More travelers are bypassing Erie airport since United's departure. Will that change soon?

Erie passengers previously served by United Airlines aren't flying American Airlines from Erie International Airport instead.

A significant number of them are flying from Buffalo, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

That's because American doesn't have seats available to accommodate more passengers and because travelers can find lower fares at nearby airports.

"I'd rather see people fly out of Erie, but in a lot of cases, it just makes sense to fly from somewhere else," said Ann Denny, owner of Miller Travel Services in Millcreek.

American so far isn't gaining Erie passengers

United Airlines ended its Erie-Chicago service on June 1, after boarding an average of 2,457 passengers in Erie monthly since January 2023, according to data released by the Erie Regional Airport Authority in July.

American Airlines didn't gain many of those passengers on its flights to Charlotte, North Carolina, in June, the most recent month for which numbers are available. Charlotte is the airline's only destination for Erie travelers.

American enplaned 2,890 passengers in Erie in June, slightly above its average of 2,827 monthly since January.

American simply can't accommodate all of the passengers who previously flew United, Erie International Airport Executive Director Derek Martin said. American has been operating with 93.7% load factors in Erie in recent months, he said.

"When your planes are almost full, there aren't many passengers you can add," Martin said.

American will add a third daily flight between Erie and its Charlotte hub on Sept. 7. The additional flight will accommodate 50 more travelers to and from Erie.

Still, demand for Erie flights will continue to exceed available service.

"People from Erie have been going to other airports for years because we don't have the seats available to satisfy demand," Martin said. "Even in 2017, when we had almost 107,000 boardings, it wasn't enough to accommodate everyone who wanted to fly."

Wallet and time considerations

Flight time and cost are also driving Erie travelers to other airports, Denny said.

Cost to fly round-trip from Erie to Orlando, Florida, via Charlotte on American Airlines on Aug. 12 is $838, according to the airline's website on Aug. 7.

The cost to fly non-stop from Buffalo to Orlando on Frontier Airlines on Aug. 12 is $195, according to the Frontier website. Add in the cost of gasoline to and from Buffalo and $11 per day for airport parking, and it's still far less expensive than flying from Erie.

Travelers also save time flying from Buffalo to Orlando. Flight time is 2 hours, 42 minutes. Add about an hour's drive to the airport, and it's still less time in transit than the 4-hour, 48-minute travel time from Erie to Charlotte to Orlando.

Comparisons based on cost and flight times are like comparing apples to oranges, Martin said, because American Airlines and other legacy carriers typically provide more services for travelers than Frontier and other low-cost airlines.

The airports gaining Erie traffic

When not flying from Erie, local travelers tend to fly from Buffalo Niagara International Airport, Denny said.

"It's depends on where you're going, but Buffalo airport is the closest and easiest to get to. It's right off I-90 and it's only an hour shot from Erie," she said.

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport attracts Erie travelers willing to drive a bit for better fares and less flight time heading west, Denny said. "If you're going to San Francisco, for instance, it's five to seven hours of flight time from Cleveland compared to nine to 11 hours from Erie."

A number of local travelers choose Pittsburgh International Airport through winter, Denny said. "Pittsburgh is not affected by Great Lakes weather like Cleveland, Buffalo and Erie are. Once you're south of Edinboro, you're pretty much home free getting there."

All three airports are served by both legacy and low-cost airlines.

What's being done to increase Erie air service?

Erie International Airport is working to attract low-cost carriers to help meet the local travel demand, Martin said.

"Then those prices will be available here," he said.

Erie Regional Airport Authority additionally is working to lower airline costs for operating in Erie and is offering incentives for additional carriers and destinations.

It's also applied for a Small Communities Air Service Development Program grant to fund low-cost carrier service between Erie and Florida.

The airport isn't alone in working to add air service. The Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership is leading a public-private partnership to raise money to subsidize flights at Erie International Airport.

Coming in September: American Airlines will launch 3rd daily flight between Erie and Charlotte

What is the Fly Erie Fund: And how will it help increase flights to and from the airport?

Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@timesnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Few seats, high fares are driving Erie travelers to other airports