Isp Future?

[PHL]

I have an opportunity to work on a project near Islip for about 18-24 months. From where I live in Philly, there is no easy way to get there other than to fly. The drive, with traffic, is easily 4+ hours. On the rail, it would require taking Amtrak to Penn Station and 2 LIRR trains at a total trip time of about 3 hours on the rail alone.

Flying might not be so bad, because I could get to the F terminal within an hour of the departure time (not a super busy security line like B/C). The air time would only be about 40-50 minutes, and my customer is within 10 minutes of ISP airport, so a cab ride would have me there quickly.

So, my question is - ISP right now has 5 daily flights to/from PHL. Any rumors on it being downsized? Or, any rumors that it will move to RJ's anytime soon? And, why is the first PHL-ISP flight not until 955am??! Are there no business travellers that need to be there for business on Monday?

 

[Art at ISP]

PHL,

You are asking questions I have been asking for a long time. Right now the ISP-PHL schedule has just changed from 6 r/t a day to 5. I heard a rumor that the 6th would return next month, but there is no confirmation. The 6th flight is a 6AM ISP-PHL and an 8PM PHL-ISP.

As to why no early morning flight, I can't answer that--since it makes perfect sense to have such a flight, that alone might be good enough a reason. Also, since these flights are always overbooked, they'll probably cut more!

I had heard a rumor about RJ's also, but they would be to PIT.

If I hear anything I will let you know.

 

[JS]

I suspect PHL is mostly just connecting traffic bound for ISP, which is why there is no early morning flight. It would be entirely O&D.

There is a Southwest flight that departs BWI at 7:30 AM, arriving at 8:30 AM.

 

[sfb]

Well, given that the rock-bottom round-trip PHL-ISP fare is $284 (21-day non-refundable advance purchase), they've probably found that very few people actually fly PHL-ISP or vice versa, even with the drive being as inconvenient as it is. The lowest Y fare is a whopping $400 each way! Since an earlier flight departing PHL probably can't pick up any connecting traffic, it would likely go out nearly empty.

As Art and others have said, "It's the fares, stupid!" I imagine that US would have more customers than they could handle with a 7-day advance purchase fare of, say $60 each way and walk-up at $100. Even the $60 fare gives a yield of over 45 cents/mile! As it is, I think few people are willing to pay over a dollar a mile for a 21-day advance purchase fare.

And the really sad thing -- US is offering a 7-day advance purchase round-trip fare from ISP to MCO for $128 r/t -- going through PHL of course. 14-day advance purchase from ISP to BWI for $112 r/t, again through PHL. They'd be making money offering those same prices just between PHL and ISP rather than trying to match WN.

 

[BDLDFW]

Well, it wouldn't be all O&D but mostly O&D. It could pickup connecting pax from the West Coast red-eye arrivals. Maybe the number crunchers believed that wasn't enough?