Tomassjc From United States of America, joined Jan 2010, 657 posts, RR: 1 Posted (2 years 8 months 1 week 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 4031 times:
Filling some of the void MX has left.....
From the AS internal website:
"Alaska Airlines announced today it will inaugurate service between San Jose and Guadalajara, starting Dec 15, and between Sacramento and Guadalajara, starting Dec 16. Ticket sales are pending government approval of the new routes.
“We are pleased to be able to offer more service to this important Central Mexico market from two new gateways,” said Joe Sprague, vice president of marketing. "Alaska Airlines has served Guadalajara from Los Angeles since 2003, and we look forward to expanding our reach to our customers in the Bay Area.”
The flights will operate as red-eyes, departing the Bay Area in the late evening and returning in the early morning from Guadalajara. Four flights a week are scheduled from San Jose and three a week from Sacramento.
"We were able to act quickly to fill a void left by Mexicana in the Bay Area to the Central Mexico market," said Mike McQueen, director of schedule planning. "By offering red-eye flights on the outbound and returning early morning, we use existing ETOPS aircraft already deployed in San Jose and Sacramento for our Hawaii service."
When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth with your eyes turned skyward -Leonardo DaVinci
Tan Flyr From United States of America, joined Aug 2000, 1847 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (2 years 8 months 1 week 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 3444 times:
I find it incredible that SOMEONE has not done the same at FAT. Mexicana, as I understand it, had load factors of 85-90 % every night..had to be profitable. Perhaps AS could look at FAT also...but I am surprised thaqt with already mainline service that AA has not figured out how to run an MD80 a few nights per week down and back.
SurfandSnow From United States of America, joined Jan 2009, 2588 posts, RR: 31 Reply 4, posted (2 years 8 months 1 week 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 3373 times:
Very, very exciting! Looks like AS is extremely well-positioned to serve the major California-GDL markets that MX used to serve.
AS/QX expansion from SJC seems to be going extremely well - a win/win for an airline that needs to find a niche away from hyper-competitive SFO/LAX and an airport that needs all the service it can get following several painful years of cutbacks. However, aside from a possible SJC-PVR route, I'm starting to wonder where else the airline can fly - they already have Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest very well covered!
SMF is a bit more interesting because there could be more future possibilities in store (AUS, KOA, LIH, SJD, PVR, etc.). Again, AS/QX and SMF is a perfect match for an airport that otherwise relies on WN (who just doesn't fly everywhere) and a smattering of other airlines.
Flying in the middle seat of coach is much better than not flying at all!
WhatUSaid From United States of America, joined Feb 2007, 595 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (2 years 8 months 1 week 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 3263 times:
There's something else in the works for FAT-GDL from what I hear.
On a related note:
Now, if AS wants to beat G4 again, as they did in BLI - HNL, they could do a HNL-FAT-GDL and shake things up. FAT-GDL is a no brainer. FAT-HNL is gonna happen with G4 from all indications. Any extra ETOPS birds around? Seriously, by the time G4 gets those 757's in the air, AS could cover the West Coast to Hawaii.
Just thinking out loud (and wishful thinking at that).
Good for SMF. AS could add SJD a couple days a week....
DesertAir From Mexico, joined Jan 2006, 1389 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (2 years 8 months 1 week 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 3132 times:
I am happy to hear that AS is beginning SMF-GDL service...but only three days a week. I took the Mexicana flight on December 24th last year and it was packed. This year I booked US Airways SMF-PHX-GDL on Christmas Day since they had the earliest arrival in GDL.
Once again, AS shows itself willing to step up to the plate and take a risk to maintain a strong presence on the West Coast.
I was watching Televisa news the other night and Mexicana workers are protesting the lack of govt. action to save their jobs. They accuse the Minister of Transportation of visiting the USA and speaking with US airlines to fill in the gap. This makes the resurrection of Mexicana look more doubtful. I have read and head nothing about restructuring and re-establishing domestic nor foreign operations.
SurfandSnow From United States of America, joined Jan 2009, 2588 posts, RR: 31 Reply 7, posted (2 years 8 months 1 week 1 day ago) and read 3064 times:
Quoting DesertAir (Reply 6): I was watching Televisa news the other night and Mexicana workers are protesting the lack of govt. action to save their jobs. They accuse the Minister of Transportation of visiting the USA and speaking with US airlines to fill in the gap. This makes the resurrection of Mexicana look more doubtful. I have read and head nothing about restructuring and re-establishing domestic nor foreign operations.
Those MX employees just don't get it. MX resurrecting from the dead is a pipe dream at best, attracting U.S. carriers to fill the void left by MX is at least an attainable goal.
Even if Mexicana does resume ops, it will probably look a lot like Varig did after its bankruptcy - vastly reduced fleet and route network, let alone pax base. Varig was once a Brazilian powerhouse with a network that stretched into secondary European markets (like CPH) and even East Asia. After its bankruptcy it was ejected from the Star Alliance, struggled to get approval to serve the U.S. again, and limped along until an LCC snapped up their remaining assets.
If - and that's a big if - MX did start up again, I doubt they would still have oneworld membership or FAA approval to serve the U.S. I believe all of the widebodies are already long gone, so that would leave MX with what, a hyper-competitive Mexican domestic market and a handful of routes to Central America?
Flying in the middle seat of coach is much better than not flying at all!
"Alaska Airlines announced today it will inaugurate service between San Jose and Guadalajara, starting Dec 15, and between Sacramento and Guadalajara, starting Dec 16. Ticket sales are pending government approval of the new routes.
“We are pleased to be able to offer more service to this important Central Mexico market from two new gateways,” said Joe Sprague, vice president of marketing. "Alaska Airlines has served Guadalajara from Los Angeles since 2003, and we look forward to expanding our reach to our customers in the Bay Area.”
The flights will operate as red-eyes, departing the Bay Area in the late evening and returning in the early morning from Guadalajara. Four flights a week are scheduled from San Jose and three a week from Sacramento.
"We were able to act quickly to fill a void left by Mexicana in the Bay Area to the Central Mexico market," said Mike McQueen, director of schedule planning. "By offering red-eye flights on the outbound and returning early morning, we use existing ETOPS aircraft already deployed in San Jose and Sacramento for our Hawaii service."
This is wonderful news & thanks for posting, Tomas! I mentioned early on prior to MX shutting down, I was hoping we would see AS add service from SJC-GDL since MX did very well in this market and AS is doing well with their expanding focus city there. Hopefully we'll see SJC go daily quickly. Is it only going 4X week to start because of a shortage of ETOPS 73Hs?
MD80Nut From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 871 posts, RR: 10 Reply 9, posted (2 years 8 months 1 week 12 hours ago) and read 2555 times:
Quoting DesertAir (Reply 6): I have read and head nothing about restructuring and re-establishing domestic nor foreign operations.
I'm sorry to hear that. I flew MX quite a few times to and from Mexico and within Mexico and always enjoyed their service. I assume then the gap will be filled internationally by AeroMexico and foreign airlines while domestic it will be AeroMexico and some of the smaller Mexican airlines.
Tomassjc From United States of America, joined Jan 2010, 657 posts, RR: 1 Reply 10, posted (2 years 8 months 1 week 10 hours ago) and read 2487 times:
Quoting laca773 (Reply 8): Is it only going 4X week to start because of a shortage of ETOPS 73Hs?
Actually the ETOPS 738 will RON in SJC/SMF on the days it does not operate GDL, so we do have the equipment to operate daily from either city. It's on my wish list too .
When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth with your eyes turned skyward -Leonardo DaVinci
chrisair From United States of America, joined Sep 2000, 1770 posts, RR: 4 Reply 11, posted (2 years 8 months 1 week 9 hours ago) and read 2426 times:
Nice to see AS restart their SJC-GDL flights from 15-20 years ago. I remember showing up at SJC for a flight that left near the GDL flight and the line to check in was incredibly long: everyone had many gigantic boxes to take with them.
LAXintl From United States of America, joined May 2000, 22029 posts, RR: 51 Reply 12, posted (2 years 8 months 1 week 9 hours ago) and read 2416 times:
Proposed schedule as follows
Eff Dec 15th.
Mo/We/Fr/Su
SJC-GDL 2250-0500+1
GDL-SJC 0700-0850
Eff Dec 16th.
Tu/Th/Sa
SMF-GDL 2315-0500+1
GDL-SMF 0700-0850
From the desert to the sea, to all of Southern California
FATFlyer From United States of America, joined May 2001, 5667 posts, RR: 17 Reply 13, posted (2 years 8 months 1 week 8 hours ago) and read 2386 times:
Quoting Tomassjc (Reply 10): Actually the ETOPS 738 will RON in SJC/SMF on the days it does not operate GDL, so we do have the equipment to operate daily from either city. It's on my wish list too .
It would be nice then to see the equipment hop over to FAT on the RON days and also do FAT-GDL.
MX had done very well at FAT, IIRC about 70,000 passengers in 2009.
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." - Mark Twain
RoseFlyer From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 8739 posts, RR: 52 Reply 14, posted (2 years 8 months 1 week 8 hours ago) and read 2340 times:
Tomassjc From United States of America, joined Jan 2010, 657 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (2 years 8 months 1 week 7 hours ago) and read 2295 times:
Quoting RoseFlyer (Reply 14): Interesting that SJC-GDL has 25 minutes more of block time yet GDL-SJC is the same as GDL-SMF. For what it is worth, SMF is 48 miles longer
Might have something to do with the 2330 takeoff curfew in SJC. An earlier departure time would allow for some delay and still make curfew without paying the penalty.
Tomas SJC
When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth with your eyes turned skyward -Leonardo DaVinci
wedgetail737 From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 5526 posts, RR: 5 Reply 16, posted (2 years 8 months 1 week 2 hours ago) and read 2174 times:
Quoting Tan Flyr (Reply 3): I find it incredible that SOMEONE has not done the same at FAT. Mexicana, as I understand it, had load factors of 85-90 % every night..had to be profitable. Perhaps AS could look at FAT also...but I am surprised thaqt with already mainline service that AA has not figured out how to run an MD80 a few nights per week down and back.
Someone is leaving a lot of $$ on the table.
It could be in the works. A FAT-GDL might give AS a reason to replace a QX CRJ-700 (which they are slowly selling off) with a 73G to 73H. That evening arrival into FAT could be a redeye to GDL. Then an early morning departure from GDL could be the first flight for the FAT-SEA trip.
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