New Macon airport route to Florida proves “convenient and competitive”

One month after Contour Airlines launched a new direct flight connecting Middle Georgia to South Florida, demand is far exceeding expectations as local travelers look to avoid the headaches of navigating Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Officials at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport say passenger volume has soared past their initial projections that 60% of the seats would be booked. They have been surprised to see more than 90% of seats to Fort Lauderdale snatched up, said Heather Hillstrom Lowe, the airport’s deputy aviation director.

With 240 seats available a week, ticket sales average out to 218 on the Fort Lauderdale flights, with their busiest day being Sunday, Lowe said.

Although the prices for flights can exceed what’s offered at Hartsfield, the convenience of parking and proximity for locals “balances out” with a higher cost, Lowe said. 

The Fort Lauderdale flights run four times a week, on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

Fort Lauderdale residents Mike and Lauren Cambias — along with their two kids, Fauster and Charlie — landed at the Middle Regional Airport Thursday.

It was the first time they’ve flown the new route, which the couple described as a “lifesaver” and much easier than flying into the Atlanta airport. 

Chuck and Melanie Byrd, who came to pick up the family from the airport, noted they had recently spent $210 to park at Hartsfield when they were traveling.

A round-trip flight from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale can be purchased for as low as $80, while flying out of Macon’s airport starts at about $240.

“I feel like it was competitive and much more convenient,” Mike Cambias said.

The airline also brought back direct flights to Baltimore ten times a week. For a year and a half, Contour flew into Washington Dulles International Airport in D.C. instead of Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.

Since making the change, the utilization of the route has gone up by 10%, Lowe said. 

The Washington D.C. metro area is the number two destination for passengers departing from Macon. New York is the most popular city to travel to, even though there’s not a direct route. 

Martissa Jones and her father Alfred Jones were waiting inside the airport lobby for their flight to Baltimore last week and kept checking their flight status once their departure time was pushed back from 2:35 p.m. to 7 p.m.

It’s not the first time they’ve been delayed. The two have flown several times to the Baltimore or D.C. airport and back to Macon on Contour with varying degrees of punctuality, but Martissa Jones said she is glad the airline has expanded its service.

She said the Middle Georgia Regional Airport has been her “hidden gem” for the past five years.

Baltimore and Fort Lauderdale are currently the only regular nonstop destinations being offered by Contour. However, the airport also advertises flight packages through casinos to the Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story incorrectly noted the weekly frequency of flights to Baltimore as three. It has been updated to note the airline flies to Baltimore ten times a week. The story has also been updated to note Baltimore as one of Contour’s nonstop destinations out of Macon.