USA 3000 leaving St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport

USA 3000 will soon be ending service at the St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport. Airport Director Noah Lagos says the airline is also shutting down service in Sarasota, Ft.

[Dawn]

That sucks! They are a great airline! Cheap and clean! I've used them for years and never had a bad flight.

[Grumpy]

If the Rays just wait a while, the Clearwater airport might just be the place to build a new open air ball park. It is right on the water to satisfy that request. More than big enough for parking, etc. Easy access from Ulmerton, Hwy 19 and the Bay Bridge from Hwy. 60. Also the plus is the planes would no longer fly over residental areas in Clearwater. So what do you Think?

[Upset]

Darn it! they always have the cheapest flights to Detroit, Chicago and St. Louis! what a bummer...

[Kenneth]

Grumpy wrote:

If the Rays just wait a while, the Clearwater airport might just be the place to build a new open air ball park. It is right on the water to satisfy that request. More than big enough for parking, etc. Easy access from Ulmerton, Hwy 19 and the Bay Bridge from Hwy. 60. Also the plus is the planes would no longer fly over residental areas in Clearwater. So what do you Think?

Even if you removed airline service from St. Pete/Clearwater Airport, the county would lose a tremendous amount of money from a very strong general aviation industry located on the field. Many businesses, and even the sports teams themselves, use KPIE to bypass the busier Tampa International.

As one of the many people that keeps a plane at the St. Pete/Clearwater Airport, I would be disgusted if such a thing ever occurred. Funny how people don't start complaining about airport noise until after they move near an airport.

[Simon]

I hope PIE gets another affordable airline that goes to Philly, I hate TPA!

[jeesh]

This is really only the beginning, all the small airlines are going to be in trouble. Fuel costs are damaging a lot of different industries. The oil producing countries are looking and laughing right now.

[stardog]

It was not the fuel prices that chased them off.It was their refusal to price tickets at a level to ensure a profit.

[deb]

I have been using USA 3000 for years traveling between Detroit and Tampa. If you ever been to Detroit airport USA 3000 is soo easy to get to. You don't have to go too far in the airport with that airline. We need USA 3000 to come back to the Tampa area. This is going to suck.

[bobbie]

by taking usa 3000 out of tampa it will make it soo much harder to go up north.bumber

[toni]

your telling me that there is more people going to fort meyers than tampa. don't think so!

[Chris Clearwater]

Kenneth wrote:

<quoted text>
Even if you removed airline service from St. Pete/Clearwater Airport, the county would lose a tremendous amount of money from a very strong general aviation industry located on the field. Many businesses, and even the sports teams themselves, use KPIE to bypass the busier Tampa International.
As one of the many people that keeps a plane at the St. Pete/Clearwater Airport, I would be disgusted if such a thing ever occurred. Funny how people don't start complaining about airport noise until after they move near an airport.

So true. My Mom and Dad live in the Knoxville, Tn, area. Years ago when Knoxville built the airport it was out in the country. Now years latter, it is built up with houses, malls, ect. And the people that moved in long after the airport say they want the planes to quiet down. On another note, the Coast Guard also makes use of PIE. I think it it one of the biggest bases the USCG has?

[Katie]

I agree with toni about more people on the Ft Myers route....flights between Chicago and St Pete are ALWAYS FULL!! We can't get to Florida for less than USA3000 offered us, so our visits will now be few and far between. We also used to fly Spirit from Chicago to Tampa, until they pulled the plug on us by discontinuing that route. St Pete airport is visible from our condo, and I have no problem with planes flying overhead! I love the convenience of being so close to the airport. This is a very very sad day for us, hearing this news. Can't they just hike the prices a bit to compensate for the fuel?? Discontinue the snack and drink cart?? It's such a short flight, we could do without those for that short time!!

[jim]

THAT'S TERRIBLE, THEY HAD THE BEST PRICE, THE WHOLE FAMILY HERE IN FLORIDA AND PA. WOULD FLY BACK AND FORTH AND WE WERE ALWAYS PLEASE WITH THEIR SERVICE, HUGE MISTAKE AND WILL BE MISSED.

[Staci]

fly from Pit to PIE 12 times a year on USA3000..or more. The planes are packed. I don't get it. Raise the price...would still fly usa3000.
please please....
Don't won't to fly to TPA...
staci in pit