Winter 2006/07 Schedule Changes

[MAH4546]

With summer changes pretty much done, and the first of the new winter routes announced today, time to start a new thread for changes to the winter timetable. First up this year:

*New 3x daily Saab service between Dallas and Alexandria, LA eff. 14Dec06.

 

[jimntx]

Well, it's about time. Another major market that we finally got around to serving.

 

[eolesen]

Actually, AEX/ESF it's an old market that Eagle is re-entering, having pulled out in 2000. ESF was the airport serving Alexandria until England AFB closed in 1992, which was then converted into the civilian airport and coded AEX.

AEX might work now because of the number of people from Louisiana who have relocated to Texas, plus the number of people who've moved further inland. If this works, MLU will probably be next...

 

[s80dude]

Actually, AEX/ESF it's an old market that Eagle is re-entering, having pulled out in 2000. ESF was the airport serving Alexandria until England AFB closed in 1992, which was then converted into the civilian airport and coded AEX.

AEX might work now because of the number of people from Louisiana who have relocated to Texas, plus the number of people who've moved further inland. If this works, MLU will probably be next...

MLU? What city code is that? Do you think we might see Lake Charles service any time soon?
edit:
I looked up MLU, it is Monroe. And according to the press release we already service Monroe and Lafayette. Both started recently.

 

[MAH4546]

Actually, AEX/ESF it's an old market that Eagle is re-entering, having pulled out in 2000. ESF was the airport serving Alexandria until England AFB closed in 1992, which was then converted into the civilian airport and coded AEX.

AEX might work now because of the number of people from Louisiana who have relocated to Texas, plus the number of people who've moved further inland. If this works, MLU will probably be next...

Service to Monroe, LA began a few weeks ago actually.

 

[N905AW]

Does anyone know whether AA plans to upgrade service from snowbird destination in the Midwest to Miami? I know IND-MIA is slated to have the 738 that currently operates on the route downgraded to an ERD, however could it possibly go back to a 738 during the winter? I'm sure AA's 738 fleet is stretched to begin with, but I can't imagine 2 ERD's being enough to cater to the seasonal demand between IND and MIA. Likewise, could CMH-MIA see a mainline flight for the first time. I've talked to the AA agents before in CMH, and they've expressed much frustration about how the CMH-MIA route is flown with just one RJ a day. Is the chance of a seasonal upgrade on the route out of the question, or could AA possibly pull it off?

 

[MAH4546]

Does anyone know whether AA plans to upgrade service from snowbird destination in the Midwest to Miami? I know IND-MIA is slated to have the 738 that currently operates on the route downgraded to an ERD, however could it possibly go back to a 738 during the winter? I'm sure AA's 738 fleet is stretched to begin with, but I can't imagine 2 ERD's being enough to cater to the seasonal demand between IND and MIA. Likewise, could CMH-MIA see a mainline flight for the first time. I've talked to the AA agents before in CMH, and they've expressed much frustration about how the CMH-MIA route is flown with just one RJ a day. Is the chance of a seasonal upgrade on the route out of the question, or could AA possibly pull it off?

If AA had more planes they'd love to do it. MIA-CMH and MIA-IND do very well. MIA-CMH is 3x daily on SaSu. However, they have only so many planes to go around.

 

[eolesen]

If AA had more planes they'd love to do it. MIA-CMH and MIA-IND do very well. MIA-CMH is 3x daily on SaSu. However, they have only so many planes to go around.

I don't think it's a matter of planes. I can't see this route doing very well on the basis of some old farts making the trip down and back twice a year.

Snowbirds are cheap beyond definition, and will #### about getting charged the full price about a cup of coffee at McDonalds, versus getting the senior discount.

 

[MiAAmi]

I don't think it's a matter of planes. I can't see this route doing very well on the basis of some old farts making the trip down and back twice a year.

Snowbirds are cheap beyond definition, and will #### about getting charged the full price about a cup of coffee at McDonalds, versus getting the senior discount.

Its not just the snow birds coming to Fla. Most of the pax on flights between CMH-MIA are connecting to high yield places like South/Central America and high yielding islands in the Carib. Another reason CMH see's the RJ more than mainline is that there is a maint base for the RJs there. Its easier to route the RJ there for maint reasons.

 

[MAH4546]

I don't think it's a matter of planes. I can't see this route doing very well on the basis of some old farts making the trip down and back twice a year.

Snowbirds are cheap beyond definition, and will #### about getting charged the full price about a cup of coffee at McDonalds, versus getting the senior discount.

Yields on the MIA flights are pretty spectacular, especially CMH, RIC, and IND, so don't underestimate it. Of course, the limited amount of seats offered by the ERJs definitley contributes. The question is if putting a 738 on the route can make up for it. Yield would go down, but the number of seats sold might make up for it. Miami isn't Orlando or Fort Lauderdale. There is significant business traffic to be found, not to mention high-yielding Caribbean connecting traffic (and LatAm connecting to a lesser extent).

 

[flyhigh]

...one big reason AA/Eagle has been able to add the Louisianna/Alabama/Mississippi routes it has recently is DL's pulldown of their DFW hub. Those are Delta strongholds. Even with AA strength in DFW, it wasn't enough to overcome the service Delta was offering (DFW Westward, ATL Eastward, and CVG in some cases Nothbound). With DL out of DFW, a lot of people are up for grabs...

As for more flights to MIA on bigger planes. I can't imagine we'll see it soon. With AA sitting a bunch of M80's that's less planes to play with. Additionally, all the connections to South America don't necessarilly warrant more flights since there's only one big Southbound bank at night. Tough position...not enough mainline planes to upgrade with, no demand at other times...

 

[MAH4546]

As for more flights to MIA on bigger planes. I can't imagine we'll see it soon. With AA sitting a bunch of M80's that's less planes to play with. Additionally, all the connections to South America don't necessarilly warrant more flights since there's only one big Southbound bank at night. Tough position...not enough mainline planes to upgrade with, no demand at other times...

There are three big southbound banks. One at night to deep South America, late morning to Caribbean/South America, and early evening to Caribbean/South America. Most of the flights to cities with only one daily are timed to connect to the morning bank to Caribbean/South America. AA gets more Caribbean connections from smaller markets like SDF than they do South America connections.

 

[MAH4546]

The 772 from SJC-NRT will find its way on to JFK-EZE, at least through April.

 

[MAH4546]

The second daily DFW-GRU flight, which was nothing than a knee jerk reaction to Delta's now discontinued 2nd daily ATL-GRU flight, is gone. Those 5 weekly frequencies will move back to MIA-GIG year round, 01Nov06.

Also, rumour is AA will be applying for seven emergency exemption slots to increase MIA/JFK-GRU flights: MIA-GRU to 25 flights a week and JFK-GRU to 10 flights a week. This follows Varig's drastic cuts in service to the US (MIA from 13x to 6x a week and JFK from 11x to 2x a week). No idea where the planes come from, unless it were to be a daylight flight.

 

[MiAAmi]

The second daily DFW-GRU flight, which was nothing than a knee jerk reaction to Delta's now discontinued 2nd daily ATL-GRU flight, is gone. Those 5 weekly frequencies will move back to MIA-GIG year round, 01Nov06.

Also, rumour is AA will be applying for seven emergency exemption slots to increase MIA/JFK-GRU flights: MIA-GRU to 25 flights a week and JFK-GRU to 10 flights a week. This follows Varig's drastic cuts in service to the US (MIA from 13x to 6x a week and JFK from 11x to 2x a week). No idea where the planes come from, unless it were to be a daylight flight.

Lets hope they get them and IMA flight attendants see more flying