Sebring

If they can get Montrealers out of Burlington, why would they want to fragment their own market by launching Plattsburgh? If anything, Plattsburgh would be more dependent on Montreal/Quebec customers, while Burlington does a good business with regional traffic. Lacolle is one of the worst border crossings - rivals Fort Erie - and it's not going to get any better. The cross-border shoppers are gearing up, and I can see longer and longer delays.

ALW

I infer you're talking about JetBlue. I can see them not wanting to compete with themselves out of BTV, but presumably many Montrealers who currently drive to BTV will drive to PBG instead. I doubt they have enough loyalty to JetBlue to drive >1hr extra to BTV if there's something useful in PBG, so if JetBlue wants to continue serving them, they'll have to offer something out of PBG, even if it's at the cost of reducing flights out of BTV.

In any case, whether JetBlue flies out of PBG or not, someone must be. If Expedia isn't selling seats, and Southwest doesn't mention it, can anyone guess (or know) who _is_ going to be operating there in 9 days?

=aw

coxta

I'm waiting for the e-mail announcement from Plattsburgh.

ALW

Have you ever received email from them? I've signed up a couple of times but never received anything so I assumed they haven't sent anything (seems logical).

=aw

rankourabu

The newest version of the Continental schedule shows the following starting June 18

4:45am - CO8810 to SLK B1900 - 25min
5:10am - CO8820 to BTV B1900 - 20min
11:45am - CO8830 to SLK B1900 - 23min
1:40pm - CO8808 to BOS B1900 - 1hr5min

the SKL and BTV flights spend 10 minutes on the ground and continue to Boston


Random roundtrip on June 18 to BOS - C$253 all in for sale at Co.com

Worth noting, purchased now (I know its late) a nonstop round trip from YUL to BOS on the same day would cost one $900 on AC

For $53 you can take a 20 minute hop to BVT

ALW

Thanks, looks like the schedule is identical between the airports, just stops serving PLB and starts PBG (which was my original thought).

I note that the complete list of same-plane multi-stop (I guess that would be "direct") destinations is: ALB, BOS, BTV, BUF, ROC, SLK. Nonstops are to BOS, BTV, ROC, SLK, with some 1-stop and 2-stop to ALB, BOS, and BUF.

Not the most exciting schedule, unless you're a CO flyer.

All flights on B1900.

=aw

coxta

I've received nothing, but I see there is now limo service to Montreal. At this point in time, it's stated that the current tenants at the airport are industrial, but that flights will start June 18, per the website.

ALW

I'm not sure that limo service is new, I know they were listed before and they don't actually have anything specific about taking Montrealers to/from PBG (they mention Montreal in the Airports listing but I suspect it's _to_ YUL). They also do dinner packages to Montreal (3 couples minimum).

That said, it wouldn't be a big leap to offer more service, and in fact I wouldn't be surprised if they'd do it already (to PLB). The bigger thing will be if/when someone offers regular shared rides from Montreal to PBG, rather than just chartering a limo.

=aw

ALW

Just for fun, I priced PBG-IAH on CO and YUL-IAH on AC, departing June 25 returning July 23.

Cheapest on CO is U$406.00 with 1 connection out and 2 connections back (not sure if that's just based on availability). With 1 connection in BOS each way (and a 10min stop in BTV) it's U$537.50. That's <C$600.00 ($571 at Bank of Canada rates).

Cheapest on AC is C$750.24 with 1 connection in YYZ each way.

Neither routing has frills. CO starts with a B1900 and connects to a 733 or 735.

You could presumably do the same thing today, flying out of Clinton County. The difference (one difference) is that it doesn't get the publicity. The publicity around PBG, and if someone comes in with A319 or A320 or 737 planes, will attract the bargain hunters (no handicap assistance on the B1900, the CO site warns me).

As always, many people will still fly from YUL but PLB has the potential to be a greater draw than BUF for YYZ (imagine if YYZ were in Scarborough or Pickering, how much bigger BUF's draw would be).

We'll just have to see how it turns out.

=aw

tcook052

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazett...5-caebade3b136

Eager to lure Montreal passengers south of the border, Plattsburgh International Airport officials are announcing today new low-cost service to Florida.

In mid-November, Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air LLC will begin offering scheduled, direct flights from Plattsburgh, N.Y., to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., a source close to the announcement said.

ALW

Hopefully this will be the first pickle out of the Plattsburgh jar. We figured flights to FL would be the first services offered. I know people who've flown JetBlue to FL (ex-BTV) but it required a change at JFK. This will probably appeal to a lot more.

Though flying PBG-FLL will be like sitting in the Club House at Century Village!

150 seats in MD-83 and 130 in MD-87: what's the seat pitch?

=aw

FATFlyer

Allegiant averages 33 inch pitch.

The new PBG-FLL flights now show on Allegiant's wedsites. Looks like it starts Nov 16 with flights 2X per week; Tues/Fri.

ALW

For fun I looked at Dec 21/Jan 4, the closest dates they have to the peak holiday period. Got this back:

Note that I didn't book between 30/12 and 31/12. They're only taking bookings through Feb/08 so can't book a Snowbird stay.

=aw

ALW

The problem was that I had "Flight + Hotel" selected so presumably it's the hotel that was the New Year's problem.

Without it, the calendar picker shows prices, southbound is $79 from when they start until Dec 18, then $129 on Dec 21, 25, and 28, and $79 again all through Jan.

Northbound is $129 on Jan 1 and Jan 4, otherwise $79 all through Dec and Jan.

The real kicker is the taxes & fees add-on: $16.30, so the $258 Dec 21/Jan 4 fare soars to US$274.30, which by then might be less than C$274.30.

I'm thinking Dec 21 would not be a good day to head off down A15/I-87 to drive to FL. Of course it never is, it would be murder through NC and SC if one left that late.

=aw

ALW

AC is $463 for Tango southbound on Dec 21 ($413 for a connection, and as low as $363 for a connection the next day, but I'm comparing direct flights).

Northbound on Jan 4 is also $463 for Tango, again as low as $327 for a connecting flight on the weekend.

Totals $926 without seat selection or any other options (+ or -). With taxes & fees (only $149 or so, the YUL AIF alone is almost as much as the entire add-on from PBG!) it's $1074.93.

Obviously AC has no control over things like $57 in GST (except to reduce the base fare) or $39 in USA Transportation Tax, but they do have to live with a difference of exactly $800 per person! At that rate you wouldn't even have to stay Thursday night at Microtel, you could splurge on the BW or Holiday Inn!

=aw