Gerald R. Ford International Airport saw a record number of passengers in 2011.  2,275,332 passengers flew in 2011, that's a 4.1% increase over the record set in 2010.

More and more people are flying Grand Rapids.  Do you?

The advantages of flying out of Grand Rapids are obvious.  It can usually save you time, especially if you can get a direct flight to your destination.  That time saved will often cost you money though.

It's all about the trade-off.  Drive to Chicago or Detroit for the cheapest fares and take more time and pay more to park, or just fly out of GR.  Sometimes it's worth it and sometimes it isn't.  If you have a large family going to Chicago begins to make more sense, because you're buying multiple tickets.

For me, if traveling solo flying out of GR almost always makes more sense, if traveling with the whole family of five, going to Chicago usually makes more sense.

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