LR and back to save $300, although I probably wouldn't
. Heck, my daughter and her hubby drove to Nashville to fly to Florida!

Flights to Tampa from here are $500. I will definitely be looking at the new Southern Airways Express service to points south, even though I don't care for smaller planes, particularly. I am ready to be treated like a human once again, and I like the idea of "retro" flying they are promoting. Yep, flying is no longer fun or glamorous in the least.

I got a MEM-TPA for $305 last week. July 8-11, nonstops both ways. Thought that was decent.

As for Southern Airways Express, I'll eat this iPad if that "airline" lasts 6 months.
No EAS subsidies = Automatic death sentence
Anyone thinking about using them really should research the name Stan Little first.
Whoever Stan conned to invest any money into this deserves to lose their money.

My ticket was a two-week-out deal and I know this is a busy time for Florida traffic, being early June, but still.....
Just 2-3 years ago I could go to Tampa or Sarasota for $230 any time.

And I will also be surprised if Southern Airways makes it very long, but it's a lovely concept. I might give them a try. It's a really needed service.

It's funny but very sad; booking flights all the time, I've pretty much conditioned myself to be very happy if the first digit of a flight's price is a 3 and even a little happy if it's a 4. Approving expense reports once a month, it ain't just us in MEM, trust me.

(06-02-2013 08:13 PM)RationalRebel Wrote:  I'm TSA PreCheck. What is this security you speak off? Hehe.

I'm sorry, but I'm not driving 4 hours to save $300.

I made the mistake of flying Polish Air to Warsaw in order to get to Rome. I ended up saving ~$350. I would gladly give <$500 in order to never fly Polish Air across the Atlantic again.

(06-05-2013 07:10 AM)RationalRebel Wrote:  

(06-04-2013 02:03 PM)21-17 Best Time I Ever Ha Wrote:  

(06-03-2013 06:22 PM)RationalRebel Wrote:  

(06-02-2013 09:18 PM)21-17 Best Time I Ever Ha Wrote:  

(06-02-2013 08:14 PM)RationalRebel Wrote:  Who actually travels on a Saturday?

Leisure travelers who have to be at work on Monday? And my 20-something kids would all probably drive to LR and back to save $300, although I probably wouldn't
. Heck, my daughter and her hubby drove to Nashville to fly to Florida!

Flights to Tampa from here are $500. I will definitely be looking at the new Southern Airways Express service to points south, even though I don't care for smaller planes, particularly. I am ready to be treated like a human once again, and I like the idea of "retro" flying they are promoting. Yep, flying is no longer fun or glamorous in the least.

I got a MEM-TPA for $305 last week. July 8-11, nonstops both ways. Thought that was decent.

As for Southern Airways Express, I'll eat this iPad if that "airline" lasts 6 months.
No EAS subsidies = Automatic death sentence
Anyone thinking about using them really should research the name Stan Little first.
Whoever Stan conned to invest any money into this deserves to lose their money.

My ticket was a two-week-out deal and I know this is a busy time for Florida traffic, being early June, but still.....
Just 2-3 years ago I could go to Tampa or Sarasota for $230 any time.

And I will also be surprised if Southern Airways makes it very long, but it's a lovely concept. I might give them a try. It's a really needed service.

It's funny but very sad; booking flights all the time, I've pretty much conditioned myself to be very happy if the first digit of a flight's price is a 3 and even a little happy if it's a 4. Approving expense reports once a month, it ain't just us in MEM, trust me.

I spend a week a month in MSP...that's a ticket that hurts on delta.

(06-04-2013 01:56 PM)fsquid Wrote:  noticed the many empty gates when I flew in last Thanksgiving week. Airport was built for the 250 northwest flights, not getting that now.

At least we never crashed from levels that StL and Cincy once had. Those turned into ghost towns, StL right after they gouged taxpayers for a new terminal. I don't know how well they've rebounded, a few years ago I heard StL closed one terminal entirely. SWA wasn't enough to make up for the losses of TWA then AA. And Delta treated Cincy like crud like they did Memphis. That was the highest cost airport for a long time. Pitt may be another one that got screwed by USAir back in the day...

Pilot friend of mine last night said he'd be surprised if Southern Airways made it a year.

That was a whole lot of money spent on the new garage and all the concrete work on the east side of terminal B. I know the garage is housing all the rental car places and the rumor was Fed Ex was going to eventually close Democrat Rd and expand over to where the rental car companies were.

The thing about the rental car and new garage; shouldn't the origination and destination traffic stay about the same?

If you were coming to Memphis, you probably are still coming to Memphis regardless of if MEM is a hub.

Same if you are leaving Memphis.

So I'm guessing the hit for those businesses will be minimal.

Memphis CEOs & leadership have allowed too many buy outs & mergers through the years. Union planters, National Commerce Bank, Morgan Keegan, and now delta all picking up & moving out. If there's a buyout and or merger of a business in Memphis, just give them 1-2 years to get their ducks in order & they are leaving town.

(07-11-2013 12:09 AM)BIGDTiger Wrote:  Memphis CEOs & leadership have allowed too many buy outs & mergers through the years. Union planters, National Commerce Bank, Morgan Keegan, and now delta all picking up & moving out. If there's a buyout and or merger of a business in Memphis, just give them 1-2 years to get their ducks in order & they are leaving town.

UP sold out when the CEO died and his heir apparent took over and sold out to a company that let him run the show. Didnt hurt that his bro in law was on the board.

NBC was so profitable it was inevitable it was going to be bought by a bigger bank.

Concord/EFS sold high at the right time when they were about to lose a big contract. That company sold for about as much as UP and NBC.

Morgan Keegan sold out fifteen or twenty years ago. It wasn't until the economy collapsed and bad MK moves came to light that Regions decided to sell it to help their cash situation.

Northwest was never HQ'ed here. Delta buying them out messed us up, but the Hub leaving was inevitable.

Holiday Inn and Promus both made Mike Rose millions.

Harrahs left for Vegas which makes sense.

The real question to ask is "where is this money that was made when these companies sold out?"

Buy outs and mergers are a fact of life. Many times they are unwelcomed and many times they are. Circumstances change, leadership changes and your business plan changes. Memphis has been losing big companies all the way back to IH, Firestone, RCA, Wurzburg, Decor Noel and on and on. Delta leaders told Congress mass changes would not happen if they were allowed to buy Northwest. We know how that turned out. Now American leaders are saying the same thing about the US Airways merger. I wonder how that deal will pan out for Charlotte.

(06-05-2013 05:30 PM)neillis Wrote:  

(06-02-2013 08:13 PM)RationalRebel Wrote:  I'm TSA PreCheck. What is this security you speak off? Hehe.

I'm sorry, but I'm not driving 4 hours to save $300.

I made the mistake of flying Polish Air to Warsaw in order to get to Rome. I ended up saving ~$350. I would gladly give <$500 in order to never fly Polish Air across the Atlantic again.

A few years ago, I flew Air Zimbabwe from London to Harare. That was a fun flight.

(07-11-2013 10:32 AM)Latilleon Wrote:  

(07-11-2013 12:09 AM)BIGDTiger Wrote:  Memphis CEOs & leadership have allowed too many buy outs & mergers through the years. Union planters, National Commerce Bank, Morgan Keegan, and now delta all picking up & moving out. If there's a buyout and or merger of a business in Memphis, just give them 1-2 years to get their ducks in order & they are leaving town.

UP sold out when the CEO died and his heir apparent took over and sold out to a company that let him run the show. Didnt hurt that his bro in law was on the board.

NBC was so profitable it was inevitable it was going to be bought by a bigger bank.

Concord/EFS sold high at the right time when they were about to lose a big contract. That company sold for about as much as UP and NBC.

Morgan Keegan sold out fifteen or twenty years ago. It wasn't until the economy collapsed and bad MK moves came to light that Regions decided to sell it to help their cash situation.

Northwest was never HQ'ed here. Delta buying them out messed us up, but the Hub leaving was inevitable.

Holiday Inn and Promus both made Mike Rose millions.

Harrahs left for Vegas which makes sense.

The real question to ask is "where is this money that was made when these companies sold out?"

Like the Seessels, in Florida?

It's not about losing companies. That happens. Denver lost the company that bought Concord to Atlanta. It's about replacing them. Fostering a startup innovation community. Having one/more than one higher education institution that fosters innovation in students. We have a nice small foundation but it's missing the recognition and commitment of the community that that is where the future of the economy is.

Part of the startup atmosphere is persistence, resilience, optimism. The defeatist attitude that crippled Memphis in the 80s appears to be diminishing, but we see it rear its ugly head every now and then as people pine for the past, and spend perhaps too much energy in the rear-view mirror and not enough time pressing the gas to the next landmark.

(06-05-2013 06:49 PM)MemphisTiger15 Wrote:  Pilot friend of mine last night said he'd be surprised if Southern Airways made it a year.

That was a whole lot of money spent on the new garage and all the concrete work on the east side of terminal B. I know the garage is housing all the rental car places and the rumor was Fed Ex was going to eventually close Democrat Rd and expand over to where the rental car companies were.

I give them all the credit in the world for trying, though, instead of whining , doing nothing and/or mocking/discouraging efforts to change the status quo (not necessarily anyone in particular on this board, just a general approach of NIMBY b!tchers that exist in many communities).

So much is happening in Memphis that should be inspirational, that should cause residents to see hope for the future. Sure, there are hurdles, and setbacks, and it's not merely important, but imperative to recognize them and work to improve them. But the examples of success in improving the quality of life of the community, and attracting commerce and young professionals, should fuel an innovative and resilient spirit to tackle those setbacks.

Too many people have the, "I'm not going to try/support it because in X years it won't be around anymore," whether it's a restaurant (high probability of failure), airline, sports team, whatever. Enjoy the new, the change, and at least encourage continued risk-taking in this region. Again, this isn't a targeted critique of any particular poster or group, just taking the opportunity where a kernel of a topic exists to address something I strongly believe in.

Heck, I wrote it before, but the circuit from Rhodes/Overton Park/Zoo to Broad to CBU/Fairgrounds to Cooper Young/Central to Overton Square is a district headed for at least a moderate boom, and if marketed together with a convenient transit options both within the circuit and connecting it to Crosstown/Med Center/Downtown; U of M/Highland shops, maybe turn Union into a scenic landscaped boulevard, I think the sky is the limit for it.

Emphasize high-density corridors/districts at regular intervals, and establish unique characters for them. Then network among them to support each other.

Make it as easy as possible for residents to start their own businesses, or have resources for them to invent, innovate, experiment. There are organizations such as Gangplank in Arizona and elsewhere that are essentially free co-working spaces and labs; with community support they have been equipped with things such as 3D printers that are free for the community to fiddle with.

NO reason that couldn't happen in Memphis. Maybe U of M should open something like that, if they haven't already.

(07-11-2013 04:18 PM)kabluey Wrote:  It's not about losing companies. That happens. Denver lost the company that bought Concord to Atlanta. It's about replacing them. Fostering a startup innovation community. Having one/more than one higher education institution that fosters innovation in students. We have a nice small foundation but it's missing the recognition and commitment of the community that that is where the future of the economy is.

Part of the startup atmosphere is persistence, resilience, optimism. The defeatist attitude that crippled Memphis in the 80s appears to be diminishing, but we see it rear its ugly head every now and then as people pine for the past, and spend perhaps too much energy in the rear-view mirror and not enough time pressing the gas to the next landmark.

I grew up an hour away from Memphis & was a tiger fan from 4 years old. Always wanted to live in Memphis. I dunno, but Memphis beat me down for 10 years. I grew as a person, but professionally never was successful until I got out. I fear this is the story of many others. Memphis defeats people. Hard to explain it. It's always my favorite city, but I'll probably never live there or the surrounding areas ever again. It hurts to actually admit that. I still look in from afar, but aside from music, BBQ, tigers & Grizz, from a national perspective you never hear anything positive about Memphis.