jetBlue Starting Anchorage 5/26/11
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: AA Gold AAdvantage Elite, Rapids Reward
Posts: 38,322
I am curious how is loads doing? B6 will inaugurate on May 26, 2011. I'm pretty confidence about B6 is doing so successful. It will have more toughest competitive against DL, AS, UA. I think the entire A320 will have ETOPS overwater restrictions. You must to be qualifications to trained with FAA certified. You are required to trains during water evacuations.
#17
#18
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,953
#19
Join Date: Aug 2006
Programs: Trueblue, Skymiles, AAdvantage
Posts: 340
#20
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
#21
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,953
Wirelessly posted (beckoa\'s PWP wonderous poster: BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.304 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)
On a call with a local radio station today (1080) Scott (VP for B6) indicated if the route went well next summer they'd like to stick around year-round...
On a call with a local radio station today (1080) Scott (VP for B6) indicated if the route went well next summer they'd like to stick around year-round...
#22
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,953
Well the flight is ANC-GYR vs. FAI-GYR... forgot what day it was
Code:
Date Aircraft Origin Destination Departure Arrival Duration 02-Nov-2010 E190/Q Fairbanks Intl (PAFA / FAI) Phoenix Goodyear (KGYR) 05:35PM AKDT 12:27AM MST (+1) Scheduled 02-Nov-2010 E190/Q Anchorage Intl (PANC) Phoenix Goodyear (KGYR) 04:16PM AKDT 10:49PM MST En Route 02-Nov-2010 E190/Q Anchorage Intl (PANC) Fairbanks Intl (PAFA / FAI) 04:16PM AKDT Diverted 02-Nov-2010 E190/Q Fairbanks Intl (PAFA / FAI) Anchorage Intl (PANC) 11:22AM AKDT 12:15PM AKDT 0:53 02-Nov-2010 E190/Q Fairbanks Intl (PAFA / FAI) Anchorage Intl (PANC) 09:10AM AKDT 09:55AM AKDT Scheduled
Last edited by beckoa; Nov 3, 2010 at 1:32 am Reason: ...
#23
Join Date: Aug 2006
Programs: Trueblue, Skymiles, AAdvantage
Posts: 340
Well the flight is ANC-GYR vs. FAI-GYR... forgot what day it was
Code:
Date Aircraft Origin Destination Departure Arrival Duration 02-Nov-2010 E190/Q Fairbanks Intl (PAFA / FAI) Phoenix Goodyear (KGYR) 05:35PM AKDT 12:27AM MST (+1) Scheduled 02-Nov-2010 E190/Q Anchorage Intl (PANC) Phoenix Goodyear (KGYR) 04:16PM AKDT 10:49PM MST En Route 02-Nov-2010 E190/Q Anchorage Intl (PANC) Fairbanks Intl (PAFA / FAI) 04:16PM AKDT Diverted 02-Nov-2010 E190/Q Fairbanks Intl (PAFA / FAI) Anchorage Intl (PANC) 11:22AM AKDT 12:15PM AKDT 0:53 02-Nov-2010 E190/Q Fairbanks Intl (PAFA / FAI) Anchorage Intl (PANC) 09:10AM AKDT 09:55AM AKDT Scheduled
#24
#25
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
#26
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: On the road somewhere
Programs: DL, National, Marriott, Hilton
Posts: 4,304
#27
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: AA Gold AAdvantage Elite, Rapids Reward
Posts: 38,322
I agree. How about B6 will next more potential new routes LGB-FAI or SEA-FAI? Lets hope these routes will done extremely performance very well.
#29
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)
Posts: 23,194
Trying to make sense of B6's fares.
On LGB-ANC, they're competitive--$439rt vs $419rt [ex-LAX] on AS. Not a phenomenal fare, but competitive. (I'm surprised they're letting AS beat them, but regardless, their mere presence is keeping AS somewhat honest; last year, you were lucky to find LAX-ANC for under $650.)
But they want almost $800rt for JFK-ANC (via LGB, of course). That's not even in the same ballpark as other carriers, which are running around $600rt.
To be honest, it's not making me want to try B6. It's already going to be a stretch to get me away from my virtually-guaranteed upgrade (especially on the ANC-LAX nonstop, which is not an elite-heavy flight for AS) and waived change fees; it's going to take a darn cheap fare to lure me away from AS (on the order of at least 15% cheaper). But pay more money to fly on an airline that gives me a quarter the RDM I'll earn on AS (6,400 with a B6 Amex vs 25,000 with MVPG and an AS Visa Signature), especially when the points seem less valuable (I can book ANC-EWR for 40,000rt on AS vs. 58,600 points on B6)?
I'm a bit less than thrilled about how B6 is playing in this market. I was really hoping they'd provide some real competition for AS, especially in the beyond-LAX arena. I could kind of understand it if they were matching the legacies and just absorbing those high-RASM fares and using the route as a cash-cow, but they're not even trying to compete and attract even those who don't care about mileage earning*. They're just driving traffic away entirely at fares FAR higher than the legacies.
Oh well...rumor's that WN is interested in coming up here, too, so maybe between B6 and WN, we'll start to have some real fare wars...
*This does not describe the average Alaskan. I would be willing to bet that the market penetration of frequent flyer programs is FAR higher in Alaska than any other place in the U.S. Because Alaskans are so used to being dragged over the coals with insane fares, they realize the value of frequent flyer programs. I'd estimate the AS Mileage Plan has a market share approaching 60%--that's 60% of the population, not just of the regularly-traveling public. (Of the Alaska-based traveling public, which is most of the state, since air travel is so essential here, I'd guess AS Mileage Plan has a market share of 75% and a mind-share of 100%.) As such, Alaskans are understandably attached to Mileage Plan, and retailers who offer bonus AS miles tend to do noticeably better than those who don't. It's going to take B6 a LOT to crack that market, and they're going to need to price themselves attractively to do so.
On LGB-ANC, they're competitive--$439rt vs $419rt [ex-LAX] on AS. Not a phenomenal fare, but competitive. (I'm surprised they're letting AS beat them, but regardless, their mere presence is keeping AS somewhat honest; last year, you were lucky to find LAX-ANC for under $650.)
But they want almost $800rt for JFK-ANC (via LGB, of course). That's not even in the same ballpark as other carriers, which are running around $600rt.
To be honest, it's not making me want to try B6. It's already going to be a stretch to get me away from my virtually-guaranteed upgrade (especially on the ANC-LAX nonstop, which is not an elite-heavy flight for AS) and waived change fees; it's going to take a darn cheap fare to lure me away from AS (on the order of at least 15% cheaper). But pay more money to fly on an airline that gives me a quarter the RDM I'll earn on AS (6,400 with a B6 Amex vs 25,000 with MVPG and an AS Visa Signature), especially when the points seem less valuable (I can book ANC-EWR for 40,000rt on AS vs. 58,600 points on B6)?
I'm a bit less than thrilled about how B6 is playing in this market. I was really hoping they'd provide some real competition for AS, especially in the beyond-LAX arena. I could kind of understand it if they were matching the legacies and just absorbing those high-RASM fares and using the route as a cash-cow, but they're not even trying to compete and attract even those who don't care about mileage earning*. They're just driving traffic away entirely at fares FAR higher than the legacies.
Oh well...rumor's that WN is interested in coming up here, too, so maybe between B6 and WN, we'll start to have some real fare wars...
*This does not describe the average Alaskan. I would be willing to bet that the market penetration of frequent flyer programs is FAR higher in Alaska than any other place in the U.S. Because Alaskans are so used to being dragged over the coals with insane fares, they realize the value of frequent flyer programs. I'd estimate the AS Mileage Plan has a market share approaching 60%--that's 60% of the population, not just of the regularly-traveling public. (Of the Alaska-based traveling public, which is most of the state, since air travel is so essential here, I'd guess AS Mileage Plan has a market share of 75% and a mind-share of 100%.) As such, Alaskans are understandably attached to Mileage Plan, and retailers who offer bonus AS miles tend to do noticeably better than those who don't. It's going to take B6 a LOT to crack that market, and they're going to need to price themselves attractively to do so.
Last edited by jackal; Mar 12, 2011 at 2:44 am Reason: added footnote