McCook's regional airport has had the slogan "Fly everywhere from here" for several years now, but with the return of Great Lakes Airlines to the terminal, and the addition of flights to Kansas City, as well as Denver, that phrase is even truer than before.

Mary Osborne, a regional sales manager for the carrier, which came back to McCook after a two-year hiatus, credited the city's location on the map for allowing the company to immediately fill the gap left behind when Mesa Airlines withdrew service this past spring.

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"McCook happens to be in the middle of our newer Denver-to-Kansas City route," she said, which made it an ideal spot for a stop. That translates to Great Lakes being able to offer one-way and round-trip flights to both cities from McCook. Those larger airports, in turn, offer about 275 different final destinations combined, both in the U.S. and internationally.

The planes make 10-minute visits to the McCook airport during their runs, which allows for the loading and unloading of passengers and luggage, as well as important maintenance and safety checks. While 10 minutes may seem like a quick turnaround time, these stops allow the McCook area to enjoy the benefits of expanded air service for business, pleasure, or both.

While visiting the airport to promote the carrier's return, Osborne also provided some money-saving tips for potential passengers. She said that the best way to find the lowest priced fares for longer trips from McCook is to book both legs of the journey separately.

She suggested using either a travel agent or logging on to the Great Lakes website (flygreatlakes.com) to purchase the ticket to and/or from McCook, then buying the ticket for the continuation of your trip through another source.

Another new, potentially money-saving option made available by Great Lakes is their bulk ticketing program, called "e-Book."

It allows a customer to purchase 10 one-way "tickets" between McCook and Denver or Kansas City for a flat rate; the customer merely calls the company's Reservation Center to use them.

These "tickets" do not require advance booking, there are no penalties for changing a reservation, and are completely transferable, unlike most other flight documents.

"If you buy a regular ticket, and then you want to give it to your mom, for example," said Teresa Dicke, the manager of the company's McCook operation, "you wouldn't be able to. This program lets you do that."

Osborne sees a bright future for McCook's air travelers. Great Lakes is continuing to add routes and destinations, and she said that it is possible that more flights could be added to the schedule in the coming years, if demand grows and the area remains supportive.