JetBlue TrueBlue - Future plans at ONT?

We all see that Long Beach has a central role in the future of JetBlue's network, but has anyone heard any indication if they will add any more Ontario flights?

It's definitely an airport that has room to expand . . . (and is definitely easier for those of us heading to the inland empire) -

L.A. Times Story Link: http://www.latimes.com/news/yahoo/la-me-ontair12may12,0,7200866.story?coll=la%2Dnewsaol%2D headlines

May 12, 2003


CALIFORNIA
Ontario's Airport Ready, and Willing, to Grow
The roomy facility is seen as the Southland's best hope of relieving airport crowding.


By Jennifer Oldham, Times Staff Writer


When jets taking off from Ontario International Airport scream over tiny Hope Chapel on Sunday mornings, Pastor Paul Leon pauses his sermon. Patiently.

If his parishioners mind the interruption, they don't show it. Some even may be members of Friends of Ontario International Airport, a group that lobbies for airport expansion.

The congregation's acceptance of the disruption contrasts starkly with the attitude of other Southern California communities, where residents continually complain about airport noise. As a result of that sort of acceptance, Ontario offers a rare double windfall for Southern California's transportation plans: an airport with room to grow nestled in a region that welcomes more airplanes.

It may get its wish. Ontario is seen as Southern California's best hope to relieve crowding at aging Los Angeles International Airport and to accept travelers from Orange County, where a proposal to build an airfield at the former El Toro Marine base was defeated.

Regional transportation planners say they will allocate about one-fifth of the 154 million annual passengers expected to use Southern California airports by 2030 to Ontario International — which would represent nearly a fivefold increase over the 6.5 million it served last year.

The proposition has been met with enthusiasm at Ontario City Hall. "We're being asked to step up to 30 million, and maybe even more," said Mayor Gary Ovitt. "We're willing to go to that if we make sure all the infrastructure is there. We want to keep our quality of life intact."

Ontario International operates 24 hours a day without the noise curfews or capacity limits that airports in Burbank, Santa Ana and Long Beach operate under. And about 25% of the facility's 1,700 acres is available for development of new terminals, runways and hangars.

I would be curious what B6's loads have been on JFK-ONT. I'm guessing they haven't been phenomenal, since they have added so many flights over the last two years, but never added a single one to that route.

My suspicion would be that ego (not wanting to drop any cities) will prevent them from dropping service - but I think we already would have seen an increase if the demand were there to justify it.

They would probably do a lot better switching to PSP, Palm Springs (for which ONT is the "alternative airport", an hour or so away by car). And there would be even more market from October through May for multiple OAK-PSP flights as well (to go up against Alaska's and United's way overpriced SFO-PSP flights).

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former CO Platinum as of 3/1/2003

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by sfupgrademe:
They would probably do a lot better switching to PSP, Palm Springs (for which ONT is the "alternative airport", an hour or so away by car). And there would be even more market from October through May for multiple OAK-PSP flights as well (to go up against Alaska's and United's way overpriced SFO-PSP flights).

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UA doesn't fly non-stop in SFO-PSP anymore, and AS pricing is a reflection of ONT-OAK levels offered by WN with a slight non-stop premium. I think like $30 on a round-trip ticket. The lowest fare starts at $98 round-trip. The market is too thin for B6...the traffic all but dries up in the summer.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by sfupgrademe:
They would probably do a lot better switching to PSP, Palm Springs (for which ONT is the "alternative airport", an hour or so away by car). And there would be even more market from October through May for multiple OAK-PSP flights as well (to go up against Alaska's and United's way overpriced SFO-PSP flights).

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Sounds sensible to me - although I really don't know much about the ONT market. The only times I've considred going there were when I was headed to PSP.

Frankly, maybe it made sense s a generic SoCal entry point before they had LGB - but now maybe a little pointless.