N830MH

Southwest may considering to Fresno, CA.

Here's a link:

http://www.yourcentralvalley.com/new...esno/811661741

If they have more gate space available. They will have more than 8 or 10 flight a days.

Let the speculation begin!

Big4Flyer

Its certainly possible, but FAT is on the smaller end of airports that WN serves. Last I checked they had less than 1,000,000 passengers/year, which is only a fraction of the amount of smaller airports also served by WN, such as BOI, PDX, etc.

If we do see them launch service, I'd expect to see flights to PHX, DEN, and maybe SEA. It would be hard to see them do shorter flights to LAS, LAX, SFO/OAK, just because of the driving time to get there.

smmrfld

Please change the thread title to something more accurate.

Tanic

"It's an Eyewitness News Investigation".

Slow news day?

FindAWay

Thread title: "Local News: announced to Fresno (FAT)"

Actual Story:

"And could we see new airlines like Southwest coming to town? It's something many people have been waiting for. Airport leaders are in talks with Southwest Airlines and say they're ready to bring the popular airline to the Central Valley. The question is, will it happen?"

returnoftheyeti

This makes a lot of sense once you consider the VirginAlaska war for California.

Its a 3 way horse race with United owning San Francisco. This ownership allows them to serve such deserving routes such as STS and MRY to SFO, which only fly the 3 days that SFO has clear skies

Meanwhile VirginAlaska has upped the stakes with small planes flying plases like STS to SNA and LAX to Mammoth.

Meanwhile WN is the current leader for people flying NorCal to SoCal, but the other two above fly to a lot more airports so WN needs to catch up

Seat13c

IF WN does go to FAT, I could see LAS and OAK both 2X daily and DEN 1X. This will provide a few different options for travelers both as destinations as well connection options. PHX could be in the mix as well but I could see WN rather picking the fight with UA to DEN rather than AA at PHX. LAX and SAN would be options but I think gate space at those two "dots" is better used for serving other destinations with higher O&D (The O&D premium is just too high at LAX & SAN). I doubt SEA as mentioned because I don't see it having enough O&D to fight with AS/VX over.

Just my 2 cents... We'll see what happens if anything at all.

FATFlyer

Frontier has already announced FAT-DEN will start in spring 2018. If WN went with that route also it would be a three way fight.

HomerJay

Fresno is in the heart of the Central Valley, which is home for 6 or 7 million people. Airfares are so high and choice so limited that many drive hours (or take the train) to get to SMF, OAK, SFO, or LAX for non-stop flights at reasonable fares.

It seems there's a huge untapped market for Southwest, and there would be a huge amount of O&D traffic LAX-FAT if at a reasonable price. Also, it's convenient to Yosemite.

On the side of caution, just how many of those folks who live in the Valley are flying anywhere that Southwest serves? Poverty is a huge problem in farm country, and many of those 1.6million people in the FAT catchment area, including farm workers either don't have the money to fly or limit their travel to "back home," which is often a bus trip or road trip to somewhere south of the border.

I really, really hope Southwest makes it happen, but the guess here is it won't happen until next spring at the earliest, and will be phased in with perhaps two non-stop destinations.

sdsearch

Southwest currently only sells tickets through their own website, and on that website characterizes airports however it wants to (ie, it doesn't care about official names, official cities). So would Southwest get more purchases if on their website they called it Fresno/Yosemite or even Yosemite/Fresno (compared to just calling it Fresno)? @:-)

The people who live on the farms may not have much money, but the people who want to visit Yosemite presumably do have money. And Fresno is the closest major city to the Yosemite Valley and other highly-visited parts. (Mammoth may be closer to the park boundary, but that's on a comparatively rarely visited side. Mammoth is probably more known for skiing than for access to Yosemite.)

But then again, Southwest hasn't chosen to fly to Jackson WY either. And the reason for going there is even more Grand Teton/Yellowstone related.

N830MH

No, they haven't been there yet. They never started. Besides, I think they will considering JAC, BIL, CPR, FSD, BZN, IDA, FAR, MSO and a few other city, as well. It will take a consideration. I think it will be operated on a E175 aircraft instead of 737 aircraft. The entire 737-700/800 may be too big for that. They will have E175 aircraft and it's right choice. They will have enough capacity.

FATFlyer

FAT is now at daily flights from both AeroMexico and Volaris to GDL. That is 2X per day flights to south of the border.

N830MH

Hmmm. I just curious about those routes doing. How are they? Is that good loads? Could be bumping up to 3rd daily RT?

FATFlyer

FAT-GDL does well as a non-US hub route. Last year it was either the 4th or 5th largest US to GDL nonstop route. In 2011, O&D on that route was about 105,000 passengers. In 2016 it was about 195,000. So far in 2017 the route has grown by about another 15%.

Another GDL frequency might be possible depending upon aircraft size or a different Mexico route might be possible. One problem is the ability of the Federal govt to increase staffing in the FIS. Additionally the FIS at Fresno is small, only about 12,000 sq ft. Schedules would have to be staggered since it was designed for 1 arriving international flight at a time.

FAT is adding a jetway to currently ground level boarding gate 8. All gates are common use but 8 is primarily used as the AS gate for Skywest/Horizon aircraft. The rumor is that AS wants to add some mainline aircraft frequencies to the Fresno schedules.

sdsearch

Does Southwest still partner with Volaris?