Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan - AS really needs to fly to MSY

After spending months trying to find partner award travel for New Orleans I have come to the conclusion that there is just not enough flights (let alone non-stops) to New Orleans). AS seems to prefer the proven but highly competitive markets of MCO, ORD, IAD, BOS, etc. but many would love to see a great non-stop flight. It has been talked about before but since every flight into and out of Houston, DFW, etc. is always full why can't they at least consider this.

I wish we would.......

And while we're at it, what ever happened to the rumored QX SFO-SAN flight? I'm getting really sick of flying Eagle out of SJC, and fares are really high on this route (relative to other Bay Area to SoCal fares).

Oh, man, a non-stop to MSY. I already go twice a year just to eat and hang out, now I'd have to go 4X a year just for grins. Is there enough SEA-MSY traffic to support it, though? Even WN has 2 stops or change planes, everyone else that I know of is a change plane once route, whether SFO, DEN, DFW, etc.

I'd really appreciate a PHX-LAX route.

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"Rows 50 and above are business seats for those with infants" - gfowler-ord-1k

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by westcoastman:
since every flight into and out of Houston, DFW, etc. is always full why can't they at least consider this.</font>

Full, yes. Profitable, not sure.

Yields into MSY can be low, so I'm not sure they're making money there, hence the PACKED planes. It's a great place to score a bump, though. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by channa:
Full, yes. Profitable, not sure.

Yields into MSY can be low, so I'm not sure they're making money there, hence the PACKED planes. It's a great place to score a bump, though. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif</font>

When AS enters a new market, I'm sure the contracts for ground support are on very very favorable terms right now. The calculations are that if the plane is mostly full at not a super high fare, that the route probably makes $. It comes down to aircraft utilization (and/or a better utilization). If you could have an aircraft do a FAI/ANC/SEA/MSY/SEA/ANC/FAI cycle or something like that on one cycle, with the SEA/MSY segment at an hour to allow same-day connections with the rest of the western route network, it would seem like a winner!

I fly to MSY 2-3x monthly on US. Personally, I think Alaska would be great on this route. However, they would really have to time their flights correctly. MSY flights are either a ghost town or PACKED TO THE GILLS. There is no happy medium. Also, they need to choose their ground handler carefully. US is about the only one that has the room to handle someone..AA,UA, AND DL are a mess there...

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by AS Flyer:
I wish we would.......</font>

me too

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by missydarlin:
me too </font>

me three

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"A day without FF Miles is like a day without SUNSHINE"

I have emailed Alaska several times about the possibility of a SEA-SAT-MSY flight or two. Pairing SAT and MSY together would help fill the plane. Currently, there is no non-stop service on SEA-SAT or SAT-MSY. Also, SEA should be introduced to SAT (the 2nd largest party -- fiesta -- city after MSY). I believe that you could run two flights daily on this routing and do VERY well. If you look at the daily passenger count by route, this routing would definitely work for AS.