Region Fliers Booking Flights at Gary Airport

Region Fliers Booking Flights at Gary Airport 
Gary Post Tribune, IN

Feb. 22, 2004 


Shirley Blacknell can leave her living room and arrive
at Gary/Chicago International Airport in less than
five minutes flat. 

And the Gary resident doesn’t even have to break the
speed limit. 

Excited about the convenience, Blacknell plans to book
tickets on Southeast Airlines to St. Petersburg, Fla.,
in June with other residents of the Brunswick
Community Organization. 

“We’re so excited about this plane to Florida, we
decided we’d go to Florida and then go on a cruise,’’
Blacknell said. “We decided to take advantage of
something that’s new and exciting in town.” 

Blacknell joins other Northwest Indiana residents who
plan to take advantage of the new air service. Some
own condominiums or have relatives near St.
Petersburg. Others say they can’t wait to fly from
Gary simply because of the convenience. 

As traffic and air congestion increases at Midway and
O’Hare airports, local residents say they are seeking
ways to escape those headaches and find a quicker way
to fly. 

Price is another factor. 

Kathie Babcoke of Valparaiso spends the winter in the
family condo in Fort Myers, Fla. 

Normally, Babcoke flies family members to Fort Myers
Airport on ATA out of Midway. 

But when she tried to book a spring-break flight for
her daughter and two grandsons, Babcoke was amazed to
learn one round-trip ticket on ATA that week would
cost $520. By comparison, tickets on a Southeast
Airlines flight start at $69, one way. 

Babcoke did not get the lowest price, but she did
purchase three round-trip tickets for about $700. It
isn’t as convenient for her, because she’ll have to
drive from Fort Myers to pick up her relatives at St.
Petersburg. From there, they’ll drive to Orlando to
spend time at Disney World. 

But the cost savings makes the trip worthwhile. “The
only inconvenience to me is I have to drive two hours
to pick them up,’’ Babcoke said. “What I saved in
airfare takes care of the park tickets to get in for
three days.” 

She’s not sure how often they’ll fly Southeast, but
said it’s a perfect niche for picking up family
members. Still, she’d love to see a flight to Fort
Myers. 

Cal Bellamy, president and CEO of Bank Calumet, would
like to see other flights from Gary as well. He likes
that Gary has a fight available, but believes the
airport needs more options. 

Southeast Airlines has said it will announce another
destination on Wednesday and will begin service to
that destination by July 1. 

“I think it’s wonderful, but we need more
destinations,’’ said Bellamy, who added he and his
wife don’t vacation in Florida. 

Mary Tomczak, 36, of Hammond is driving to Florida for
spring break with her family of five because of the
cost. 

“If it was just me or me and my husband, we’d do it,’’
she said of flying Southeast instead. “For the
location, I’d skip Midway in a heartbeat.” 

Southeast Airlines caters to leisure travelers, but a
few business leaders here say they’ll use the airline
as well. 

Harry Glover, owner of Cedar Lake-based Running Mon
Boatworks, is a distributor of Dorado boats, which are
custom-made in Ozonoa, Fla., minutes from St.
Petersburg. He travels there every six weeks to
inspect the craftsmanship of each boat. 

While the Southeast flight generally is not suited for
business travelers, who crave frequent flights with a
wide range of options to get to and from destinations,
Glover says he has more freedom when he travels on
business, and isn’t bound by tight deadlines. 

“When I go, it’s not a formal thing,’’ he said. “I go
to the factory and spend a day or two going over
designs. It’s not like I’ve got to be at a 9 a.m.
meeting.” 

Dave Milne of Crown Point, who sells boats for Glover,
said he will likely take the flight for both business
and personal reasons. Milne travels to Florida about a
half dozen times a year, either to go to the boat
factory or to pick up his father, who spends winters
in Florida. 

He and his father always drive one direction together,
because Milne’s father carries too much luggage to
fly. 

“I’ve enjoyed spending the time with my dad,’’ Milne
said. “We’ve got several friends who live down there.”


He prefers the St. Petersburg airport, compared with
others in the area, saying it makes travel more
simple. He says he’ll fly Southeast in April to pick
up his father and as business increases, he’ll be in
St. Petersburg even more often. 

“If we can sell enough boats, I’ll be down there even
more,’’ Milne said. “Gary’s so much easier to get in
and out of rather than going out of Midway.” 


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