And More Caribbean (sort Of)

[USFlyer]

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040603/dcth024_1.html

US Airways Files for Approval to Codeshare With Bahamasair
Thursday June 3, 2:17 pm ET


ARLINGTON, Va., June 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- US Airways today filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation to begin codesharing with Bahamasair, the flag carrier of the Islands of the Bahamas, later this summer.
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Subject to government approval, the proposed agreement will encompass reciprocal frequent flyer program benefits and codesharing on 48 daily flights between the U.S. and the Bahamas, as well as intra-Bahamian flights, including new service for US Airways customers to Governors Harbour, George Town, Treasure Cay and San Salvador.

Bahamasair customers will be able to travel to new U.S. gateways, including Boston, Charlotte, N.C., New York's LaGuardia Airport, Philadelphia and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, as well as make single-ticket connections to US Airways' nearly 200 destinations.

"We are very excited to become Bahamasair's first codeshare partner, expanding our breadth of service in the Caribbean region," said N. Bruce Ashby, US Airways senior vice president of alliances. "Bahamasair will offer our customers multiple daily connections to the secluded pink sand beaches of the Out Islands of the Bahamas, bringing paradise that much closer to home."

"We welcome this opportunity to partner with US Airways on this codeshare initiative, which repositions Bahamasair as a vehicle to generate inbound air stopover visitors to the Islands of the Bahamas from numerous US Airways gateways," said Van Diah, Bahamasair deputy general manager - commercial.

US Airways is the nation's seventh-largest airline, serving nearly 200 communities in the U.S., Canada, Europe, including 24 destinations in the Caribbean and Latin America. US Airways, US Airways Shuttle and the US Airways Express partner carriers operate over 3,300 flights per day. For more information on US Airways flight schedules and fares, contact US Airways online at http://usairways.com, or call US Airways Reservations at 1-800-428-4322.

Bahamasair, the national flag carrier of the Bahamas, operates daily from Nassau to 20 Bahamas destinations and four Florida destinations, in addition to service into Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands. For more information, call 1-800-222-4262 or visit our Web site at http://bahamasair.com.




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Source: US Airways

 

[ITRADE]

Looks like the US Express flights out of MIA will go away...

 

[EightySix]

Oh great, another carrier we can't eticket.

 

[phllax]

ITRADE, ever since Mesa switched the Dash-8's for the 1900 there have been problems. Bags continue to be left behind, Treasure Cay and Governour's Harbour were dropped, not to mention the fact that they had to "charter" aircraft from Gulfstream for a few months because the Mesa 1900's were not overwater equipped.

The codeshare will increase service from PBI & MIA, as well as bring back the FLL gateway and add MCO domestically. They will also presumably feed the FPO and NAS flights too. Not to mention that the aircraft will be a comfortable Dash 8 instead of a 1900.

 

[ITRADE]

ITRADE, ever since Mesa switched the Dash-8's for the 1900 there have been problems. Bags continue to be left behind, Treasure Cay and Governour's Harbour were dropped, not to mention the fact that they had to "charter" aircraft from Gulfstream for a few months because the Mesa 1900's were not overwater equipped.

The codeshare will increase service from PBI & MIA, as well as bring back the FLL gateway and add MCO domestically. They will also presumably feed the FPO and NAS flights too. Not to mention that the aircraft will be a comfortable Dash 8 instead of a 1900.

Actually out of MIA its a 732. Perhaps MCO as well.

Unfortunately, some folks have had not to many good things to say about the carrier in terms of reliability.

 

[ringmaruf]

The filing is now available at http://dmses.dot.gov/docimages/pdf89/282953_web.pdf.

The initial codeshare routes are as follows:

Operated by US Airways:
NAS-BOS/CLT/DCA/LGA/PHL
FPO-CLT/LGA/PHL

Operated by Bahamasair:
NAS-FLL/MCO/MIA/PBI
NAS-ELH/FPO/GHB/GGT/MHH/TCB/ZSA
FPO-FLL

 

[Light Years]

Actually out of MIA its a 732. Perhaps MCO as well.

Unfortunately, some folks have had not to many good things to say about the carrier in terms of reliability.

Apparently they refer to them as "SometimesAir".

 

[ITRADE]

I'm surprised that there isn't one flight or so out of TPA.

BTW, I don't remember if this was TPA or FLL (I think FLL), but there was a Carribbean carrier that was in the terminal with US and they were flying the older Dash-7s. First time I'd ever seen one. Anyone know this carrier?

 

[tadjr]

Dey be on island time, no problem mon.....

Actually, UP did fly into TPA with 737s a loooong time ago. They recently were running Dash 8 charters of some kind to FPO on Mo/Fr nights (hotel charter?). The loads werent good so I dont know when/if it will continue, but they didnt get into TPA until 830 at night so there were no onward connections available. Maybe with a codeshare a flight will return.
US also used to have a TPA-NAS flight about 10 years ago. (It continued on to DCA).

Is Paradise Island Airways who you were thinking of? They used to run to Paradise Island from PBI/FLL/MIA with Dash 7s. They were at one time a US Express carrier and then we purchased by Gulfstream I believe. Dont think the Dashes are used by them anymore though.

 

[Hope777]

I dont know how far back you are talking, but Paridise Island Airways (yes we even code shared for a while) did fly Dash 7's from Southern Fla to Paridise Island in the Bahamas.

 

[ITRADE]

I think you both are right.

Anyhow, UP has two 732s and 8 or so Dash-8s. Half of the problem must arise out of the fact that their 732s are close to 25 years old. They should trade them in for two or three 717s or 735s.

 

[ringmaruf]

As for the reliability, there's a (probably standard) reliability clause in the codeshare agreement that says each carrier must maintain basically an 85% ontime number and a 97% completion factor.

 

[ITRADE]

As for the reliability, there's a (probably standard) reliability clause in the codeshare agreement that says each carrier must maintain basically an 85% ontime number and a 97% completion factor.

I saw that.

Nice that you have to place your code-share agreement into the public domain.

85% is a high number when you think about it.

 

[Hope777]

Years ago we use to handle UP in our Station (15+ years). They only had three 737-200's and major Maintenance was done in INT. I remember calling their dispatch numerous times and it must have been at someones house, because a little kid would answer the phone and scream Dad, Piedmont is on the phone. Also, the Newark bags would be loaded on the Miami A/C while MIA bags would be loaded on the EWR A/C atleast once a month. Could tell you many stories, but I just hope they have gotten Their act together in the last 15 years otherwise it's a lost cause.

 

[ITRADE]

I remember calling their dispatch numerous times and it must have been at someones house, because a little kid would answer the phone and scream Dad, Piedmont is on the phone.

That's funny as he11.