New Airline

[mranderson]

Newsok.com has just announced that starting May 6, America West will start non stop service from Oklahoma City to Phoenix sky harbour airport. I did not read the frequency, but it is a start with the airline I am hoping will hub here.

They are using the usual cramped puddle jumpers.

I use to fly America West all the time and they were a good airline. I might just find out if they still are!

I forgot to add. Daily flights to Las Vegas also.

[mranderson]

check out america west's website. it has a nice article on OKC.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

Aviation could be OKC's fastest growing industry, albeit the damn call centers that the city leaders are just thrilled about.

[OUman]

From PR Newswire:

America West and America West Express will start new n/s service between OAirline Also Adds Flights for Two Existing Markets

PHOENIX, Jan. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- America West (NYSE: AWA), the
nation's second largest low-cost airline, announces that it will initiate new
nonstop jet service between its Las Vegas hub and Oklahoma City as well as the
California cities of Bakersfield and Long Beach. Service to Oklahoma City
will begin on May 6, 2005; Bakersfield will begin on April 3, 2005; and
service will begin to Long Beach on April 29, 2005. With this new service,
America West offers customers 144 daily departures to 59 nonstop destinations
from Las Vegas, more than any other carrier. America West Express, operated
by Mesa Airlines, will provide the new service.
In addition to the new Las Vegas service, Oklahoma City will also benefit
from two new roundtrip flights to America West's largest hub in Phoenix giving
customers one-stop access to 46 nonstop destinations. All flights will be
operated on the 50-seat Canadair Regional Jet 200 (CRJ200).
Customers in Bakersfield, who already enjoy nonstop service to America
West's hub in Phoenix, now have one-stop access to 70 cities. Flights will be
operated on the CRJ200.
Long Beach customers, who also have nonstop service to the Phoenix hub,
will now have one-stop connections to 76 America West destinations. The
service will be operated with the 86-seat Canadair Regional Jet 900 (CRJ900).
"With the addition of Long Beach, we now offer Las Vegas customers access
to all the major airports in the Los Angles basin," said Dion Flannery, vice
president, scheduling, route planning and Internet distribution. "Coupled
with the new service to Bakersfield and Oklahoma City, the hometown airline
offers our customers unparalleled travel options from Las Vegas."



The flight schedules are listed below.

Las Vegas to Oklahoma City Oklahoma City to Las Vegas
Flight Departs Arrives Flight Departs Arrives
6717 10:47 p.m. 3:12 a.m. 6027 10:35 p.m. 11:15 p.m.

Las Vegas to Bakersfield, Calif. Bakersfield, Calif. to Las Vegas
Flight Departs Arrives Flight Departs Arrives
6339 11:53 p.m. 1:08 a.m. 6717 9:10 p.m. 11:17 p.m.

Las Vegas to Long Beach, Calif. Long Beach, Calif. to Las Vegas
Flight Departs Arrives Flight Departs Arrives
6700 11:35 a.m. 12:40 p.m. 6459 1:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m.
6702 8:15 p.m. 9:20 p.m. 6703 9:10 p.m. 10:10 p.m.




In addition to the new Bakersfield and Long Beach service, America West
would also like to announce an additional roundtrip flight from Las Vegas to
San Diego, Calif. and Tucson, Ariz. beginning on April 29, 2005. As
previously announced, America West will begin service from Las Vegas to Boise,
Idaho on March 1, 2005.
For more information or to book a ticket, customers may go to
http://www.americawest.com/?c=12270816las. Customers may also purchase
tickets by calling America West at 1-800-2-FLY-AWA (1-800-235-9292) or by
contacting a travel agent. Travel agents are encouraged to use
http://www.HPagentlink.com, which is an online booking tool that America West
designed specifically for travel agents only. For corporate travelers,
http://www.AWAcorpLink.com is an effective online resource that helps companies take
control of their corporate-travel management needs without booking fees.
Mesa currently operates 183 aircraft with more than 1,100 daily system
departures to 177 cities, 41 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, Mexico
and the Bahamas. The Company, which was founded in New Mexico in 1982, has
approximately 4,900 employees. Mesa is a member of the Regional Airline
Association and Regional Aviation Partners.

America West Airlines is the nation's second largest low-cost airline and
offers a range of services such as first class, assigned seating, airport
clubs and an award winning frequent flyer program. America West's
13,000 employees serve 55,000 customers a day on more than 900 flights to
96 destinations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica. This press
release and additional information on America West can be accessed at
http://www.americawest.com.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A daily nonstop to Las Vegas McCarran, and two daily n/s's to Phoenix Sky Harbor. Las Vegas is our airport's fastest growing nonstop service market. In the next 4-5 years, I would expect to see new nonstop service being provided by Air Tran and COntinental Express between here and Cleveland. Also might get back new service between Oklahoma City and Orlando. Again, it's just my guess, don't quote me on it.

OUman

[Luke]

With the passage of the lottery and table games and the way Indian Casinos are popping up all over the state, maybe Las Vegasites will be flying here.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

Not if I have my way.

[El Gato Pollo Loco!!!]

With the passage of the lottery and table games and the way Indian Casinos are popping up all over the state, maybe Las Vegasites will be flying here.

[Patrick]

This is great news! Having another airline in the market is a huge plus. I'm sure if their routes from here are a success they will expand service to other cities.

I think the Phoenix route will be used, but I do have a concern about so many Las Vegas flights. In addition to the major arlines we now have several low cost carriers with non-stop flights to Vegas. Are there really that many Oklahomans going to Vegas to justify so many carriers putting their whole bread and butter in the OKC market on that route?

Seems like with the stiff competition of the OKC/Las Vegas route, one of the low cost airlines will eventually forced out of the market.

Anyways, again, I think we need to go ahead and finish the East Concourse at the airport. Looks like air service is going to continue expanding in our market. IF we could get an American West hub here, that would be huge!

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

No... if we could just get any hub...

[mranderson]

Yes. I agree with you in principle, Sooner. However, America West is our best chance for a hub. They had one in Columbus but closed it, leaving no midwestern hub.

If we, the people of Oklahoma, will use the airline enough, they will realize this city is potential, and expand routes. The only thing left IS hub status since they only have the two.

A bit of history on AW. Oklahoma City was one of their original cities when they started in the late 70's or early 80's. The pulled out due to competition with SW. We can call them being back a major step forward.

[MrsSnootyPants]

We are in the center which makes more sense to stop here than Texas or Denver. Becoming a hub would mean increased tourism.

[Patrick]

Becoming a hub would mean increased tourism.

That's actually debatable. Most hubs simply shuffle people just passing through. For example, when I'm flying somewhere I pass through DFW airport, but I don't stay in Dallas.

Having a hub would probably benefit us more in the corporate sense. Corporations like to locate places where their executives are able to get direct flights to almost anywhere. Having a hub would help us attract more corporations.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

Yeah. but any non marketing major can tell you that if we put shops, restraunts in our airport and made Will Rogers nicer it would go far. If we made a city in an airport we wouldn't need them to go out of the confines of the airport for our city to benefit.

[MrsSnootyPants]

Both Chicago's airports are a city within the airport. One even has a children's museum. Those terminals create an enormous amount of jobs.

I prefer to travel that way than through Denver or St.Louis because of the availability of shops in the event of a delay or cancellation. Most people will discover Oklahoma as a great place to visit or even move if they end up here by accident and our MidWestern way make them fall in love with us. We're just to friendly. Dont y'all agree?

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

We aren't Midwestern, I would consider us to have some of the strongest "Southern Hospitality" though.

[metro]

what would a non-marketing major have to due with telling someone to add shops to a airport? that would be a decision recommended usually by a marketer

[OUman]

This is great news! Having another airline in the market is a huge plus. I'm sure if their routes from here are a success they will expand service to other cities.

I think the Phoenix route will be used, but I do have a concern about so many Las Vegas flights. In addition to the major arlines we now have several low cost carriers with non-stop flights to Vegas. Are there really that many Oklahomans going to Vegas to justify so many carriers putting their whole bread and butter in the OKC market on that route?

Seems like with the stiff competition of the OKC/Las Vegas route, one of the low cost airlines will eventually forced out of the market.

Anyways, again, I think we need to go ahead and finish the East Concourse at the airport. Looks like air service is going to continue expanding in our market. IF we could get an American West hub here, that would be huge!

First off, I don't think we'll even get a minihub, let alone a hub. Not unless the East concourse is built. And God knows when that's gonna happen...

Second, America West shut down the Port Columbus airport hub because of market conditions, its own financial troubles, etc etc-the list goes on and on. Keep in mind that Port Columbus Int'l's passenger traffic is around 7 mil or so, ours is STILL under 4 mil. Now it is recovering, and I don't think it wants to risk it all again on a market that has fewer passengers than the one it left. Still, we do need to go ahead and build the east concourse, there are more carriers out there than just America West Express.

Third, to answer your question Patrick-yes, Las Vegas is the sixth (or was the sixth, maybe the fourth or fifth now, especially since we've lost flights between Will Rogers and DFW Int'l) most travelled-to destination from Oklahoma City. I wouldn't worry about any carriers stopping flights between Oklahoma City and Las Vegas. We don't have many carriers offering nonstop service to Las Vegas. Only Champion and Allegiant have nonstop service, and that too only four times a week (each 4 times). That's only two airlines. The majors don't have any nonstop service, not even Southwest. It used to have a Saturday-only nonstop roundtrip between both cities, but it stopped that. The addition of America West Express between Oklahoma City and Las Vegas is a good thing. And what's more, we'll have the first DAILY nonstop service to Las Vegas-ever. Champion and Allegiant have flights only four times a week.

At any rate, this is good news. Now if Oklahoma City could only get nonstop service to Orlando and a few other cities around the country...

OUman

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

Well, the fact that DFW, our most traveled to destination is getting less flights from us just means we are diversifying, and have less need for a hub.

[Patrick]

what would a non-marketing major have to due with telling someone to add shops to a airport? that would be a decision recommended usually by a marketer

I think he probably meant "marketing" major. I'm guessing the non was put in there by mistake.

[Patrick]

Well, the fact that DFW, our most traveled to destination is getting less flights from us just means we are diversifying, and have less need for a hub.

This makes absolutely no sense. If we're diversifying and thus offering more flights to different destinations, it would probably give us a better shot at getting a hub. The more flights we have, the more travelers, thus the better our airport looks to airlines looking for a hub.

[OUman]

Ahh, btw, I forgot to mention one thing. An airline never starts out with a hub operation at an airport where it wants to expand agressively, it builds its flights by starting a "focus operation" first (also known as the "focus city"). The focus city, or what I like to call focus airport operation is gradually increased in terms of daily departures and (depending from airline to airline) gradually becomes a mini-hub, and if the airline wants to add more flights at that particular airport, a hub. No airline will go from say, 15 daily departures to 40 all at once, unless its rich . I know you most probably know that, but was just something I wanted to point out.

OUman

[Luke]

JetBlue would be a great addition to the OKC market.

[OUman]

JetBlue would be a great addition to the OKC market.

There's an outside chance that Jetblue might start service between New York City's JFK and Oklahoma City. Especially since we don't have service to New York City but rather Newark. Its Airbus 320's are too big to support the Oklahoma City market, but the Embraer 190's might work.

OUman

[Patrick]

There's an outside chance that Jetblue might start service between New York City's JFK and Oklahoma City. Especially since we don't have service to New York City but rather Newark. Its Airbus 320's are too big to support the Oklahoma City market, but the Embraer 190's might work.

OUman

I think such an addition to the Oklahoma market would be met with high demand, especially by local stockbrokers.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

This makes absolutely no sense. If we're diversifying and thus offering more flights to different destinations, it would probably give us a better shot at getting a hub. The more flights we have, the more travelers, thus the better our airport looks to airlines looking for a hub.

Well, while we were using DFW for so many flights, obviously our travelors were connecting in Dallas, and not getting direct flights from OKC. Now that there are less flights to DFW, we must obviously not need them to connect, and so do not need to use them so much as a hub.

When I said "any non-marketing major" I meant just that. I meant anybody who doesn't know anything about marketing would tell you that adding shops, and a mini-OKC in the airport would boost our economy. Some people agreed with me. Those that did not, obviously needed clarification. Is this what you meant in PM?