Caribbean?

[Doc]

Any rumors on any more flights to the Caribbean? It is a huge market that we need to take more market share from AA….

 

[ITRADE]

Any rumors on any more flights to the Caribbean? It is a huge market that we need to take more market share from AA….

Well, its starting to get slim in terms of "new", virgin destinations. US has announced or commenced service to most every major airport in the Caribbean that can handle a mainline jet coming from some distance away.

The places that do not yet have service are: Kingston, Curacao, Port of Spain, Port au Prince, and maybe Isla de Margarita. Of these, Port of Spain is probably the most likely given that the Trinidadian government has been attempting to lure service to the islands. On the other hand, the Trinidadian government is doing all it can to bolster BWIA... The other cities (Kingston, Port au Prince, etc.) are services that would have to be filled by local passengers (ex-pats) since neither are tourist destinations.

You could probably announce service from CLT to BGI in order to create more link-ups with Caribbean Star. Otherwise, US may have to start looking at expanding service via Caribbean Star out of BGI/SXM and Caribbean Sun out of SJU. Given that US abruptly broke off its service with WinAir, expect Caribbean Sun to play a large role to the Virgin Islands, the French Windwards, and other locales.

Anyhow, US might want to consider some Mexican service. Fares to spots like Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Oaxaca are relatively high, and there is little or no non-stop service to those spots from east of the Mississippi. I just checked DCA to PVR, and the lowest fare is $650 round trip. Acapulco is $550 round trip. Those sound like tasty fares to me...

 

[diogenes]

Like how you're thinking, Trade.

Wouldn't hurt to pick up a few more cities from the Great North, either. Calgary, anyone?

 

[USFlyer]

Vancouver!! At least seasonal service.

 

[Bluestreaking]

Cabo San Lucas would be nice.

 

[TheWatcher]

Stop it. All this means major growth! Major growth isnt in the cards. It doesnt even take Miss Cleo to figure that one out.

 

[ITRADE]

Cabo San Lucas would be nice.

Its definately a nice spot, but I don't think that East coasters typically think of Baja California when they want Mexico. They either want Cancun, Cozumel, or Acapulco. Cabo is much more of a spot for the California types.

 

[ITRADE]

Stop it. All this means major growth! Major growth isnt in the cards. It doesnt even take Miss Cleo to figure that one out.

I think I understand what The Watcher is alluding to, but this does not have to be a "major expansion." While these types of desinations would each require one aircraft each per day (i.e. LGA-CLT-ACA-CLT-LGA) would take about 12 - 13 hours, its not a huge expansion in the sense of adding multiple flights to the destination or requiring substantial capital.

Try the flights out two days a week and see how it goes.

 

[diogenes]

Trade, with that kind of thinking, you're definitely NOT U management material!

 

[Hope777]

I think we also need to look at adding additional flights to some of our Carib cities that only have one flight a day. Moving a few Dash 8's to SJU would not be a bad idea either.

 

[USFlyer]

Trade, with that kind of thinking, you're definitely NOT U management material!

Umm, folks, a lot of criticism of management on here is valid. However, this is precisely what U has been doing in the Caribbean (and now Vail, CO).

 

[ITRADE]

I think we also need to look at adding additional flights to some of our Carib cities that only have one flight a day. Moving a few Dash 8's to SJU would not be a bad idea either.

That would require a significant amount of infrastructure. As mentioned earlier, Caribbean Sun is picking up some Dash-8 flying out of SJU - but not to cities currently served by US.

I don't know the gate situation at SJU since the departure of TWA, but if US really wants to push SJU, its going to probably get a few more gates.

And, its going to have to consider adding additional spots that it does not fly to at all - Dominica, Guadeloupe, and Martinique come to mind.

Additional flights could be added to STX, SXM, STT, SDQ, SKB, ANU, etc. But, you'd really have to be careful here so as to not 1) ruin your codeshare with your in-place partners, 2) annoy passengers by requiring double connects, and ) really pi$$ing off AA Eagle.