Is Vision Airlines Fading?

A nationally recognized reporter, writer, and consumer advocate, Ed Perkins focuses on how travelers can find the best deals and avoid scams.

He is the author of "Online Travel" (2000) and "Business Travel: When It's Your Money" (2004), the first step-by-step guide specifically written for small business and self-employed professional travelers. He was also the co-author of the annual "Best Travel Deals" series from Consumers Union.

Perkins' advice for business travelers is featured on MyBusinessTravel.com, a website devoted to helping small business and self-employed professional travelers find the best value for their travel dollars.

Perkins was founding editor of Consumer Reports Travel Letter, one of the country's most influential travel publications, from which he retired in 1998. He has also written for Business Traveller magazine (London).

Perkins' travel expertise has led to frequent television appearances, including ABC's "Good Morning America" and "This Week with David Brinkley," "The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather," CNN, and numerous local TV and radio stations.

Before editing Consumer Reports Travel Letter, Perkins spent 25 years in travel research and consulting with assignments ranging from national tourism development strategies to the design of computer-based tourism models.

Born in Evanston, Illinois, Perkins lives in Ashland, Oregon with his wife.

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Vision Airlines has been shrinking, and its future is uncertain. When we first mentioned the line, it flew from Asheville, Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Greenville, Huntsville, Knoxville, Louisville, Niagara Falls, and Shreveport to Destin/Ft. Walton Beach; Louisville to Atlanta, and from most of its mainland cities to Grand Bahama Island. Now, however, many of those cities are missing from the route map.

Future cutbacks look even more ominous. Starting in March, Vision’s booking system shows no flights at all to/from Destin/Ft. Walton Beach, on the Gulfport-St. Petersburg route, or between Louisville and Atlanta. Instead, the only ongoing flights seem to be from Baltimore, Ft. Lauderdale, Louisville, Raleigh/Durham, and Richmond to Grand Bahama Island, and even those routes show no flights from May onwards.

According to the only press report I’ve seen on the subject, Vision is “evaluating” its future schedule to Destin/Ft. Walton Beach and “may” return. This report had nothing to say about future Grand Bahama schedules.

All in all, this looks a lot like an airline that is closing up shop. If you’re planning to fly any of these routes, better have a Plan B available.

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