## ^\;O^J c 1p^-0<^ 2 Adams , Kevi n (OST ) ' "rARTMFNT O F From : Marci a Milner-Brag e [marcia@milner-brage.com ] ' T , .pi.p;,'f|(v^; ; Sent : Wednesday , Novembe r30 , 201 1 8:5 9 P M To : Adams , Kevi n (OST ) . , - Cc : bhagen@FlyALO.co m IHOcC- ^ A ^ - l i Subject : EA S Bi d fo rWaterlo o Airpor

t Dea r Mr . Adams , W e strongl y recommen dthat Delt aAirline s b e maintaine da s th e sol e carrie r t o serv e th e Waterlo o Regiona l Airport . Choosin g America n Airline s ove r Delt awoul drelegat e ou r community t o lowe r

quality ai r

service . M y husban dan dI ar e longtim e residents o f Cedar Falls , Iowa . A s leisur e travelers , w e fly 6 -1 0 time s annually . W e hav e alway s use dth e Waterlo o Airport a s th e airport

t o begi n ou r

nationa l an dinternationa l trips . W e urg e relative s an dfriends , wh o visi t u s fro mboth coasts , t o fly int o ALO . Sinc e Waterlo o ha s bee n aon e airlin e airport , Delt aAirline s an dit s predecesso r Northwes t

hav e serve du s exceedingl y well . W e assum e eas e o f trave l wil l b e greatl y diminishe dif America n takes over . Thi s i s base do n th e following :

• Minneapoli s Internationa l Airport deal s with inclemen t

weathe r fa r bette r tha n Chicago' s O'Hare . MS P know s ho w t o kee p thei r

runway s operationa l throug h snow , ic e an dwin dbette r the n ORD . Onl y onc e i n 2 6 year s ha s flying throug h Minneapoli s resulte di n failur e t o ge t u s t o ou r destinatio n a s scheduled . (Delt apai dt o put

u s u p i n ahote l overnight) . Friend s wh o chos e t o driv e t o o r fro mChicago t o Cedar Fall s hav e repeatedl y face ddelaye dand/o r cancelle dflights a

t ORD , causin g hardshi p an dincrease d costs . Abou t

adecad e ago , ou r

son , whe n h e wa s acolleg e studen t o n th e Eas t

coast , wa s strande dat O'Har e thre e time s i n 2-1/ 2 years , du e t o weathe r shuttin g dow n th e airport . • America n Airlines , i n arecen t Ne w Yor k Time s article , wa s site da s on e o f th e wors t airline s i n ou r country for

passenger s travelin g with children . Thi s i s corroborate db y ou r so n wh o live s o n th e Eas t coas t wit h hi s wif e an dchild . Delt awa s liste da s on e o f th e best . Whe n th e possibility o f America n Airline s replacin g Delt aa s th e sol e carrie r int o Waterlo o cam e u p aroun dou r Thanksgivin g table , th e consensu s wa s tha t

the y woul db e unabl e t o visi t u s a s often i

f the y ha dt o put

u p with th e usua l degradin g circumstance s dishe dou t b y American . • Becaus e w e no w fly onl y fro mAL O an dtherefo r onl y us e Delta , w e reap th e generou s reward s o f Delta' s Silve r

an dGol dSky Mile s an dth e accrua l o f man y miles . M y husban dan dI are both health y an dvibran t

retiree s i n ou r

60 s wh o ar e hopin g t o trave l eve n more . Acces s t o preferre dseating , earl y boarding , waive dluggag e fees , upgrade s with ou r mile s are perk s tha t

encourag e u s t o continu e traveling . I

f America n replace s Delta , w e wil l likel y los e som e o r al l o f thi s Delt astatu s t o fly ou t o f Waterloo . W e wil l probabl y b e lookin g for othe r options , like flying Delt aou t o f CID . • I f America n i s chose n ove r Delta , w e wil l trave l less . I t wil l n o longe r

b e agive n that

flying ou t

o f AL O i s th e onl y way for

us . Replacin g th e 1 0 minut e driv e fro mou r hous e t o th e Waterlo o Airport with a7 5 minut e driv e t o CID , 3-1/2 hou r driv e t o MSP , 2-1/ 3 hou r driv e t o DSM , o r

2 hou r driv e t o DB Q t o start atri p woul dbrin g stressfu l an ddiscouragin g hardship . • W e cam e t o Cedar

Falls / Waterlo o 2 6 year s ag o becaus e o f work . W e raise dou r

famil y here . No w retired , w e hav e chose n t o stay i n Cedar Fall s eve n thoug h ou r

famil y live s o n th e Coasts . W e lov e th e stress-free , hig h quality lif e i n thi s community . Eve n so , w e hav e entertaine dmovin g elsewhere . O n th e to p o f th e lis t o f wh y w e stay i s Cedar

Falls/Waterlo o i s agreat plac e t o trave l from . I

f America n take s over , AL O wil l no t

b e suc h agreat

plac e t o trave l fro m(o r

to) . Th e quality o f

servic e supplie db y Delt aou t o f th e Waterlo o Regiona l Airport throug h Miimeapoli s contribute s t o th e hig h standar do f

livin g here . Bra dHagen , manage r o f th e Waterlo o Regiona l Airport , tol dm e thatAmerican' s bi dwa s lowe r tha n Delta's . Les s i s no t

alway s better . Dedicate dtraveler s lik e u s wil l pa y dearl y if America n i s chose n ove r

Delta . Sincerely , Marci aan dJoh n Milner-Brag e marci a@ milner-brage . co m