MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — United Express, operated by SkyWest Airlines, begins service to Washington D.C. and Chicago Friday from the Morgantown Municipal Airport (MGW).
On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” President and CEO of Visit Mountaineer Country CVB and member of the local selection committee Susan Riddle said there will be 12 nonstop flights per week, five weekly trips to Washington Dulles International Airport, and seven weekly round trips to Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
“You’re going into the United Airlines terminals in each of these corresponding airports,” Riddle said. “Unlike a commuter airline experience where you may be in a further remote area of the airport.”
The destinations provide a gateway to international travel, but for the first time, service to Chicago takes residents to the Magnificent Mile, the Willis Tower Skydeck, the Museum of Science and Industry, and a variety of major sporting events, plus the iconic Wrigley Field.
“Prices vary, but they are based on utilization,” Riddle said. “The least expensive flight going one-way to Chicago is $68, and the least expensive flight going one-way to Dulles could be $48.”
Flights can be booked at the Morgantown Municipal Airport website or the United Airlines website with ease and access to special deals.
“We have daily connections that tie into United’s discount rates because you’re able to book through the United system,” Riddle said.” One seamless transaction and access to all their discounts and offers.”
Flying out of MGW is a completely different experience than major airports. First, there’s no need to arrive two hours prior to takeoff, and since the airplanes are 50-passenger jets, it’s likely the terminal will never have much more than 50 people at a time going through the boarding process.
“The line just through TSA alone, not including the time it takes to get a parking space, get into the terminal, and check our bags, was an hour and a half, and you don’t experience that locally,” Riddle said.
Riddle said our area of the state is rich with options to fly across the state, country, or even the world at a reasonable price.
“With what already exists down at the North Central West Virginia Airport, we have options now in our Mountaineer Country service area,” Riddle said. “We’ve got Chicago, Dulles in D.C., North Carolina, and Florida—there’s not another place in West Virginia that has that kind of opportunity with their air service.”
An official welcome will be held at MGW Tuesday, December 17, at 10 a.m