MOBflyer From United States of America, joined Sep 2007, 1209 posts, RR: 5 Reply 1, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 2411 times:
Quoting KELPkid (Thread starter): Anyone have any information on what sorts of loads the flight was seeing?
Kwbl From United States of America, joined Jun 2001, 438 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 2218 times:
4th quarter was not good because of the high fares-once the fares were somehwat competitive, loads are consistently between 70-80% from March through June. The 1st year LF was 68% which is not too bad given the fares. Delta and city officials state the fuel price is the reason service is being cancelled. I firmly believe that service will work at SLE but not at the current cost of fuel on regional jets to SLC.
MOBflyer From United States of America, joined Sep 2007, 1209 posts, RR: 5 Reply 4, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 2185 times:
Quoting Kwbl (Reply 3): 4th quarter was not good because of the high fares-once the fares were somehwat competitive, loads are consistently between 70-80% from March through June. The 1st year LF was 68% which is not too bad given the fares. Delta and city officials state the fuel price is the reason service is being cancelled. I firmly believe that service will work at SLE but not at the current cost of fuel on regional jets to SLC.
That yield was already pretty low for an airport that has limited service. But anyway - so loads went up, but fares went down - likely keeping revenue stagnant. In order to get the flight to profitable levels, you would need a 112% LF at Q4's prices, even higher at lower prices. Its not passenger loads, but revenue quality that determines profitability.
LH469 From United States of America, joined Jul 2008, 44 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 1923 times:
GEG2RAP From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 838 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 1866 times:
Quoting EXAAUADL (Reply 5): I think SLE sould get 4-5 dailys flights to SEA on QX.
AS739X From United States of America, joined Apr 2003, 5818 posts, RR: 23 Reply 8, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 1817 times:
AVLAirlineFreq From United States of America, joined Jun 2008, 785 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 1567 times:
Quoting AS739X (Reply 8): What makes you say this, considering QX doesn't (discontinued) service there?
Sure they do, I just saw it in the movie "War Games" the other night. Wasn't that a Q400 shown landing at the airport in Salem?
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21448 posts, RR: 24 Reply 10, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 1547 times:
Another U.S. state capital with no scheduled air service (again). At one time UA operated 737-200s to SLE. It would have better luck if it wasn't so close to PDX (about 50 miles).
SuperDash From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 563 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 1417 times:
Looks like Yakima is going away on the Delta line as well and more cuts to be announced tomorrow.
Quoting AVLAirlineFreq (Reply 9): Sure they do, I just saw it in the movie "War Games" the other night. Wasn't that a Q400 shown landing at the airport in Salem?
BlueheronNC From United States of America, joined Jun 2007, 86 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 1353 times:
Don't be surprised if ELH (N. Eleuthera) is on that list tomorrow. The flight has been zeroed out for days. The reservation agent said nothing official has been given to them yet, but I'd bet my top dollar at the ax will fall tomorrow. I hope it does so that I can have some closure with my travel plans (decided not to rebook today even though they offered to do it for free, on the off-chance that ELH isn't canceled). But with this mysterious "press release" tomorrow, all bets are off.
AirlineBrat From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 634 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 1319 times:
Quoting RwSEA (Reply 13): The only other addition lately that I can remember off the top of my head is LWS, but I guess I shouldn't expect that one to last much longer either.
ACV was started this past June. The community put together over $1 million in travel guarantees but I am not sure that will be enough the way things are going with the current price of fuel. We were supposed to have two flights a day but the morning eastbound and evening westbound flights have not been operating during mid week. I think both flights are now running 7 days a week as of July 6th, but I expect that will revert back to one flight running 4 days a week and the other running 7 days a week. That is 'IF' DL stays in the market.......
Anyone know how the RDM flights are doing?
I'm leavin on a jet plane. Don't know when I'll be back again....
KWBL From United States of America, joined Jun 2001, 438 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 1282 times:
I understand load factor is not the sole factor in determining wether or not the flight is profitable. I am not sure where the stats come from or how accurate they are (please understand I am not doubting the info) but others have said the yield on this route was surprisingly high (Jetlanta for one) Also, 4th quarter was very poor but in other months, they have reportedly done very well. I have been on 5 flights out of SLE and not one left with less than 46 pax. Ticket prices were not cheap for the most part so if yields are a problem, then the cost side of the equation is at issue - fuel cost being nearly double from when the flights started is the biggest culprit. DL officials said that they need 85% LF in the current environment.
Horizon has been heavily courted in the past, wrote letters of support when the federal grant money was being handed out, but has not committed to coming in. As much as I appreciate Deltaf or trying, United and Horizon are better options with better chances of success in the market.
I am convinced that with passenger loads they are currently getting, the service would be successful if fuel was back in the $80-$90 per barrel range. I am also convinced that UA to SFO & DEN and / or QX to SEA & LAX would draw much more pax support. The SLE-SLC market only carried 11 O & D pax during the 4Q.
I really think its too bad that DL is cutting so much to these communities after just 15 months or so-YKM, BLI, SLE, BF, MRY, YUM are just the beginning.
PHLBOS From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 7251 posts, RR: 25 Reply 17, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 1137 times:
Quoting GEG2RAP (Reply 7): dl was it, no commercial service after dl leaves
Similar happened nearly a year ago when DL (via OH) dropped ILG (pre-SkyBus).
IIRC, PA3 may have still been flying when DL dropped TTN around the same time (give or take a few months) they left ILG.
Quoting Kwbl (Reply 3): 4th quarter was not good because of the high fares-once the fares were somehwat competitive
No offence, but this seems to be an ongoing problem regardless of the price of oil. While I wasn't aware that SLE fares went down (in order to compete w/PDX); the recurring theme lately w/the DL Connection carriers offering service to smaller airports located within 50 miles of a larger airports seems to be charge 2 to 3 times as much as the larger fare airport (due to competition from either B6, FL and/or WN). Seeing this happen several times (ILG & TTN back when oil was only $80-90/barrel), one would think that the good folks at DL would try a different approach when starting service at these smaller neighboring airports. Maybe, just maybe 50-seat RJs aren't the most cost-effective way to go in these situations.
I'm not saying that the record-high prices didn't play a role in DL leaving SLE, but something tells me that DL would've eventually left SLE anyway at some point down the road if their fares weren't competitively priced with their PDX fares.
Side note: has the HUT bus seen increased passenger loads due to SLE folks not wanting to drive to PDX (due to gas prices)?
Will DL leaving SLE increase loads on HUT?
"TransEastern! You'll feel like you've never left the ground because we treat you like dirt!" SNL Parady ad circa 1981
Jetlanta From United States of America, joined Jul 2001, 2901 posts, RR: 29 Reply 18, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 1076 times:
Quoting KWBL (Reply 16): I understand load factor is not the sole factor in determining wether or not the flight is profitable. I am not sure where the stats come from or how accurate they are (please understand I am not doubting the info) but others have said the yield on this route was surprisingly high (Jetlanta for one)
Delta was pleased with the performance out of the gate. Clearly it wasn't strong enough to withstand the oil run-up. There is no shame in that, many other markets are suffering a similar fate.
EXAAUADL From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 19, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 999 times:
Quoting AS739X (Reply 8): What makes you say this, considering QX doesn't (discontinued) service there?
SEL-SEA for QX seems the most logical flight for them in SLE
Quoting SuperDash (Reply 12): Sure they do, I just saw it in the movie "War Games" the other night. Wasn't that a Q400 shown landing at the airport in Salem?
In 1982, when the film was filmed for summer 1983 release, there wasnt even a DH8-100 yet.
AS739X From United States of America, joined Apr 2003, 5818 posts, RR: 23 Reply 20, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 912 times:
From what I remember the markets has been talked about internally a few times. In fact it may have been asked about in an internal web posting. But the fact is that AAG appears to have decided its not worth restarting. Will it every be restarted, maybe. QX will not have the proper aircraft for this route once the Dash-2 is gone, which is months away. So I do not see SLE getting Horizon service soon. The focus will be on other new markets like the connection of Arizona cities we have done to our LAX hub.
ASSFO
"Some pilots avoid storm cells and some play connect the dots!"
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