Airports in Western Kansas?

[Bluefox]

Originally Posted by empires228

Direct, no. You really can't even get a direct from KC or Wichita, they will have a layover in Chicago or STL. Garden City is the best bet now that Hays lost the Chicago flights. GCK flies to DFW as is currently overhauling the entire airport. The airport is funded by federal subsidies as well as taxpayer money from Garden City and Dodge City.

Great Lakes hasn't serviced Dodge, Garden, Hays, Liberal, Great Bend, or Salina for several years now. The Wikipedia information cited above is incorrect.

You can fly nonstop to the east coast from KC... I’ve flown nonstop to Philly and NYC (LGA) from Kansas City.

[elkotronics]

I flew to Dodge City in one of those Great Lakes Airlines "buzz-bomb" airplanes from Denver to Dodge City back in 2015 for a job interview there in Dodge. It was small but I felt mostly confident in the end result being good. Took a small jet from Spokane to Denver and then got on the buzzbomb (propeller) plane to go to Dodge City from there. Wasn't scary and I feel good about the trip overall.

[mshultz]

Originally Posted by elkotronics

I flew to Dodge City in one of those Great Lakes Airlines "buzz-bomb" airplanes from Denver to Dodge City back in 2015 for a job interview there in Dodge. It was small but I felt mostly confident in the end result being good. Took a small jet from Spokane to Denver and then got on the buzzbomb (propeller) plane to go to Dodge City from there. Wasn't scary and I feel good about the trip overall.

I flew back & forth between Denver & Hays in 2012. It was through Great Lakes on a Beechcraft Commuter 1900 turboprop. I found out my return flight had been cancelled after I arrived at the Hays Airport. As I was the first to arrive at the airport, I was able to catch the next flight. Not everyone did. Due to the extreme heat, they were not able to load the plane to its full capacity of 19.

I liked the Beechcraft. Every seat, except the middle seat at the very rear, was a window seat. No window shades either, so you got a great view of the scenery as the plane flew low through the air. No lavatory, so you had to make sure you went before the flight.

[elkotronics]

I flew back & forth between Denver & Hays in 2012. It was through Great Lakes on a Beechcraft Commuter 1900 turboprop. I found out my return flight had been cancelled after I arrived at the Hays Airport. As I was the first to arrive at the airport, I was able to catch the next flight. Not everyone did. Due to the extreme heat, they were not able to load the plane to its full capacity of 19.

I liked the Beechcraft. Every seat, except the middle seat at the very rear, was a window seat. No window shades either, so you got a great view of the scenery as the plane flew low through the air. No lavatory, so you had to make sure you went before the flight.

Sounds like the plane I flew on. Exactly. And yeah, great scenery was ta be had out that window. I was the only one on on my flight back to DEN ITNL, IIRC. Dodge is not what you'd call a tourist destination, though it does have a lot of old Wild, Wild West history.

Yes, you had to make sure you went to the bathroom ahead of your flight or you're gonna be mighty uncomfortable. Great memories, thanks for your post above, mshultz!

[westender]

Originally Posted by Bluefox

You can fly nonstop to the east coast from KC... I’ve flown nonstop to Philly and NYC (LGA) from Kansas City.

KC (MCI airport) has or will soon have nonstops to the following east coast metros:

Boston (JetBlue)
NYC -- LGA (AA) and JFK (JetBlue) and EWR (UA)
Philly (AA)
Baltimore (Southwest)
DC -- DCA (AA) and IAD (UA)
Charlotte (AA)
Atlanta (DL)
Orlando (Southwest)
Miami (AA)

Lots of other inland cities and west coast also.

Supposedly, KC is high on the list for London LHR on BA -- but they are waiting for the new terminal to open.

[bus man]

Salina has service to Chicago (ORD) and Denver, with one flight a day to each place via United Express (Sky West). I'm not sure if that counts as "Western" Kansas or not. Apparently, ridership is growing steadily there. According to the airport authority's website, the airport saw 4,642 emplanements in July 2021, a 30-year record. I had read that Sky West was supposed to be starting a flight from Salina to Houston (IAH), but there's nothing about it on the United website that I can see.

[Janetlwil]

I believe Salina also flies daily to Denver and Chicago.