The last regular commercial airline service in and out of Purdue Airport took off in 2004. A new Greater Lafayette regional economic plan proposes building a new terminal at the Purdue Airport and reviving commercial flights. (I’ll have more on this next week, along with the long history of commercial airlines that gave Purdue a go and then bailed out.)
Today’s question (questions, really): Did you ever fly out of Purdue Airport back in the day? What was your reason and what was your experience? Was it good enough to make you a repeat customer – and want that option again?
And what would get you to use Purdue Airport rather than making the drive to Indianapolis or Chicago to catch a flight? Would it be price? Destination? Other factors, like parking and proximity? Give me the details.
Talk among yourselves. And, as always, be cool to each other when responding. Thanks for the conversation. And thanks for subscribing.
Several times. I flew Indiana Airways to Indianapolis once. The same guy took my reservation, checked me in, loaded my luggage, and flew the plane. I was the only passenger on that flight. Lousy connection to Atlanta, but my boss, Henry Rosenthal, owned the airline so it seemed the right thing to do.
I used to fly out of LAF regularly for travel to meetings and conferences. It was generally convenient, although the prop planes tended to make the trips a bit noisy, and never getting above the weather ceiling often made the rides bumpy. I remember the days of Delta jet service to CVG; I used it a lot.
I stopped flying out of LAF when the service became unreliable and I missed meetings because of canceled flights -- canceled for no obvious reason. Many of us suspected that having only 3 people taking a flight meant it was cheaper for them to cancel. That, however, started a death spiral: if those willing to fly can't depend on the travel they go elsewhere.
Local service needs to be (1) reliable, (2) timely, and (3) connect to useful hubs. 2 flights a day is probably too infrequent for most travelers (#2). Flying to Midway is only useful for Southwest fans (#3).
I would fly out again if I knew the service was reliable, and if the schedule was such that I could get connecting flights to where I wanted to go. I would much rather drive across town to LAF than spend 90 minutes on the road to IND plus uncertain delays at security. If I need to fly out of ORD (only for a BIG difference in fares) it may take 5 hours to allow for traffic, parking, and security -- I am usually loathe to do that. I especially would appreciate a connecting flight into LAF when returning from international travel -- 20 minutes on lightly-traveled local roads is a lot easier with jet lag than 1 or 3 hours on the Interstate!
Jet service to, say, CLT and CVG would be great. ORD, DTW, DFW service would be a big plus. As noted above, I am meh about MDW connectivity.
South Bend seems to support not only connecting flights to hubs but many direct flights as well. I would think with the population we have here, the university, and the growing commercial sector, we should be able to do the same.
My first commercial flight was in 1972, a direct flight from Purdue Airport to LaGuardia in NYC to visit my boyfriend, who became my husband a year later. I thoroughly enjoyed a beef tips in gravy on buttered noodles meal during my flight. If I were to remain in Lafayette, I definitely would fly out of Purdue again. I have flown into almost all the Big Ten’s local airports during my tenure with Purdue athletics. Purdue’s passenger terminal is the worst of the lot. Not a good representation from a school who advanced aeronautic technology.
Yes! I flew through LAF in the late 90s as a student coming back from Christmas breaks in Wyoming. It was fine. Nothing memorable. Certainly been in smaller airports.
I also ran a photo essay on the airport in the Purdue Alumni mag in 2017 or 18? One of the images depicted the bank of phones with lit advertising placards you’d pick up to be directly connected to a specific area hotel. No dial tones, but the phones were all there. I wonder if they are there still.
I was going to an academic meeting in 2000. I was 6 months pregnant and taking another child (not yet 2 years old) with me. When I got to the airport, I was horrified to discover that I had booked my tickets for Lafayette LOUISIANA. On the phone to Delta, pleading, trying not to cry. Got rebooked out of Indy and raced to make that flight. All was well, in the end. But I ended up doing the long car trip and paying airport parking that I was hoping to avoid.
Had a better experience that same year when the whole family (5 of us in all) and I went to Florida, out of the correct airport this time. It was a dream to pull up to the door, practically, walk to and from the gate, and be home at the end in 5 minutes. Heck yes I’d pay more to travel out of Purdue’s airport.
I flew out of the airport once as a grad student. The company sponsoring the trip just asked for the nearest airport. I thought they'd see how expensive it was and make me pick Indy or Chicago. But they approved it. 😁
I loved flying out of Purdue. Why? Pros: (A) 20 minute drive time v. 1 1/4 hours to Indy. (B) Free Parking v. whatever it costs at Indy. (C) Decreased time getting through security 5-10 minutes v. allowing at least an hour at Indy. (D) Clean, leather seats on plane. Cute young guys looking through my luggage. (E) No overbooked flights. (F) Fewer passengers on flight. (E) Doing business locally. Cons: (A) Few direct flights except to hubs of airlines (outweighed by far by the time saved not having to drive to Indy, not having to get to the airport 1 1/2 hours before the flight leaves, and time spent going through security). (B) Small planes with resulting turbulance. (C) Increased cost (but in my humble opinion, outweighed by the time I saved not having to drive to Indy and pay for parking. (D) No food options at the airport. To me, time is money. The time I saved using flights out of Purdue v. Indy was the biggest motivating factor. I truly believe, when adding up all the costs of flying out of Indy, gas, parking, etc., it was much cheaper to fly from Purdue. BRING BACK COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS FROM PURDUE. Sign me up.
I love the Purdue Airport. It would always be the first leg in any trip. Free parking and no traffic. I do not like to drive to Indy with all the truck traffic.
When I worked for IBM in the late 80’s I used the commercial option to fly to ORD. Much easier than driving and saved time. Small airport was great. I will drive to Indy and fly to Chicago if that is a viable option price wise.
We flew Air Wisconsin from The Purdue Airport to Indy or Chicago many times and loved the convenience! We always flew from Purdue because it was soooo easy. Wish we could still do that.
I didn’t start flying a lot until after commercial service ended. If it was available, I definitely would have explored it. It probably would have saved me 3-4 hours per trip, so worth some amount of $.
I never had the opportunity to fly out of LAF, but I'd love to. In the Before Times™, I was flying somewhere for work every couple of months, including 2 or 3 trips to Europe. Being able to fly out of LAF instead of IND would make life so much more pleasant, especially since Delta cancelled the IND-CDG flight. Although if we get the 4x daily rail service that includes the airport, that'd be pretty okay too.
We flew out of the Purdue airport in the 80's and enjoyed the convenience of a 10-minute drive to the airport with easy and free parking and smiled at seeing the same person check us in, take our bags, load them on the plane, and check reservations as we walked out to get on the plane. An added convenience was flying a major airline from out of the U.S. into Detroit and then boarding a small plane to West Lafayette. I hope the airport reopens for commercial flights.
Growing up here, I have fond memories of Air Wisconsin and Allegheny Airlines. We were able to watch him land and meet his planes 20 yards from the plastic chairs where my mom sat and the large glass windows on which our noses were pressed. They pulled right up to the door! When I was older we often flew out of Purdue, but the service became unreliable with extremely limited schedules and frequent cancellations.
I don't think a modern airline could find the efficiencies and schedules that would make Purdue work today without ongoing hefty subsidies, which politicians would easily cut. Without the stability I don't think it would be an attractive market. Most employers today, including Purdue, ironically, require business travelers to shop for the lowest fares, treating employee time as free. Reliability, scheduling, and price would make it tough for flyers to use Purdue. That said, I would love the easy parking and saving two or three hours of travel back and forth to Indy (which is a terrific airport). I fly a lot and won't even fly THROUGH O'Hare or out of Midway because of the variabilities in traffic and on-time records of flights.
I would gladly pay a higher ticket price for the convenience of flying out of Purdue vs. driving to Indy. Right now, I leave my house about 3 hours before my flight time to account for all the unknowns between here and my gate at IND; not having to account for that would be worth the extra cost. With so much expansion happening in the area, I’m really hopeful that this will become an option soon!
1998. Flew home to WL from Champery, Switzerland (with many airports in between) to make it to my brother's wedding at St. Toms. My sister and I were singing with the IN Ambassador's of Music (high school & college kids) and this was the only way we could do the trip AND make it back in time. Absolute life-saver for my mom.
By the time you drive to Indy or Chicago, park, get inside, etc.... I'd pay extra to have the convenience and ease of being dropped off at Purdue (or Ubering over) and getting to Indy or Chicago or many other airports and making the connection from there. TOTALLY worth it!
Smaller regional aircraft that are used on shorter flights emitted nearly 80% more CO2 per RPK (revenue passenger kilometers) than the global average for all aircraft. Air travel is far more carbon intensive than other transportation modes. This ‘back to the last century’ pattern is consistent with Daniel’s lack of leadership toward a sustainable and equitable tomorrow.
I did in 1986. I flew to Midway, I believe. As I recall, it was a six or eight seater. I also recall being shocked to have to fold the seat down like a theater seat.
Absolutely! Flew to Florida, connecting in STL. It was great — you can arrive shortly before your flight, no cost to park, no driving to Indy. Sure, the planes are small. But to trade all the hassle? I would totally do it again.
I almost booked a few times, but the connections in addition to cost made it easier to just get in the car (Cleveland), other destinations the cost was just too high and additional connections made driving to Indy for a more direct flight at a much reduced cost make more sense.
I flew in and out of Purdue several times when we first moved here in 1990. I still remember walking to THE VERY SMALL PLANE across the tarmac at O'Hare and wondering where my soon-t0-be husband had brought me. I would pay in the range of $200 more for the convenience of connecting out of Lafayette instead of the time and hassle of traveling to Indy or Chicago
Years ago the Lafayette Chamber group flew in and out of the Purdue Airport for their annual trips to DC. We'd fly through Detroit and it worked very well most years. Free parking at the Purdue Airport was nice. I do get easily air/motion sickness and it has been smaller planes out of/into Purdue. A few flights had me very green, but I've also gotten off of an Indy flight a bit green too. I'm not wild about smaller planes, but I'd have to say the convenience is worth the risk of being airsick.
I remember my grandpa flying out in a 727. First commercial plane I'd been in, and I got to use the rear air stairs! Other than that, I've flown out of Purdue dozens of times. It's super convenient and would be great to have an airline, even if super limited. It already has a lot of commercial traffic, just not for the rest of us.
KLAF is Indiana's second busiest airport as-is, and still remains a class delta. I'd assume moving to a charlie would make sense if we're going to increase traffic, but it could also benefit those learning to fly at Purdue since you get the full "airline pilot" experience without the need to go practice elsewhere, such as Midway.
A few times. I think it was mostly to St. Louis or Detroit to get a connection somewhere else. I loved it. 10 minute drive, free parking, 30 second walk to the terminal, never a long line...what's not to love?
I have no experience flying in/out of LAF, but valued having comparable service when I was a grad student in Champaign, IL.
As a Lafayette resident, the proximity and convenience are clearly enticing. I suspect, though, that what would compel me would be larger-plane service to enough major hubs/destinations that connecting flights wouldn’t be always be necessary. If it were nothing but “puddle-jumpers” to Chicago, I’d probably stick with driving to Indy to catch a direct flight.
I’ve flown out of LAF many times—there used to be promotional pricing that made it less expensive than paying for parking in Indy. The planes were very small—one was so small that as I was exiting I noticed my shoe was untied, and then realized I didn’t need to bend over any more to tie it. Also, one flight from Chicago we made two stops on Illinois before LAF, making the trip more than three hours. So it was a mixed bag.
I flew often as a Field Engineer when American flew to St. Louis, and when NW flew to Detroit or Minneapolis. It was only economical when the destination was a natural extension further in the same general direction. Free parking and 0 mileage were savings that I could present to justify the added fare.
I flew out of Purdue several times in the mid 80s, but it was always for interview trips where the company was paying. It was also a gamble coming back through Chicago -- if weather was bad Air Wisconsin might bypass an airport, or if the connecting flight was late we'd miss the last (relatively early) flight to Purdue. It was always confounding to me they didn't have flights to Cincinnati. I doubt I would spend the extra money if I were paying for the tickets, and the extra time to connect in Indy or Ohare doesn't seem worth it. The shuttle is about as fast and much less hassle.
As a small commuter airport I don't think it really makes economic sense with Indy so close. As a "large" airport it would not be able to generate the traffic. I think there are many more responsible ways to spend public money.
I flew out of Purdue airport to ORD in June 1972 on an Air Wisconsin puddle jumper. It was a great flight, but the temperature was around 100 degrees that day without a cloud in the sky. (Connected on a Northwest Orient flight to Anchorage and started down the runway…and stopped—mechanical failure. We sat on the runway for four hours with no air conditioning and a general from Elmendorf AFB had a heart attack and died on the plane.) So…good experience flying out of Purdue and not so good trying to get out of Chicago! But I’d love to be able to fly to either Chicago or Milwaukee out of Purdue again.
Since we are asked to show up to the airport as much as two hours ahead of departure, it would have to be a destination I couldn't just drive to in 2.5 hours. So Indy and Chicago would be out. Plus, it's nice to have a car. Maybe Louisville, Saint Louis, Detroit, Cincy, Milwaukee. I'd much rather drive to Indy and fly direct to New York or Los Angeles, then Fly out of Lafayette to catch a connecting flight to one of those places.
Flew out of Purdue when Northwest was the carrier. What was not to like with free parking and a 2 minute walk to the airline counter. Staff always friendly and helpful.
I never flew out of Purdue, don't know if I would if services started up. Back in the 60's I worked with the PUMU catering as a part-time job. I can remember one Saturday going to the airport to put meals together for a flight to somewhere. I wonder where the plane was going to warrant a meal.
I flew out of and into Purdue Airport several times in the late 90s. I really enjoyed the short drive, especially on the way home. I never had any problems.
I used to fly from PU to Pittsburgh on Allegheny Airlines. If they put a new regional airlines in at Purdue it probably would only fly to Indy and Chicago. I'm only interested in direct flights to CA, AZ and WA so a reginal airport would be of no value from my standpoint. I would still fly out of Indy.
In December of 1974 I was scheduled to fly from Indianapolis to Florida. A raging snowstorm had made driving dangerous so I flew from Purdue to Indy on a smallish commuter plane. No problem!
Nope, can't see using commercial flights out of WL ever again. The Indy airport is great, I avoid connecting flights as much as possible, and I will never forget a) waiting in the fog at the Purdue airport to pick someone up and hearing the plane make repeated attempts to land, only to climb back up because the fog was too thick, and b) how airsick I myself got riding the little prop plane out of our tiny airport. Shudder.
When I was a child, we would fly on Lake Central up to Chicago and then on to Rochester, MN. My sister had an illness that kept us going back and forth (usually by car) to Mayo Clinic. This was in the mid to late 1950's. Lake Central was often referred to as Late Central. Flights were not always on time.
I believe I have you all beat flying from midway in Chicago to Lafayette in the 1964-65 to visit grandmother or was great and now that I’m old I would love the convenience now
Yes I flew out of Purdue Airport several times. It was commuter flights to Chicago for meetings or to catch another flight going west. It was convenient. I hated the drive to Indy to catch a flight that would then go to Chicago before going west. I use to drive to Merrillville to catch the shuttle going into the Chicago airports. Chicago traffic was a real pain. It certainly would be convenient to have an airport back in our area. It would have to be reliable and cost effective.
Yes, we flew out of Purdue's old airport for a business trip sometime in the 1980s. I can't recall the specifics, only that we flew to Detroit on a puddle jumper which moved sideways too much for my comfort. I flew in the president's jet to Fort Wayne when I was working on Martin Jischke's first Strategic Plan. That was an experience. Personally, I would rather Purdue's airport not be reopened for commercial flights because my house is directly under the current flight path and the planes come in quite low over my neighborhood. I will sell my house rather than live with an increased level of horrendous noise. Life's too short to live with airport noise.
I have flown out of Purdue Airport on Lake Central, Allegheny, Air Wisconsin, and Honor Flight Charters. It's wonderful for the Honor Flight to be able to fly nonstop to Washington DC but for regular travel it would not be my preference. The prop airplanes that flew out of Purdue were very weather dependent and with the limited number of flights connection times were usually long. Indianapolis has a wonderful airport with all the amenities and is normally only a 60-75 minute drive.
Several times. I flew Indiana Airways to Indianapolis once. The same guy took my reservation, checked me in, loaded my luggage, and flew the plane. I was the only passenger on that flight. Lousy connection to Atlanta, but my boss, Henry Rosenthal, owned the airline so it seemed the right thing to do.
I used to fly out of LAF regularly for travel to meetings and conferences. It was generally convenient, although the prop planes tended to make the trips a bit noisy, and never getting above the weather ceiling often made the rides bumpy. I remember the days of Delta jet service to CVG; I used it a lot.
I stopped flying out of LAF when the service became unreliable and I missed meetings because of canceled flights -- canceled for no obvious reason. Many of us suspected that having only 3 people taking a flight meant it was cheaper for them to cancel. That, however, started a death spiral: if those willing to fly can't depend on the travel they go elsewhere.
Local service needs to be (1) reliable, (2) timely, and (3) connect to useful hubs. 2 flights a day is probably too infrequent for most travelers (#2). Flying to Midway is only useful for Southwest fans (#3).
I would fly out again if I knew the service was reliable, and if the schedule was such that I could get connecting flights to where I wanted to go. I would much rather drive across town to LAF than spend 90 minutes on the road to IND plus uncertain delays at security. If I need to fly out of ORD (only for a BIG difference in fares) it may take 5 hours to allow for traffic, parking, and security -- I am usually loathe to do that. I especially would appreciate a connecting flight into LAF when returning from international travel -- 20 minutes on lightly-traveled local roads is a lot easier with jet lag than 1 or 3 hours on the Interstate!
Jet service to, say, CLT and CVG would be great. ORD, DTW, DFW service would be a big plus. As noted above, I am meh about MDW connectivity.
South Bend seems to support not only connecting flights to hubs but many direct flights as well. I would think with the population we have here, the university, and the growing commercial sector, we should be able to do the same.
My first commercial flight was in 1972, a direct flight from Purdue Airport to LaGuardia in NYC to visit my boyfriend, who became my husband a year later. I thoroughly enjoyed a beef tips in gravy on buttered noodles meal during my flight. If I were to remain in Lafayette, I definitely would fly out of Purdue again. I have flown into almost all the Big Ten’s local airports during my tenure with Purdue athletics. Purdue’s passenger terminal is the worst of the lot. Not a good representation from a school who advanced aeronautic technology.
Yes! I flew through LAF in the late 90s as a student coming back from Christmas breaks in Wyoming. It was fine. Nothing memorable. Certainly been in smaller airports.
I also ran a photo essay on the airport in the Purdue Alumni mag in 2017 or 18? One of the images depicted the bank of phones with lit advertising placards you’d pick up to be directly connected to a specific area hotel. No dial tones, but the phones were all there. I wonder if they are there still.
I was going to an academic meeting in 2000. I was 6 months pregnant and taking another child (not yet 2 years old) with me. When I got to the airport, I was horrified to discover that I had booked my tickets for Lafayette LOUISIANA. On the phone to Delta, pleading, trying not to cry. Got rebooked out of Indy and raced to make that flight. All was well, in the end. But I ended up doing the long car trip and paying airport parking that I was hoping to avoid.
Had a better experience that same year when the whole family (5 of us in all) and I went to Florida, out of the correct airport this time. It was a dream to pull up to the door, practically, walk to and from the gate, and be home at the end in 5 minutes. Heck yes I’d pay more to travel out of Purdue’s airport.
I flew out of the airport once as a grad student. The company sponsoring the trip just asked for the nearest airport. I thought they'd see how expensive it was and make me pick Indy or Chicago. But they approved it. 😁
I loved flying out of Purdue. Why? Pros: (A) 20 minute drive time v. 1 1/4 hours to Indy. (B) Free Parking v. whatever it costs at Indy. (C) Decreased time getting through security 5-10 minutes v. allowing at least an hour at Indy. (D) Clean, leather seats on plane. Cute young guys looking through my luggage. (E) No overbooked flights. (F) Fewer passengers on flight. (E) Doing business locally. Cons: (A) Few direct flights except to hubs of airlines (outweighed by far by the time saved not having to drive to Indy, not having to get to the airport 1 1/2 hours before the flight leaves, and time spent going through security). (B) Small planes with resulting turbulance. (C) Increased cost (but in my humble opinion, outweighed by the time I saved not having to drive to Indy and pay for parking. (D) No food options at the airport. To me, time is money. The time I saved using flights out of Purdue v. Indy was the biggest motivating factor. I truly believe, when adding up all the costs of flying out of Indy, gas, parking, etc., it was much cheaper to fly from Purdue. BRING BACK COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS FROM PURDUE. Sign me up.
I love the Purdue Airport. It would always be the first leg in any trip. Free parking and no traffic. I do not like to drive to Indy with all the truck traffic.
(I don't drive.) I'd take it to/from Chicago once or twice. Would much prefer taking high speed rail though.
When I worked for IBM in the late 80’s I used the commercial option to fly to ORD. Much easier than driving and saved time. Small airport was great. I will drive to Indy and fly to Chicago if that is a viable option price wise.
We flew Air Wisconsin from The Purdue Airport to Indy or Chicago many times and loved the convenience! We always flew from Purdue because it was soooo easy. Wish we could still do that.
I didn’t start flying a lot until after commercial service ended. If it was available, I definitely would have explored it. It probably would have saved me 3-4 hours per trip, so worth some amount of $.
I never had the opportunity to fly out of LAF, but I'd love to. In the Before Times™, I was flying somewhere for work every couple of months, including 2 or 3 trips to Europe. Being able to fly out of LAF instead of IND would make life so much more pleasant, especially since Delta cancelled the IND-CDG flight. Although if we get the 4x daily rail service that includes the airport, that'd be pretty okay too.
We flew out of the Purdue airport in the 80's and enjoyed the convenience of a 10-minute drive to the airport with easy and free parking and smiled at seeing the same person check us in, take our bags, load them on the plane, and check reservations as we walked out to get on the plane. An added convenience was flying a major airline from out of the U.S. into Detroit and then boarding a small plane to West Lafayette. I hope the airport reopens for commercial flights.
I flew out of Purdue several times years ago. I would definitely fly again. The trip down
I-65 is some times terrifying. Limo is expensive and operates on lousy time schedules.
Growing up here, I have fond memories of Air Wisconsin and Allegheny Airlines. We were able to watch him land and meet his planes 20 yards from the plastic chairs where my mom sat and the large glass windows on which our noses were pressed. They pulled right up to the door! When I was older we often flew out of Purdue, but the service became unreliable with extremely limited schedules and frequent cancellations.
I don't think a modern airline could find the efficiencies and schedules that would make Purdue work today without ongoing hefty subsidies, which politicians would easily cut. Without the stability I don't think it would be an attractive market. Most employers today, including Purdue, ironically, require business travelers to shop for the lowest fares, treating employee time as free. Reliability, scheduling, and price would make it tough for flyers to use Purdue. That said, I would love the easy parking and saving two or three hours of travel back and forth to Indy (which is a terrific airport). I fly a lot and won't even fly THROUGH O'Hare or out of Midway because of the variabilities in traffic and on-time records of flights.
I flew out of WL a couple of times in the 80’s to catch a connecting flight out of Chicago. The few times I did it was problem free as I recall
We have retired and moved to Florida.
Often, we have reason to go back to Lafayette, but are unable to face the drive.
If good airline service was available, I am sure we (and many other retirees) would return more frequently.
I would gladly pay a higher ticket price for the convenience of flying out of Purdue vs. driving to Indy. Right now, I leave my house about 3 hours before my flight time to account for all the unknowns between here and my gate at IND; not having to account for that would be worth the extra cost. With so much expansion happening in the area, I’m really hopeful that this will become an option soon!
1998. Flew home to WL from Champery, Switzerland (with many airports in between) to make it to my brother's wedding at St. Toms. My sister and I were singing with the IN Ambassador's of Music (high school & college kids) and this was the only way we could do the trip AND make it back in time. Absolute life-saver for my mom.
By the time you drive to Indy or Chicago, park, get inside, etc.... I'd pay extra to have the convenience and ease of being dropped off at Purdue (or Ubering over) and getting to Indy or Chicago or many other airports and making the connection from there. TOTALLY worth it!
Yes!!!
I flew in and out of Purdue airport many times. PLEASE bring back the amazing convenience!
Smaller regional aircraft that are used on shorter flights emitted nearly 80% more CO2 per RPK (revenue passenger kilometers) than the global average for all aircraft. Air travel is far more carbon intensive than other transportation modes. This ‘back to the last century’ pattern is consistent with Daniel’s lack of leadership toward a sustainable and equitable tomorrow.
Why not?
I did in 1986. I flew to Midway, I believe. As I recall, it was a six or eight seater. I also recall being shocked to have to fold the seat down like a theater seat.
Absolutely! Flew to Florida, connecting in STL. It was great — you can arrive shortly before your flight, no cost to park, no driving to Indy. Sure, the planes are small. But to trade all the hassle? I would totally do it again.
I almost booked a few times, but the connections in addition to cost made it easier to just get in the car (Cleveland), other destinations the cost was just too high and additional connections made driving to Indy for a more direct flight at a much reduced cost make more sense.
I flew in and out of Purdue several times when we first moved here in 1990. I still remember walking to THE VERY SMALL PLANE across the tarmac at O'Hare and wondering where my soon-t0-be husband had brought me. I would pay in the range of $200 more for the convenience of connecting out of Lafayette instead of the time and hassle of traveling to Indy or Chicago
Years ago the Lafayette Chamber group flew in and out of the Purdue Airport for their annual trips to DC. We'd fly through Detroit and it worked very well most years. Free parking at the Purdue Airport was nice. I do get easily air/motion sickness and it has been smaller planes out of/into Purdue. A few flights had me very green, but I've also gotten off of an Indy flight a bit green too. I'm not wild about smaller planes, but I'd have to say the convenience is worth the risk of being airsick.
I remember my grandpa flying out in a 727. First commercial plane I'd been in, and I got to use the rear air stairs! Other than that, I've flown out of Purdue dozens of times. It's super convenient and would be great to have an airline, even if super limited. It already has a lot of commercial traffic, just not for the rest of us.
KLAF is Indiana's second busiest airport as-is, and still remains a class delta. I'd assume moving to a charlie would make sense if we're going to increase traffic, but it could also benefit those learning to fly at Purdue since you get the full "airline pilot" experience without the need to go practice elsewhere, such as Midway.
A few times. I think it was mostly to St. Louis or Detroit to get a connection somewhere else. I loved it. 10 minute drive, free parking, 30 second walk to the terminal, never a long line...what's not to love?
I have no experience flying in/out of LAF, but valued having comparable service when I was a grad student in Champaign, IL.
As a Lafayette resident, the proximity and convenience are clearly enticing. I suspect, though, that what would compel me would be larger-plane service to enough major hubs/destinations that connecting flights wouldn’t be always be necessary. If it were nothing but “puddle-jumpers” to Chicago, I’d probably stick with driving to Indy to catch a direct flight.
I’ve flown out of LAF many times—there used to be promotional pricing that made it less expensive than paying for parking in Indy. The planes were very small—one was so small that as I was exiting I noticed my shoe was untied, and then realized I didn’t need to bend over any more to tie it. Also, one flight from Chicago we made two stops on Illinois before LAF, making the trip more than three hours. So it was a mixed bag.
I flew often as a Field Engineer when American flew to St. Louis, and when NW flew to Detroit or Minneapolis. It was only economical when the destination was a natural extension further in the same general direction. Free parking and 0 mileage were savings that I could present to justify the added fare.
I’ve never flown out but the biggest factor in making this decision would have to be price.
When I fly out of IND, I usually go up the night before. This then adds the price of hotel, car parking, and eating out.
If I fly out of Chicago, it’s the same but the cost is higher.
I’d be willing to pay a bit more for convenience but the main factor in it all is cost.
The other would be if it’s costing me time. Are there more connections to be made?
I flew out of Purdue several times in the mid 80s, but it was always for interview trips where the company was paying. It was also a gamble coming back through Chicago -- if weather was bad Air Wisconsin might bypass an airport, or if the connecting flight was late we'd miss the last (relatively early) flight to Purdue. It was always confounding to me they didn't have flights to Cincinnati. I doubt I would spend the extra money if I were paying for the tickets, and the extra time to connect in Indy or Ohare doesn't seem worth it. The shuttle is about as fast and much less hassle.
As a small commuter airport I don't think it really makes economic sense with Indy so close. As a "large" airport it would not be able to generate the traffic. I think there are many more responsible ways to spend public money.
I flew out of Purdue airport to ORD in June 1972 on an Air Wisconsin puddle jumper. It was a great flight, but the temperature was around 100 degrees that day without a cloud in the sky. (Connected on a Northwest Orient flight to Anchorage and started down the runway…and stopped—mechanical failure. We sat on the runway for four hours with no air conditioning and a general from Elmendorf AFB had a heart attack and died on the plane.) So…good experience flying out of Purdue and not so good trying to get out of Chicago! But I’d love to be able to fly to either Chicago or Milwaukee out of Purdue again.
Since we are asked to show up to the airport as much as two hours ahead of departure, it would have to be a destination I couldn't just drive to in 2.5 hours. So Indy and Chicago would be out. Plus, it's nice to have a car. Maybe Louisville, Saint Louis, Detroit, Cincy, Milwaukee. I'd much rather drive to Indy and fly direct to New York or Los Angeles, then Fly out of Lafayette to catch a connecting flight to one of those places.
Flew out of Purdue when Northwest was the carrier. What was not to like with free parking and a 2 minute walk to the airline counter. Staff always friendly and helpful.
Flew to Detroit for work a few times. Pretty convenient and low-stress. Would not hesitate to fly out of Purdue Airport again.
I've flown from the Purdue Airport several times, and would again, were it possible.
I never flew out of Purdue, don't know if I would if services started up. Back in the 60's I worked with the PUMU catering as a part-time job. I can remember one Saturday going to the airport to put meals together for a flight to somewhere. I wonder where the plane was going to warrant a meal.
I flew out of and into Purdue Airport several times in the late 90s. I really enjoyed the short drive, especially on the way home. I never had any problems.
I used to fly from PU to Pittsburgh on Allegheny Airlines. If they put a new regional airlines in at Purdue it probably would only fly to Indy and Chicago. I'm only interested in direct flights to CA, AZ and WA so a reginal airport would be of no value from my standpoint. I would still fly out of Indy.
In December of 1974 I was scheduled to fly from Indianapolis to Florida. A raging snowstorm had made driving dangerous so I flew from Purdue to Indy on a smallish commuter plane. No problem!
Nope, can't see using commercial flights out of WL ever again. The Indy airport is great, I avoid connecting flights as much as possible, and I will never forget a) waiting in the fog at the Purdue airport to pick someone up and hearing the plane make repeated attempts to land, only to climb back up because the fog was too thick, and b) how airsick I myself got riding the little prop plane out of our tiny airport. Shudder.
When I was a child, we would fly on Lake Central up to Chicago and then on to Rochester, MN. My sister had an illness that kept us going back and forth (usually by car) to Mayo Clinic. This was in the mid to late 1950's. Lake Central was often referred to as Late Central. Flights were not always on time.
I believe I have you all beat flying from midway in Chicago to Lafayette in the 1964-65 to visit grandmother or was great and now that I’m old I would love the convenience now
Yes I flew out of Purdue Airport several times. It was commuter flights to Chicago for meetings or to catch another flight going west. It was convenient. I hated the drive to Indy to catch a flight that would then go to Chicago before going west. I use to drive to Merrillville to catch the shuttle going into the Chicago airports. Chicago traffic was a real pain. It certainly would be convenient to have an airport back in our area. It would have to be reliable and cost effective.
Yes, we flew out of Purdue's old airport for a business trip sometime in the 1980s. I can't recall the specifics, only that we flew to Detroit on a puddle jumper which moved sideways too much for my comfort. I flew in the president's jet to Fort Wayne when I was working on Martin Jischke's first Strategic Plan. That was an experience. Personally, I would rather Purdue's airport not be reopened for commercial flights because my house is directly under the current flight path and the planes come in quite low over my neighborhood. I will sell my house rather than live with an increased level of horrendous noise. Life's too short to live with airport noise.
I have flown out of Purdue Airport on Lake Central, Allegheny, Air Wisconsin, and Honor Flight Charters. It's wonderful for the Honor Flight to be able to fly nonstop to Washington DC but for regular travel it would not be my preference. The prop airplanes that flew out of Purdue were very weather dependent and with the limited number of flights connection times were usually long. Indianapolis has a wonderful airport with all the amenities and is normally only a 60-75 minute drive.