• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Valley Citizen

Nature, Environment, History & Politics

The Valley Citizen

  • Arts
  • Education
  • Environment
  • History
  • Nature
  • Politics
  • Wit
  • About
  • RSS Icon

More Trouble Ahead for Modesto Flight Services?

April 11, 2014 By Bruce Frohman Leave a Comment

Modesto Airport Flight Tower
Modesto Airport Flight Tower

News Item: SkyWest, a subsidiary of United Airlines, announces that it will cease serving the Modesto airport in July, 2014, citing declining numbers of passengers. With a population of over half a million citizens, Stanislaus County has a sufficient population base to support the service of at least one airline. So what is the problem?

A History of Mediocre Service and Schedules

If one wants a case study on how not to run an airline, the service provided to Modesto’s flying public provides a classic example.

The first problem is inadequate frequency of flights. Valley citizens catch flights to all over the world at all times of day from San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, and Oakland International airports. As a conduit for passengers exclusively to  San Francisco International Airport, SkyWest’s schedule appeals to only a small segment of potential passengers residing in Stanislaus County. Service to Los Angeles is being proposed that will face challenges comparable to current service. If passengers can’t conveniently get to a major airport via Modesto air services, they will drive or take other public transportation. The inadequate frequency of flights problem is encountered again when returning to Modesto.

The second problem is unreliability. Valley citizens often missed connecting flights when Sky West cancelled service due to early morning fog or too few passengers. The carrier made decisions to cancel flights without regard to the convenience of passengers. In turn, affected passengers abandoned the carrier as a transportation provider because the carrier was  unreliable. Given the proximity of Modesto to San Francisco, the cost for parking, gasoline, and traffic grief was often perceived as preferable to the unreliability of the carrier.

The third problem is the ticket price. The one way cost to San Francisco is over $100 if one does not fly with a United Airlines connecting flight. For two travelers, driving to the San Francisco airport and paying for parking is cost effective compared to the price of two fares. For families, the price comparison is worse. Undoubtedly. the price structure has discouraged a substantial percentage of potential Modesto airport customers from using SkyWest. Limousine Service from San Francisco to Modesto is about the same price as the fare for one person. Using Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and buses to BART is the least expensive choice. Coincidentally, the difficulty in lining up bus/BART schedules vs Skywest schedules for connecting flights are comparable!

The fourth problem is the plane. When this writer rode the plane, there was not a working toilet on it. By the time one arrived in San Francisco or Modesto, one would be very uncomfortable. As a small plane was used to provide service and the ride was  less comfortable than a larger plane. The ride over San Francisco Bay was very bumpy on occasion, constituting a very stressful flight for those who are afraid to fly.

Finally, the airline does little, if anything, to promote the service. The airline has done little advertising, has not run promotions, or done anything obvious to tout its service. No known customer satisfaction surveys have been taken and the company has had no presence in the community except when a plane has been at the airport.  The ticket counter at the airport is usually closed.

Lack of Profitability in the San Joaquin Valley

For many years, the U.S. government has subsidized air service to smaller communities like Modesto.  In turn, air carriers have used the subsidies to maintain service without a commensurate effort to make the routes profitable. Routes are only profitable when planes fly full and are constantly in use. Historically, air carriers have only done the minimum when operating without competition in small markets. Passengers either pay the monopolist price and accept mediocre service or use alternative transportation.

Back in the 1950’s, the population base of Modesto and Stanislaus County was too small to sustain airline service. Subsidies could be justified. Now, given today’s much larger population, an air carrier that wants to build a business by connecting Valley towns to major airports could build a healthy business. But there are now so few air carriers that little competition remains within the industry.

The business model of the merged air carrier industry does not include serving the San Joaquin Valley, no matter how large our population grows. The prospect of service to Los Angeles airport, a major hub for air travel, is encouraging.  But the service will not survive if the carrier does no better a job than Sky West has. The airline will have to operate in a businesslike manner, not just fly planes at will and hope people show up at the gate.

 

Filed Under: Featured, History Tagged With: Modesto Airport, SkyWest Modesto

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Note: Some comments may be held for moderation.

Primary Sidebar

Off The Wire

Warren: Voters Must Elect Dems In Midterms Who Would Nix Filibuster To Codify Roe
Warren: Voters Must Elect Dems In Midterms Who Would Nix Filibuster To Codify Roe
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) on Sunday said she views the midterm elections…
talkingpointsmemo.com
A Farmer’s Quest to Beat California’s Waves of Drought and Deluge
A Farmer’s Quest to Beat California’s Waves of Drought and Deluge
Don Cameron went all in on a trickle-down survival tactic. It could help save America’s agricultural heartland—even if he doesn’t survive the new water war.
www.wired.com
Ten Ways Billionaires Avoid Taxes On An Epic Scale
Ten Ways Billionaires Avoid Taxes On An Epic Scale
This article first appeared at ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative…
talkingpointsmemo.com
A South Texan?s Wild, Life-affirming Quest to Break a National Birding Record
A South Texan’s Wild, Life-affirming Quest to Break a National Birding Record
When she began her year-long bird-spotting adventure, Tiffany Kersten was lost and lonely. She ended up achieving a major milestone and finding her way.
www.texasmonthly.com
Ron Johnson tried to hand fake elector info to Mike Pence on Jan. 6, panel reveals
Ron Johnson tried to hand fake elector info to Mike Pence on Jan. 6, panel reveals
A top aide said the Wisconsin Republican senator wanted to give Pence the list of pro-Trump electors as he prepared to certify the 2020 election.
www.politico.com
Raffensperger says he wishes Fox News carried every Jan. 6 hearing
Raffensperger says he wishes Fox News carried every Jan. 6 hearing
“I think it would have helped our party heal, given [people] more facts.”
www.axios.com
'Not safe anymore': Portland confronts the limits of its support for homeless services
‘Not safe anymore’: Portland confronts the limits of its support for homeless services
Homeless encampments now spill well beyond Portland’s downtown core, dividing a city that has invested liberally in support services.
www.latimes.com
Republicans Will Do It Again
Republicans Will Do It Again
They have not been chastened by the revelations of the January 6 committee.
nymag.com
Birdman
Birdman
Bird Brother: A Falconer’s Journey and the Healing Power of Wildlife
www.earthisland.org
The Potato Roll Empire Bankrolling Christian Nationalist Doug Mastriano
The Potato Roll Empire Bankrolling Christian Nationalist Doug Mastriano
The Martins were bit players in politics, until they put Doug Mastriano one step away from becoming Pennsylvania’s next governor.
nymag.com
Roger Stone and Michael Flynn under fire over rallies ‘distorting Christianity’
Roger Stone and Michael Flynn under fire over rallies ‘distorting Christianity’
Prominent Christian leaders accuse Trump allies of spreading misinformation about election and Covid, while distorting Christian teachings at ReAwaken America events
www.theguardian.com
Major water cutbacks loom as shrinking Colorado River nears 'moment of reckoning'
Major water cutbacks loom as shrinking Colorado River nears ‘moment of reckoning’
As the Colorado River water shortage worsens, major cutbacks are needed to reduce most perilous risks, a federal official tells senators.
www.latimes.com
Trump Scammed Supporters Out of $250 Million for Nonexistent Fraud Fund
Trump Scammed Supporters Out of $250 Million for Nonexistent Fraud Fund
Supporters who thought they were donating to “election integrity” instead saw some of their money funneled to Trump hotels
www.rollingstone.com

Find us on Facebook

The Valley Citizen
PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Footer

The Valley Citizen
PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Subscribe for Free

* indicates required

Search

• Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 The Valley Citizen

Dedicated to the memory of John Michael Flint. Contact us at thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Editor and publisher: Eric Caine

Website customization and maintenance by Susan Henley Design