Does United add ANY flights for NJ teacher's convention week?
Jun 5, 2019, 2:35 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 133
Does United add ANY flights for NJ teacher's convention week?
And if not, why not?
As you might know, all NJ schools have a random 2 days off the Thursday and Friday before veteran's day. So you have thousands of families who want to go away for that long weekend. So why can't United (being the main airline out of Newark) add some extra flights to places they want to go? For example, a lot of their Caribbean flights are still weekends only at that point (becoming more frequent later in the winter) but I am SURE that they could easily fill directs down to Turks and Caicos on that Wednesday and Thurday. The one nonstop down there from the NYC area (JBLUE from JFK) is almost full and is $1k a ticket. So why are they so stupid not to do this?
As you might know, all NJ schools have a random 2 days off the Thursday and Friday before veteran's day. So you have thousands of families who want to go away for that long weekend. So why can't United (being the main airline out of Newark) add some extra flights to places they want to go? For example, a lot of their Caribbean flights are still weekends only at that point (becoming more frequent later in the winter) but I am SURE that they could easily fill directs down to Turks and Caicos on that Wednesday and Thurday. The one nonstop down there from the NYC area (JBLUE from JFK) is almost full and is $1k a ticket. So why are they so stupid not to do this?
Jun 5, 2019, 2:36 pm
#2
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If it's "2 days off the Thursday and Friday before veteran's day " it doesn't seem random, and if the purpose of a "convention week" is to leave leave for a tropical island, well, that seems a bit....well...odd.
Jun 5, 2019, 2:49 pm
#3
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And if not, why not?
As you might know, all NJ schools have a random 2 days off the Thursday and Friday before veteran's day. So you have thousands of families who want to go away for that long weekend. So why can't United (being the main airline out of Newark) add some extra flights to places they want to go? For example, a lot of their Caribbean flights are still weekends only at that point (becoming more frequent later in the winter) but I am SURE that they could easily fill directs down to Turks and Caicos on that Wednesday and Thurday. The one nonstop down there from the NYC area (JBLUE from JFK) is almost full and is $1k a ticket. So why are they so stupid not to do this?
As you might know, all NJ schools have a random 2 days off the Thursday and Friday before veteran's day. So you have thousands of families who want to go away for that long weekend. So why can't United (being the main airline out of Newark) add some extra flights to places they want to go? For example, a lot of their Caribbean flights are still weekends only at that point (becoming more frequent later in the winter) but I am SURE that they could easily fill directs down to Turks and Caicos on that Wednesday and Thurday. The one nonstop down there from the NYC area (JBLUE from JFK) is almost full and is $1k a ticket. So why are they so stupid not to do this?
Second, those extra planes they *might* be able to fill going down on thursday/friday would likely fly back empty after a quick turn (which IIRC is how most of the Caribbean works). And the same v v, to get people home Mon/Tues
Jun 5, 2019, 3:05 pm
#4
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I think the idea is that the teachers are in training (statewide?), meaning it's an opportunity for people with kids to take time off.
In addition to the other answers posted, I'd just point out that this isn't UA's target market. If they could figure out a way to serve only business travel, they'd do it. They're much more likely to add flights for conventions than they are to add flights that are convenient for vacationers.
Also, you're sort of assuming that they can fill a planeful of people to each potential vacation destination. If you want to travel to St. Croix, an extra flight to San Juan or Nassau probably doesn't mean much to you. That's a lot of extra flights.
Jun 5, 2019, 3:23 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2014
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I think the teachers go to the convention, and the families who randomly have a 4-day weekend go on vacation.
Jun 5, 2019, 3:54 pm
#6
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This ... adding flights to CES, SuperBowl, or ... are because those travelers will pay top dollar and it is worth taking the aircraft off their normal routes because of the added revenue. Moving aircraft and crews for bottom dollar, leisure travelers is likely a money lossing propostion.
Jun 5, 2019, 5:23 pm
#7
Join Date: Mar 2007
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Posts: 781
Those two days in November that NJ schools are closed are for teachers' convention. Attendance is optional so many take the days as a mini family holiday.
As far as adding extra flights, a lot of planning and effort goes into getting gate space, aircraft, air crews and ground personel in place and it is rarely worth it for the airline when you consider the cost vs revenue.
As far as adding extra flights, a lot of planning and effort goes into getting gate space, aircraft, air crews and ground personel in place and it is rarely worth it for the airline when you consider the cost vs revenue.
Jun 5, 2019, 7:15 pm
#8
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You are assuming that adding flights is the most profitable reaction from UA. I would suggest two things. First, UA is well-aware of the convention and its effects on the demand for air travel. Second, UA's most profitable response to this is not to increase capacity that weekend, it is to increase the prices of existing capacity for that weekend.
Jun 6, 2019, 9:29 am
#10
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As an NJ parent experienced with this long weekend, we took trips to DC (ran into other NJ families we knew), Universal/Disney (one of the emptiest times of the year - virtually no other US school systems are off then), and GCM. For that last one, we connected through MIA to Grand Cayman Airways on the Wednesday before and caught the weekly non-stop back GCM-EWR on Saturday. Most of the families we knew would have made their plans already by this point. It is just one of those unique NJ experiences (along with not being allowed to pump your own gas).
Jun 6, 2019, 9:40 am
#11
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filling_station_attendant
"full-service stations are uncommon except in the states New Jersey and Oregon (counties with more than 40,000 residents), and the town of Huntington, New York, where retail customers are prohibited by law from pumping their own gasoline."
(I knew about Oregon but not Huntington, NY, so thanks, #TIL
and it sounds like there are other locales outside the US as well)
Jun 6, 2019, 9:45 am
#12
Join Date: Feb 2010
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That's not unique to NJ. Ubiquitous traffic jughandles, maybe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filling_station_attendant
"full-service stations are uncommon except in the states New Jersey and Oregon (counties with more than 40,000 residents), and the town of Huntington, New York, where retail customers are prohibited by law from pumping their own gasoline."
(I knew about Oregon but not Huntington, NY, so thanks, #TIL and it sounds like there are other locales outside the US as well)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filling_station_attendant
"full-service stations are uncommon except in the states New Jersey and Oregon (counties with more than 40,000 residents), and the town of Huntington, New York, where retail customers are prohibited by law from pumping their own gasoline."
(I knew about Oregon but not Huntington, NY, so thanks, #TIL
and it sounds like there are other locales outside the US as well)
Jun 6, 2019, 9:56 am
#13
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
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I didn't know about Huntington either, and true that Oregon no longer has that law, at least for stand-alone operations. Oregon's Freak-Out Over Pumping.
although "only at stand-alone gas stations in counties with fewer than 40,000 residents. Elsewhere, the ban still holds."Apologies to all for the thread hijack
Jun 6, 2019, 10:03 am
#14
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