HeadInTheClouds

I wondered why they didn't do this like they used to do back in the 90s with SkyWest props down to LAX a couple times a day. That seems to work for a lot of little places in California. It seems like that 50 seater all the way up to SFO is overkill.

As for ballsandboards, while I've never been to it, I can't imagine PMD is much different from any other small airport that dots So Cal... IPL, CLD, OXR, etc., which are all pleasant from the perspective of parking, security, etc. But you have to have a reason to go there or there's not much point to it!

It would be a shame to lose this flight for the folks who live out there. I used to have a friend who lived up there, and that drive from LA is just miserable... not to mention a disaster when fog sets in.

LAX

If UA is being subsidized for the flights, it should be able to keep flying it until the subsidy ends.

LAX

SFOTRAVELER

Yes, and the most intriguing part of the article mentions that flying PMD-SFO-IAD takes less time than driving from PMD to LAX for a nonstop to IAD.

abmj-jr

But I don't see PMD as competing with LAX for that IAD run. The alternative would be ONT-SFO-IAD, which is much more attractive.

For folks in the high desert, PMD offers some convenience but if the fares stay much higher than those to/from ONT, I know I will continue to use ONT. For my family, it is about the same drive to pick me up so price is the determining factor.

SJUAMMF

Driving from Palmdale to LAX is 1+1+5 hours? It takes 6 hours to drive from San Jose to LAX, 5 to BUR. When a LAX-SJC gets canceled, I would just drive it.

HeadInTheClouds

The LAX route is a nonstop flight, so even accounting for traffic on the 405 it's hard to see how that wouldn't be faster than ONT-SFO-IAD.

Totally lost on this one.

kaszeta

I stumbled upon PMD as an airport when I found myself unexpectedly with a weekend to kill while working a contract job at Edwards AFB. Less than 12 hours before the flight, I managed to score roundtrip tickets PMD<->SFO for $100, and spent the entire weekend in San Francisco doing the tourist thing.

For my admittedly niche purpose, PMD worked out quite well. Surprisingly large number of people on both flights, although most were from the LA area connecting through SFO.

Otherwise, I don't think I'll be using it much. While I'm a frequent visiter to Palmdale/Edwards, it's hard to beat the price and convenience of the MHT->PHX->LAX route on Southwest.

hobo13

As an anecdote about why PMD isn't working out:

I was visiting Edwards for a business trip last week. It would seem that PMD would be the logical choice to fly into, given the proximity to the base. But the connections from the east coast are so bad, that it's almost useless. The last flight leaves PMD at 1130am, I think, which basically means that you cannot fly out after any meeting, but must remain in town for another night. The alternative, of course, is to drive south and catch either an evening flight or a red-eye from LAX/BUR/ONT, which is what we did.

Even more interesting, we spoke with some of the civilian folks on the base. It seems that management is still uncertain as to whether to endorse travel out of PMD. If business travelers who live in PMD aren't flying out of PMD, I don't think UA is long for this town.....

HkCaGu

Recent developments:

1. Load still about 1/3. Target is 1/2 in less than a year so the route is maintainable after the subsidies go away.

2. UA lowered many PMD fares to match LAX fares plus $20-30 (figuring that the extra cost balances out with I-405 traffic plus gas). These fares are indefinite.

3. LAWA will spare a FlyAway bus and run a VNY-PMD service. (I can't imagine it'll be more than one bus per flight.)

4. Last June's start of service turns out to be sort of a bad timing, since only business travelers can balance the book on PMD-SFO, and "business travelers" pretty much mean government travelers. By June it was too late for the GSA FY2008 bids. Without a GSA contract fare, many government travel agents won't book PMD. Things might improve after October 2008 if a GSA fare can be awarded for FY09.

Seriousness aside, here's the joke I've been telling people: In order for PMD to compete, the cities of Los Angeles and Palmdale need to declare war on Burbank and bomb BUR. PMD can "compete" with LAX, but not if BUR is there.

abmj-jr

Or ONT.

rkaradi

It's great to hear the fares have dropped... I had a business trip to PMD in Feb, and tried to use PMD, but the issue was the timing just like others have mentioned...But also the rental car situation, Hertz is not open when the planes arrive (I can't remember if there was even another option), so what is a travller to do that can't get a ride. I had to fly in/out BUR.

notquiteaff

I found that to be a problem initially (as mentioned earlier in this thread), but it appears to have changed. From the Hertz website:

https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/byr/i...sp&eoag=PMDO07

Hours of Operation: Mo-Fr 0500-0600 and 0930-1130 and 2100-2200, Sa 0500-0600 and 0930-1130, Su 0930-1130 and 2100-2200

I believe that matches the flight schedule:

Weekday Departures: 6:05am and 10:59am
Weekday Arrivals: 10:31am and 9:21pm
...

cj001f

6hrs? At what time of day entering LA traffic? It took me 3 hours from Thousand Oaks to LAX on a holiday weekend!

PMD exists because of the defense business.

boifromtroy

Yeah, here is more info on the flyaway on my blog:

http://boifromtroy.com/?p=7128

Each bus will have more capacity than a CRJ-200!

hobo13

Except that it's not obvious that the defense industry is going to fly in/out of there!