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Alaska Airlines Recalibrates Boeing 737-9 Order - Adds 737-8 and 737-10

Alaska Airlines Recalibrates Boeing 737-9 Order - Adds 737-8 and 737-10

Old Mar 7, 2022, 5:14 pm
  #31  
 
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Another way I'd see the MAX 8 helping AS out is on those longer transcons with lower demand, such as JAX and ORF which come to mind. According to numbers they're some of the biggest unserved nonstop markets from SEA, and the MAX 8 could help make these routes a lot more economically viable. While being able to expand to new out of range markets, I see these longer but thinner US routes as much more likely
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Old Mar 7, 2022, 6:00 pm
  #32  
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Originally Posted by isaacchambers
YES! i would love a little more OW love in eastern Canada that isnt AA. Im over using AC for getting to YOW or YYZ or YUL. I know they wont do YOW, but i will take YUL or YYZ.
LAX/YYZ was one of the shortest lived routes in AS history. On the other hand, it had the best first class service of any flight that AS offered in the past thirty-five years - by a longshot. (Didn't VX also try SFO/YYZ for about a minute and a half?)
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Old Mar 7, 2022, 6:19 pm
  #33  
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Originally Posted by itripreport
Another way I'd see the MAX 8 helping AS out is on those longer transcons with lower demand, such as JAX and ORF which come to mind. According to numbers they're some of the biggest unserved nonstop markets from SEA, and the MAX 8 could help make these routes a lot more economically viable. While being able to expand to new out of range markets, I see these longer but thinner US routes as much more likely
even without seeing those numbers, I'd suggest that "unlikely" doesn't begin to scratch the surface ... those cities have *never* had anything resembling long-haul service (I'll concede the point that RSW hasn't either, but (1) it's almost a reliever airport for TPA and (2) the gulf coast is a far different beach destination market than JAX)
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Old Mar 8, 2022, 12:59 pm
  #34  
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Originally Posted by beckoa
I was wondering what new routes might work out with that when I read the press release...
speaking of new routes ...
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Old Mar 8, 2022, 5:38 pm
  #35  
 
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Originally Posted by Eastbay1K
LAX/YYZ was one of the shortes lived routes in AS history. On the other hand, it had the best first class service of any flight that AS offered in the past thirty five years - by a longshot. (Didn't VX also try SFO/YYZ for about a minute and a half?)
I actually really like your posts and think a lot of what you share with is us is spot on. But(you knew thered be a but). I opened both YYZ and VVO with AS. Myself and my boss Kit were tasked with getting both operations up and running. Both destinations shouldve been profitable base on the projections and the actual number of passengers. They failed because the A/C performed worse than projected. The 727 then the MD83 just were horrible plane choices. ANC as a Russian Far East gateway didnt help the 27 or the MD. Both jets needed to stop in GDX. And LAX-YYZ was stretching the MD range. However, both routes back then and Id argue today, with a MAX, I believe would be profitable. The issue is how profitable? Russian service ( pre war ) based on 1993-94 info could do maybe 2 times a week. YYZ, based on the 92-93 projections we used could be daily. The problem now is those routes early 1990s ROI, even with the MAX, would be well below the ROI criteria AS was using when I retired. While I think you might see some new international routes, I really believe that AS sees the MAX family first and foremost providing cheaper maint/fuel costs for whatever theyre flying or might fly. The increase range adds schedule planning flexibility. I know for a fact that -10 extra cargo space has that side of the house excited while they figure out what series will be the next pure freighter. And of course, like all of us who use AS on Trancons, I hope that they might, some day, listen to all of us and carve out a sub fleet of lie flats! A man can dream.

Last edited by Tack; Mar 8, 2022 at 5:47 pm
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Old Mar 8, 2022, 7:50 pm
  #36  
 
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Originally Posted by jrl767
speaking of new routes ...

Irrelevant Information Alert AS4DPS is not a new route! No need to follow the link.

This is relevant how? SEA-DPS and EAT-SHT for that matter is twice the range of the MAX.

James
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Old Mar 8, 2022, 10:31 pm
  #37  
 
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Originally Posted by Flying for Fun
EAT-SHT
Had to google SHT. Brilliant!
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Old Mar 8, 2022, 10:35 pm
  #38  
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humor (or “humour”) is NEVER irrelevant
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Old Mar 8, 2022, 11:07 pm
  #39  
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Originally Posted by Tack
I actually really like your posts and think a lot of what you share with is us is spot on. But(you knew thered be a but). I opened both YYZ and VVO with AS. Myself and my boss Kit were tasked with getting both operations up and running. Both destinations shouldve been profitable base on the projections and the actual number of passengers....

And of course, like all of us who use AS on Trancons, I hope that they might, some day, listen to all of us and carve out a sub fleet of lie flats! A man can dream.
Given that I was the only F pax to YYZ... The projection (at least for my flight) was a wee bit off .

As for lie flats, i have recently taken to flying AS to JFK and DL (and occasionally AA) on the return, if the price is similar, which it often is on the last flight out. I just feel a lot better after what can be 7 hours (from boarding to disembarkation) in that seat ... Lying back and watching something on a real screen, maybe a little nap, and greatly reduced chance of unintentional slouching back pain...

...Not to mention the flatware, which doesn't bend when I look at it.
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Old Mar 9, 2022, 6:48 am
  #40  
 
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Originally Posted by Eastbay1K
Given that I was the only F pax to YYZ... The projection (at least for my flight) was a wee bit off .
Marketing and planning did solid work on both markets and what would be needed to mature it. But Ray Vecci was trying to grow while cutting costs, I dont know if you remember the joke about him removing one piece of French Toast from the three piece FC breakfast. Too many panic reactions by Vecci and AS on both Russia and YYZ flying to go into here, but suffice it to say they bit off more than they could chew. From the wrong jets to inter department squabbles. At least on that FC flight to YYZ you got your gold coin and the enjoyment of flying with the LGB based former SI crews. They were amazing. Cheers!
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Old Mar 9, 2022, 9:01 am
  #41  
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Originally Posted by Tack
Marketing and planning did solid work on both markets and what would be needed to mature it. But Ray Vecci was trying to grow while cutting costs, I dont know if you remember the joke about him removing one piece of French Toast from the three piece FC breakfast. Too many panic reactions by Vecci and AS on both Russia and YYZ flying to go into here, but suffice it to say they bit off more than they could chew. From the wrong jets to inter department squabbles. At least on that FC flight to YYZ you got your gold coin and the enjoyment of flying with the LGB based former SI crews. They were amazing. Cheers!
Getting a bit more OT, but relevant for people who are currently crying doom and gloom, the Vecci era was the only time, from the customer facing perspective, that I was just about to give up on AS. [There was another time I didn't fly AS for a year, but that was because an aircraft I had disembarked at about 8 AM fell into the Pacific later that day.]

As for the new aircraft I find myself currently scheduled on one - on a route that has been pretty much A321s for some time. First trip on a -9. Less than 2 months out so maybe the schedule and plane will stick.

And now, as far as biting off more than they could chew, how did they even have anything to chew on after those meal cutbacks?
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Old Mar 21, 2022, 10:40 pm
  #42  
 
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Originally Posted by Eastbay1K
LAX/YYZ was one of the shortest lived routes in AS history. On the other hand, it had the best first class service of any flight that AS offered in the past thirty-five years - by a longshot. (Didn't VX also try SFO/YYZ for about a minute and a half?)
YVR-SNA was the shortest lived route in AS history.
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Old Mar 22, 2022, 8:25 am
  #43  
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Originally Posted by CZBB
YVR-SNA was the shortest lived route in AS history.
That was an oopsie of epic proportions. I wonder how many heads rolled on that one.
(That's how epic it was ... It caused the FT mobile site to freeze and then double post!)
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