Commentary: Washington feels like a second-class airport city

By Marina Ein  

Washington is home to majestic monuments, museums and the federal government. But as a transportation center, Washingtonians have second-class status, a situation made worse by growing airline consolidation. Sadly, prospects for improvement seem dim at best.

Many Washingtonians might be surprised to learn that only one carrier — United Airlines — formally considers Washington Dulles International Airport a “hub.” And, we are only sixth on the list of important hubs that United serves. As for Reagan National Airport, only one airline, US Airways, considers it hub-worthy. And that status is largely because of the ubiquitous shuttle service that connects Washington to New York and Boston.

For Washingtonians seeking to travel to the west coast of Florida, a miserable fate awaits. Earlier this year, Air Tran, the sole airline offering direct flights to Fort Meyers and other Gulf Coast cities year-round, was absorbed by Southwest, which dominates Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport. Washington passengers have no choice now (if they want a direct flight) but to embrace the Southwest spirit — cattle-call boarding procedures, no assigned seating and one of the worst on-time departure records in the airline industry. Indeed, the December issue of Travel & Leisure rated Southwest low compared to other major airlines for on-time departures. My personal experience with Southwest — six flights all of which were late — certainly supports that assessment.

As bad as our options are, there is no indication that improvement awaits. Airlines are competing in a challenging economic climate that promotes lessening service and restricted equipment expenditures. And with Washington considered a secondary focus, fewer and fewer scheduled direct flights are available to business travelers much less to resort and vacation destinations. What can we do?

We can ask our local leaders to make Washington’s access to first-class travel opportunities an important priority. They have the means to work with the many airlines that currently make us a change-over city to make us a true hub city. D.C.’s Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and other congressional leaders can raise this issue in Congress with the committees that regulate and oversee national transportation affairs. And, we as consumers, can voice our concerns to the airlines who serve us so badly.

In the meantime, Washingtonians must resign themselves to travel schedules that are more in line with what residents of Tulsa or Chattanooga expect. We will see increasing numbers of multi-leg flights that add hours to planned trips — and the uncertainty that comes with multiple takeoffs and landings. With enough delays, cancellations and generally horrific flying experiences in our future, perhaps we will truly come together as a capital region and demand more and better from the airlines that serve us so poorly.

Marina Ein is the president of Ein Communications, a District-based crisis communications and public relations firm.

- Source:   http://www.washingtonpost.com