Thursday, July 27, 2006
Dave Cardinal, chairman of the of the Pueblo Memorial Airport Advisory Committee, credits a marketing campaign in which participants have donated advertising space, time and consulting talent toward the effort to boost the number of people who use the airport.
Cardinal cited local marketing specialist Frank Provenza for brainstorming the promotional strategy that was put into play this spring. It emphasizes the advantage of bypassing Interstate 25 traffic, connecting directly to Denver, and terms Pueblo's airport and Great Lakes Airlines as "Your Hometown Advantage."
Other contributors include Great Lakes Airlines, The Pueblo Chieftain Publisher Robert Rawlings, Comcast and real estate developer Jerry Crane, whose billboard has made a strong impact, said Cardinal.
Airport advisory committee members consider the June passenger numbers as the beginning of a real turnaround.
It's more than twice the 165 people who flew to Pueblo or out of Memorial Airport in January.
Cardinal said he and fellow airport advisory committee member Jim Carter are following up on the advertising message by attending meetings of local civic groups and other groups who request their appearance.
The campaign attempts to counter the lower cost of airlines tickets of the Colorado Springs and Denver airports by taking into account mileage, toll road fees and the traveler's time. Cardinal said the effort is similar to a campaign he helped promote two decades ago when Continental Express airlines service was in jeopardy.
Cardinal said the current campaign's message is based on Carter's work.
"He did some very interesting statistical comparisons in figuring how much does it really cost to fly when you're coming out of Denver, or if have to drive to Denver?
Cardinal said Carter figured mileage costs at $2.80 per gallon of gasoline to drive to Denver or Colorado Springs. He also considered parking, toll road fees and auto maintenance.
"We learned it costs you $125 on top of your airline ticket to fly out of Denver," he said.
For Colorado Springs, the cost is $53, said Cardinal.
Flying out of Pueblo's airport, however, is only minutes from town and doesn't require toll-road or parking fees, which adds to one's trip cost, said Cardinal.
Carter then tested his cost theory with a number of destination cities, such as Phoenix, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Las Vegas.
"In almost every case, the cost was about the same or less out of Pueblo versus going out of Colorado Springs or Denver," said Cardinal.
Pueblo came out way ahead, too, in the comparison of time needed to reach the airport, check-in time, getting through security and waiting in line to board, particularly important to business travelers.
At the Pueblo airport there's no wait, said Cardinal, "Since we're only flying a 19-passenger plane out of Pueblo, there's going to be a maximum of only 18 people ahead of you in line."
To schedule a presentation by Cardinal and Carter, call the Pueblo Memorial Airport at 553-2760.
 |
A billboard north of Pueblo reflects the Pueblo Memorial Airport aviation committee's ‘Fly Past I-25 Traffic’ campaign. |
(includes all fees)
To San Francisco (round-trip Aug. 9-12)
| Pueblo | $420 | Great Lakes, United airlines, via Denver |
| Colorado Springs | $356 | United Airlines, direct |
| $329 | America West Airlines, via Phoenix | |
| Denver | $346 | US Airways, direct |
| $268 | America West, via Las Vegas |
To New York City (round-trip Aug. 9-12)
| Pueblo | $498 | United Airlines via Denver |
| Colorado Springs | $368 | Delta Airlines, via Cincinnati |
| Denver | $365 | Continental Airlines, direct |
Source: Orbitz.com
| January | 165 |
| February | 131 |
| March | 231 |
| April | 209 |
| May | 294 |
| June | 360 |
Source: Great Lakes Airlines.
