MAH4546

Believe it:

Boston, San Jose, Guatemala City, San Salvador, Tampa, Orlando, Key West, Providenciales, Nassau, Santo Domingo, San Juan, Panama City, Kingston, Cancun, Baltimore, Newark, and Hartford. You can already book Hartford, Baltimore, and Cancun. The rest bookable by Monday. The intra-Florida, NAS, and PLS will be Express.

I will say that is not 100% confirmed, but I wouldn't post it if I didn't trust who I've heard it from.

Jumpgate

I'm not too surprised. There has been talk about making FLL a "focus city" and rumors concerning this for some time. They are trying to take advantage of AA's miserable operations at MIA.

MAH4546

Depends on what you mean by miserable, because they aren't miserable to AA. AA's operations are MIA are immensely profitable, and the hub has remained profitable throughout the past few years. AA is getting a brand-new terminal that opens in 2007, and they plan 330 daily flights, up from 240 today.

Until they make the flights to GUA/PTY/etc. daily (supposedly, they won't be), they are not going to find the business travelers they need. And immigration at FLL is going to be hell if they schedule these flight close to each other...FLL's minute sized immigration facility is already bad enough with AA (they fly FLL-CCS/SDQ/PAP, and will likely be announcing FLL-SJO soon), Avianca, and all the other international services.

I do commend them on this new service. I am confident it will do well, and it opens new markets that Charlotte and Philadelphia cannot support. Though AA isn't going to be losing many customers, and they will likely respond with new service to keep the few they may lose.

PHL

It will be confirmed Monday 8/23 at 1030 am when Ben and the Broward County Mayor hold a joint press conference at FLL.

geo1005

Question. Which costs less from US's standpoint... ???

#1 Mainline jet and/or RJ to CLT/PHL to connect to Mainline jet to the Caribbean destination.

-or-

#2 Mainline jet and/or RJ to FLL to connect to a RJ to the Caribbean?


There are already flights from many of US's key focus cities and hubs nonstop to FLL (PHL, CLT, BOS, DCA, NYC et al). While some of the routes to the Caribbean will be served by mainline due to the distance and the overwater regulations (think BGI and Aruba), the vast majority of US's Caribbean destinations can be easily served by RJ's from FLL. We just saw one of US's Express affiliates seek authority to fly to the Turks & Caicos - which was granted I think?

Could US be developing a mini-Caribbean hub in FLL the same way AA has done in SJU?


Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

House

Will be interesting to see if SAA start flying down to South Africa from FLL at some point in the future - there is a large SA population in the region and there have been rumours about service in the past. Now that SAA is divorcing DL (and leaving ATL) in favour of Star Alliance then FLL could become a logical second US destination after JFK.

MAH4546

The FLL operation is not a hub. It is meant to rely on O&D. They won't be routing passengers through it with the exception of PTY/KIN/SAL/GUA, since those will be served only through FLL. It is meant to capitalize on the high-yielding orgin & destination traffic between South Florida and the Caribbean and Central America. For example, whereareas Nassau is a leisure route from anywhere else, it is a major and important business market from Miami/Ft. Lauderdale.

www.iflyswa.com

Very interesting. FLL is a popular alternative to Miami, and there may be a market for some of these flights. Problem is that most new routes lose money for awhile, and U may not be able to afford the upfront costs. The Tampa and ORL flights sound like money losers, unless they are primarily for connection purposes. SW has very inexpensive fares on these routes, and the cost of flying in a RJ will certainly exceed the revenue.

mbmbbost

Currently, there aren't any nonstops from BOS, and I don't think NYC either (although I know they've been announced from LGA). BOS hasn't had any US nonstops to a FL airport for at least a couple years, to the best of my knowledge.

ACArbeiter

I keep hoping more FFP would recognized MIA/FLL/PBI and LAX/BUR/LGI as same airport areas, like the NYC or WAS airports, so making more choices on award tickets. That way, you can still stop in S. FLA without it counting as an open-jaw.

MAH4546

I totally agree! I still don't understand why at least MIA/FLL don't have a single airport code, like BWI/DCA/IAD have WAS. Especially since they are so close to each other and serve the same exact market. And none of the LA or San Fran airports have a single code either. Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New York City, and DC do. The other 2-airport cities, Orlando (MCO/SFB), Tampa (TPA/PIE), and Detroit (DTW/DET; though DET currently has no commercial service) also do not have a single code.

NWILGuy

I believe they are going to IAD once they figure out how to pay off Delta.

jcooke

I believe ORL used to be used for MCO/SFB but its used for Orlando Executive airport now, and DTT is used for all of Detroits.

Hopefully memory is serving me correctly.

-JC

shannon94188

Glad to see another option for SJC-FLL! Great news!

phllax

I guess we will also find out where the other Liberia, Costa Rica flight is coming from.

I think US's cajones have finally dropped. They saw what SPirit was planning on doing, and moved in for the kill before they could even get 1 new Airbus on the property. I think most of these flights do not have to be daily to start, but most will eventually go daily, once people catch on.

The one think that I am surprised over is that PSA and not MDA is going to Provodenciales and the Bahamas and maybe more. The 170 doesn't have the weight issues period. I wonder if there will be any on the CRJ-700 from the added life vests and rafts. Add to that that MDA crews are already overwater trained from initial mainline training.

Even being in LA, I cannot wait for Monday's announcement. I just hope they remember LAZ in FLL's plans.