Delta Airlines announced yesterday new nonstop service from Spokane to Los Angeles and back. The flight will
leave Spokane early in the morning and return later the same evening, making business travel to the Los Angeles area a day trip. The nonstop service to L.A. is in addition to the nonstop service to Denver and Minneapolis that Spokane already enjoys with Delta Airlines.
For this blog’s purposes, this isn’t about getting to Disneyland or the Southern California beaches (though we all agree that both sound great). What is the benefit of nonstop service for businesses?
The old adage “time is money” can mean a lot of things for a lot of people. Being on the road for a long period of time – whatever a “long period of time” means for your company – can cost money. Hotels, rental cars, food – it’s not cheap.
Being able to fly somewhere in the morning and fly home at night is a luxury. Say, for instance, you were recruiting a new employee from Southern California. You might want as much time with that person as possible. If you had to stop in one or more places on your way, that takes up time. Getting a nonstop flight can work a lot better for you and your company.
Nonstop flights open the gates for new business opportunities. During the event to announce Delta’s new nonstop service for Spokane, Mayor David Condon talked about how this is a different kind of “North-South Corridor” for the region. So much business depends on transportation.
This nonstop service allows businesses in the Spokane region to be competitive with other, larger markets. It also makes it easier for Southern California residents to choose to visit our region, providing tourism dollars that impact our economy immensely.
Making it easier to do business is what everyone wants. Direct flights can make a big difference.
