Delta cuts fares at CVG by up to 60%

Welcome news for frequent fliers:  Delta Airlines has cut fares on domestic flights to and from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG).

And this is not a temporary sales ploy, assures Delta Chief Operating Officer, Steve Gorman.  This rate reduction marks the beginning of a new strategy for Delta.

Ranging from as much as a five to sixty percent mark down, the price cuts will apply to walk-up fares and pre-purchased business and leisure tickets for flights to cities in the Northeast, the West Coast, and Florida.  In total, eighty percent of passengers flying in or out of CVG will benefit from the cuts.Only round-trip tickets that require a minimum stay of three nights, or a Saturday night, will be sold at reduced rates.

“I applaud Delta for making the decision to lower fares in response to travelers’ requests," says Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory. 

The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber played a significant role in encouraging the rate reductions at the airport through a number of efforts including the creation of the Regional Air Service Committee, commissioning an economic impact study and, most recently, conducting a survey to learn more about local leisure and business flying habits and opinions.

"These are substantial fare reductions and my first response is 'Thank you,'" says H. Lawson Walker II, Chairman of the Airport Board. 

Indeed, airport officials are hopeful that reduced fares will attract more travelers to use CVG, instead of other nearby airports.

"We are very much committed to making the Cincinnati hub as successful as possible," Gorman says.

And it's not just travelers who benefit.

Combined with CVG's solid reputation – including a spot in the 2008 J.D. Power 10 Best Hub Airports in North America – Mayor Mallory adds that this development "will be an additional selling point when we talk to businesses about investing in Cincinnati."

Examples of reduced airfares:

Market	Previous 21-day advance-purchase fare**	Reduction	New sample 21-day advance-purchase fare**
Charleston, S.C.	$185 one-way*	56%	$82 one-way*
St. Louis	$180 one-way*	53%	$84 one-way*
Philadelphia	$149 one-way*	38%	$92 one-way*
Los Angeles	$310 one-way*	58%	$130 one-way*
Boston	$205 one-way*	26%	$152 one-way*
Hartford, Conn.	$180 one-way*	12%	$159 one-way*
Seattle	$305 one-way*	43%	$173 one-way*
Salt Lake City	$270 one-way*	20%	$217 one-way*

Writer:  Jonathan DeHart
Source:  Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport