http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-1...n-in-bids.html

Looks like JetBlue won the slots at LaGuardia and Reagan National. JetBlue only had a scant number of LGA flights before to Florida if I recall. I wonder where the new routes to LGA will go.

Is JetBlue going to do the LGA to DCA now I presume along with other routes?

I doubt they're going to try to run up against the US and DL shuttles.

We don't know yet. We will find out their new routes as they announce it I guess.

I think you have wait for a real official release from B6. We will find out soon enough. Try to be more patiently.

Indeed, we will. But since you asked if that was going to be one of the routes I figured I'd chime in with my opinion.

Only 8x daily isn't enough to be a true Shuttle service. And as the fourth entrant in the market (I'm pretty sure AA still runs it, too) it would be mighty hard to keep up the numbers on that route. I'm betting they've got their eyes on other markets from each of LGA and DCA rather than just connecting the two.

Yup. Not sure what they will do but I guess there is demand out of LGA.

Makes a more competitive market. But prices out of LGA will always be higher than JFK. I guess some people don't mind paying a price premium on the routes or they will just add some capacity to existing routes.

WestJet and JetBlue both won slots and both run on the same business model and had some of the same players involved with founding the company.

WestJet was based on an all boeing fleet then JetBlue wound up getting cheaper pricing from the subsidized Airbus fleet.

So essentially since JetBlue doesn't fly to Canada, it was as if JetBlue won all the slots from the auction in essense.

Just interesting there. Both excellent business models so the deal improves LGA with stronger carriers allowing JetBlue + WestJet access to more slots rather than having USAirways having them.

Southwest + AirTran together have a lot of slots at LGA now I presume.

Um....no. WestJet won the 8 slot pairs available to new entrants. JetBlue won the 8 pair for existing carriers. There is nothing at all about it that suggests JetBlue won all the slots.

Well, it was DL who got them from the US/DL slot swap and it was a requirement of the deal that they be divested to new entrants.

They have 28 pairs at LGA and 12 at DCA.

I never said JetBlue got all the slots. Read what I said carefully:

JetBlue and WestJet are essentially the same type of carrier even though they are two seperate companies which had some of the same players involved as well as many of the same business concepts.

So while yes it was Westjet and Jetblue, it was both low fare carriers with very similar parallels which received the LGA slots. Southwest still has the 28 pairs (I presume that is combined with the AirTran slots) for travel.

I did. I even quoted it. You stated that since JetBlue doesn't fly to Canada that it is like they won all the slots. I think that's a rather crazy statement and without factual basis. So I replied as such.

No, they aren't.

I only agree with the part where you have accurately named both carriers which won slots. The way WS and B6 behave is hardly "essentially the same".

Correct.

While also competition with existing shuttle service, would it not make more sense to serve BOS, with its available B6 connections?

If not, increased traffic to FL would be a likely answer. I do not see DCA as an option...

Right. It's gonna to get more tougher competition against DL, US, AA and etc. That's will kept in advance.

My predictions for routes:

DCA-BOS
DCA-JFK
LGA-BOS
DCA/LGA-Florida
LGA-LGB on Saturdays

LGA just got the parking lot construction finished finally. As to where they will fly, I guess where there is demand from LGA.


1

Chicago, Illinois (ORD)

1,292,000

American, Delta, United



2

Atlanta, Georgia

1,143,000

AirTran, American, Delta



3

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

737,000

Delta, JetBlue, Spirit



4

Charlotte, North Carolina

534,000

American, US Airways



5

Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas (DFW)

550,000

American



6

Miami, Florida

548,000

American



7

Boston, Massachusetts

466,000

American, Delta, US Airways



8

Detroit, Michigan

452,000

American, Delta, Spirit



9

Washington, DC (DCA)

386,000

Delta, US Airways



10

Orlando, Florida

351,000

AirTran, Delta, JetBlue


If you take the top 10, they will likely just add the more popular routes from LGA which will likely be from this top 10 list.

I see Boston as one of the likely contenders. I agree with that. Perhaps Chicago or other routes as well.

As far as DC to compete with Delta and USAirways shuttles, there has been people mentioning flights have been more crowded and prices going up on those routes so its possible JetBlue could add more competition there. But if someone guessed from these top 10 routes, they most likely would be right.

Chicago would be interesting. There is already shuttle-like service from UA and AA and actual shuttle service from DL. Similar to DCA I'm not sure it makes sense to enter the rather saturated market, even with the high number of passengers. Oh, and I'm not so sure about the B6 gate situation at ORD.

The slot swap between US and DL will also shake things up. But I wouldn't necessarily only expect to see them go after top 10 markets.