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Where We're Flying From Area Airports, July 2007 to June

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By TED JACKOVICS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 17, 2008

TAMPA - As airlines boost ticket prices, cut service and add fees, what will the future hold for travel to the top destinations?

From Tampa Bay, more people fly to airports in New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Chicago than other destinations. New York's airports far surpass other cities, and Atlanta and Chicago serve thousands of transfer passengers to U.S. and international cities.

Airfares are likely to rise, but careful shoppers can find bargains, especially if they're willing to choose less-popular flight times. Some of the deals found this week at www.airfarewatch dog.com: a $146 round-trip flight on Delta Air Lines between Tampa and New York-LaGuardia; $125 round trip between Sarasota and Boston on US Airways; and $158 round trip between Orlando and Philadelphia on Southwest Airlines. It's all about going when - and where - the bargains can be found.

Here's a sketch of regional airports and a look ahead.
TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
ATLANTA: 970,000 passengers

PHILADELPHIA: 407,000

NEW YORK-JFK: 381,000

ALL DESTINATIONS: 9.1 million

OUTLOOK: Passengers benefit from competition among airlines to major destinations. Southwest is dropping two of five daily Philadelphia flights in January, but the cutback shouldn't have a major effect because US Airways is maintaining service to the city. Round-trip airfares to New York cost half the average $350 price of a night in a hotel there.

ST. PETERSBURG- CLEARWATER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

CHICAGO-O'HARE: 37,000

DETROIT: 27,000

PITTSBURGH: 25,000

ALL DESTINATIONS: 334,000

OUTLOOK: If the Pinellas County airport could regain service from USA3000 - it accounted for the airport's three busiest destinations, listed above, but stopped local service in August because of high fuel costs - the outlook would be promising. Remaining carrier Allegiant Air's top destinations are Greenville-Spartanburg S.C., Knoxville, Tenn., and Allentown, Pa.
SARASOTA BRADENTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
ATLANTA: 339,000

NEW YORK-JFK: 63,000

NEWARK: 56,000

ALL DESTINATIONS: 719,000

OUTLOOK: Newark service will be hit hard with the retreat of Continental Airlines, despite filling 84.6 percent of seats on Sarasota-Newark flights. However, JetBlue continues New York flights. AirTran Airways continues to do well on Sarasota-Chicago Midway flights, and Atlanta remains a major hub for Delta Air Lines and AirTran.

ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

ATLANTA: 1.4 million

PHILADELPHIA: 802,000

NEWARK: 772,000

ALL DESTINATIONS: 16.7 million

OUTLOOK: Daily departures have declined in September, with Delta dropping 13.6 percent of its flights compared with a year ago; American Airlines dropped 9.9 percent; AirTran dropped 8.8 percent; and Southwest dropped 8.5 percent. International traffic is up, but the big concern is that a reduction in domestic flights is hurting tourism.

Sources: Airport officials, U.S. Department of Transportation data

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at tjackovics@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7817.

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