After 18 Months, YNG has A NEW Website!

Well this blog has pressed the issue since August of 2005, and finally, after about 18 months, the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport has a new website! I think I have the right to critique the website, and that I will now do!

First off, it’s a 100% improvement from the last website. It’s definitely a step up in the technological sense of things. There is some nice flash embedded into the site, and the navigation is very easy to use. I did notice a lot of things were the same in the information sense of things. For instance the terminal page, WIFI page, and a few others pages said the same thing from the last site; not that it’s that big of a deal, but I would’ve liked to have seen more information out there. The other thing I see the site could use is more photos of the terminal! Dan Crouse did a virtual video tour today up there and he is going to attempt to get it onto the official website, and it’s definately needed.

Overall I rate the site at an A-…. There are small things that could use a change, and just a few minor additions of photos would really make this site EVEN nicer. One thing I commend is the organization of the site. So many airport websites are cluttered and have way to many pages. For an airport of our size, this is just right.

I want to thank Vic Rubenstein for creating the site for free. Had they decided to pay $20-30,000 on the website, it may look like other airport sites, but this one certainly doesn’t. So again thanks Vic and Steve and the airport for getting this done, although its a year and a few months late. I THINK IT COULD USE A POLL TO SHOW AIRLINES PEOPLE WANT TO FLY FROM YNG!

PLEASE COMMENT ON THE NEW WEBSITE WITH YOUR THOUGHTS.

Website Should be Up Late Tonight or Tuesday

According to an email sent to me this morning from Atty. JJ Masternick, the web-master of the website had a few finishing touches and if he got to them soon enough, it could be up as early as tonight. If not tonight, very very very likely on Tuesday! Also Dan Crouse, a new blogger who has found a passion in the Valley and our airport will also be photographing the airport terminal and ramps tomorrow for a virtual airport tour which will be available later on this week.

All of this is good news for an airport that right now is stuck in the late 1990s, and will soon catch up with technology! And remember: FREE WIFI at YNG!

YNG

So Are More Flights Coming????

Today it was announced that 2 of the 4 Roanoke-Orlando routes will be suspended until the Summer. Allegiant plans on resuming the routes, but those plans are not definite; meaning they will be hitting another route to try to make more money in this time…. So will it be Youngstown? I sure as hell hope so.

Roanoke began 3 days after Youngstown back in May 2006 and quickly received two more flights a week, although the Youngstown load factor was higher than Roanoke’s. Roanoke’s average loads are at about 81%, Youngstown at 87%….. Doesn’t that make you wonder why Youngstown doesn’t have more flights!?

This timing definately makes me wonder if Youngstown is getting more flights, especially with the recent media attention and emails to Allegiant which seem to be positive.

Still nothing on the website, but once again, it would be in the airport’s best interest to get it up within the next 5 days. I am going to attempt to find what day it will be released! Continue voting in the FlyYNG Poll!!!! Just click the name of the city to the right of this post and your vote will be cast!

THANKS!

Vote in the FlyYNG Poll Now!

I ask everyone reading this post to look to their right and participate in our FlyYNG Poll. We are asking what destination you would like to see Allegiant Air add from Youngstown. We are hoping to get the attention of the local newspaper or tv station website’s to add a poll on their website. It’s not hard to vote, just click the name of the city you want to see added. Available cities: Las Vegas-Tampa-Ft. Myers.

We have been attempting to do this for some time, but due to security reasons, Wordpress; our blogging service; only allows HTML polls, and not interactive polls which we do have.

And nothing on the new airport website yet—but only 8 more days remaining. If they know what is right, they will put it up soon and not force us to make a scene!

Vegas/Tampa Flights on the Horizon???

allegiantvegas.jpgFrom the Warren Tribune Chronicle: Airline Sucess Boosts Vegas Hopes

This morning I awoke to an article that give’s us all great hope that we may soon be able to fly from Youngstown nonstop to Las Vegas; and perhaps Tampa; and perhaps Orlando for more than twice a week. The Tribune finally did a story on Allegiant after not hearing anything out there since November, and they did a good job covering it.

Two lines caught my eye which were very similar to a story that was posted by the Tribune this time last year, when rumors were floating to whether or not Allegiant was announcing service in February; which it did. The lines:
‘‘We’ve talked,’’ Squyres said of recent discussions with airport officials over adding Las Vegas service. ‘‘There are no plans in the short term. It’s definitely an option.’’

Tyri Squyres said almost the exact same thing last year regarding Allegiant announcing service. It’s VITAL for this blog to help the airport get this service! We ask all of you to email Allegiant Air here: rescenter@allegiantair.com and request Allegiant Air flights from Youngstown to Las Vegas. I also think it would be smart for this blog to have a campaign, similar to a petition, that can have a list of names of people in support of Allegiant to Vegas.

This is GREAT news for this airport. Imagine having 2 flights a week to Vegas and Tampa, and 4 flights a week to Orlando. We would be giving AirTran and Southwest hassles at the other airports, because they’d be losing the Mahoning Valley flying support.

HELP MAKE THIS HAPPEN!

January 2007 Port Meeting Notes

Vindicator Link

Other than that, not too much to talk about. The website should be done within the upcoming days, from what we are told, but we shall see about that. Post you’re thoughts on the port’s meeting and any ideas for the February agenda, which we plan on sending to Atty. J.J. Masternick.

Thoughts on Flying at YNG!

By DAN CROUSE

Do you remember the day you looked at the “Girl next door”, the gangly, homely, teenager who was just there and you never thought much about? You discovered she grew up beautiful?

I kind of had that feeling when trying to fly to Florida for New Years Eve. I couldn’t find a flight and rental car for my wife and I for under $1000.00. After searching Orbitz, Travelocity, Expedia, and every other site my browser spewed forth I went to Allegiant Air. That “last resort” turned out to be an outstanding experience. First, the Flights were discounted to $39 (plus uncle sam) each way, I reserved my “First Class” (don’t you love exit rows seats on an MD 80) and saved hundreds over ANYWHERE else on the Web or airport.

Left my house 1.5 hours before flight time, checked in and went through security in enough time to be thoroughly entertained watching people go through security pat downs while waiting for the plane. The terminal we bustling, concourse was great…even a huge skylight. I waited for the Allegiant Air inbound to unload and got my seat. If there was a glitch it was the wait to reload the Baggage to balance the load! (Damn those snowbirds and their steamer trunks)

To say I rediscovered the Youngstown Warren Regional Airport is an understatement. The gaping mouth looks I get when I relay this story to other Valley residents means most have yet to rediscover it too. So…I write, I tell everyone. I even give them Allegiant’s e-mail address and tell them to ask for additional flights. That address is rescenter@allegiantair.com.

Would I go again? After my winter trip and rediscovering the “Girl next door”, I can’t wait for Bikini Season!

Allegiant Review: YNG Airport-The Best Deal

Given to the YNG Blog by the folks at the brand new: Mahoning Valley Voice, run by Dan and Darlene Crouse; prominent Realtors in the Mahoning Valley. Our site’s are planning on working hand and hand to get the best out at the airport in Vienna! Join us today as we push for additional air service at YNG!

Don’t you love it when you get what you want, get a good deal, and it turns out to be much better than you expected? I wanted to visit friends in Florida over New Years eve; so dutifully I had scoured the travel sites Orbitz, Travelocity, Priceline; and continually got the same rehashing of flights, prices, rental cars that were going to cost us a thousand dollars for the week. About to through in the towel and spend New Years eve in the company of local friends, I gave it one last stab on Thanksgiving night.

Hmmmm, what was the name of that airline…the obviously misguided one that I only hear about on local TV when their flights are late….I know, I’ll Google them. Ahhhh Allegiant Air. Obviously misguided because they fly into the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. What’s this? $39.00 each way Warren to Orlando? Sign me up…round trip of course. What have I got to lose?

So, for the first time in 15 years or more, we (Darlene and I) booked a flight out of our The Youngstown Warren Regional Airport, for 20% of the quoted costs on ANY other carrier. Let’s see, we drove 15 minutes, didn’t wait for parking, walked less than 200 feet to the terminal; 10 minutes in line for tickets, security, and waited in a terminal gate as clean, nice, and organized as any in Cleveland…it even had a huge skylight!

Worried that the plane would be a reject from Peoples Express, I was happy to see a shiny MD80 pull up, and find the interior as clean and neat as any Continental Flight I have recently taken. Those exit row seats I booked on line gave me the opportunity to start this posting without worrying about the guy in front of me squashing my laptop as he reclined his seat. Knowing some of my flight-mates, I can tell you they ranged from parents taking their family and pets to Disney, to some of The Mahoning Valley’s most successful retirees. The flight was full!

My point? We left our home less than 1 1/2 hours before our flight, parked, checked in, went through security, and took off from a clean, modern, inviting airport with time to spare. Yet for the last 20 years I have only driven by it, never really giving it much thought and flying from Cleveland or Pittsburgh. Cost forced me to “Rediscover” that we have Allegiant Airlines, and a beautiful facility. It is like discovering that the girl next door IS beautiful.

So, What to do? I looked at the Allegiant Flights across the country. Did you know they fly to Las Vegas and Naples Fla. as well as Orlando? Why not additional flights to Warren Ohio? If you like the idea of a direct Flight from the Mahoning Valley to Las Vegas or Naples, send them an e-mail. Go to recenter@allegiantair.com and request it. We have an untapped gem here. Only we can tap it… by using it. Let’s request additional service and then use it. I would love to hear someone complain about the lack of parking at the Youngstown Warren Regional Airport. This Gem is yours and mine to use…or lose. Tell your friends…in town and out about the Gem we have here in The Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. For $39.00, it was the best present we gave ourselves this Holiday Season.

Dan Crouse

PLEASE COMMENT ON THEIR EXPERIENCE AND IF YOU’VE FLOWN ALLEGIANT, SEND US A TRIP REPORT AS WELL!

October 2006 Passenger Numbers Posted

October 2006 was a month full of charters, many are due to the tremendous YSU Football team and their opponents. This month featured some nice loads to Atlantic City as well. For whatever reason, the Allegiant Air numbers are not out for either Youngstown or Toledo, but we will be checking often to see if they are released.

15,000 People have used the airport in 2006 up to October, and I do think it will be over 16,000 once we get the Allegiant numbers in for October. This year has been very good for the airport, now it’s time to double those in 2007.

READ THE PASSENGER DATA HERE. 

PLEASE COMMENT 1/11/2007

FlyYNG Blog Will Post the October Passenger Numbers Tomorrow

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics will post the October 2006 passenger data tomorrow at 11am. I will download it, dissect it, and post it on the passenger page by late afternoon.

Remember about 2 flights on Allegiant were cut out during this stretch due to the seasonal suspension up until October 6, when they began again.

I do believe we had quite a few casino charters during this month. So it will be interesting to see how the numbers do play out and what our year to date total will be.

FLY YNG 1/10/2007

ps: PLEASE COMMENT ON OUR POSTS. YOU GUYS ARE THE REASON WE WRITE ON THIS BLOG EACH AND EVERY DAY! HELP US HELP THE AIRPORT IN 2007!

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