2021 Oklahoma City Aviation Thread

[OkiePoke]

Gonna be interesting to see how much of a rebound we see. I'd love to see summer 2022 matching or even exceeding our numbers from summer 2019

That would be great. I think that depends on a lot of other countries vaccination progress. I really think the international travel is down the most.

[Plutonic Panda]

Looks like the rebound is happening sooner rather than later... hopefully

https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/ai...me-top-story-1

[PhiAlpha]

Shoulda stopped by Concourse B, I feel like I am at work 24/7 right now!

Now that United has insourced the united express work in Denver, I moved over to work Express. I typically work B80 and B82. if anyone is coming through send me a message and say hello. Nice working the small planes again - reminds me of working in OKC. Just a lot more flights. lol.

I may be flying to Denver in a month. I'll definitely let you know and stop by!

[catch22]

~~~ gooood neewwss~~~

Not sure when it happened, but it looks like Alaska has resumed mainline service to SEA. 737 now, before COVID it was an Airbus.

[gopokes88]

Sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also wonder why Feb numbers taking so long

[catch22]

Sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also wonder why Feb numbers taking so long

I was really worried AS (in OKC) wouldn’t survive this. Glad to see they have rebounded on this market.

It was a fairly marginal market. Despite being full, they initial reluctance to upgrade the route to mainline (the route started in 2015 and was a regional route until 2019) tells us that the volume or margins were borderline despite the planes being full. It’s a long and thin route. I was certain COVID would have been the end of this route for a while.

Glad to see it has strengthened back to pre-COVID levels.

I was on the inaugural SEA-OKC and OKC-SEA flights back in July of 2015. Can’t believe it has been 6 years now. Where does the time go?

[brianinok]

I was really worried AS (in OKC) wouldn’t survive this. Glad to see they have rebounded on this market.

It was a fairly marginal market. Despite being full, they initial reluctance to upgrade the route to mainline (the route started in 2015 and was a regional route until 2019) tells us that the volume or margins were borderline despite the planes being full. It’s a long and thin route. I was certain COVID would have been the end of this route for a while.

Glad to see it has strengthened back to pre-COVID levels.

I was on the inaugural SEA-OKC and OKC-SEA flights back in July of 2015. Can’t believe it has been 6 years now. Where does the time go?

Does Alaska joining Oneworld and strengthening partnership with American at SEA help this route further? For instance, would people wanting to book an AA ticket from OKC to SEA see this route pop up? Or someone wanting to fly OKC-SEA-Bangalore in the future when that AA route launches?

[catch22]

It doesn’t hurt. Codeshares aren’t automatic, I am not sure if AA/AS have a codeshare approved on OKC-SEA.

Interline/OAL travel is a different beast, and most airlines have interline agreements with each other, even fierce competitors. For example, When availability is nil on a route you are searching, UA may sell you an AA ticket through their booking engine just to keep you from going to AA’s website.

[damonsmuz]

I saw today that AA was flying DCA-OKC and noticed the flight had been operating for a while. Someone refresh my memory, did that flight get suspended last year and when did it return?

[catch22]

Looks like it began operating 4/2/21, at least under PSA. It is a 700 now, used to be a Republic E175. That is good news. AA has been by far the most aggressive legacy carrier during the pandemic.

Not sure when it was suspended but probably early March or April last year.

I apologize for not keeping up with this thread as much, I feel myself distancing further and further from OKC as my life moves further and further away from Oklahoma.

[damonsmuz]

OKC-LGA on American is back!!!! Originally announced a long time ago but then dropped due to the Pandemic.

https://news.aa.com/news/news-detail...4/default.aspx

[Celebrator]

OKC-LGA on American is back!!!! Originally announced a long time ago but then dropped due to the Pandemic.

https://news.aa.com/news/news-detail...4/default.aspx

Great news. Hope they would consider BOS service sometime soon.

[no1cub17]

Great news. Hope they would consider BOS service sometime soon.

DL would be more likely to launch OKC-BOS IMO - but I don't think DL has even resumed OKC-DTW yet? Very disappointing how little DL seems committed to OKC. Guess we're stuck with AA's subpar product for now. I suppose another possiblity for OKC-BOS would be B6 given the new partnership with AA, but I doubt B6 would start an entirely new station for that route.

[gopokes88]

Man we don't have Feb or March statistics. Usually both would be up by now

[LakeEffect]

Very disappointing how little DL seems committed to OKC. Guess we're stuck with AA's subpar product for now.

As a Delta medallion, I second, third, and fourth this complaint. Ugh.

[catch22]

Delta has always had the bare minimum in OKC. It kind of sits in a weird geographical area in their network where they can’t achieve much strength to any of OKC’s passenger flows.

AA/UA/WN can offer monster capacity to Texas, Delta doesn’t have that luxury here.
OKC-Florida has been traditionally weak. Delta’s crown jewel is ATL being able to connect the country to Florida. A market that OKC just doesn’t contribute a ton to.

We are far enough from DTW/MSP/SLC to have a background presence in their respective networks from those hubs. It really is just an awkward geographical position that puts OKC at a fairly low priority for DL.

[gopokes88]

Delta has always had the bare minimum in OKC. It kind of sits in a weird geographical area in their network where they can’t achieve much strength to any of OKC’s passenger flows.

AA/UA/WN can offer monster capacity to Texas, Delta doesn’t have that luxury here.
OKC-Florida has been traditionally weak. Delta’s crown jewel is ATL being able to connect the country to Florida. A market that OKC just doesn’t contribute a ton to.

We are far enough from DTW/MSP/SLC to have a background presence in their respective networks from those hubs. It really is just an awkward geographical position that puts OKC at a fairly low priority for DL.

AA also has the advantage of their hubs being good point to point destinations as well. DFW, MIA, LAX, PHX, PHL are all places I could connect but I also might be going to just to visit. DTW/MSP/SLC? Eh not really. The only one like that for AA is CLT.

ATL is a fun place to visit within their hubs.

I don't know if that matters when picking routes but it can't hurt.

[Celebrator]

Southwest changing reservations on us like crazy the last two weeks. Every itinerary we have booked for this summer has been changed at least once in the last month. And each change they have sent us has not worked for us so we have to call and choose another flight than the one they booked us on. Customer service rep says the last two weeks they have been adding capacity back and it has jumbled the schedules a lot. They have re-booked me through BWI and MCO so it looks as though those nonstops are coming back this summer, with MCO being a bit of a surprise to me--they're trying it again, but FL is a popular place for vacations right now with less COVID restrictions and lots to see and do!

[runOKC]

Yep, OKC-MCO is operational again as of a few weeks ago.

[Richard at Remax]

Southwest changing reservations on us like crazy the last two weeks. Every itinerary we have booked for this summer has been changed at least once in the last month. And each change they have sent us has not worked for us so we have to call and choose another flight than the one they booked us on. Customer service rep says the last two weeks they have been adding capacity back and it has jumbled the schedules a lot. They have re-booked me through BWI and MCO so it looks as though those nonstops are coming back this summer, with MCO being a bit of a surprise to me--they're trying it again, but FL is a popular place for vacations right now with less COVID restrictions and lots to see and do!

I have a SWA flight to Pensacola in July that has been changed 4 times already. I would get the emails of the changes, but surprisingly instead of originating in OKC, it might start in Houston. If I wasn't so anal these small details could easily be missed and we would have shown up to the airport and not have a flight. So I have to cancel my wife's companion reservation, then cancel everyone else's, then start over. Then I got an email last night they have changed my flight to San Jose, CA in August. I looked again and my flight origninates in Denver now, not OKC. It's been extremely tiring and let the agent know this morning on the phone. If the new flight schedules don't include my original origin city, then just cancel the flights!

2nd rant, is going back and rescheduling new flights, they are all more expensive and cost more points. Not too happy with SWA right now.

[Celebrator]

^^^Hmm, haven't the change of origin city problem, they just give us times that don't work. And they do rescheduling for free for the same city pair, they'll even let you move around your dates within 14 days of your original dates, so we have not had to pay anything extra in points or dollars. Not sure why they are charging you. It has been inconvenient, that's for sure. And the most inconvenient thing is having to call because they won't let you make those kind of changes online, and then when you call sometimes their automated call back option is not offered and the wait times have been 80 minutes plus! I am trying to be understanding because it is all pandemic related disruption, but it seems it could be handled better on their part and they usually are so good with customer service.

[damonsmuz]

United Airlines is increasing the number of flights to IAH from 5 to 8 starting in July and will all be flown on the -175. I believe that is the number of flights that United was flying to IAH before the pandemic started.

[Celebrator]

United Airlines is increasing the number of flights to IAH from 5 to 8 starting in July and will all be flown on the -175. I believe that is the number of flights that United was flying to IAH before the pandemic started.

Domestic traffic seems to be bouncing back quicker than expected all across the country--this is great news!

[brianinok]

I wish they'd resume their OKC-SFO route. I might just book a trip on that flight the day they resumed it.

[catch22]

I heard it is planned for August