American AIrlines earlier today launched non-stop service between Miami and Tulsa, Oklahoma, definitely one of the odder routes in AA's network.

The service will operate with a 737-800 every Saturday and Sunday, and is a way for AA to move 737-800s between Miami and its Tulsa maintenance base and get some revenue while doing it. I'll hopefully be updating this thread later this week with some pictures from the inaugural flight - the first non-stop service between Oklahoma and South Florida.

American Airlines has also launched, for the first time, summer service between Miami and Eagle County, Colorado, which will operate on Saturdays through the end of August. Flights to Vail will be non-stop, but return service will require a fuel stop in Denver due to Vail's runway length, elevation and warm climate. Miami is one of only three cities - joining Dallas and Denver - with summer service to Eagle County. During ski season AA operates Friday-through-Monday service between Miami and Vail, non-stop in both directions.

[Edited 2010-06-13 02:19:02]

I was wondering when AA was going to do TUL or OKC to MIA. OKC would make more sense, but again, this is a positioning flight trying to gain some revenue. Much like the daily 757 TUL-DFW flight.

OH well.

UAL

Quoting UAL747 (Reply 1): I was wondering when AA was going to do TUL or OKC to MIA. OKC would make more sense, but again, this is a positioning flight trying to gain some revenue. Much like the daily 757 TUL-DFW flight.

It is a good way to experiment. There are a lot of smaller cities in the AA network that could most likely support Saturday/Sunday service to Miami, just based on cruise ship traffic. Based on the results of Miami-Tulsa, I would definitely hope AA would look at adding other smaller, mid-haul markets if the Tulsa service is successful.

So far, so good for MIA-TUL. This weekends' flights were all oversold in coach, and its not even tourist season.

[Edited 2010-06-13 02:12:35]

Why would someone want to go to Vail in the Summer? MIA too for that matter?

Quoting United_fan (Reply 3): Why would someone want to go to Vail in the Summer? MIA too for that matter?

I have property up north of MIA.....works for me to go..... 

Quoting United_fan (Reply 3): Why would someone want to go to Vail in the Summer?

The Rocky Mountain region is incredibly popular during the Summer for outdoor enthusiasts....hiking, camping, rafting, etc...plenty of things to do in the mountains when no snow is around.

Quoting United_fan (Reply 3): Why would someone want to go to Vail in the Summer? MIA too for that matter?

Seriously??? As an extremely frequent avid skier, I still much prefer Vail in the summer than winter...just so much to do and it never gets old. I love it!!

Quoting United_fan (Reply 3): Why would someone want to go to Vail in the Summer?

Why not? Its beautiful during the summer.

A lot of wealthy South Floridians own second homes in Eagle County and migrate there for the summer.

Well I'd hate to fly a flight knowing its on its way to maintenance

Quoting Venezuela747 (Reply 8): Well I'd hate to fly a flight knowing its on its way to maintenance

Yes, stupid of American Airlines to regularly send 738s to Tulsa for routine check-ups. Why do routine check-ups on airplanes in the first place?

Quoting MAH4546 (Reply 2): So far, so good for MIA-TUL. This weekends' flights were all oversold in coach, and its not even tourist season.

Im not sure where you get your info, but none of the TUL/MIA or MIA/TUL flights were/are oversold this weekend. Plenty of nonrevs made the flights and #537 MIA-TUL tonight is still showing 17 open seats, hardly oversold by any means.

Quoting TUSAA (Reply 10): Im not sure where you get your info, but none of the TUL/MIA or MIA/TUL flights were/are oversold this weekend.

I was looking at GDS which showed 0's in all the coach fare classes when I looked yesterday.

And even so, 17 open seats, pretty good for such a low-demand market on a mainline jet.

[Edited 2010-06-13 13:36:07]

Quoting MAH4546 (Reply 11): And even so, 17 open seats, pretty good for such a low-demand market on a mainline jet.

These TUL-MIA flights will mostly be filled with AA employees who purchased fullfare tickets with a 20% employee discount. Many TUL employees who booked cruise's and resort packages don't want to chance nonreving and miss their ship or loose their hotel reservations cause they cant get on a flight with hundreds of other nonrevs trying to get out of TUL.

Quoting MAH4546 (Reply 9): Yes, stupid of American Airlines to regularly send 738s to Tulsa for routine check-ups. Why do routine check-ups on airplanes in the first place?

To catch problems before they cause bigger problems? Like crashes?

Quoting malexander131 (Reply 13): To catch problems before they cause bigger problems? Like crashes?

Pretty sure that was sarcasm in post 9.

It's amazing how some people can take an informative postings that may be of interest to others and then post ridiculous dumb points just to please their personal opinion. Sometimes keep your 2 cents to yourself a.neters!

Very very good of AA to plug TUL into the MIA hub. TUL can certainly use more service to a few other cities.   And mainline to, awesome!!!

A nice image to spice this topic:

Quoting MAH4546 (Reply 2): It is a good way to experiment. There are a lot of smaller cities in the AA network that could most likely support Saturday/Sunday service to Miami, just based on cruise ship traffic. Based on the results of Miami-Tulsa, I would definitely hope AA would look at adding other smaller, mid-haul markets if the Tulsa service is successful.

Which other mid sized cities do you think could work with a Saturday/Sunday 738? Are you thinking like midwest/great lakes and eastern or more in the mid parts of the country? Thanks...

Flight 537 (MIA-TUL) was completely full last night. Coming back from a week in Barbados, it was certainly nice to have a simple 'hop' home considering the 2.5 hr. flight to Tulsa, even though we departed 2+ hours late waiting for inbound aircraft from Tampa.

Should have seen the faces of those walking by the gate in Miami looking at the board, 737-800 to Tulsa, is that a joke? But, my bet is the route will work, especially if the yield can maintain. Gate agent said that 12 were confirmed in First, and I did note that some non-revs did not make the flight. Passenger mix looked heavily cruise oriented passengers, wonder if the cruise line contracts are for both FLL & MIA.

MAH4546, any guidance on the mix of O/D versus connecting passengers? The connection times on the way down are a bit difficult to connect to Caribbean or South America without a 4+ hour connection. Still simpler than a double hop...

Quoting stock1985 (Reply 19): Passenger mix looked heavily cruise oriented passengers, wonder if the cruise line contracts are for both FLL & MIA.

There are cruise contracts for both, and cruises out of Port Everglades send passengers via Miami; and Port of Miami cruises send passengers via FLL. No real rhyme or reason to it.

Quoting stock1985 (Reply 19): MAH4546, any guidance on the mix of O/D versus connecting passengers? The connection times on the way down are a bit difficult to connect to Caribbean or South America without a 4+ hour connection. Still simpler than a double hop...

I'm willing to bet its mostly O&D on cruises and some Caribbean connections.

Quoting flyinryan99 (Reply 18): Which other mid sized cities do you think could work with a Saturday/Sunday 738?

Possibly Albuquerque, Des Moines, Oklahoma City and Omaha. But what it will really come down is AA's ability to take a large chunk of the market - which it can easily do in Tulsa and might be able to do in Oklahoma City, but that will be tougher in Des Moines and Omaha, where is it not as strong.

Austin, Kansas City, Milwaukee, San Antonio and San Diego could support weekend 738s too, but those markets could handle a daily flight just as well.

Do I expect MIA-OMA/DSM? Absolutely not; but OKC would not shock me if Tulsa does really well.

Quoting MAH4546 (Reply 20): Quoting flyinryan99 (Reply 18): Which other mid sized cities do you think could work with a Saturday/Sunday 738? Possibly Albuquerque, Des Moines, Oklahoma City and Omaha. But what it will really come down is AA's ability to take a large chunk of the market - which it can easily do in Tulsa and might be able to do in Oklahoma City, but that will be tougher in Des Moines and Omaha, where is it not as strong.

What about MIA-YOW seasonally?

Quoting SCL767 (Reply 21): What about MIA-YOW seasonally?

The market is there for MIA-YOW. I was thinking more Midwest/West routes. Plenty of areas for AA to expand in the Northeast.

I know TUL is a decent-sized city/market but..... MIA-TUL????

Quoting MAH4546 (Thread starter): American AIrlines earlier today launched non-stop service between Miami and Tulsa, Oklahoma, definitely one of the odder routes in AA's network. The service will operate with a 737-800 every Saturday and Sunday, and is a way for AA to move 737-800s between Miami and its Tulsa maintenance base and get some revenue while doing it. I'll hopefully be updating this thread later this week with some pictures from the inaugural flight - the first non-stop service between Oklahoma and South Florida.

This is the kind of out of the box thinking that AA needs to do in order to be successful. AA is very strong in Tulsa and South Florida, so it makes sense to link these two spots together given that the demand is clearly there.

Quoting MAH4546 (Thread starter): American Airlines has also launched, for the first time, summer service between Miami and Eagle County, Colorado, which will operate on Saturdays through the end of August.

This one is much more surprising than MIA-TUL, but again, this is a premium-heavy segment that can be profitable even with low loads. My parents split their time between Florida and Vail and know many folks that do the same. Again, the market for this flight is there, however small it may be.

Quoting MAH4546 (Thread starter): Flights to Vail will be non-stop, but return service will require a fuel stop in Denver due to Vail's runway length, elevation and warm climate.

EGE just lengthened their runway by 1,000 feet. I'm surprised that the flights still have to make a stop. Perhaps they should have lengthened it even further.

Quoting MAH4546 (Thread starter): Miami is one of only three cities - joining Dallas and Denver - with summer service to Eagle County.

I'm surprised that ORD service hasn't come back. I would have certainly thought AA would have started it if UA didn't resume it.

Quoting SurfandSnow (Reply 24): Again, the market for this flight is there, however small it may be.

South Florida is actually the second largest O&D market from EGE after New York City.

Quoting GSPSPOT (Reply 23): I know TUL is a decent-sized city/market but..... MIA-TUL????

American Airlines is the largest private employer in Miami and, I believe, the largest private employer in Tulsa. AA is huge in Tulsa, so the flier base is already there.

AA has a decent size flyer base in both TUL (for obvious reasons) and OKC. I could see this possibly being added to OKC if TUL does well and they have an aircraft to spare for the weekend. I am not holding my breath though, this might be one of the things TUL supports better than OKC would, just as OKC has enhanced service that TUL hasn't been able to support. Although TUL and OKC are similar, they are by no means the same when it comes to which routes do better.

Quoting Jetmatt777 (Reply 26): Although TUL and OKC are similar, they are by no means the same when it comes to which routes do better.

Its as close as one can get for a pair of cities. Their route networks are virtual mirror images when you take away Frontier Airlines.

OKC has WN to MCI and BWI and UA to IAD; TUL has AA to MIA. Outside of that, identical network.

Heard that last night that the Tulsa flight is seasonal, any truth to that as it is strange time to start a seasonal flight off season? Are there any big maintenance issues that 737s are undergoing?

Don't forget, TUL is also supported by the two county Northwest Arkansas Metro Area which contains nearly 500,000 people. It is only a 1.25 hour drive from Tulsa. A large percentage of these residents make the drive to TUL rather than paying the higher fares at XNA.

Quoting tfmd80 (Reply 29): A large percentage of these residents make the drive to TUL rather than paying the higher fares at XNA.

Even if OKC is not in the cards, many drive the OKC to DFW leg of a trip, TUL would be less than half the windshield time.
Its almost cheaper to fly DFW-HNL than OKC-DFW on AA.

Okie

Quoting stock1985 (Reply 28): Heard that last night that the Tulsa flight is seasonal, any truth to that as it is strange time to start a seasonal flight off season?

It is year-round, but during September and October it will only operate once a week (Saturday to Miami; Sundays to Tulsa).

Quoting MAH4546 (Reply 27): OKC has WN to MCI and BWI and UA to IAD; TUL has AA to MIA. Outside of that, identical network.

Look at the frequencies also, I said which routes do better, not which routes have service.

TUL is stronger than OKC on certain markets and OKC is stronger than TUL in certain markets. But you are correct that both do have similar networks. Also, OKC carried half a million more people than TUL did in 2009. Not to try and change the subject.

Quoting okie (Reply 30): Its almost cheaper to fly DFW-HNL than OKC-DFW on AA

I see plenty of $39 one way fares on OKC-DFW.