New City?

[BOBO BENKINS]

Alaska will add at least one new city next year. Any educated guesses?

 

[N305AS]

Rumor has it that two new cities will be announced this Spring. I'd place bets on SLC and PHL, personally.

 

[Kev3188]

My guess would be DFW. I'd also second SLC as a logical bet.

 

[whlinder]

I expect PHL too, AS needs to get in there before WN.

I would guess for ATL as another, or it could be some smaller city in the west.

 

[Cosmo]

I expect PHL too, AS needs to get in there before WN.

I agree. Besides, many other airlines seem to be beating up on US Airways, so why shouldn't Alaska join in the fun by starting SEA-PHL service?

 

[LiveInAHotel]

I expect PHL too, AS needs to get in there before WN.

Southwest, has already begun to move into PHL. Read it for yourself: Southwest moves into PHL

 

[usairways85]

LiveInAHotel: WN doesn't start flying to PHL until next May, they just announced they were starting service in PHL a week ago. They haven't even announced the destinations yet.

 

[LiveInAHotel]

LiveInAHotel: WN doesn't start flying to PHL until next May, they just announced they were starting service in PHL a week ago. They haven't even announced the destinations yet.

usairways85,

I know they just announced it a week ago. But, they have begun to the process on moving into US Airways territory. Just look at what they did to MetroJet.

I did find out they will be flying PHL-MDW. Others will be announced at a later date.

 

[tadjr]

If there is sufficient PHL-SEA (Conx) traffic then this might be a good move, but to move there just to "beat" Southwest with 1 or 2 flights from AS a day might not be the smart thing to do, especially if WN is going to drop the current yield from PHL. Something more along the lines of SLC/DFW/MSP/ATL might be more prudent since there is little to no low fare competition to SEA on these routes. Might be a little better bottom line product as opposed to jumping on US/PHL just because you want to beat WN into there.

Also WN did "drive" US out of BWI, but at the same time US was dropping flights in BWI it was adding/moving flights in PHL. So, yes, WN did take over BWI, but the BWI flights were shifted to beef up the PHL hub.

 

[jimntx]

If there is sufficient PHL-SEA (Conx) traffic then this might be a good move, but to move there just to "beat" Southwest with 1 or 2 flights from AS a day might not be the smart thing to do, especially if WN is going to drop the current yield from PHL. Something more along the lines of SLC/DFW/MSP/ATL might be more prudent since there is little to no low fare competition to SEA on these routes. Might be a little better bottom line product as opposed to jumping on US/PHL just because you want to beat WN into there.

Also WN did "drive" US out of BWI, but at the same time US was dropping flights in BWI it was adding/moving flights in PHL. So, yes, WN did take over BWI, but the BWI flights were shifted to beef up the PHL hub.

Since Alaska codeshares with AA, do you think they would compete with AA on the DFW-SEA route, and why would they?

Just today, I used Orbitz to get a DFW-YVR quote (it's ski season! Yeah!). The cheapest fare available on AA for the dates I wanted was $1894.00 (Dec. 3-7). If I was willing to change planes in SEA, I could get a $521 fare on Alaska. Interesting point...from DFW to SEA, I would be flying on American with an Alaska codeshare flight number--then Alaska from SEA to YVR on a hedgehopper. I tried the AA.com site to get a quote for that route (just DFW-SEA roundtrip. It was more thant he Alaska codeshare all the way to YVR!

Oh, by the way. I'm a furloughed AA flight attendant. I can still fly non-rev. I was just curious if it would be just as cheap to book pos space and combine with a hotel reservation. Sometimes it works out that way. The $521 fare did not require an air-hotel combo.

 

[tadjr]

Since Alaska codeshares with AA, do you think they would compete with AA on the DFW-SEA route, and why would they?

There might be other routes that might be more profitable, at the same time, how much revenue are they getting out of the code-share vs running their own flights? Since DFW is AA's conx point and SEA is AS's, there might be room for an AS flight in there for DFW locals to connect to an AS bank in SEA that wouldnt do for an AA flight timed from DFW, ie early am from DFW and late night from SEA. If they are generating revenue from the code share (depending on the setup) there might be other markets more enticing. On the other hand, if they are getting the DFW conx and limited $ out of it, why not add a flight or two. Its not like they are going to be chasing AA out of the market and it will give AA some more conx possibilities too.

 

[whlinder]

If there is sufficient PHL-SEA (Conx) traffic then this might be a good move, but to move there just to "beat" Southwest with 1 or 2 flights from AS a day might not be the smart thing to do, especially if WN is going to drop the current yield from PHL.

Sure, WN will probably drop the yield out of PHL, but AS does well on SEA-MCO, where they face competition from WN fares. AS could probably command some fare premiums to PHL with nonstop flights, better service and a great loyalty program. And I think they need to start the flights early in 2004 before the first WN flight, and then maybe add a 2nd flight during the summer.

 

[arctic aviator]

Alaska will add at least one new city next year. Any educated guesses?

My guess would be BWI and something like STL in the midwest. AA has been drawing down STL and might be looking for some help to maintain some feed via a code share partner.

SLC would be good too. I would look for the airgroup to open SLC with Horizon to test the market and build it up.

I also think we will connect the dots some next year too. Times should be good in 04, provided something drastic doesn't happen.

 

[mga707]

SLC would be good too. I would look for the airgroup to open SLC with Horizon to test the market and build it up.

This would be a RETURN to SLC. Horizon served the market for about a decade, from the purchase of SLC-based Transwestern in the mid-80s until the mid-90s when SLC was dropped.

 

[N305AS]

Since Alaska codeshares with AA, do you think they would compete with AA on the DFW-SEA route, and why would they?

Alaska competes with both codeshare partner AA in the SEA-BOS run, and with codeshare partner CO in the SEA-EWR market. If there's money to be made on a certain route, rest assured that AS will look at it, partnerships or not.