Here's an update about trying to get Southwest, the numbers seem fairly promising.
Southwest numbers
Posted 10/20/2009 7:44 PM EDT on pnj.com Prod
Carlton Proctor's Biz Blog
Here's an update on the community's Southwest Airlines initiative that's worth passing along.
First, this was the week when a delegation representing the City of Pensacola and Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport were supposed to travel to Dallas and make their pitch for Southwest service.
That's been put off until next month due to scheduling conflicts. Word is that up to 10 Southwest executives wanted to be present at the meeting and you can imagine trying to accommodate that many high-powered executives' schedules.
So, don't hold your breath for any word from Southwest, at least for the next month or so. Most folks I've talked to say it will be sometime in the first quarter of next year before we hear anything.
Second, here's some impressive numbers:
Hotel owners in Escambia and Baldwin County, Ala., have pledged 94,000 and 91,000 free room nights respectively to Southwest over a three year period. Those are free rooms that Southwest can use in vacation packages and to board their flight crews overnight.
At an average of $100 per night, per room, that adds up to an astounding pledge totaling $18.6 million.
On top of that, the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce has gathered some
2,000 plegdges from individuals, businesses and institutions promising to spend at least $10 and upwards of $50,000 on Southwest tickets just in the first year, if, and only if, the airline comes to Pensacola.
And here's the last, but not least, of the numbers I'm passing along: More than 5,000 people have signed up on the I Luv Pensacola Facebook page, supporting Southwest coming here.
Add to all of the above the fact that
Pensacola's airport has nearly 10 times as many annual passengers as Panama City's airport, and more than Mobile and Fort Walton Beach's airports combined, and I think we're making Southwest an offer they can't afford to refuse.
We'll see.
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