Birmingham: does it make sense to fly out of Atlanta?

Today’s guest columnist is Jay Taylor.

Do lower airfares out of Atlanta really save you money?

Recently, al.com published an article about the cost of flying out of Birmingham and Huntsville, citing a study that claims Birmingham is one of the most expensive airports in the nation for travelers.

According to the writer, due to the average cost of airfare out of BHM coming in at $496.08, we should all consider nearby airports instead, i.e. Atlanta.

Wait, what?

Allow me to ask a couple of follow-ups. Why is the price tag higher at BHM? And, why doesn’t the airport authority aggressively seek a major expansion here?

But first, I can’t let the al.com writer’s suggestion go unchecked. Sure, it may have been tongue and cheek. And of course, we all seek out the best options when we’re pricing tickets, but I’m typically surprised at the number of people who choose to fly out of Atlanta.

Let’s examine the cost of air travel. According to the same source cited by al.com, the average cost of flying out of Atlanta is $403.55. Subtract that from the Shuttlesworth International Airport average and the Hartsfield savings amount to $92.53 – on average.

If there are two of you traveling, of course, that’s $185.06 in your favor. Not bad.

Is that worth the six hours of your valuable time driving round trip to and from Hartsfield Airport?

Before you answer, let’s crunch some numbers.

According to most estimates, when you factor in fuel plus wear and tear, driving your car sets you back about 72 cents per mile. That means traveling 280 miles round trip to the Atlanta airport is gonna bite $201.60 out of your pocketbook. Ouch.

The calculations now put you in the red to the tune of $16.54 for two tickets out of Atlanta. Plus your lost time.

Not to mention, if your flight leaves early or returns late, you might find yourself with a hotel bill.

But your ticket out of BHM will almost always cost more. Why? My  pedestrian understanding of supply and demand tells me that the number of flights and flight times available out of BHM aren’t enough for travelers here, so the prices are higher. Our airport’s unique selling point is location, location, location. It’s close to you. Oh, and the TSA lines are much shorter.

BHM’s branding and advertising is really missing the mark, though. For instance, the image carousel on their website prominently displays your ability to fly to Nashville on Southwest nonstop from Birmingham.

Nashville? Are you kidding me? Are there actually people in Birmingham who choose an hour early arrival for baggage check and security, an hour on a commercial airplane, and a rental car in Nashville all for the 1:10 daily flight – just to avoid the three-hour drive?

You can also watch videos of high-level airport officials telling you nothing about how much you can save by choosing BHM today.

While I’m at it, why is there a weed-infested junkyard of Southwest planes greeting visitors to our city? Is that the first impression we want to make? (Remember, this is guest columnist Jay Taylor, not David. So sling your arrows in my direction if you want to deny these truths.)

Granted, BAA officials are reportedly growing Shuttlesworth, with new upgrades, airlines and flights being offered. Kudos. But are they thinking small, or thinking big?

Do they know that a local reporter has suggested to her readers that people in Birmingham and Huntsville leave the state for air travel?

My questions to the BAA are: What are you doing right now for a major expansion? What are you doing to secure a hub here?

I’ve seen a lot of reports about a declining population in Birmingham. As we all know, throughout history, port cities are the ones that typically grow and thrive.

Early on, those port cities were on waterways. Later, railroads. Now, the ports that serve air transportation drive growth.

Passengers buy meals in hub cities. There are more flight options for people who live in hub cities. Best of all, businesses, and therefore jobs, are attracted to cities with busier airports.

Let’s consider United Airlines for a moment. They fly all over the country yet their closest hub in the southeast is Houston.

Could a phone call lead to a United Airlines hub in Birmingham and major airport expansion?

Who knows?

In the meantime, I’m going to make the best of what we’ve got, and fly out of BHM whenever possible.

I might have to wait until my layover to grab a bite to eat, though.

Bummer.

Jay Taylor is a freelance writer based in Birmingham, Alabama. He has more than 30 years of experience working in advertising, journalism, marketing, and business. He renovated Kessler Lofts with his family and cofounded the startup TabX in Birmingham. Taylor previously served as president of the Central City Neighborhood Association. Today, he lives in Homewood with his wife and two children.

David Sher is the founder and publisher of ComebackTown.  He’s past Chairman of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (BBA), Operation New Birmingham (REV Birmingham), and the City Action Partnership (CAP).

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Invite David to speak for free to your group about how we can have a more prosperous metro Birmingham. dsher@comebacktown.com

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