A new Cape Air flight from Lebanon Municipal Airport in West Lebanon to White Plains, N.Y., will make New York City more accessible to potential travelers at Dartmouth, according to Michelle Haynes, director of communications for Cape Air. The service, scheduled to begin March 15, will offer two daily round-trip flights and complimentary ground transportation from White Plains Westchester County Airport to midtown Manhattan at a cost of $160 each way, according to Haynes.
"We listened to what people wanted and because we're an independent airline we could respond to people's desires for a flight from Lebanon to New York," Haynes said. "We have high expectations for the draw there will be for this flight."
The trip from Lebanon to Manhattan will total approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes, according to Cape Air's web site. The route, which will be serviced by a Cessna 402 airplane, will accommodate approximately nine passengers, Haynes said. There is a morning and afternoon flight in each direction.
The service targets business travelers, Haynes said, adding that she hopes travelers will begin using the service for leisure travel once they "really grab onto the idea."
"At Dartmouth there are quite a few people, both faculty and administrators, that have business in Manhattan," she said. "There are also businesses around the Lebanon and Hanover areas that have to go to Manhattan for various reasons."
The new flight will benefit members of the Upper Valley community who must make a single-day trip to New York, as well as those that need to connect to alternative transportation, according to Peter Glenshaw, director of community relations for the College.
Cape Air is a popular, well-run company, he said.
"I think this is going to be an overall success for the community," Glenshaw said.
The new flight will likely not hurt the Dartmouth Coach bus service to New York, but will provide more choice, Glenshaw said.
"I think the good news here is that people have more choices and more ways to get to New York City, and depending on the circumstances they can choose which is best for them," Glenshaw said.
The flight may be popular with corporate recruiters who must travel to Hanover and for students who must travel to New York to interview for jobs, according to Monica Wilson, the associate director of employer relations at Career Services, who said she was not aware of Cape Air's new service.
The flight will still not be "an ideal solution," however, because of the costs and travel time that would come with the service, she said.
"We have employers who express frustration about the length of time and the number of connections they have to make to get here, and that combined with the economy has made it hard to get employers to come up," Wilson said. "It's a promising option, and for students who have to go down to New York it might make sense, but it's not ideal."
In 2008, Cape Air cancelled a service to New York's LaGuardia Airport and replaced it with service to Boston's Logan Airport, The Dartmouth previously reported. Cape Air will continue its Boston service.
Students interviewed by The Dartmouth said that the Dartmouth Coach service, which costs approximately $75 for a one-way trip, is a better option than flying, although some said they welcomed the new service as an alternative.
Benjy Meigs '10, who lives in New York, said he does not think the flight will be competitive with the Dartmouth Coach because of its cost and inconvenience. The flight will also likely be unattractive to business travellers because of its lack of wireless Internet access, which the Dartmouth Coach provides, he said.
"I wouldn't say no one is going to take this flight, but I highly doubt that students will take this flight because of the cost," he said. "I personally would never take it."
Max Hunter '13, who is from Bedford, N.Y., said that the Dartmouth Coach will remain a more convenient option.
"I'd rather just take a bus from the Hanover Inn to Stamford, Connecticut than have to find a way to get to Lebanon and go through the hassle of boarding and de-boarding the plane," he said.
Sean Kaufman '13, who is from New York, said that though he will still "generally" use the Dartmouth Coach or the bus provided by Student Assembly for their advantages in cost, it is "reassuring" to know that a faster option would be available if needed.
While the flight appears too expensive for students travelling home, it may be useful for upperclassman going through corporate recruiting, Katherine Shu '13, who lives in Queens, N.Y., said.
"The Student Assembly bus costs $100, so as a freshman it would never make sense for me to take [the flight]," she said. "But for a junior interviewing for an internship in New York, it would be really convenient."
