Letter: Optimistic about new United summer service
I commend David Reed and the Eagle County Regional Airport team for working with United Airlines to get additional summer service. More flights should increase interest in summertime usage of the airport while theoretically reducing the price premium the airport gets from legacy airlines.
The story about the subsidy fails to point out that summertime fliers often will not accept the “upcharge” fliers must pay to get to EGE versus getting off the plane in Denver and arriving in Eagle County, whereas in the winter, fliers will pay because of weather uncertainty. Many fliers instead choose either using a one-way rental car or a mountain express bus.
My own experience is that a $100-$250 additional fare premium per passenger one-way when making EGE the final stop versus Denver. We realize Denver is cheaper than Eagle as a flight destination due to Denver price competition from Southwest, Frontier and others, but this “premium upcharge” borders on outrageous for a 35-minute flight from Denver to Eagle.
I hope David and the team have built-in safeguards to minimize the Eagle airport price premium that United, American and Delta charge when comparing the cost of flights in and out of Eagle County versus in and out of Denver. Otherwise, the $800,000 taxpayer dollars for the minimum revenue guarantee will be fully paid out.
Mike Bach
Avon
