Hey Delta and American Airlines, Please Bring Back Chicago & Detroit Flights to Evansville, Indiana

Have you booked flights in and out of Evansville Airport recently? If so, you probably noticed that booking a flight north has become much more difficult. It's enough to lose your sanity! We need Delta and American Airlines to bring back flights to and from Chicago and Detroit.

It's been nearly a year since planes flew north out of Evansville; if you ask me, it's been too long. Previously in my job, I flew to meet clients all over the country. Detroit and Chicago were the biggest hubs for those trips. If I still traveled for business these two hubs would be crucial. I wish the flights were still offered to see my family in Michigan. I'll explain why and maybe you'll relate.

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EVANSVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT HUBS

There are some positives when talking about the current destinations that Evansville Regional Airport offers. If you like a warm beach vacation, they offer direct flights to Destin and Orlando in Florida. That's good news. If you're planning a trip to the west coast, they'll have you covered with a trip to Dallas-Fort Worth. You can take the Charlotte flight if you love Nascar or visit family on the east coast. The Atlanta airport is a convenient connection for an international flight. I think you're beginning to get the picture. You're out of luck if you're flying north. It can be done, but it's a rough and expensive process.

EVANSVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT LOSES DETROIT & CHICAGO HUBS

Post-pandemic hit the Evansville Regional Airport in a big way in 2022. According to their website, United Airlines paused flying between Evansville and Chicago. Before that, Delta paused its flights from Evansville to Detroit. The same thing happened at small-market regional airports all over the country. Some lost more than half their flights, while others like Evansville, lost connections altogether. Let's hope flights can be more cost-effective for the airlines, and we'll get them back at some point.

WHAT DOES BOOKING A FLIGHT NORTH LOOK LIKE?

Usually, when we head to Michigan to see family we drive, but if I'm making the trip by myself I prefer to fly. It's been a while since I've gone home, so in March, I decided to book a flight. I wasn't prepared for that process! To fly to a regional airport close to my sister was nearly impossible, and very expensive. As mentioned earlier, if you want to fly north, you first need to fly southwest, east, or south to get there. Sometimes there are two "hub" layovers to get close to home. Most times, the flights cost around $800 round trip. I spent hours on the computer to book a flight that made the most sense. After a few headaches, I booked a flight to Detroit via Charlotte for $400. Considering the economy, I didn't think the pricing was bad, but the layover time in Charlotte will be long. It takes 9 hours to drive to see my family and the total travel time to fly will be over 7 hours. In the past, flying time going from Evansville to Detroit was just over an hour. Without the Detroit and Chicago hubs, traveling north is a stress mess!

Evansville Regional Airport offers competitive-priced connectivity to hundreds of domestic and international destinations with frequent daily flights to five top-rated, major hub cities - Atlanta, Dallas, and Charlotte, as well as non-stop, low-cost flights to Destin and Orlando. Served by Allegiant, American Airlines, and Delta, Evansville Regional Airport is an easy and welcoming gateway to and from southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and eastern Illinois.

And, hopefully soon, Detroit and Chicago will be back with flights in and out of Evansville. Delta and American Airlines, this northern girl needs you!