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| Q: |
How much does it cost to park? |
| A: |
The maximum daily charge in the long-term and shuttle lots is $7.00. The maximum daily charge in the short-term lot is $12.00. There is no weekly or monthly rate. A daily charge refers to a 24-hour period.
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| Q: |
What is the address of the airport terminal? |
| A: |
2299 Airport Road, Wichita, KS 67209
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| Q: |
Can I park in front of the terminal building? |
| A: |
No vehicle can be left unattended within 300 feet of the terminal building. Any vehicle left unattended will be ticketed and towed. Vehicles are no longer allowed to park and wait for arriving passengers. If your party is not at the curb, you will need to loop around and come back. Parking in the short-term lot is free for the first 30 minutes.
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| Q: |
Where is the Lost and Found Department? |
| A: |
The Airport Safety Division handles Lost and Found. Their phone number is 946-4740.
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| Q: |
Do you have shuttle services to towns outside of Wichita? |
| A: |
Yes. Border-to-Border Shuttle Service - (888) 363-6500
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| Q: |
How can I find out if my flight is on time? |
| A: |
Call the airline’s toll-free number (listed on the Airline Information link). It is helpful if you know the flight number.
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| Q: |
What can I take in my carry-on luggage? |
| A: |
This may change, so it’s best to check with the Transportation Security Administration - http://www.tsa.gov/311; or call them at 1-866-289-9673.
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| Q: |
Why isn’t Southwest Airlines in Wichita? |
| A: |
I asked my friend at Southwest Airlines to provide an answer to an e-mail I received from someone wanting to know why Southwest wasn’t in Wichita. I have omitted his name to protect the guilty! This is his response.
“. . . I work in the Southwest Airlines Schedule Planning department. Valerie Wise of the Wichita Airport Authority forwarded your message to our group, and she asked if we would be willing to answer you directly, which we're happy to do.
First of all, rest assured that Valerie and her team are doing all they can to woo Southwest Airlines into Wichita. We receive regular correspondence from her updating us on the merits of the city, and we frequently see her at various industry functions, where the sole purpose is to connect airports and airlines together in one room. She and the other airport officials are definitely trying their best to bring low fare service to the Wichita community!
As you may be aware, the airline industry continues to be in a precarious financial situation, and even as some carriers are finally starting to post profits, there are signs that overall revenue (read: "the number of people flying") may once again be softening. That's not good news in an industry where persistently high fuel prices and rising costs are making it difficult for strong carriers even like Southwest to remain profitable.
As such, we have to be very careful that we protect what we've already built by being even more cautious than we ever have before. We have a limited number of new aircraft coming online each year, so it's imperative that we assign them to the routes and markets that represent the "low-hanging fruit," as it were. We cannot afford to take any risks at this point. Such conservatism is the very reason why Southwest Airlines didn't lay off a single Employee after 9/11, and it's the reason why we posted profits while other airlines posted losses in the billions. Put simply, we prepare for the bad times during the good times.
Wichita is certainly a sizeable market, but on our list of market priorities, where overall risk is a substantial factor (per my comments in the prior two paragraphs), Wichita is not currently at the top. Compared to all passenger airports in the United States, Wichita ranks #103 in terms of people arriving or departing at the city's airport. You mention other Southwest destinations, such as Kansas City or Denver, but consider this: Kansas City ranks #34 in the nation, and Denver actually ranks #8! Even Tulsa and Oklahoma City generate more than twice as many annual passengers as Wichita.
We're not saying that we'll never serve Wichita. We may someday, as there are obviously people such as yourself who would prefer to get low fares in Wichita rather than driving several hours to a nearby city. However, relative to other less-risky opportunities out there, it wouldn't make sense for Southwest Airlines to open Wichita service right now.
Thanks for forwarding your concerns to Valerie, and we definitely look forward to seeing you aboard another Southwest Airlines flight soon. Hopefully, one day we'll be able to fly you directly in and out of Wichita.” |
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