Des Moines International Airport News

[SFO2DSM]

Those are not introductory - those are sale fares available system-wide (not just DSM). Southwest regularly has fare sales with deals like this.

Those numbers are game changers for the city, even though they are only introductory fares. Should set a new standard for this market.

[Keepgrowingdsm]

KCCI had a quick blurb on yesterday showing an absolutely packed airport terminal for early Friday morning flights. An airport spokesperson was interviewed and said that 2012 traffic was up 10% which is a huge gain. Good to see and I'm sure it will only increase once SWA starts official service!

[SpinningBird]

KCCI had a quick blurb on yesterday showing an absolutely packed airport terminal for early Friday morning flights. An airport spokesperson was interviewed and said that 2012 traffic was up 10% which is a huge gain. Good to see and I'm sure it will only increase once SWA starts official service!

Here is where DSM posts passenger statistics:

http://www.dsmairport.com/about/statistics/

May 2012 was definitely an uptick from previous years -- sounds anecdotaly like June might be looking similar.

[Mastermind]

May 2011 163,894
May 2012 180,631

http://www.dsmairport.com/assets/508/Hi ... Stats%20(3).pdf

OMA was down 2.4%
May 2011 386,436
May 2012 377,215
http://www.flyoma.com/images/stories/Ma ... _Stats.pdf

[casbern]

May 2011 163,894
May 2012 180,631

http://www.dsmairport.com/assets/508/Hi ... Stats%20(3).pdf

OMA was down 2.4%
May 2011 386,436
May 2012 377,215
http://www.flyoma.com/images/stories/Ma ... _Stats.pdf

Kaboom.

[Mastermind]

Up 9.9% on the year, and it looks like we might surpass 2 million on the year which would be the busiest ever.

[Keepgrowingdsm]

While Omaha is obviously bigger than DSM, I'm guessing at some point they will see their numbers continually fall to a more 'natural' level as many Iowans (Including from DSM) will fly from here instead of there with SWA. The same is probably true for KCI. Has anyone noticed if their ticket counter is under construction yet in DSM? I would assume it would need to be bigger than what AirTran currently has.

[wdmce]

OMA airport has not dropped because of DSM at this point. Looking, planes from OMA are plumb full the past 2 months. The reason why OMA and MCI are down is because of United. United has reduced seats to OMA and MCI by 50%. In addition, OMA has lost service to MKE because of Frontier's dire financial condition. United has also reduced DSM just to a lesser extent because there was less to cut. Basically, all but a couple of flights to all 3 cities on United are regional jets, yes, including kansas city. This matches the old continental strategy of flying regional jets with less sets to all but the top 40 cities in the US in size and getting a much higher yield from these flights hence why OMA prices are though the roof the past year! Fortunately, DSM didn't have much United mainline to begin with to loose but OMA and KC did. A year ago, Omaha had 8 mainline flights per day and that was down to 1 this past may (4 for the month of June).

My best guess is things will settle down with the right balance of fares, seats and flights about 2-3 years from now. Southwest will expand here, fares will drop, other airlines won't make as much money and they will drop flights. (Frontier will fold or just leave DSM). My guess is that OMA and MCI will be flat with enplanements for next 3 years and DSM will go way up and then drop back down when thing settle down, end up about 20% up from current numbers. Fares to Chicago and Denver will be much cheaper and fares on longer flights like to the west coast and the southeast will go up from where they currently sit. (I just bought a $220 ticket DSM-SNA)...stupid cheap...airlines can't make money charging that.

DSM current news:
Airtran leaving in september and MKE looses DSM service.
southwest starts midway with 2 flights a day.
Memphis on Delta drops down to a single flight a day starting in september (from 3 a year ago).

OMA current news:
Delta is dropping Omaha to New York-LGA starting this fall.

[Keepgrowingdsm]

Does anyone know if SWA is doing well with advanced bookings? None of their new cities (Akron, DSM, Dayton)have added flights or destinations since they announced service and I'm simply curious if things are going well.

[Des Moineser]

Does anyone know if SWA is doing well with advanced bookings? None of their new cities (Akron, DSM, Dayton)have added flights or destinations since they announced service and I'm simply curious if things are going well.

Keep poking around.

[Keepgrowingdsm]

Does anyone know if SWA is doing well with advanced bookings? None of their new cities (Akron, DSM, Dayton)have added flights or destinations since they announced service and I'm simply curious if things are going well.

Keep poking around.

I must not be looking in the right places. Any hints or tips?

[DMRyan]

What are realistic or plausible destinations from DSM via Soutwest besides Chicago Midway? Dallas, Phoenix, or LA? Is an east coast destination or SE destination very likely?

[Des Moineser]

I must not be looking in the right places. Any hints or tips?

You probably won't find any published information right now, but you are asking the right questions. Take that to mean what you will. Unfortunately, I can't say much about it right now.

[BriGuy]

What are realistic or plausible destinations from DSM via Soutwest besides Chicago Midway? Dallas, Phoenix, or LA? Is an east coast destination or SE destination very likely?

I'm hoping they will add service to Las Vegas! This will likely spell trouble for Allegiant, however.

[Keepgrowingdsm]

I must not be looking in the right places. Any hints or tips?

You probably won't find any published information right now, but you are asking the right questions. Take that to mean what you will. Unfortunately, I can't say much about it right now.

I just hope it's not a negative thing. We waited so long to get them and people need to fill their planes!! I have done and will continue to do my part!!

[Braniff]

What are realistic or plausible destinations from DSM via Soutwest besides Chicago Midway? Dallas, Phoenix, or LA? Is an east coast destination or SE destination very likely?

What about St. Louis or Florida?

[Des Moineser]

Read between the lines and ask yourself why Allegiant is still here.

[casbern]

Read between the lines and ask yourself why Allegiant is still here.

Cryptic.

[Keepgrowingdsm]

You can read between the lines and also ask why SWA main website doesn't have DSM or any of the new cities even listed specifically in the "Southwest Cities" section on their web except for the map with the dots.

[novakomaha]

Read between the lines and ask yourself why Allegiant is still here.

Cryptic.

I know Southwest always has a plan but I can't believe that they wouldn't grow DSM. Denver? STL? (Maybe not STL since MDW has the connections that STL has and more)

In Des Moineser's cryptic post it seems to imply that Allegiant is staying, or at least that's what I read between the lines. Or is it that Southwest is going to buy Allegiant? Hmmm

[wdmce]

Read between the lines and ask yourself why Allegiant is still here.

Cryptic.

I know Southwest always has a plan but I can't believe that they wouldn't grow DSM. Denver? STL? (Maybe not STL since MDW has the connections that STL has and more)

In Des Moineser's cryptic post it seems to imply that Allegiant is staying, or at least that's what I read between the lines. Or is it that Southwest is going to buy Allegiant? Hmmm

Yeah at this point, I don't know why Allegiant would leave. Until if and when southwest starts LAS, nothing is going to change here with Allegiant. Even then, I would guess Allegiant stays, maybe just a few less frequencies per week.

[SpinningBird]

Read between the lines and ask yourself why Allegiant is still here.

Allegiant is still at DSM because they are making money in this market. Period, end of story.

[casbern]

Read between the lines and ask yourself why Allegiant is still here.

Allegiant is still at DSM because they are making money in this market. Period, end of story.

But you aren't reading between the lines!

[Des Moineser]

Allegiant is still at DSM because they are making money in this market. Period, end of story.

But you aren't reading between the lines!

You're hilarious.

If they felt seriously threatened they would leave before they started bleeding cash. This airline essentially refuses to head-to-head with Southwest. If you can't put two and two together on WHY they don't feel pressure or the potential for pressure on their Las Vegas and Florida routes, I can't help you.

Suffice it to say, temper your optimism and especially your "wit".

[casbern]

Suffice it to say, temper your optimism and especially your "wit".

[Keepgrowingdsm]

I agree with you Des Moineser and am also hearing that SWA is having a tougher than expected time with the AirTran merger which is delaying overall route and capacity expansion. Combined with the ever changing fuel price situation and tough economy they seem to be holding back with adding to existing and new cities. This may be why Allegiant see's the chance to stick around longer as they don't have the pressure one would expect with SWA. With only 2 flights to Midway, it does give fliers a chance to connect elsewhere but certainly limits more options that a Denver, Phoenix or Las Vegas route would add to the west. I'm hopefull their planes will fill over the holidays and winter/spring break time frame but fall is usually a slow travel time which may also play into their thoughts for adding excess capacity earlier during the slower travel season.

[Des Moineser]

Exactly.

It will be a tough road ahead for Des Moines, Akron-Canton, and Dayton with SWA. While I know of a specific time commitment here, I'm not sure what the time commitment to those other two markets is, although I expect it's roughly the same. We'll need to put up big numbers here before we have a chance at any more route announcements. Southwest didn't buy AirTran for its domestic network anyway, they didn't buy it so they could finally fly to Des Moines, the Quad Cities, or Allentown PA, thus why they have cut many of AirTran's former routes. Their focus is absorbing AirTran's international operations. The US economy will remain stagnant for the foreseeable future and will really cap domestic growth, better for them to diversify.

[DMRyan]

The higher passenger numbers seem to be maintaining.

From the DSM Business Record:

D.M. airport passenger activity continues to exceed 2011

Total passenger activity at Des Moines International Airport was up 4.49 percent in July over the same month a year ago, according to numbers released by the airport today. A total of 184,178 passengers were enplaned or deplaned at the airport, up from 176,263 in July 2011. For the year, passenger activity is up 8.77 percent. Passenger activity is down from last month, but has been up on a year-over-year basis each month of 2012.

Read more: http://businessrecord.com/main.asp?From ... z24WKkzIPz

[Keepgrowingdsm]

I have heard that SWA will have their ticket counter by the baggage carousel area in space where the rental cars counters are and it will be fairly large. Does anyone know if this is true? I also was told the airport has moved a lot of current airline aircraft parking spots to other gates to make room for their planes and SWA has asked to have one of the carousels dedicated just to them. Sept. 30th will be here before you know it so I guess we will find out soon how it all works out.

[SpinningBird]

I have heard that SWA will have their ticket counter by the baggage carousel area in space where the rental cars counters are and it will be fairly large. Does anyone know if this is true? I also was told the airport has moved a lot of current airline aircraft parking spots to other gates to make room for their planes and SWA has asked to have one of the carousels dedicated just to them. Sept. 30th will be here before you know it so I guess we will find out soon how it all works out.

Gates and ticket counter areas at DSM are not exclusively leased to any specific airline. Instead, all gates and counters operate off a common use platform that ties to each airline's booking/reservation system.

So at DSM, any airline can shuffle around to various gates and ticket counters fairly easily. It also enables common self-serve check in kiosks which you see at DSM. The common model is relatively cutting-edge among United States airports (but common in Europe and Asia). The hardware and software at each location was changed out to this sytem as part of the extensive renovation projects a few years ago. The agreements with the airlines were also re-written at that time also, to reflect this change.

So I would think that the changes you're saying may happen, ARE entirely possible at DSM.

I give the DSM management kudos for having the foresight to take this approach -- doing so appears to have put DSM in a great position to "absorb" SWA while avoiding (or at least delaying) a costly buildout of the terminal. With the parking lot additions and these changes, DSM probably bought themselves enough time to work out of the existing facility until the industry would be receptive to funding a new terminal building.