Why Airlines Need Competition .
Go West With JetBlue: Now Offering Nonstop Service From Salt Lake City to Sin City
Daily Service to Las Vegas Begins May 1
Fares Start as Low as $49(a) Each Way
SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 21, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Jet Blue Airways (Nasdaq:JBLU) will continue to add even more flights in the Western United States this spring with the launch of daily nonstop service between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, beginning May 1. To celebrate its sixth destination from Salt Lake City, low-fare, high-flair Jet Blue is offering an introductory fare of $49 (a) each way for flights to/from Las Vegas.
"Our customers keep asking for more Jet Blue service from Salt Lake City, and today we're thrilled to deliver with yet another new route," said Frankie Littleford, vice president of Jet Blue's Salt Lake City-based reservations department. "We invite you to experience all that flying should be on your next trip to Las Vegas, or any one of Jet Blue's six nonstop destinations from Salt Lake City. With Jet Blue, a low fare and a great experience are a sure bet!"
Customer-favorite Jet Blue now offers up to eight daily departures from Salt Lake City to Burbank, Las Vegas, Long Beach, New York/JFK, San Diego, and San Francisco.
Jet Blue's new service between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas:
------------------------------------------------------------------- Salt Lake City (SLC) to Las Vegas (LAS) to Las Vegas (LAS) Salt Lake City (SLC) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Depart - Arrive Depart - Arrive ------------------------------------------------------------------- 7:55 p.m. - 8:15 p.m. 4:55 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. (daily effective (daily effective May 1, 2008) May 1, 2008) ------------------------------------------------------------------- --All times local-- -------------------------------------------------------------------
Jet Blue is the only airline to offer free seatback satellite television -- featuring the airline's signature 36 channels of DIRECTV(r) -- on all flights to/from Salt Lake City International Airport. Better yet: Every Jet Blue departure from Salt Lake City is aboard the airline's 150-seat Airbus A320 aircraft, which offers a spacious cabin with the most legroom in coach. Today's new route is the latest in a string of recent additions to Jet Blue's western route network; other new routes beginning this May include Burbank to Las Vegas and Washington/Dulles; Long Beach to Austin, San Jose, and Seattle; Los Angeles to Boston and New York; San Diego to Seattle; and San Francisco to Austin.
New York-based Jet Blue Airways has created a new airline category based on value, service and style. Known for its award-winning service and free TV as much as its low fares, Jet Blue is now pleased to offer customers the most legroom throughout coach (based on average fleet-wide seat pitch for U.S. airlines). Jet Blue introduced complimentary in-flight e-mail and instant messaging services on aircraft "BetaBlue," a first among U.S. domestic airlines.
Jet Blue is also America's first and only airline to offer its own Customer Bill of Rights, with meaningful and specific compensation for customers inconvenienced by service disruptions within JetBlue's control. Visit www.jetblue.com/promise for details. Jet Blue serves 53 cities with 550 daily flights. New service to Los Angeles International Airport begins in May. With Jet Blue, all seats are assigned, all travel is ticketless, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. For information or reservations call 1-800-JETBLUE (1-800-538-2583) or visit www.jetblue.com.
The Jet Blue logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=795
(a) All fares are subject to change without notice. Fares are only available for flights booked at jetblue.com. Travel costs $10 more per person if purchased by telephone or at an airport or city ticket office. Fares require up to a 14-day advance purchase. Travel must be booked by February 29, 2008, 11:59 PM MT. Travel must be completed by June 4, 2008. Blackout dates for travel are between May 23, 2008 and May 26, 2008. Travel must take place on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and/or Saturday. Fares may not be available on all days or on all flights. Fares are most often found on midweek travel dates. All fares must be purchased at time of reservation, and are one-way, nonrefundable, and nontransferable. Cancellations and changes can be made prior to scheduled departure for $50 at 1-800-JETBLUE or $40 at jetblue.com, with applicable fare adjustment. Cancellations are for a Jet Blue travel credit only, which is valid for one year. If a reservation is not changed or canceled prior to scheduled departure, all money associated with the reservation is forfeited. Fares do not include Passenger Facility Charges of up to $9 each way, September 11th Security Fees of up to $5 each way and a Federal Segment Tax of $3.50 per domestic segment. A segment is a takeoff and landing. All taxes and fees must be paid at the time of purchase. Jet Blue reserves the right to deny boarding to passengers without proper documentation. Other restrictions apply.
DIRECTV(r) service is not available on flights outside the continental United States; however, where applicable FOX InFlight(tm) is offered complimentary on these routes. FOX InFlight(tm) is a trademark of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Jet Blue's in-flight entertainment service is provided by LiveTV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jet Blue.
This press release contains statements of a forward-looking nature which represent our management's beliefs and assumptions concerning future events. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and are based on information currently available to us. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements due to many factors, including, without limitation, our extremely competitive industry; increases in fuel prices, maintenance costs and interest rates; our ability to implement our growth strategy, including the ability to operate reliably the EMBRAER 190 aircraft; our significant fixed obligations; our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel and maintain our culture as we grow; our reliance on high daily aircraft utilization; our dependence on the New York metropolitan market and the effect of increased congestion in this market; our reliance on automated systems and technology; our being subject to potential unionization; our reliance on a limited number of suppliers; changes in or additional government regulation; changes in our industry due to other airlines' financial condition; and external geopolitical events and conditions.
Further information concerning these and other factors is contained in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to, the Company's 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release. ***
--------------------------------------------------------
Source: JetBlue Airways Corporation
CONTACT: JetBlue Airways Communications
Corporate Communications
(718) 709-3089
CorporateCommunications@jetblue.com
Reservations
(800) JET-BLUE (538-2583)
http://www.jetblue.com/?source=pr
===============================
Austin ascendant – Jet Blue boosts service
You know a city has gone big time when it attracts a lot of nonstop air service. Austin is such a place. Once reliant on connections over nearby Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Houston (HOU and IAH), flyers frequenting Austin-Bergstrom International (AUS) are now able to fly nonstop to a slew of cities without having to change planes. The latest evidence of this is discount airline Jet Blue’s decision to increase the number of nonstop destinations from the high-tech, laid-back Texas capital.
From May 1, look for the discount airline to launch nonstop service from AUS to Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Long Beach (LGB), Orlando (MCO), and San Francisco (SFO). In terms of nonstop discount airfares to those areas, the citizens of central Texas may never have had it so good. One of the reasons is competition. While Jet Blue begins service to San Francisco on May 1, discount airline Southwest starts nonstops out of Austin to cross-bay rival Oakland (OAK) on May 10. And even as Jet Blue launches AUS–Fort Lauderdale on May Day, Southwest starts flying the same route nine days later.
Southwest already flies nonstop to Orlando from Austin. Jet Blue will have the Austin to Long Beach route to itself. LGB serves as a prime launchpad for the discount airline in the Los Angeles Basin. Jet Blue will field Embraer 190 regional jets on all its new Austin routes. Unlike smaller RJs, the -190s are spacious with bigger overhead bins, 2x2 seating, and fast.
source: http://news.cheapflights.com/airlines/2008/02/austin-ascendan.html
==============================
American Airlines, First US Airline To Offer Internet Connection On flights
American Airlines will be the first US carrier to provide an Internet connection to it’s passengers. This service will be provided through Aircell, an airborne communications company that holds over 30 patents of the kind. It will allow a broadband connection to the Internet wile in the air.
American will begin testing this new technology on all of it’s 15 Boding 767-200´s (mainly used on the airline’s transcontinental routes) shortly. In fact, American Airlines completed the first Aircell Internet connection installation on one of it’s Boeing 767´s on January 22nd, 2008. The US carrier is planning to update the rest of it’s Boeing 767 fleet with this new technology throughout 2008.
This new system will greatly improve the comfort level for travelers who choose to fly with American Airlines. This is no wonder; it includes a wide range of possibilities. It’s main feature will be a broadband connection to the Internet with similar speeds to those obtained in a conventional wireless or broadband connection on the ground. Passengers will be allowed to access American Airlines VPN (Virtual Private Network). Those who carry with themselves a laptop computer, a Blackberry or a portable game system with a wireless connection will be able to check their e-mail.
The US carrier needs to get over with the testing and certification phase before this service is ready, but once it is, the airline will also offer it’s passengers in-flight information regarding to boarding gates (just in case your flight was delayed and you have to make a quick connection), flight schedule’s and prices. Access to a short version of The Wall Street Journal will be available for all passengers. There is no doubt whatsoever that being able to check your e-mail while in flight is a great improvement, thus making American Airlines a reliable option whilst thinking on which airline to fly with. However, it is true that this is not the first time this service has been used, nor is American the only airline which is planning to include it in it’s flights.
Boeing already gave it a try.
A few years ago, Boeing had already offered an Internet connection on it’s airplanes for those airlines which requested it. Several of them actually did, including Lufthansa, Japan Airlines and Singapore Airlines. Funny enough, not one single American airline seemed to be fond of this service back then. Boeing finally opted not to include it on it’s aircraft after spending well over 1000$ on this system and not having been able to persuade the big airlines to go for it.
Those days are over now, and quite a few American carriers are giving in-flight Internet access a serious thought. Jet Blue has already started to test a new system that will provide Internet access to some of it’s passengers. Such testing is taking place on one of Jet Blue’s Airbus A320´s. However, it must be said that this connection will be limited to checking e-mails and the use of Yahoo’s instant messenger service. Travelers who carry a Blackberry with them will be permitted to use it to check their e-mail as well.
Alaskan Airlines is another American carrier which is undergoing some testing to provide an access to the Web for it’s transatlantic flights, only this time the system will be based on a GPS Internet connection, this is, being able to access the Net through a satellite connection. Virgin Atlantic is another of the big ones that is giving in-flight Internet connection a try. Virgin, just as American Airlines, it will be using Aircell´s technology to access the Web.
Both American and Alaskan Airlines have already announced that they will not allow the use of cellular telephones in their aircraft during the duration of the flight. Virgin, however, hasn’t said so. Who knows, perhaps we will be able to check our e-mail and speak over our phone at 37.000 feet in a few years. ***
---------------------------------------------------------
by Jaime Hoyos
source: http://www.airplaneblog.com/american-airlines-will-be-the-first-us-airline-to-offer-an-internet-connection.html
========================================
Virgin America Tries a New Tactic: Mexico
It’s been awhile since we’ve heard about any new routes from Virgin America, so when I saw a press release saying that they were applying to fly from LA to Cabo, I felt compelled to write.
08_02_20 vxmexicodartsCabo?!? Are they really that desperate to find a place to fly?
This is the second time they’ve jumped in on a route after Frontier has abandoned it. The first was LAX-SFO, and that one hasn’t fared too well so far. At least, that’s the case through the DOT’s recently released November data. The airline only filled 58.7% of seats on that route that month. (Other markets don’t look so good either - the best is LAX-JFK with 68.7%, and Jet Blue will be starting that soon.) And this isn’t just historical. I’m assuming that trend is continuing because I’ve seen a lot of cheap fare sales coming out of the airline lately.
So, we’ve seen them shift away from their original transcon idea more toward the short hauls, and now they’re going international. It seems to me they’re just throwing ideas against the wall and seeing what sticks, because this doesn’t seem to be a very cohesive plan.
Why would an airline that has shown interest in serving major business markets all around the US decide to go to an already over-served, leisure-oriented Cabo market? Have they run out of good options in the US already? This does not make sense. They’re flying to a short-haul vacation market that has the added complexity of being international. That means you need to arrange for customs and immigration, and you have to hope that your homegrown IT system can handle international travel. Oh, and those low fares? They don’t look so low after you pile on those international taxes. And of course, live tv doesn’t work down there either.
Maybe it really is just a case of “jumping on the opportunity.” The bilateral agreement with Mexico allows for three carriers from each country to fly this route. Currently, Alaska and American both fly it twice daily from the US and Mexicana flies it from Mexico. Frontier has been flying it, but they’re giving up and that’s why this new authority is available. United has applied for it with the possibility of connections throughout California, and now Virgin America has jumped in with only a couple connecting opportunities that are already well-served. But as I’ve said earlier, this market really doesn’t need another carrier in it. CEO David Cush says “Since it was a low-cost airline that is giving up the right to fly to Cabo, we think it would be ideal for another low-cost carrier to take its place.” Um, so since it was a low-cost airline that failed in Cabo, does that mean another low-cost carrier should follow in its footsteps?
08_02_21 chewbaccadefenseAfter that statement, he should have added, “Look at the monkey. Look at the silly monkey.” Yes, as a friend of mine said, this a prime example of the Chewbacca Defense. That’s right. It just does not make sense.
Do they have a strategy right now that I’m missing? Someone please help me see the light, because it’s looking pretty dark to me right now. From what I can tell, the best success they’ve had is with their tiny first class cabin. It would seem to me that you’d want to start focusing on what’s worked for you instead of going into a market where first class isn’t going to matter at all. ***
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
source: http://crankyflier.com/2008/02/21/virgin-america-cabo-mexico/#comment-27913
Daily Service to Las Vegas Begins May 1
Fares Start as Low as $49(a) Each Way
SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 21, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Jet Blue Airways (Nasdaq:JBLU) will continue to add even more flights in the Western United States this spring with the launch of daily nonstop service between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, beginning May 1. To celebrate its sixth destination from Salt Lake City, low-fare, high-flair Jet Blue is offering an introductory fare of $49 (a) each way for flights to/from Las Vegas.
"Our customers keep asking for more Jet Blue service from Salt Lake City, and today we're thrilled to deliver with yet another new route," said Frankie Littleford, vice president of Jet Blue's Salt Lake City-based reservations department. "We invite you to experience all that flying should be on your next trip to Las Vegas, or any one of Jet Blue's six nonstop destinations from Salt Lake City. With Jet Blue, a low fare and a great experience are a sure bet!"
Customer-favorite Jet Blue now offers up to eight daily departures from Salt Lake City to Burbank, Las Vegas, Long Beach, New York/JFK, San Diego, and San Francisco.
Jet Blue's new service between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas:
------------------------------------------------------------------- Salt Lake City (SLC) to Las Vegas (LAS) to Las Vegas (LAS) Salt Lake City (SLC) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Depart - Arrive Depart - Arrive ------------------------------------------------------------------- 7:55 p.m. - 8:15 p.m. 4:55 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. (daily effective (daily effective May 1, 2008) May 1, 2008) ------------------------------------------------------------------- --All times local-- -------------------------------------------------------------------
Jet Blue is the only airline to offer free seatback satellite television -- featuring the airline's signature 36 channels of DIRECTV(r) -- on all flights to/from Salt Lake City International Airport. Better yet: Every Jet Blue departure from Salt Lake City is aboard the airline's 150-seat Airbus A320 aircraft, which offers a spacious cabin with the most legroom in coach. Today's new route is the latest in a string of recent additions to Jet Blue's western route network; other new routes beginning this May include Burbank to Las Vegas and Washington/Dulles; Long Beach to Austin, San Jose, and Seattle; Los Angeles to Boston and New York; San Diego to Seattle; and San Francisco to Austin.
New York-based Jet Blue Airways has created a new airline category based on value, service and style. Known for its award-winning service and free TV as much as its low fares, Jet Blue is now pleased to offer customers the most legroom throughout coach (based on average fleet-wide seat pitch for U.S. airlines). Jet Blue introduced complimentary in-flight e-mail and instant messaging services on aircraft "BetaBlue," a first among U.S. domestic airlines.
Jet Blue is also America's first and only airline to offer its own Customer Bill of Rights, with meaningful and specific compensation for customers inconvenienced by service disruptions within JetBlue's control. Visit www.jetblue.com/promise for details. Jet Blue serves 53 cities with 550 daily flights. New service to Los Angeles International Airport begins in May. With Jet Blue, all seats are assigned, all travel is ticketless, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. For information or reservations call 1-800-JETBLUE (1-800-538-2583) or visit www.jetblue.com.
The Jet Blue logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=795
(a) All fares are subject to change without notice. Fares are only available for flights booked at jetblue.com. Travel costs $10 more per person if purchased by telephone or at an airport or city ticket office. Fares require up to a 14-day advance purchase. Travel must be booked by February 29, 2008, 11:59 PM MT. Travel must be completed by June 4, 2008. Blackout dates for travel are between May 23, 2008 and May 26, 2008. Travel must take place on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and/or Saturday. Fares may not be available on all days or on all flights. Fares are most often found on midweek travel dates. All fares must be purchased at time of reservation, and are one-way, nonrefundable, and nontransferable. Cancellations and changes can be made prior to scheduled departure for $50 at 1-800-JETBLUE or $40 at jetblue.com, with applicable fare adjustment. Cancellations are for a Jet Blue travel credit only, which is valid for one year. If a reservation is not changed or canceled prior to scheduled departure, all money associated with the reservation is forfeited. Fares do not include Passenger Facility Charges of up to $9 each way, September 11th Security Fees of up to $5 each way and a Federal Segment Tax of $3.50 per domestic segment. A segment is a takeoff and landing. All taxes and fees must be paid at the time of purchase. Jet Blue reserves the right to deny boarding to passengers without proper documentation. Other restrictions apply.
DIRECTV(r) service is not available on flights outside the continental United States; however, where applicable FOX InFlight(tm) is offered complimentary on these routes. FOX InFlight(tm) is a trademark of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Jet Blue's in-flight entertainment service is provided by LiveTV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jet Blue.
This press release contains statements of a forward-looking nature which represent our management's beliefs and assumptions concerning future events. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and are based on information currently available to us. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements due to many factors, including, without limitation, our extremely competitive industry; increases in fuel prices, maintenance costs and interest rates; our ability to implement our growth strategy, including the ability to operate reliably the EMBRAER 190 aircraft; our significant fixed obligations; our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel and maintain our culture as we grow; our reliance on high daily aircraft utilization; our dependence on the New York metropolitan market and the effect of increased congestion in this market; our reliance on automated systems and technology; our being subject to potential unionization; our reliance on a limited number of suppliers; changes in or additional government regulation; changes in our industry due to other airlines' financial condition; and external geopolitical events and conditions.
Further information concerning these and other factors is contained in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to, the Company's 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release. ***
--------------------------------------------------------
Source: JetBlue Airways Corporation
CONTACT: JetBlue Airways Communications
Corporate Communications
(718) 709-3089
CorporateCommunications@jetblue.com
Reservations
(800) JET-BLUE (538-2583)
http://www.jetblue.com/?source=pr
===============================
Austin ascendant – Jet Blue boosts service
You know a city has gone big time when it attracts a lot of nonstop air service. Austin is such a place. Once reliant on connections over nearby Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Houston (HOU and IAH), flyers frequenting Austin-Bergstrom International (AUS) are now able to fly nonstop to a slew of cities without having to change planes. The latest evidence of this is discount airline Jet Blue’s decision to increase the number of nonstop destinations from the high-tech, laid-back Texas capital.
From May 1, look for the discount airline to launch nonstop service from AUS to Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Long Beach (LGB), Orlando (MCO), and San Francisco (SFO). In terms of nonstop discount airfares to those areas, the citizens of central Texas may never have had it so good. One of the reasons is competition. While Jet Blue begins service to San Francisco on May 1, discount airline Southwest starts nonstops out of Austin to cross-bay rival Oakland (OAK) on May 10. And even as Jet Blue launches AUS–Fort Lauderdale on May Day, Southwest starts flying the same route nine days later.
Southwest already flies nonstop to Orlando from Austin. Jet Blue will have the Austin to Long Beach route to itself. LGB serves as a prime launchpad for the discount airline in the Los Angeles Basin. Jet Blue will field Embraer 190 regional jets on all its new Austin routes. Unlike smaller RJs, the -190s are spacious with bigger overhead bins, 2x2 seating, and fast.
source: http://news.cheapflights.com/airlines/2008/02/austin-ascendan.html
==============================
American Airlines, First US Airline To Offer Internet Connection On flights
American Airlines will be the first US carrier to provide an Internet connection to it’s passengers. This service will be provided through Aircell, an airborne communications company that holds over 30 patents of the kind. It will allow a broadband connection to the Internet wile in the air.
American will begin testing this new technology on all of it’s 15 Boding 767-200´s (mainly used on the airline’s transcontinental routes) shortly. In fact, American Airlines completed the first Aircell Internet connection installation on one of it’s Boeing 767´s on January 22nd, 2008. The US carrier is planning to update the rest of it’s Boeing 767 fleet with this new technology throughout 2008.
This new system will greatly improve the comfort level for travelers who choose to fly with American Airlines. This is no wonder; it includes a wide range of possibilities. It’s main feature will be a broadband connection to the Internet with similar speeds to those obtained in a conventional wireless or broadband connection on the ground. Passengers will be allowed to access American Airlines VPN (Virtual Private Network). Those who carry with themselves a laptop computer, a Blackberry or a portable game system with a wireless connection will be able to check their e-mail.
The US carrier needs to get over with the testing and certification phase before this service is ready, but once it is, the airline will also offer it’s passengers in-flight information regarding to boarding gates (just in case your flight was delayed and you have to make a quick connection), flight schedule’s and prices. Access to a short version of The Wall Street Journal will be available for all passengers. There is no doubt whatsoever that being able to check your e-mail while in flight is a great improvement, thus making American Airlines a reliable option whilst thinking on which airline to fly with. However, it is true that this is not the first time this service has been used, nor is American the only airline which is planning to include it in it’s flights.
Boeing already gave it a try.
A few years ago, Boeing had already offered an Internet connection on it’s airplanes for those airlines which requested it. Several of them actually did, including Lufthansa, Japan Airlines and Singapore Airlines. Funny enough, not one single American airline seemed to be fond of this service back then. Boeing finally opted not to include it on it’s aircraft after spending well over 1000$ on this system and not having been able to persuade the big airlines to go for it.
Those days are over now, and quite a few American carriers are giving in-flight Internet access a serious thought. Jet Blue has already started to test a new system that will provide Internet access to some of it’s passengers. Such testing is taking place on one of Jet Blue’s Airbus A320´s. However, it must be said that this connection will be limited to checking e-mails and the use of Yahoo’s instant messenger service. Travelers who carry a Blackberry with them will be permitted to use it to check their e-mail as well.
Alaskan Airlines is another American carrier which is undergoing some testing to provide an access to the Web for it’s transatlantic flights, only this time the system will be based on a GPS Internet connection, this is, being able to access the Net through a satellite connection. Virgin Atlantic is another of the big ones that is giving in-flight Internet connection a try. Virgin, just as American Airlines, it will be using Aircell´s technology to access the Web.
Both American and Alaskan Airlines have already announced that they will not allow the use of cellular telephones in their aircraft during the duration of the flight. Virgin, however, hasn’t said so. Who knows, perhaps we will be able to check our e-mail and speak over our phone at 37.000 feet in a few years. ***
---------------------------------------------------------
by Jaime Hoyos
source: http://www.airplaneblog.com/american-airlines-will-be-the-first-us-airline-to-offer-an-internet-connection.html
========================================
Virgin America Tries a New Tactic: Mexico
It’s been awhile since we’ve heard about any new routes from Virgin America, so when I saw a press release saying that they were applying to fly from LA to Cabo, I felt compelled to write.
08_02_20 vxmexicodartsCabo?!? Are they really that desperate to find a place to fly?
This is the second time they’ve jumped in on a route after Frontier has abandoned it. The first was LAX-SFO, and that one hasn’t fared too well so far. At least, that’s the case through the DOT’s recently released November data. The airline only filled 58.7% of seats on that route that month. (Other markets don’t look so good either - the best is LAX-JFK with 68.7%, and Jet Blue will be starting that soon.) And this isn’t just historical. I’m assuming that trend is continuing because I’ve seen a lot of cheap fare sales coming out of the airline lately.
So, we’ve seen them shift away from their original transcon idea more toward the short hauls, and now they’re going international. It seems to me they’re just throwing ideas against the wall and seeing what sticks, because this doesn’t seem to be a very cohesive plan.
Why would an airline that has shown interest in serving major business markets all around the US decide to go to an already over-served, leisure-oriented Cabo market? Have they run out of good options in the US already? This does not make sense. They’re flying to a short-haul vacation market that has the added complexity of being international. That means you need to arrange for customs and immigration, and you have to hope that your homegrown IT system can handle international travel. Oh, and those low fares? They don’t look so low after you pile on those international taxes. And of course, live tv doesn’t work down there either.
Maybe it really is just a case of “jumping on the opportunity.” The bilateral agreement with Mexico allows for three carriers from each country to fly this route. Currently, Alaska and American both fly it twice daily from the US and Mexicana flies it from Mexico. Frontier has been flying it, but they’re giving up and that’s why this new authority is available. United has applied for it with the possibility of connections throughout California, and now Virgin America has jumped in with only a couple connecting opportunities that are already well-served. But as I’ve said earlier, this market really doesn’t need another carrier in it. CEO David Cush says “Since it was a low-cost airline that is giving up the right to fly to Cabo, we think it would be ideal for another low-cost carrier to take its place.” Um, so since it was a low-cost airline that failed in Cabo, does that mean another low-cost carrier should follow in its footsteps?
08_02_21 chewbaccadefenseAfter that statement, he should have added, “Look at the monkey. Look at the silly monkey.” Yes, as a friend of mine said, this a prime example of the Chewbacca Defense. That’s right. It just does not make sense.
Do they have a strategy right now that I’m missing? Someone please help me see the light, because it’s looking pretty dark to me right now. From what I can tell, the best success they’ve had is with their tiny first class cabin. It would seem to me that you’d want to start focusing on what’s worked for you instead of going into a market where first class isn’t going to matter at all. ***
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
source: http://crankyflier.com/2008/02/21/virgin-america-cabo-mexico/#comment-27913
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