"Indiana airport launches ticket-booking site"

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Airport launches ticket-booking site
By Amanda Iacone
The Fort Wayne (IN) Journal Gazette


Fort Wayne International Airport has updated its Web site, giving local
residents an easy way to book flights out of Fort Wayne.

The Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority launched a flier-friendly Web
site at www.flyfwa.com this fall. And beginning this month, the Web site
allows fliers to book flights with fares that can't be found on traditional
travel sites such as Expedia.com and Travelocity.com.

Dave Young, vice president of air services for the Greater Fort Wayne
Chamber of Commerce, gave a short presentation to the airport board during
its monthly meeting Monday. Board member Timothy Haffner questioned whether
the "booking engine" could give airport staff the ability to track fliers'
needs.

"We don't know who our customers are," Haffner said.

With the updated Web site, airport staff can alert fliers of good deals on
fares and offer reduced rates on hotels and rental cars, airport spokeswoman
Kristi Holmes said.

And the airport can track where Fort Wayne residents travel and use that
information to draw carriers that could meet that demand, executive director
Tory Richardson said.

About 500 fliers have used the new site to book flights since the option
became available a few weeks ago, Young said.

The Lansing, Mich., airport has a similar program on its Web site and has
had about 58,000 users in the past few years, he said. Young is hopeful the
Fort Wayne airport's site will generate as much business.

The airport also operates www.fwairport.com, which will eventually handle
the business aspects of the authority. For example, companies wanting to do
business with the authority could view requests for proposals for upcoming
projects, Holmes said.

In other airport news, the board approved spending about $96,000 so that
Verizon can move fiber optic lines along Ludwig Road to make room for a new
Aviation Maintenance Technology building at Smith Field. Ivy Tech Community
College will use the structure to teach aviation mechanics. Construction is
under way, Holmes said.

The board also accepted a bid of $67,846 from All Weather Inc. to install an
automated weather observing system at Smith Field. Parkview Hospital will
partner with the airport on the project, Holmes said.

The equipment will assist Samaritan medical helicopters land in bad weather
at Parkview's north and Randallia Drive locations. The equipment also will
assist other aircraft that use Smith Field, Holmes said.

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