Oregon Public Broadcasting

Higher fuel costs mean it’s getting harder to find a seat on a flight out of town in many Northwest communities.

Another round of airline cuts is set to take effect this fall in places like Spokane, Boise and Klamath Falls.

Correspondent Chris Lehman took a ride on one of the flights that’s being grounded to see how travelers are reacting to the changes.

Our journey begins at Gate A7 at Portland International Airport.  Passengers line up for a Horizon Airlines flight to Pendleton.

Passengers disembark from a Horizon Airlines flight in Pendleton

Come November, you won’t be able to catch this flight.  Instead, you’d have to fly up to Seattle, then connect to another flight that stops in Walla Walla before finally ending up in Pendleton. 

Susan Metzer of Arizona is on her way to Pendleton to visit her parents.  She says connecting through Seattle is do-able for her, but it might keep her parents from traveling altogether.

Susan Metzer:  “That longer day would really affect them, because of their age, and the walker and everything that they have to cart along.  Going through Seattle is just a pain in the neck.”

Chris Lehman:  “We’re now in the air, and I’m sitting in Seat 8D for this one-hour flight over to Pendleton. Down below is Interstate 84, and if I was behind the wheel of my car, the same trip would take about three times as long.  That’s one reason why officials in Pendleton say the non-stop link to Portland is so crucial.”

Larry Dalrymple:  “There are specialists, doctors, attorneys who do direct business between Portland and Pendleton.”

Pendleton airport manager Larry Dalrymple says the longer routing means you might as well drive.  He says nearly half of the passengers using the flight have Portland as their final destination, so those people will probably hit the road instead of the airport.

But Dalrymple doesn’t blame the airline for cutting the route. He says it’s simply a part of life in a small, remote city.

Larry Dalrymple:  “Pendleton hasn’t grown much in the last 20 years. We’re aware of that.” 

But it’s still a community that provides services such as a hospital and a community college.

That’s where Natalie Sanusi works.  She’s down at the baggage claim picking up her suitcase. She says the new flight schedule would be a huge inconvenience.

Nataliie Sanusi:  “If your business is in Portland, it seems a little silly to fly to Walla Walla and Seattle to get to the major metropolitan area in your own state. If you have to fly that other route, you can’t go to Portland and back in a day.  So it’s not very practical.”

Still, Pendleton has it better than some places.  They’re the only Northwest city to qualify for a Federal subsidy that practically guarantees they’ll have some form of airline service.  

In fact, places much larger than Pendleton are feeling the pinch of higher fuel prices even more.  Salem will lose all airline service when Delta stops flying there in October.

United and US Airways are also pulling service back in some northwest cities, such as Spokane and Eugene.

The reductions have caught the attention of state officials in Oregon. But Oregon aviation director Dan Clem says don’t expect the state to hand out cash to prop up struggling airline service.

Don Clem:  “Success is really dependant upon how much does that community want to travel, and what kind of commitment will they make to travel.  Because in the long run, subsidies can only last a short time.  The idea is to seed the activity and then watch it grow.”

One airline is growing in the Northwest.  Allegiant Air has added flights from cities like Bellingham and Medford.  But those flights typically depart just a few times each week, which makes them unpopular with business travelers.

USA Today map of airline schedule changes