BUSINESS MATTERS

Lifted Love Field cap means change in air

Good news on the horizon for Love Field in Dallas seemed like potentially bad news for travelers from Northwest Arkansas.

A federal amendment that has limited where airlines at Love Field could fly expires in October after nearly 35 years. Since being signed into law in 1980 by President Jimmy Carter, planes from Love Field that had 56-plus seats were limited to traveling to airports in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Kansas, Alabama and Missouri.

As we get closer to the amendment’s expiration date,speculation grows on what this development could mean for nearby airports that have Southwest Airlines as a carrier. Destinations will increase, but Southwest’s number of airplanes, at least in 2014, will not increase.

Somebody, somewhere is losing flights.

This matters for folks in Northwest Arkansas because Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport lacks a low-price carrier. Travelers are sometimes willing to drive farther - to Tulsa International Airport or Little Rock’s Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field - in order to save money on fares.

Folks in Benton, Washington and nearby counties are already dealing with the loss of Branson Airport’s Southwest service this month. Branson lost its Southwest flights unrelated to changes resulting from the Wright Amendment. Southwest inherited the Branson market when it acquired AirTran in 2011. Business was not strong in that market despite the airline’s high hopes.

So scratch Branson off the list of options for Northwest Arkansas travelers.

Is Tulsa next for a loss of flights? What impact will this have on summer vacation or business travel plans?

Not much it seems, after checking with an airport representative.

All that Tulsa, which estimates Arkansans account for 1.5 percent of its 3 million annual passengers, appears to be losing is one of its flights to Dallas. It is hard to imagine that having any negative impact on travelers from our region.

Surely nobody was driving two hours to Tulsa, spending three hours of airport time - not including the one-hour flight - to get from here to Dallas. A trip to Dallas can easily be accomplished in a five-hour drive or a much simpler process at Northwest Arkansas Airport.

Negative impact appears to be minimal where Tulsa is involved. In fact, representatives for both Southwest and Tulsa International point to the Wright Amendment as a positive for travelers in Arkansas.

No longer restricted on where Love Field planes can go could make Dallas more of a conduit for travelers.

Southwest is adding international flights to the Caribbean and Mexico, and Dallas will be a hub for those.

What might have taken two or more stops in the past could be cut down to one once the restrictions are lifted.

A Clinton National airport spokesman said Southwest hasn’t “talked with us about any changes.”

Southwest, which has been in communication with Tulsa and other airports about the looming changes “for a long time,” said the change is a positive. Granted, if you’re one of the cities losing flights, it might be difficult to see that, initially.

New York, Washington, D.C., Denver, Chicago, Los Angeles, and destinations in Florida will become more accessible through Dallas.

In May, Southwest will release its schedule of dates and designations.

What is likely to happen, rather than wholesale changes in an airport’s Southwest flights, are tweaks here and there. Using what we’re told is happening in Tulsa or what could hypothetically happen in Little Rock as an example, an airport with eight nonstops to Dallas might have six once the changes are implemented.

Southwest said the changes could put “downward pressure” on competitors. Perhaps opening new markets for the budget airline’s customers will be a catalyst for lower fares industry wide.

Turns out Dallas’ gain might also be your gain.

If you have a tip, call Chris Bahn at (479) 365-2972 or email him at cbahn@nwaonline.com

Business, Pages 69 on 03/09/2014

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