This week's
Times of Acadiana has a great cover story about the economics of flying into and out of Lafayette, LA. The story also features a
picture of Roxi waiting outside the airport (below the picture of the people on an escalator). This story hits close to home since Roxi and have traveled so much to and from Lafayette in the past year. It boggles my mind how expensive it is to fly in and out of the city sometimes and other times it's very affordable. The article also mentions the alternative of flying into and out of New Orleans and Houston (both of which I have done) and really makes you start to weigh the value of your time and the frustration of a two to four hour drive to make it to the airport. I also found it interesting that LFT approached my personal favorite airline, Southwest, about adding Lafayette service. Unfortunately, as the article states, the city doesn't fit Southwest's business model. In the end, it is really strange that ticket prices to and from Lafayette can't compete with other airports in south Louisiana. If so many people are traveling, it seems like they could offer competitive rates. But I also understand that until people actually start using LFT over the airports in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Houston, there is no way to prove that flights in and out of Lafayette would be full. Hopefully this article will raise awareness not only to help local businesses but also to help the huge tourism industry that the region is so dependant upon.
