News! Direct Flights added to/from Northwest Florida Regional Airport (VPS)

Whoah! Great news.

Das Link

1/17/2011 - Vision Airlines To Offer New Non-Stop, Low-Fare Flights Between Chattanooga And Northwest Florida - Breaking News - Chattanoogan.com

also direct flights from knoxville!!

Riv-O you can't fit all your beach crap on the plane. Guess you gotta keep on driving.

$100 to Louisville. Wow. Thank you Vision Airlines!

Asheville, Savannah, and Orlando...and Miami...I love it!

That 10 hour drive. Would turn into 2 hours to shreveport of 1.5 to little rock and 1 hour flight down. I think I am going to faint. Weekend trips here we come!!!

Riv-O you can't fit all your beach crap on the plane. Guess you gotta keep on driving.

LOL! True dat

Now if we could only get direct flights to Chicago and St. Louis!!!!!!!!
And bring on Newark.

Looks like a possible full list of cities up here:

Vision Airlines

And they may be using VPS as a mini-hub, it seems. I remember hearing that the Air Force was very reasonable with runway fees and that they were 30ish daily slots under their civilian air flights cap per their agreement with the county.

http://www.visionairlines.com/route-map.html

The Perfessor got dragged to a chamber of commerce deal last week, and apparently there was some buzz about a big announcement set for Tuesday morning. I'm guessing this is it, as it's already made the McPaper:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/travel/2011-01-17-newairline17_ST_N.htm

Northwest Florida Regional will waive Vision's landing fees and terminal rent for two years, as well as spend tens of thousands of dollars on marketing efforts in targeted communities.

Vacation packages should be available on Vision's website in the next 60 days, he says. And in the next three years, "It's realistic to expect we'd add cities out West ... and we'll look at the Caribbean and Mexico."

Sounds like they're trying to do the same thing that Allegiant is doing with Las Vegas packages. And in the friendly rivalry between Panhandle cities, I would be amused if VPS ended up with the first real international flights in the area.

This is great news! Looks like we now have two local airports looking for travelers

Please please please add Detroit to the direct flights. There are a LOT of people who really want to get out of the cold here in the midwest. We found one southwest flight that does stop once, but no plane change on the way from Detroit to Panama City.

Yeah Baby!!! Road Trip! Or, I guess I should flight trip!! Can someone pick me up from the airport?

Vision Airlines announces today the launch of it's non-stop, low-fare air service between Huntsville and Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Florida, beginning March 25, 2011, with rates starting at $89 one way.

Yeah Baby!!! Road Trip! Or, I guess I should flight trip!! Can someone pick me up from the airport?

Vision Airlines announces today the launch of it's non-stop, low-fare air service between Huntsville and Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Florida, beginning March 25, 2011, with rates starting at $89 one way.

Of course. But call Seagrove Villas Motel - they should give you a free shuttle service door to door.

Of course. But call Seagrove Villas Motel - they should give you a free shuttle service door to door.

Woo Hoo!!!! Best news I have heard in a LONG time!!!!

Please add St. Croix to the list. I wonder what the fare from Miami to St. Croix is? I'll have to check it.

A direct flight to Miwaukee would great too. Go packers!!!

The AJC wrote in the paper the other day that a carrier was getting ready to start service from Macon, GA to Destin. By Destin, though, I don't know if they meant Destin's airport (DTS) or across the bay into VPS...

VPS, which is essentially letting them set up shop there for free (no landing or ticket counter fees)