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Milwaukee's Airport is Striving to Become the Low-Cost Hub for Chicago

February 17, 2010 at 9:35 AM | by | Comment (1)

For those sick of endless delays and crowds at Chicagoland airports, a little help might be on the way. Actually, it’s already here, but it all depends on whether or not you agree with the marketing. The General Mitchell International Airport—it’s the airport in Milwaukee—wants to serve as a solid third option for those looking to head out from the Midwest.

It’s not as close as Newark is to Manhattan, but a 90 minute drive into Wisconsin isn’t that bad of an option. The airport saw a record number of passengers at the end of 2009, and they want to continue pulling in travelers well into the next decade.

One of the major perks is that the airport loves discount travel, and AirTran has been helping them out with cheap fares and in-flight WiFi. AirTran has expanded its base at the airport, and they are actively working with airport officials to tap into those that call northern Illinois home—especially those with fat paychecks. It doesn’t hurt that Midwest Airlines has plenty of flights coming and going daily, and that Southwest has brought their baggage free-for-all campaign to cheese lovers.

We can see the value in having another option for Chicago. However, the airport looks like it’s relying heavily on low cost carriers, and it will be hard to lure business travelers away from O’Hare where they are used to upgrades and airport lounges. Southwest entering the airport could be a game changer, so we’ll keep an eye out to see how things go.

Do you think that Milwaukee's airport will succeed at their plan to bring in Chicago travelers?.

Related Stories:
· Milwaukee Airport Wants To Be Considered Chicago's Third One [USA Today]
· Delta Plans to Demolish Old Pan Am Terminal at JFK This Summer [Jaunted]
· Airports coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Shamanic Shift]

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MKE

I fly out of MKE at least 4 or 5 times a year and it is one my favorite airports...I'd fly out of there over ORD or MDW any day of the week.
Matthew J Stolen on February 17, 2010 at 12:40 PM #Permalink

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