If I am not mistaken, by the end of the year Spirit Airlines' FLL operation will be the second largest hub between the US and Latin America/Caribbean (excluding Mexico), passing CO's IAH, US' CLT, and DL's ATL operations, in terms of weekly departures. Only AA's MIA operation is larger.
This is the second destination announced in two days (Freeport was announced yesterday). Look for at least four more, including an official announcement on Chiclayo, Peru.
Usairways85 From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 3100 posts, RR: 8 Reply 1, posted (5 years 10 months 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 1800 times:
haha, quick response
How many gates does Spirit have in FLL? seems like they just keep adding on the new destinations/flts
Jetlanta From United States of America, joined Jul 2001, 2906 posts, RR: 28 Reply 2, posted (5 years 10 months 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 1770 times:
Quoting MAH4546 (Thread starter): If I am not mistaken, by the end of the year Spirit Airlines' FLL operation will be the second largest hub between the US and Latin America/Caribbean (excluding Mexico), passing CO's IAH, US' CLT, and DL's ATL operations, in terms of weekly departures. Only AA's MIA operation is larger.
I think you are mistaken. Dramatically so.
According to the OAG December 2007 schedules (not including this Ponce service) here is how it breaks down between NK at FLL vs DL at ATL
NK has 15 destinations in the Caribbean, Central America and South America. They average 18.1 daily frequencies to those destinations and 2,497 daily seats. They offer 2,063,903 daily ASM's in those makets.
DL has 39 destinations in the Caribbean, Central America and South America. DL averages 34.3 daily frequencies and 5,438 daily seats. 11,210,968 daily AMS's are offered.
These number do not include Mexico, where DL offers 15 daily flights to 9 destinations. NK offers 1.5 daily departures to 1 destination.
NK is growing fast in FLL, but much like DL will never catch AA, I don't think NK will ever approach DL's size in Latin/Caribbean markets.
MAH4546 From Sweden, joined Jan 2001, 31119 posts, RR: 74 Reply 4, posted (5 years 10 months 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 1750 times:
Quoting Jetlanta (Reply 2): NK is growing fast in FLL, but much like DL will never catch AA, I don't think NK will ever approach DL's size in Latin/Caribbean markets.
Thanks for the corrections. In terms of destinations and ASMs, NK will never catch up with Delta, ever. In terms of daily departures, it's possible. I'd easily put money on Spirit having 40 daily departures from FLL to Latin America/Caribbean by the end of 2008.
Pizzaandplanes From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (5 years 10 months 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 1738 times:
Has anyone else noticed how ridiculous the schedule out of Ponce is with all American airlines??? All of the flights leave back to the USA around 3:00am! Are the airlines trying to fly their planes empty? Someone please explain this because civilized people do not book flights that depart at 3:00am.
MAH4546 From Sweden, joined Jan 2001, 31119 posts, RR: 74 Reply 6, posted (5 years 10 months 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 1731 times:
Quoting Pizzaandplanes (Reply 5): Has anyone else noticed how ridiculous the schedule out of Ponce is with all American airlines??? All of the flights leave back to the USA around 3:00am! Are the airlines trying to fly their planes empty? Someone please explain this because civilized people do not book flights that depart at 3:00am.
It obviously works in Latin America or airlines wouldn't be doing it. It uses a plane that is otherwise parked on the ground, serving a destination that would otherwise not be served. Latin American culture is very different. These flying times aren't as extreme as you think.
Jetlanta From United States of America, joined Jul 2001, 2906 posts, RR: 28 Reply 7, posted (5 years 10 months 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 1720 times:
Quoting MAH4546 (Reply 4):
Thanks for the corrections. In terms of destinations and ASMs, NK will never catch up with Delta, ever. In terms of daily departures, it's possible. I'd easily put money on Spirit having 40 daily departures from FLL to Latin America/Caribbean by the end of 2008.
It's possible, but Spirit would have to more than double their international network in that period of time. They certainly seem to have the aircraft coming to accomplish it. Of course, its likely that DL will continue to grow in the region as well.
I can't believe that this is just now dawning on me...but could we be beginning to see a convergence of the NK and B6 network models? B6 needs to start satisfying Wall Street and NK is owned by private equity....hmmm....
MAH4546 From Sweden, joined Jan 2001, 31119 posts, RR: 74 Reply 8, posted (5 years 10 months 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 1712 times:
Quoting Jetlanta (Reply 7): It's possible, but Spirit would have to more than double their international network in that period of time. They certainly seem to have the aircraft coming to accomplish it. Of course, its likely that DL will continue to grow in the region as well.
At the rate Spirit is expanding and recieving new aircraft from Airbus, this is possible. Remember that only a year ago, Spirit was not flying to Aguadilla, Freeport,Guatemala City, Lima, Managua, Ponce, Port Au Prince, San Jose, and San Pedro Sula. Spirit is planning on adding Chiclayo and Port of Spain at year's end, and at least two others (Panama City and Aruba keep getting tossed around). In 2008, Spirit plans on adding at least eight new international routes from Ft. Lauderdale. Spirit is also planning on adding Barranquilla, Bogota, and Caracas this winter pending government approval on all three. Although there are currently no free US-Colombia frequencies, talks with Colombia about expanding the air treaty by 14 weekly flights are progressing well. In exchange for Spirit being allowed to fly to Colombia, it will allow Aerorepublica to fly to Miami.
Jetlanta From United States of America, joined Jul 2001, 2906 posts, RR: 28 Reply 9, posted (5 years 10 months 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 1680 times:
Quoting MAH4546 (Reply 8):
At the rate Spirit is expanding and recieving new aircraft from Airbus, this is possible. Remember that only a year ago, Spirit was not flying to Aguadilla, Freeport,Guatemala City, Lima, Managua, Ponce, Port Au Prince, San Jose, and San Pedro Sula. Spirit is planning on adding Chiclayo and Port of Spain at year's end, and at least two others (Panama City and Aruba keep getting tossed around). In 2008, Spirit plans on adding at least eight new international routes from Ft. Lauderdale. Spirit is also planning on adding Barranquilla, Bogota, and Caracas this winter pending government approval on all three. Although there are currently no free US-Colombia frequencies, talks with Colombia about expanding the air treaty by 14 weekly flights are progressing well. In exchange for Spirit being allowed to fly to Colombia, it will allow Aerorepublica to fly to Miami.
All true. However, what none of us knows is exactly how well Spirit is doing with any of this. You needn't look too far down the LCC roster to see dramatically reduced growth plans over the past new months. JetBlue just yesterday, for instance.
Plans are different from execution. While I have no doubt Spirit intends to grow these markets, unlike the bigger carriers, they don't have a lot of leeway if some of these markets fail.
SKYYBLUE From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 10, posted (5 years 10 months 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 1672 times:
Quoting Pizzaandplanes (Reply 5): Are the airlines trying to fly their planes empty? Someone please explain this because civilized people do not book flights that depart at 3:00am.
Just about every SDQ, BQN, PSE, STI, SJU redeye turn I've done this summer has been completely full, especially Ponce. Ponce is ALWAYS full. Next week I'll be flying MCO-PSE and that flight is full both ways and it departs at 3:00a.m. Does that make them uncivilized? I don't think so.
Njdevilsin03 From United States of America, joined Apr 2004, 713 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (5 years 10 months 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 1594 times:
Have there been any talks of some new domestic destinations? Some western cities Seattle? Phoenix? Denver? Etc....
MaverickM11 From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 15734 posts, RR: 48 Reply 13, posted (5 years 10 months 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 1548 times:
Quoting Pizzaandplanes (Reply 5): Someone please explain this because civilized people do not book flights that depart at 3:00am.
You might want to reword that since Latinos (among many others) do it every day
NA747 From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 117 posts, RR: 1 Reply 14, posted (5 years 10 months 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 1480 times:
Wow!
That took me by surprise, too! Two airlines announce PSE service back to back.
Is it because there is enough traffic/yields between both cities, a reaction in the name of competiton, or both?
As of today NK's sched is already loaded in Sabre, but B6's wasn't yet.
Having one airline doing the red-eye to PSE is ok, but both at similar times? It's kinda yucky. No real departure choices to pick from unless you want to drive the 1½ hrs to SJU for a regular day flt. (I know, it's called aircraft utilization).
I hope it does well enough that one of them adds a second daytime some time in the near future.
I wish them both the best of luck. It has been needed for a long time. I'm sure airport officials at PSE are tickled-pink.
Too bad AA hasn't looked at BQN or PSE yet.
With CO/NK/B6 now flying to PSE, how are they going to fit all those planes at almost the same time? There's no jetbridge in PSE (and I don't think there's one in BQN either). PSE's apron/tarmac isn't really that huge.
Sflaflight From United States of America, joined Nov 2005, 1182 posts, RR: 1 Reply 19, posted (5 years 10 months 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 1207 times:
Quoting MaverickM11 (Reply 13): Quoting Pizzaandplanes (Reply 5):
Someone please explain this because civilized people do not book flights that depart at 3:00am.
You might want to reword that since Latinos (among many others) do it every day Wink
Actually, most Latinos are still partying at 3:00am. To me , that departure's too early. I'm out till 4:00.
Actually, if this were Spain, people would just be done with their dinner!
Sponsor Message: 
From Sweden, joined Jan 2001, 31119 posts, 
From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 3100 posts, 
.
Printer friendly format 
