I'm glad to hear US is began new nonstop from LAS-PBI. That's why National Airlines couldn't support it to begin to PBI years ago. Because when National Airlines is went out of business and why not other airlines does not need more flight to LAS from PBI. I can't believe it when US has been start new inaugural flight from PBI-LAS but, still no nonstop from PBI-PHX either. :(
skyfly
Nov 13, 06, 9:31 pm
I am glad to see US/HP start LAS-PBI service. I would give it time and if LAS-PBI does well. They may add PHX. I remember years ago HP only had LAS-TPA only, then they added PHX over time. They are reinstating PHX-MIA in January.
I really like to see a LAS-RSW as well. I think RSW area is underserved especially direct flights from the western states. Fort Myers/Naples has a the right population base to support a service. Fort Myers/Naples is a haven for retirees who would take advantage of a non-stop flight to LAS. Not to mention a lot of high income residents.
In addition to RSW, JAX is also an underserved market. JAX could use service from the western US. I am sure JAX could attract north FL/southern GA residents to support this market.
Back in the late 1990's AmericaWest had a nonstop from PBI to Columbus and that lasted only about 4 months. This will be the first nonstop West out of PBI other than AA's Dallas and CO's IAH service. I think that the flight would be more successful if were some useful connections out of LAS, but the schedule from PBI sucks.
West Palm Beach, Fla. to Las Vegas
Service on Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday
Flight Aircraft Departs Arrives
1201 Airbus A320 8:35 p.m. 10:58 p.m.
Las Vegas to West Palm Beach, Fla.
Service on Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday
Flight Aircraft Departs Arrives
1202 Airbus A320 11:53 p.m. 7:17 a.m. (next day)
usa18dca
Nov 14, 06, 1:55 am
Just tested it as a connection to LAX/FAT/SFO...Timing is kinda off...
FCYTravis
Nov 14, 06, 3:09 am
How is the timing off? It's perfectly scheduled to feed into and out of the night/red-eye banks at LAS. That's the way the LAS hub has always worked. Virtually all the flights at LAS are at night - there's just a few daytime services to OAK, LAX, SFO, ORD, etc.
You get the picture. It's a 30-minute connection or so, which is just fine at LAS.
murphy
Nov 14, 06, 9:07 am
Back in the late 1990's AmericaWest had a nonstop from PBI to Columbus and that lasted only about 4 months. This will be the first nonstop West out of PBI other than AA's Dallas and CO's IAH service. I think that the flight would be more successful if were some useful connections out of LAS, but the schedule from PBI sucks.
The sole purpose of the LAS hub is to generate revenue from planes that would normally be parked for the night. It's one of HP's more clever ideas. If they can sell enough tickets to pay for the gas, it'll stay.
usa18dca
Nov 14, 06, 11:56 am
How is the timing off? It's perfectly scheduled to feed into and out of the night/red-eye banks at LAS. That's the way the LAS hub has always worked. Virtually all the flights at LAS are at night - there's just a few daytime services to OAK, LAX, SFO, ORD, etc.
You get the picture. It's a 30-minute connection or so, which is just fine at LAS.
Flying there is perfect, flying back to PBI is not ;)
hscottm
Nov 14, 06, 1:31 pm
if the target audience is retirees, why do they think all of the golden agers will want to take red-eye connections? the late flight alone is bad enough.
they say what happens in vegas, stays in vegas. what stays in vegas might be alot of lost retirees who nod off between flights of the late night connecting bank. good for vegas, badfor US.
FCYTravis
Nov 14, 06, 4:49 pm
Flying there is perfect, flying back to PBI is not ;)
The connection is a little longish but not that bad. The departure is, again, right in the East Coast departure bank from LAS. That's the way the hub is scheduled.
FCYTravis
Nov 14, 06, 4:58 pm
if the target audience is retirees, why do they think all of the golden agers will want to take red-eye connections? the late flight alone is bad enough.
Because it's cheap?
The LAS hub is, always has been and always will be a red-eye/night system. With the exception of a few scattered O&D flights, the major banks look like this:
Inbound from the West Coast outstations around 10 p.m. --> turned for East
Inbound from the East Coast outstations around 11 p.m. --> turned for West
Outbound to the East Coast outstations around 11 p.m.
Outbound to the West Coast outstations around midnight
With the MIA and PBI flights being operated by US East aircraft, right now they have to depart later because they have to be turned around and sent back East (no SABRE systems on most West outstations). So they're slightly later than the rest of the East Coast bank.
Once the res systems are integrated, I wouldn't be surprised to see those schedules rejiggered so they're more in tune with the current departure banks.
For example, an East A320 could arrive in PBI from CLT, depart to LAS for the night arrival, leave for PDX in the night departure and RON at PDX before returning to CLT in the morning inbound bank. Meanwhile, a West A320 could fly into LAS from OAK, depart to PBI overnight, fly PBI-PHL and then back to PHX.
As murphy noted, the night hub at LAS is all about keeping planes in the air, where they make money, as opposed to parked at the gate overnight where they don't.
Yeah, You're right! US has been already official announcement yesterday start new nonstop PBI-LAS. I can't imagine why PBI has been never fly to western cities. But, PBI might to get more nonstop to LAX, PHX, SLC, OAK, and others.