Jackson Jambalaya

My kid was trying to fly overseas, left Jackson on Delta, & Delta screwed up the flight so bad he missed his connection & had to spend night in Atlanta airport - needless to say, Delta furnished no hotel room, meals, nada. Evil bastards.

Southwest left us for "greener" pastures in Memphis and Atlanta. They don't have the planes to service our airport!

That being said, JAN needs to solicit another carrier like Spirit, Frontier, or JetBlue. Just do whatever it takes to land someone else!

Must've been a pretty big screw-up. That's crappy luck. I flew 130,000 miles with Delta last year (including 5 overseas itineraries), and didn't miss a single connection. Delays? Sure. But not a missed connection or a cancellation. The only things worse than flying Delta out of Jackson are flying United, American, US Air, or Southwest when it was still here.

Delta's overbooking all its flights now. A buddy of mine got bumped six times trying to get to and from Philadelphia recently.

4:01 you need to run and apply to be the spokesman for Delta. You sir are the only person in history to fly Delta that often and not be stranded in Atlanta.

In fact, I think you are making that up entirely.

Whose job was it to keep SW in Jackson ?

Take a look at the photo of the board of this airport and tell me you believe they are capable of 'landing another airline'.

One of the few good things you used to be able to say about Jackson was, "And the airport is really nice. It's a pleasure to fly in and out of there."

Having now seen the "board", I do not wonder why Southwest left. And I think I'll just drive to New Orleans, if I ever have to 'fly commercial' again.

Another something: 'Jackson International Airport' is already PLENTY LONG, as a name. One person's name is already incorporated into those eight syllables. How is it a service to the public to add YET ANOTHER PERSON'S NAME (and another four syllables: a 50% increase) into an already cumbersome title?

4:01 who are you banging at delta and will you share their number? 5:03 I concur.

Years ago I was a Delta and only Delta flyer, hundreds of thousands of points. It got so bad pre 9/11 I had to find a remedy. I changed jobs and no longer fly anyone. Remember Delta's old slogan "We Love To Fly and It Shows"

Now its "We Are Delta and We Don't Give a Damn"

5:03 - I used to live in Atlanta, am no big fan of Delta for various reasons, but never once got stranded, bumped or missed a connection (except for the 2002 Sugar Bowl when the entire south got hit with an ice storm and I took the train back to Atlanta the next day).
That being said, just like anyone who has a virtual monopoly, Delta is going to turn the screws to the Jackson consumer. It won't be pretty.

Jackson will rue the day that they decided to be indifferent and not fight tooth and nail to keep Southwest Airlines. People from rural parts of the state who would drive to JAN and fly out, spending money on meals and parking, will now go to New Orleans, Birmingham, or Memphis. Case in point: my recent trip to the West Coast to visit family. My options were: United@ $883, only a redeye flight on the return, American @ $814 with 2 changes of planes, and also a redeye return. Delta @ $783 with a redeye return, or Southwest out of New Orleans @ $445, with 10AM departures both directions, all daylight flying. Guess which I chose - I paid my son $200 to take me to NO and pick me up a week later. Plus, no change fee when I had to adjust a departure date, nor any bag fees for the 2 bags I happily checked, and I was money ahead. Of course Louisiana was happy to have us buy gas in LA, buy food in LA. Had I wanted to drive myself, the Hilton Hotel lets you park for $7.95 a day right at the airport with free pickup & delivery, nearly half of what it costs to park @ JAN. The screws have already been turned by Delta - airfares went up 20% across the board the minute Southwest said it was leaving. Of course, if I was Delta, and the Airport authority announced that they were going to increase the landing fees by 18% to make up for the loss of Southwest (which they have done), I suppose you have to add those costs onto the price of your airfare.

Ahh the greyhound of the skies, I now have a valid excuse as to why I can't go visit family out of state, thank God!

I will never miss flying to Chicago to get to Nashville.

7:16 - yep. My inlaws in CA fly in/out of NOLA now. The Legislature couldn't have worked out an incentive pkg for Southwest?

There is a new service out of meridian in a puddle jumper that will get you to Atlanta for half that of Delta.

We will definitely be flying out of New Orleans for vacations. The price difference is huge. Thanks for the Hilton parking tip 7:16

5:51 you failed to state you lived in Atlanta during yoir original statement (assuming thats you).

Hard to be stranded where you live fool.

You need to try to fly Drlta from Jxn...then run that peter blower...bet it sings a whole nother song after 5 flights.

I've taken two trips this summer by air (Seattle and St. Louis) and found Southwest out of NOLA to be no cheaper than Delta out of Jackson.

Southwest USED to be lower price, but in my opinion just isn't anymore. Perhaps some routes are still that way, but I haven't found them.

I have a fairly stupid question. Why is a pastor on the airport board?

Everything Jackson manages turns to shit.

Free the Land!

The legislature blew all the money on Kior and Chiquita

5:24. Nice way to make a backdoor racial comment about the most important civil rights leader in the state of MS. TP'er I bet. Recognize the code words.

Take a look at the board. Can you imagine this group 'bringing another airline' to Jackson?

Which airline is Thad coming in on to head over to Knee-Shobur? Wait, he ain't gonna show up. His handlers will later claim he mistakenly bought a Southwest ticket.

Southwest left Jackson because they lost money being in Jackson.

It costs so much to fly in Jackson...because Not enough people are flying.

Delta charges more and makes a profit....and is still in Jackson.

The only thing I wonder is why didn't SW just raise their fares by 25%?

Maybe someone (DOJ or Mitch Tyner once he's through screwing up McDaniels legal issues) should look into the SW AirTran deal...wonder if Delta paid SW to give up it's Jackson route?

Some of you should tire of blaming the City of Jackson, MS for everything. The City had NOTHING to do with Southwest leaving. Perhaps some of you should use the internet for more than just trolling. See the quote below:
"But Jackson is just not a big market with around 600,000 departing passengers a year. It came into Southwest’s system at a time when it was pushing into smaller markets, before it decided that big business markets were the way forward."

"Southwest left Jackson because they lost money being in Jackson.

It costs so much to fly in Jackson...because Not enough people are flying.



The only thing I wonder is why didn't SW just raise their fares by 25%?"

1) I don't know if they lost money, but they definitely think they can make more profit elsewhere.

2) That was never a problem with SW. I have flown in several times a year since 1996 and the flights were almost always full, sometimes overbooked.

3)They did raise their fares tremendously once their ten year deal for airline fuel at a fixed price expired.

FWIW I flew to Denver (direct) out of NOLA last year for about half of what SW was charging with two stops.

Regarding the cumbersome name of the airport - only a parochial type from Mississippi would think Evers is as well known around the world as Louis Armstrong is.

However, 11:13, any community would be charged with negligence of the highest order if, upon receiving word that a sizeable business is leaving town, it did not turn back flips in an attempt to change the situation.

Likewise, the city of Jackson, The Airport Board and all connected with the process were and are negligent in adopting the 'shit happens' approach to this situation.

Not sure who is banging whom at Delta but I'm about to wonder who Kingfish is banging on the Airport Board. I've attempted three times to shine a light on this board, it's makeup, its ineptness and the general resume of the membership as a whole. None of those comments have made it through the radar.

What we have here is akin to the board of a multi-billion dollar corporation being made up of random folks who gathered one night at Buffalo Wild Wings to watch football.

"I have a fairly stupid question. Why is a pastor on the airport board?"
July 29, 2014 at 8:57 PM

That truly IS a stupid question. Haven't you ever been contacted by an agent for one of the families of Nigeria's many, many, MANY leaders and royal personages? Before going into the details of the fantastic business opportunities you will be offered, by way of helping these leaders and personages safeguard their vast wealth, it will be explained that you were chosen because they heard (all the way over in Nigeria) that you are GOOD PERSON.

A pastor is a GOOD PERSON. By Nigerian and Jacksonian logic, a GOOD PERSON should be attending to important and expensive things (such as airports). Being a GOOD PERSON is much more important than knowing what you're doing.

I've attempted three times to shine a light on this board, it's makeup, its ineptness and the general resume of the membership as a whole

Probably because they were pretty racist comments.

There's the preacher-man. Then there's the retired probation officer who received a Rhythm and Blues Disc Jockey of the Year award. That's two.

Next we have a nurse who participates in annual health fairs. And then we have the Information Director for the Mississippi Democrat Party who used to be a solid waste manager for the Bold New City.

Last we have another preacher - A Bishop no less who is described on the airport website as energetic and charismatic. You might remember him as having been charged with sexual assault a few years back, causing his job termination. But, he landed on his Bishop's feet.

Not sure which (if any) of these board members knows how long the runways are, what items can and can't be carried on board, the difference between instrument control landings and escalators or how the Wright Brothers were related.

Henley is a CPA, graduated in top five of his law school class. Top five, not top five percent, then went to Butler Snow upon graduation back in the 90's. He is currently a bankruptcy trustee.

I'd say he is qualified. He just happens to be a pastor.

If you arrive too late to make a Delta connection and must stay overnight, you have to ASK for hotel and meal arrangements. They will never offer them. It is a requirement under the law, but you must ask for it. I've been stuck several times on Delta, and if you go to a gate or checkin away from the crowd, rebook your flight for the next morning, and ask for hotel and meal coupons, you usually get it.

If Kingfish says someone is qualified then that person is qualified and that is all you need to know.

Henley is qualified. While we don't agree on some issues (or didn't, it's been years since I've talked with him) he is intelligent and principled.

Do I understand that racist comments are now being screened out? Watch for posts to drop dramatically.

Yeah, good idea to have a CPA on the board. He can share the 'read em and weep' numbers with credibility.

I AM left wondering, however, whether there are any non-black people in the Metro who might serve on this or other city boards. What might be said if the board were all white?

Let's see the last five pieces of official correspondence this board sent to any carrier regarding staying in or coming to JAN. If you can't find five, how about two. One? Since this subject affects the present and future of the Metro, such official correspondence would be at least as interesting as a tape of a DUI booking.

4:01, back again. You people love some flyin' in a bus, don't you? Can you offer us some advice on the best night to eat at Ryan's?

@6:37 is partly correct. You can get vouchers for meals and your hotel in most cases unless they're dealing with IRROPS. But when that happens, all bets are off. Even then, you can often get vouchers if you know how to behave. (And no, that doesn't mean behave like an ass.)

My only regret about losing Southwest is that a lot of y'all will be on my Delta flights now. Please try not to bump my drink with your overstuffed carry-ons when you walk through the forward cabin during boarding. Thanks.

I will always be indebted to Southwest. They went over and above the call of duty for me, and it's hard to find a service like that.

I was visiting a couple of friends in NYC and flying roundtrip on Southwest Airlines from JAN to EWR on Thursday 10/25/12, and my scheduled return was Monday 10/29/12. I made it just fine, and celebrated Halloween and all that weekend. There were reports of a bad storm coming in called "Sandy", on either Monday or Tuesday (Mon was when I was supposed to fly out), but I ignored them. I remember saying, "I survived Katrina!" in a half-joking/half-serious manner.

The reality set in when I woke up in a hungover haze around 11 AM or so to an email on my iPhone that said, "All Southwest flights flying out of X,Y,Z and EWR airports on Monday are cancelled. Please reschedule your flight to an alternate date." I realized in that moment how serious this storm was.

I had a backpack for my carry-on, which had the basic essentials, and a military issue OD Green duffle bag. Within 3 minutes, I packed everything I had in those two bags and said my goodbyes and headed out on the NJ transit to EWR in the hopes of getting on a standby flight.

The place was crazy. The United line was INSANE (I think EWR is a major hub for them). But the Southwest people were amazing. People were barking at them, screaming, complaining, etc. But their bearing and discipline was impeccable - extremely professional. I walked up and told them my situation. I asked them what my options were of either flying out that day on standby, or flying out on Tuesday. They said, "sir, this airport will not be open until Thursday. If you're not on a plane tonight, you're probably going to be stuck here for a few days. Currently, there are 5 flights that you could be on. The best chance right now is getting on standby to Chicago, which is our last flight, and staying overnight there. If I put you on this list right now, you'll have some priority over people that get bumped."

I said, "Cool - let's do it." At around 8PM, the flight started loading. They called 5 standby names, mine being the 4th. I was elated. The plane was a party - I've never been on such a social flight. I'll never forget the wind blowing while we were on the tarmac, and literally feeling the shift. The pilot gets on the intercom and says "Hi folks! Well, the good news is - you won't be stuck here during Sandy! (everyone cheers) The bad news, we're number 26 to take off..(a few grumbles)."

Long story, I know - but that's the stuff people remember. That's how you gain loyalty from customers. The lady at the counter could've just told me to take a number, but she took the time to explain to me (probably about 5 mins) my options, despite all the pressure from everyone. But because of her, I was on one of the last flights out of NY before Sandy hit. It doesn't matter - airplanes will break and be late, weather will strike, bags will be misplaced. If you fly, it's only a matter of time - but what's important is how they resolve the problem.

I still fly on SW out of NOLA. Have their credit card with points I have to use somehow.

It is nicer though...I usually get direct flights for pretty cheap if booked far enough in advance.

I do hate it for Jackson though as economic development depends on having cheaper access to the region. Definitely going to hurt.

I@9:29.

It's a good thing you didn't tweet about your SWA experience, you would have been kicked off the flight like the guy was in MN last week.

SWA -I will not miss their cattle loading system and all the screaming kids because they were the "discount" airline. Personally, they went downhill when they cancelled their flight to/from Orlando.

8:49
That's right, fool, I did live in Atlanta 12 years ago and moved soon thereafter. I've been flying out of JAN for years on Delta with plenty of connecting flights in other cities and never once had a problem. Why don't you think about what you're saying before you put your big foot in your mouth? How's that shoe leather taste?

I think that those of us of a "certain age" (Boomers or older) are having understandable nostalgia attacks for the "old days," when air travel was a treat, and when passengers were treated as appreciated patrons. As a youngster, I was made to dress nicely (shorts? jeans? T-shirt? Not a chance!) when we splurged on a flight, instead of driving to Six Flags or Astroworld or the beach. The poor service offered by the airlines is not only Economics 101 (they're hemorrhaging $$ each quarter, and have been for years) but also, I believe, a function of the fact that the public has been slowly and inexorably conditioned to expect indifferent treatment and disrespect. We meekly submit to being herded like cattle, barked at, frisked---after paying an appalling sum (non-refundable!)for the "privilege" of squeezing into a pygmy-sized seat on...a flying Greyhound bus.

Solution? There isn't one, except never flying anywhere you don't absolutely have to. Prospect for future improvement in the industry? Zilch.

I am more concerned with the high figure for Board Flights. Compare the last two to all the ones before. Just does not look right to me.

Ophelia,

While you would have been right a couple of years ago about airlines "hemorrhaging $$ every quarter," that no longer applies. I read an article about how much cash the airlines were making lately, and frankly didn't believe it so i researched it myself. Many of the airlines literally had record profits last quarter and their stock prices have finally shot up. All of the penny pinching and terrible customer service is finally paying off, sadly.

12:17; By 'board flights' I assume you mean flights taken by board members. Who the hell should be surprised. When people are handed credit cards with few restrictions, people act like kids in a candy store. Kenny Stokes is the very model of this behavioral paradigm.

Why the hell would any of these poeple need to fly anywhere, for any reason? They're put on these boards under the cronyism plan, pure and simple. And flying around is a perk of the position.

Last I recall, Stokes, for example, was flying all over the country under the guise of attending training or conferences which he rarely showed up for. But, they're only following the lead of people like Rangel and Bennie Thompson.

10:24

You do not fly frequently on Delta out of Jackson through Atlanta if you have never been stuck in Atlanta on the way back or on the way to another destination.

Its not possible.

Once? Twice in a few years? Maybe.

Not weekly or even monthly.

I have.

Delta sucks and now I've spent so much time in Atlanta..I know it sucks too.

Why would these board members have a need to fly anywhere for any purpose? Or, wait, is flying around just another perk of the board membership....like meeting upstairs for trendy, catered box lunches?

Full repeal of the Wright Amendment came just a little too late.

"We need to fly into O'hare periodically to see how Chicago handles its baggage pickup and escalator traffic. It's imperitive that we stay current on these things. If Jackson is to be the next Detroit, we must maintain a certain level of knowledge about stuff."

That was pretty good.

http://www.kansas.com/2013/07/20/2897864/end-of-dallas-airport-restrictions.html

The Airport Authority ran Southwest out of JAN with the 18% increase in landing fees starting in 2014. Look at the Board, it explains everything.

The Airport Authority ran Southwest out of JAN with the 18% increase in landing fees starting in 2014. Look at the Board, it explains everything.