It’s officially official. CAK has really low fares compared to most other airports in the U.S. According to the Business Courier of Cincinnati… “The Akron/Canton Airport posted one the biggest reductions since 1995, to $292 in the second quarter of 2008 from $376 in 1995, a 22.5 percent decline.” Of course, they were contrasting us with Cincinnati home to the highest fares in the nation. I know the airport is trying to change that but it is hard to argue with a hub carrier like Delta, which offers dozens of nonstop flights both domestically and internationally. It is a tight rope to be sure.

So, why is this issue so widely reported? Airline seats are commodities folks. One coach seat, generically speaking, is pretty much like any other. So customers usually choose the lowest fare when booking an airline ticket. CAK is enjoying a serious increase in passengers- up nearly 7% compared to last year- because our lower fares are attracting more passengers looking for good deals. Low fares are good for our region too. People and businesses like to live and work in affordable communities. We are one of them.

Why do we have low fares? That’s easy. AirTran Airways. Plain and simple. They are committed to a low cost model and pass those savings on to customers. AirTran moves approximately 45% of the total passenger traffic through CAK. Customers love them too, because they fly big comfy jets, offer XM radio in every seat and have a business class section on every flight. What’s not to love?

So, I’d like to thank all those new customers who have given us a try lately. I hope you had a wonderful experience – parking to plane- at CAK. We’d be honored to welcome you back soon.