19 replies to this topic

[star power]

I heard from Cheri at DEN, that RAH has given it ok for discussion talks between F9 and Apple Vacations on a possible partnership.

[star power]

Cheri said she heard a rumor today, JUN 1, 2011, that Frontier Airlines was looking at a code share agreement with British Airways out of DEN. She said that F9 would feed BA at DEN, from Alaska and from the Western states to some of the Midwestern states, but not East of the Mississippi River.

F9 would not feed BA on flights that BA and AA have code share flights on in the Midwest area, To/from like ORD and DFW. F9 would get access to BA network worldwide to feed DEN mainly then to F9 system, and from other US gateway cities that BA flies to except ORD and DFW, to feed F9 route system and vacation destinations.

I told her that would be interesting and that it maybe to late in the summer travel season to start bookings for a code share agreement with BA, 3 mos earlier would of been a better setup for a agreement. I could see 2012, but stranger things have happen.

[star power]

I was talking to Sammy and ask him how things are going, He said, OK. RAH was looking at some additional contract flying. He told me that thing are in the early discussion stage on a possible Air Service Agreement and/or modified Capacity Purchase Agreement with some other airlines, which may not be US, UA/CO, DL, or AA.

Sammy said that RAH would not have a problem with the other carrier's scope agreements, since RAH service would be domestic service and that the service would be from most all USA gateway cities. Sammy believes that the carrier/s would select the cites pairs that the carrier/s prefers RAH to operate in, but he said that RAH would like to have the flexibility to put the right size of aircraft in the selected market for the given market at that time the year/or season which would/could be base on bookings/booking history.

I told Sammy let me know how things are coming along.

[Pocketrocket]

Anything but RAH.

[star power]

Cheri said F9 was looking at possible Florida city as a focus city for a starting point to some caribbean islands and some Brazilian markets. I guess they could call it the Fun in the Sun/Beach run. It would be great for the winter/spring of 2011/2012.

I could see a expansion at MCO or TPA and maybe at FLL, because of the FIS at these airports instead of RSW and PIE. With expansion at MCO or TPA to places like MBJ, KIN, BDA, BQN, PSE, STT, STX, and SJU. SJU would be a fuel stop to some Brazilian cities like FOR, REC, NAT, and BEL. The Brazilian markets may not be open until 2012 when the first phase of the USA--BR open-skies agreement starts for secondary cities markets.

[star power]

Cheri said Frontier has been talking with RAH about a replacement aircraft for ASE, The replacement aircraft would be for the last 4 Q400 aircraft, since the Q400 appear to be staying for awhile. It looks like they are re-evaluating 2 different aircraft for ASE. Cheri said one is below the 100K LBS threshold at ASE and the others is 10K for the basic or 21K for the high gross weight above the 100K LBS threshold, which F9 could apply for a wavier from the ASE airport authority and the FAA. She told me that the flight characteristics are lot better and within the ASE airport flight envelope requirements for the approach charts and the departure charts procedures. she also said that the single engine out flight characteristics envelope for a departure and a single engine out on a go-around procedure with a bird strike on climb out to the right were well within the flight characteristics envelope of the 2 aircraft at ASE. She said RAH try to get a E170 or a E175 to work, but no joy. She also said they try to get a E190 to work, but also no joy, she said that the E190 was a little bit better than the E170/E175, but they still have problems with the single engine out flight characteristics envelope procedures. I told her that I could see the below 100K LBS staying with RAH, but the 110K to 121K LBS going to F9.

[signals]

Did Cheri tell you about the 18 of F9's 59 Airbus that were damaged by a hailstorm at DIA on July 13? Did she tell you that they took a $10 million dollar hit from accomidating customers and repairing the damages? CEO Bedford seems to think that they are the reason for the low fares in Denver, not WN!

Well hope they survive the WN attacks!

[star power]

Yes I saw the hailstorm and some of the damage at DEN (DIA) on the 13 July. I did read that Frontier had damage to 18 of their aircraft, and as for the $10 Million, the insurance will cover some of the cost for the damages, but leave Frontier with about $3-4 million with the rest of the cost, but as we all know the insurance premium cost will increase. F9 will still have to use some of the WN business games in the DEN catch basin area to retain market focus for the LCC, Witch is the same LCC that WN like to play business games with. I guess with WN in attack mode at DEN they will have to pull resources from other areas of operations to protect their fortress at DEN, F9 may have to evaluate to work on those pull resources.