City could cash in on Chicago link

We know about Bourbon Street, the Bears and the Chicago Way, but what do they know about us?

In the lead-up to the start of next spring’s direct flights between Thunder Bay and Chicago on United Airlines, some think the City of Thunder Bay would do well to promote itself to Chicagoans well before the jets take flight.

“I don’t think that’s a bad idea and we’ll be talking about that to (Thunder Bay Tourism manager) Paul Pepe,” Thunder Bay Mayor Keith Hobbs said Thursday.

United announced Tuesday its plans to increase the number of its North American routes that connect to “hub” cities like Chicago. A daily return flight from Thunder Bay, to start Feb. 14, was on the list.

Hobbs said he is aware of some Thunder Bay business people who have a reason to go to Chicago from time to time.

He said putting ads about Thunder Bay in major Chicago newspapers to attract potential Chicago-based tourists “wouldn’t be a waste of money.”

(Lakehead University had some success a few years ago by advertising its programs on the Toronto Transit Commission.)

A City of Chicago spokesman who works in Mayor Ralm Emanuel’s office said he can see a lot of travel between the two lakefront cities.

“I think Chicagoans like to show off their city and they also like to see the world,” said Tom Alexander.

“Personally, I also think United wouldn’t have put these flights out there if they didn’t see an opportunity.”

Alexander, who has been to Toronto, said he didn’t know if Emanuel gets many opportunities to travel to Canada.

Though Chicago isn’t known as a mining centre, the fact that it is a major hub could make it easier for mining industry representatives in other parts of the U.S. to get to Thunder Bay, bypassing Toronto.

“The last time I went to Reno, I had to go through Chicago,” said Garry Clark, the Thunder Bay-based executive director of the Ontario Prospectors Association.

Thunder Bay Coun. Iain Angus, a past-president of the North of Superior Tourism Association, said the opportunity for U.S. outdoorsy types to fly to the Lakehead “will divert some travellers from the road.”

“I don’t think United would be coming into our market if they didn’t see a big opportunity,” Angus added.

NOSTA has in the past attended hunting and fishing trade shows in Chicago; being able to tout direct flights will make Thunder Bay even more attractive as a destination, said Angus.

United said it wants to entice travellers to fly to U.S. hubs like Chicago, then continue to other destinations where the airline flies, like Orlando and Hawaii.

Thunder Bay-based Bearskin Airlines marketing director Ron Hell said the strategy makes a lot of sense.

“Clearly, the market they’re looking at is travel that goes beyond Chicago,” said Hell. “There’s a huge opportunity for them to be successful.”

United’s plan to offer flights from Thunder Bay to Chicago appears to have put the kibosh, for now, on Bearskin’s idea to offer direct flights from Thunder Bay to Minneapolis.

“It’s been on our radar for a while, but we haven’t made any decisions yet,” said Hell.