United to Add Daily Flight from Sarasota to Chicago

Another airline is attempting to make up for at .

United Airlines announced Monday it will launch service from SRQ airport to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) starting Nov. 4. AirTran was the only airline at SRQ to offer flights to Chicago, but those and other destinations serviced by the Southwest-owned airline will end Aug. 11.

The once-daily service will operate using Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 154 seats — 16 in United First, 48 in Economy Plus and 90 in Economy, according to the airline:

"This new route complements United's existing service between Chicago and eight other cities in Florida," said Martin Kammerman, United's senior manager of new markets and analysis. "In addition to providing Midwest travelers with easy access to Florida's southwest Gulf coast, this new service will give travelers from the Sarasota-Bradenton area convenient connections to United's global network from our Chicago hub.

"United offers Chicago customers more than 600 nonstop flights each day to more than 150 destinations worldwide, dozens more flight and destination options than any other airline.

The Herald-Tribune points out that the new service will actually make up for the loss of United/Continental when Continental stopped service in 2008: 

"The new Chicago flight marks the return to Sarasota-Bradenton International by the recently combined United and Continental airlines. Both airlines pulled out of the regional airport in recent years.

United did not say whether the new flight would be seasonal." 

The airport is still receiving rent from Continental, Sarasota aiport president and chief executive Rick Piccolo told the Herald-Tribune in 2008:

"Continental had a signed a lease through 2013 for Sarasota-Bradenton, so the airport will receive rent of more than $250,000 for several more years, Piccolo said.

, but no airline has offered direct flights to Baltimore, Milwaukee and Indianapolis to directly make up for the loss of AirTran.

An economy roundtrip ticket from Sarasota to Chicago on United will cost $426.40, according to United's website, if departing Nov. 4, a Sunday, and returning Nov. 5.