‘It’s all in what you value’: Cost, convenience factors when choosing to fly regional or major airports

As travelers look to book their trips to the hottest summer travel destinations, many factors come into play when seeking efficient and cost-effective flights. In western Wisconsin and southeast Minnesota, travelers have numerous options, but most come with tradeoffs in cost or convenience.

Using data collected from three regional airports, La Crosse Regional Airport (LSE), Chippewa Valley Regional Airport (EAU), Rochester International Airport (RST), and the area’s major hub, the Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport (MSP), the La Crosse Tribune analyzed the costs and associated travel conveniences for flights from the region to popular destinations in different parts of the country, including Portland, Tucson, New York City and Orlando.

The Tribune’s analysis was compiled May 30 and took flight cost, daily parking costs, flight times and layovers into account to find the most reasonable round-trip ticket departing July 15 and returning July 21.

Flights leaving from the three regional airports typically connect to one of MSP or Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), which causes the price from regional airports to increase, as they have to take the extra flight to a hub airport.

At face value, traveling from the nearest major airport hub instead of a regional airport appears to be the best option for many people looking to travel due to accessibility to several airlines, lower ticket prices, and, typically, fewer layovers.

Many of the flights from MSP were significantly cheaper compared to the regional airports analyzed and flights frequently were shorter due to the lack of stops or layovers that many regional airports must make along the way at a connecting hub.

Comparing the flights selected, MSP’s prices ranged from $178 to $248, averaging to about $205 per flight, with an average travel time, considering both the flights to the destinations and returning from them, of about 3 hours and 42 minutes.

“People want to have good options – and price is certainly a big part of that for a lot of folks,” said Michael Schommer, assistant director of strategic communications at the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which owns and operates MSP. “The airlines operating at MSP have increased their footprint and are offering more options and more flights. That certainly helps with making sure that things stay competitive and that people have those options that they are asking for.”

MSP is home to 19 different airlines, as opposed to LSE only servicing American Airlines, EAU only servicing Sun Country Airlines, and RST servicing Delta and American Airlines.

The wider range of options available from MSP make it a popular choice for travel.

The analysis found LSE on average to be the most expensive regional airport, with flight costs at about $643 on average, but the La Crosse airport featured shorter travel times than the other area regional airports, lasting an average of 6 hours and 19 minutes.

“Being a small regional airport, we are not always going to be the cheapest option,” said JD Roberts, airport business manager at LSE. “But when you start factoring in drive times and gas and hotel stays… we are just a convenient local offering that helps people travel around that world — we’re happy to help the Coulee Region travel.”

RST was cheaper than LSE, with an average cost of $419, but has a slightly longer travel time, with flights lasting an average of 7 hours and 3 minutes.

“I think the real value is ease and convenience,” said John Reed, executive director of RST. “It’s easier to pull right into our parking lot, you take a 3-minute walk from your car and go all the way through security. In no time, you’re sitting at the other side at a restaurant, having a coffee and waiting for your flight to take off.”

EAU was the cheapest regional airport, with flights costing an average of $220, although checked bags and carry-on bags had a larger fee than most other options. Flights from EAU lasted an average of 8 hours and 42 minutes for the three applicable flights, although the variation between destinations is notable, with the shortest flight lasting for just over 3 hours, and the longest flight lasting for over 15 hours.

“You may save a little time in the air at another airport, but I think most regional airports have flights that are timed pretty conveniently with connection opportunities at whatever hub they are traveling to,” said EAU airport director Charity Zich.

During the travel dates dates selected, Sun Country Airlines did not have a flight available from EAU traveling to Tucson, Arizona. Flights leaving from EAU also appeared to be less consistent than other regional airports, with flights leaving and arriving at varying dates.

On the other hand, the airport offers direct flights from EAU to locations like Orlando, which can make traveling simple and quick for people looking to travel to certain locations.

“The airline service in Eau Claire is definitely different from most regional airports in the country,” said Zich. “We are only served by an ultra-low-cost carrier and not having service with that traditional hub-and-spoke model of a legacy airline, like La Crosse and Rochester have, would.”

Regional airports have a number of similarities that provide significant benefits to local travelers.

Some of the benefits concern hidden costs travelers may not always consider when booking flights. While flights departing from MSP may appear cheaper, depending on the length of the trip, parking costs can add up quickly. The standard “Daily Parking” option, recommended for extended travel, costs $30 per day.

“Whether it’s about the price or the time of the flight – or any of those other characteristics that people might be looking for, we have them,” Schommer said about flights from MSP. “But the price issue for folks isn’t just about what it costs to get on the plane. There are a number of other factors that go into that.”

While comparing parking costs between airports, MSP was the most expensive, when considering all parking options. LSE and RST were similar in price, and both offered discounts for extended travel. Meanwhile, EAU offers a slightly cheaper option, regardless of discounts offered by the other airports, at $7 per day.

“For any regional airport, the benefits are pretty similar when you are comparing to a larger hub airport like Minneapolis,” said Zich. “People are always really focused on airfare being the only cost of travel, and they often forget to consider the other expenses associated with traveling to another airport.”

Roberts said the difference in cost between regional and hub airports can narrow quickly when other inconveniences and costs associated with large airports are taken into consideration, including drive times, gas prices and even hotel stays for early morning next-day flights.

“The cost of parking is substantially more expensive at a hub airport than it is at a regional airport. Then you also have the cost of travel in your personal vehicle, or even if you’re taking a shuttle,” said Zich. “All of those things should be taken into account in the total cost of your travel.”

She added regional airports will have shorter wait times for check-in and security, which means travelers do not need to leave for the airport hours in advance for their flight.

“That can add a lot of stress to people’s travel when they’re just trying to get out on their trip,” said Zich. “You likely won’t have to worry about that as much on your much shorter trip to the regional airport. You’re unlikely to experience lengthy wait times at your regional airport than you are at a larger airport.”

For people considering their summer travel plans, they must consider whether the convenience of a short drive to their regional airport and cheaper parking options outweigh the cheaper ticket option, which may include more hidden costs and a longer drive.

“That’s our value to the community as a whole,” said Reed. “I think it’s a more relaxing atmosphere versus the rush, ‘go, go, go’ of a major hub. … I think it’s all in what you value.”