Fall schedule changes at Horizon / Alaska
 

http://www.alaskasworld.com/Newsroom...616_115008.asp

Looks like QX is ending the following:

LAX-PRC / FLG
LAX-BOI
LAX-RDM
SMF-SBA
SEA-ACV / RDD
BOI-IDA

Rats, I was hoping to try the FLG flight sometime. Any idea if they are going to bring them back come summer?

I imagine they would have mentioned reinstating LAX-PRC/FLG at some point, what they said about SEA-YLW ("will be reduced by one flight in the fall, but it will be reinstated during the busier winter season") if that was their intent, instead of saying "discontinuing".

I'm guessing this means I_Hate_US_Airways is off for greener pastures...

Not surprised with the cancellations and service reductions on routes longer than 500 miles... Nobody wants to be stuck in a Q400 on these flights... I have always connected in SEA/PDX when flying to those destinations just for that reason.

SMF-SBA, not surprised since the O/D on this route is sparse with absolutely 0 connection opportunities, there are not enough "state" offices in the SBA region and government traffic is at a minimum there [on top of the state financial crisis]. Want a route that is government heavy in CA, BUR-SMF is the answer, but WN flies that route 9 or 10 times a day.

thats too bad, i enjoyed my PRC/FLG trip.

IIRC, he has a 2nd home in the Prescott region, so that means he will need to drive all the way down to PHX to catch a flight or fly on Great Lakes to DEN...

However, we can agree he is not going to be thrilled about the idea of flying on United after he crosses the 100/125K mark... Oh wait, theres always US Airways :D

I'm disappointed in some of the route cancellations. SEA-RDD/ACV for instance. This leaves LAX-RDD/ACV and that's pretty much it. I'm also disappointed in the loss of FLG/PRC, but not surprised. I wish Horizon would have done better on this route, which could have encouraged some further eastward expansion from LAX. LAX really seems to be having trouble keeping new service.

Not quite, although FLG/PRC is very disappointing, we still fly from LAX to RNO/STS/MMH/LTO/LAP/ACV/RDD/MFR and soon SJC.

Me too. As FLG has free parking, a long trip with a comperable fare would actually be a push once the ~$40 for gas from Phoenix to Flagstaff and back was factored in. Plus it looks like a fun airport.

Have the Fall changes been posted to the reservations systems yet?

I tried pricing FLG-SEA on August 26th and it came back with an error message saying no flights found.

I'll just post the same thing I did on a.net on here and see what you folks have to say. Sorry if being so critical of QX ruffles some feathers...

I wondered how much longer some of the mid/longer distance regional flights into LAX would last after GEG-LAX was axed last year. I can't say I'm shocked to see LAX-BOI and LAX-RDM are among the casualties. In addition, the BOI--IDA service seemed like it was always having some sort of a sale, so I'm sure the route struggled. Hopefully QX doesn't just exit the mid/longer regional routes altogether, but it certainly seems they are trending that way. I just don't see their product with 29" pitch and no recline as competitive against all their competition that seem to be adding F to 70 seat RJs, let alone a mainline flight from anyone else. That's coming from an AS MVPG, too. I like the complimentary wine/beer, but I'd need an awful lot of it to willingly sit on QX for more than an hour.

Horizon to cancel LAX-PRC service 8/22
 

http://prescottdailycourier.com/main...rticleID=82219

Buggah. I've taken this a couple of times, and it really beats flying to PHX and then fighting the traffic on I-17.

I would agree that we still have a fair amount of service from LAX but losing RDM, BOI, FLG and PRC from LAX in one fell swoop isn't a little bit of bad news for the LAX base. Let's not forget about the cancellation of YYC, GEG and SFO flights on AS. Yes, they are gaining 4 new SJC flights on Horizon. We'll see how long those last competing against $49 fares on 10 Southwest flights a day, 3 United Express flights a day and 6 American Eagle flights a day. I hope they do great but the LAX schedule isn't as robust as it used to be when you look at AS and QX combined.

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I would agree; 75 (no more than 90) minutes is my limit on the Q400; basically about like SEA-BOI. It's a fantastic short hop aircraft but after a while the prop noise gets to be a little too much.

I would rather fly a Q400 ~600 miles than this, easy (having done both)- and DL, CO, UA and AA have regionals fly plenty of cramped, sucky Barbie jets.

That being said... I bet at SOME point, AS is going to add F to the Q400s, given that everyone and their uncle is doing it for THEIR regional ops.

I finally got a chance to fly on a CR7 yesterday. While it wouldn't be my first choice over a mainline jet, I would be willing to fly one for a west coast flight. Between recline, the moveable/bendable headrest, window shades, running water in the lav, and other small but important touches, it's MUCH more comfortable than a Q400.

After flying the CR7, I am that much more disappointed that QX is getting rid of them. :(

Anyone know which SEA-YVR is going? I'm looking at the online sched for tomorrow vs December, and they're the same??

I suppose I should be aggravated about the loss of RDM-LAX, but the fact is I have been to SoCal 3 times since those flights started and have always done RDM>PDX or RDM>SEA to connect to the mainline. I'm a sucker for F.

Dave

It appears to be the 9:00 AM northbound flight (QX 2666) and the 10:20 AM southbound flight (QX 2267) got the axe. The flights show up on KVS but all fare classes are zeroed-out.

~FAI PDX Flyer :eek:

Wimp; QK(AC Jazz) on a CRJ705 IAH-YYC

OH GOD NO!!!
 

Please tell me this is a joke being perpetrated by my fellow FT'ers on the AS board???

Say it ain't so, please )-:

Not Sure...
 

If I should hit the crack pipe or just down a quart of vodka???

Hmmm.

"Many flyers say this is one of the most comfortable small regional jets because of its ample seat pitch and in-seat onDemand entertainment system."

I'm pretty sure 34" pitch is better than some AS F. Or at least it seems like it sometimes. :p

Besides, wouldn't a CRJ705 be a 737 in US dollars at the exchange rate at the time?

Anywhoo, SEA-LAX* on a Q400, thankyouverymuch.

*stop in STS- a 7.5 K AS one way mileage redemption some time ago. The airport has framed Snoopy cartoons on the walls.

Whatever you do, FOR GOD'S SAKE, don't start flying US...

100% agreed ! I have been saying the same thing over and over again, that CR7 has a place in the AS/QX fleet, unless AS wants to give up those mid-haul secondary markets. If other carriers could make money flying those RJs (I bet they are otherwise none of them would keep those RJs), QX should be able to figure that out, especially they are charging $145 one way between PDX and SFO, or $260-$360 (!!!) one way non-stop between SEA and SBA on advance purchase fares.

Ditch the crack pipe, vodka will make all the problems go away :D

You still coming to the LAX MVPG lunch? I think when the CA financial crisis ends and the economy in CA stabilizes QX probably will revisit this route and explore the possibility of reinstating this route.

They make money connecting people to international and transcon service, which AS doesn't really have, save in SEA (and to a lesser extent PDX, and a miniscule extent LAX).

If there was a ton of money to be made in RJs, Expressjet wouldn't have flopped when it went independent, and you'd see much more "at-risk" flying than you do.

After looking at seatguru for this aircraft, I have decided this is my dream RJ..

AVOD in all seat, in-seat power, has FC seats, 34" seat pitch vs. QX's 29", 2 lavs [I bet it has running water], seats do recline, has window shades, etc...

Pulled up some pics on A.net

BIG AVOD

Business class

The seats looks really comfy and that is the same seat they use on Colgan's Q400s and DL's CR7... It is verrrry comfortable...

Legroom in Y and the comfy looking seats

VS QX'S Y SEATS ON A BRAND NEW Q400

QX's Y seats

The comparison says it all...

HELL YES I'm Coming...
 

Went straight for a Patron margarita BTW (damn yummy). Just remember the old adage..."Golf is not a matter of life & death, it's much more important than that"!

Moral Of The Story (I'll get serious for a second),

THIS IS the reason I carry elite status on a minimum of 2 airlines. If (God forbid something happens, and it can & does) I simply switch to the other carry (-:

Bottom line, I now go to DEFCON 1,

A). Fly as match AS/QX between now & August 22nd.
B). Pull & burn whatever AS miles I have while I am MVPG.
C). Convince myself that flying Great Lakes Airways REALLY isn't that bad.
D). Note to self David, "You're still on the top of the dog pile with UA & knocking down down 100% on every upgrade".
E). Okay, I guess life's not so bad after all (-;

Actually a 705 is essentially a 900 w/ a 1st class cabin, and the 900 has a lower floor, and hence slightly more headroom. As for the AVOD, when I flew the route (4½ yrs ago), there was just a sticker where the AVOD is saying "Video on Demand Coming Soon" (which I thought a cruel unusual joke).

I don't remember it being particularly uncomfortable, just a really long flight -- an hr on the ground at IAH due to WX, then headwinds...I was really surprised we didn't stop @DEN for fuel.

I still think that AS/QX will buy CS300s at some point to pick up the routes like SEA-SBA and SEA-LGB.

Lastly, for your STS route, did you know there's a navigation waypoint at STS called "SNUPY" ??

When I read the headline about Horizon pulling the Arcata/Eureka-Seattle route in the Eureka Times Standard this morning, my heart dropped. Losing the DL flights to SLC last year was hard enough. I was finally able to get to MCI and EWR in less than 8 hours and avoid wx delays in SFO. I have flown ACV-PDX/SEA several times a year since I moved to Humboldt County in January 2001. Back then QX flew three SEA-PDX-ACV/RDD-PDX-SEA flights a day on the Q200. Some flights stopped in RDD first and others ACV first. Back then the schedule was far more convenient. There was an early morning flight, a early afternoon flight and a late afternoon flight. That allowed me to work almost a full day on Thursday or Friday and be in Seattle before 10pm. Sunday, I would fly home on the last southbound flight of the day. That made for a great weekend.

When QX added ACV/RDD-LAX flights and cut the northbound route to PDX down to once a day the schedule stopped being convenient. I understand QX needs to keep aircraft in the air all day, but the only northbound flight left ACV around noon and got into SEA too late for connections to the Midwest and East Coast. Last December, I had a 6 hour layover in SEA when I flew ACV-FAI. What would work better would be a first thing in the morning northbound and late evening southbound to ACV/RDD. That allows for optimum connections to/from all over the world.

Not sure how much I will be able to fly on AS/QX anymore. I don't fly to SoCal often. I expect that flying QX between ACV-SEA/PDX via LAX will be prohibitively expensive. I have been a frequent flier member since 1995 when I went to the U of O and flew out of EUG regularly. Planning on flying up to FAI next December. Guess I will drive up to MFR and fly out of there. A long drive after a long flight will not be fun. Other than that, I guess I will ditch my AS credit card and get a UA credit card. Maybe UAEx will add flights to PDX like they did out of OTH and LMT.

What bad news this morning. What else could go wrong?

That's the same year I joined MP while going to school at the UofO.

Maybe they have some secret plan up their sleeves like the C-series aircraft...one can hope. RIP to all the lost service.

Well, the one nice thing in PHX is that the construction on I-17 is done for now. 4 lanes all the way out to Carefree Highway and 3 lanes up to Anthem. It makes the drive through Phoenix a LOT more pleasant (as long as you're not driving during rush hour).

Also sorry to see IDA service dropped (again). Fares to IDA were usually jaw-dropping, so loads must have been minuscule enough that even high fares couldn't make the routes profitable.
Which of course leads me to reminisce when Western Airlines flew 727s to PIH and IDA...

And the fares weren't "jaw dropping" back then??? Adjust them for 35 years of inflation and let us know...;)

Based on the aircraft's center of gravity, I'm not sure F seats would work in the front. Maybe in the back...

Then again, let's say you're also taking out two rows at the front to make room for a couple rows of F - that's removing both the seats and the people sitting in them.

Only 1 row comes out. 6 seats total gone (the 1 row of 4, and 1 in each of 2 rows of F). The heavy ovens for the F meal service will make up the difference. :D

I was thinking more solid gold thrones...