SWF to Europe - is it possible/likely?

[Nonstop2AUH]

As SWF has become more aggressive in seeking new business and with the emergence of Woodbury Common as a major destination for foreign visitors to NYC, I've often thought that it's a matter of time before someone, probably a UK charter airline, starts a transatlantic service to SWF. What do you think?

[JetBlueAirwaysFan]

I don't think it should be ruled out.

[mncountryboyny55906]

I like that idea, but we need customs first. We are in the process of developing a modular style terminal for temporary international use. Maybe in a few years. We used to have direct service to Manchester on Boeing Business Jets, but that stopped several years ago. I am excited for the new temporary terminal, it will bring in 2 more gates.

[hiss srq]

I would forsee mayube in the future. It is a good place for a SFB like airport in this area.

[Iberia A340-600]

I could see this happening in the future, especially once an international facility is built.

As my dad says it would make sense for British charters or British Airways to come to SWF since it is so close to Woodbury Commons.

I also agree that we need some more carriers but I believe once the Port Authority takes over, hopefully, some new airlines will be attracted.

[hiss srq]

The down side though being the obvious part. (Port Authority running the show)

[Chris102]

I could see this happening in the future, especially once an international facility is built.

As my dad says it would make sense for British charters or British Airways to come to SWF since it is so close to Woodbury Commons.

I also agree that we need some more carriers but I believe once the Port Authority takes over, hopefully, some new airlines will be attracted.

SWF is close to the Woodbury Commons? I wish I knew that - I was there shopping last summer. I didn't think it was all that great :lol:

[Nonstop2AUH]

Woodbury Common is about 20 miles from SWF, and they already market a Liberty Helicopter shopping excursion from Manhattan to SWF on their website, with limo transfer to the mall of course - nothing like going in style to save $25 on some Nike trainers!

Many foreign visitors, especially from the UK and Ireland, are now coming to the US exclusively for shopping at the favorable (to them) exchange rate, and they perceive outlet malls to be one stop shopping for major brands at great prices. Woodbury Common has, for whatever reason, become very well known over there, to the extent that many foreign visitors to NYC will devote a whole day of a 'long weekend' trip to taking the bus up there.

It's not a big leap to imagine that some of these people, especially those that have been here before and are specifically on a shopping junket, might like the reverse, i.e. to fly to SWF, stay nearby for what would undoubtedly be some 50% less than the cost of a comparable Manhattan hotel, shop at Woodbury Common for a day or two and maybe do a day trip by bus down to NYC. I imagine this would best work bundled as a charter package, like those the UK tour operators run to SFB.

[USAF Pilot 07]

I'm not so sure...

With the rare exception, tourists don't exclusively come over to the US for shopping due to our weaker economy.

They come over, especially to someplace like NY, for kind of like a package deal; see NYC, watch some plays, enjoy the culture/life here, and do some shopping.

I kind of have a hard time seeing European tourists flying into an airport 60 miles north of NYC, exclusively because it's close to the Commons. A day of shopping there is generally enough for most people, and besides the shopping outlet, there is little to do up in that area. Transportation to NYC is relatively easy, but factor in that most tourists travel in at least groups of 3, and it becomes more pricy.

Not to mention that flights to SWF would probably be more expensive than flights into NYC...

Just my 2 cents... It may happen someday, but not in the foreseable future...

[Tom_Turner]

Without a high speed rail line or "bullet train" to NYC as was floated over 30 years ago, I don't see service to Europe happening for quite a while.

There were briefly international charters to Mexico a few years back. DC-10s or Tiasa or something. I forget exactly. But not "transatlantic" of course.

Tom

[Nonstop2AUH]

I see what some of you are saying, and in the old days I would have agreed, but I think the low dollar has created a new generation of foreign tourist whose entire visit to NY may be based on shopping and who, especially in the case of the Brits, may care less about paying $250 a night for an NYC hotel and seeing museums and such because they are likely to have been here and done that before. They may just want a brief excursion to the closest place in America for shopping bargains, and an SWF service, even as an occasional charter, would nicely facilitate that.

There is also a bit of a misconception that Brits like fancy city center hotels and upscale travel experiences, that it's all BA Club Class and the Savoy with them. This might be true of older people and business travelers on the company's dime, but in my experience in the travel business, today's UK mainstream leisure travelers are often extremely value-conscious, and they are the main clientele for a lot of NYC 2 and 3-star sort of budget hotels. The mentality is, save money on the flight and hotel and spend money on the shopping and the drinks. This is sort of the same demographic that has also enthusiastically supported the growth of both Ryanair and Easyjet, which are notorious for using airports that in many cases are probably even further from the city centers of Europe than SWF is from NYC. In sum, these folks don't at all mind a bus transfer if they think they saved some money.

Will be interesting to see what happens!

[mncountryboyny55906]

I hope it ends up turning out, the Manchester route was very popular, and was great to ride on!

[mncountryboyny55906]

I also forgot... When Rifton was here, we also had direct to London on Boeing Business Jets which lasted only 1 month, unfortunately.

[Nonstop2AUH]

MN - Who operated those BBJs? I never heard about that before, was it a contract operation for a particular company?

[mncountryboyny55906]

Manchester England, was by Boeing Business Jets as well. Rifton Aviation had it set up in their hangar. It was very cool, I will ry to find some pics, of when i used to fly that route.