b757pilot From United States of America, joined Jan 2010, 7 posts, RR: 0 Posted (1 year 3 months 4 weeks 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 3555 times:
I was wondering if anyone knew how the new service to SJU by BA and Condor was doing? Also, how is the VIrgin Atlantic charter doing?
Lastly, I have read that the PR Port Authority has been trying to get more airlines to serve the island, especially from Latin America. Anyone have new developments on this?
N62NA From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 3667 posts, RR: 4 Reply 1, posted (1 year 3 months 4 weeks 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 3381 times:
Quoting b757pilot (Thread starter): Lastly, I have read that the PR Port Authority has been trying to get more airlines to serve the island, especially from Latin America. Anyone have new developments on this?
Unfortunately, I wouldn't hold out much hope for that as visitors from Latin American countries would require a visa issued by the USA, and the visa system is horribly broken - waits of months (and even years) are not uncommon, not to mention the usual indignities that applicants have to suffer at U.S. embassies during the visa interview (being treated like criminals and less than human by visa officers).
All these things will likely cause any attempt at drawing Latin American visitors to Puerto Rico to fail.
flyingalex From Germany, joined Jul 2010, 992 posts, RR: 1 Reply 2, posted (1 year 3 months 4 weeks 19 hours ago) and read 3064 times:
Quoting N62NA (Reply 1): Unfortunately, I wouldn't hold out much hope for that as visitors from Latin American countries would require a visa issued by the USA, and the visa system is horribly broken - waits of months (and even years) are not uncommon, not to mention the usual indignities that applicants have to suffer at U.S. embassies during the visa interview (being treated like criminals and less than human by visa officers).
All these things will likely cause any attempt at drawing Latin American visitors to Puerto Rico to fail.
I don't know whether the situation is quite as dire as you describe, but Puerto Rico should think about instituting a milder access policy, similar to what they do on Guam to stimulate tourism:
LOWS From Austria, joined Oct 2011, 981 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (1 year 3 months 4 weeks 18 hours ago) and read 2992 times:
Quoting flyingalex (Reply 2):
Quoting N62NA (Reply 1):
Unfortunately, I wouldn't hold out much hope for that as visitors from Latin American countries would require a visa issued by the USA, and the visa system is horribly broken - waits of months (and even years) are not uncommon, not to mention the usual indignities that applicants have to suffer at U.S. embassies during the visa interview (being treated like criminals and less than human by visa officers).
All these things will likely cause any attempt at drawing Latin American visitors to Puerto Rico to fail.
I don't know whether the situation is quite as dire as you describe, but Puerto Rico should think about instituting a milder access policy, similar to what they do on Guam to stimulate tourism:
Nope, it really is awful. Really. If I recall, the DHS is still working on cases from the 1980s that are just now being processed.
the thing is: SJU is more "national territory" than guan or marianas, you won't need to go through customs or immigration again once you fly SJU JFK for example, they'd lose more if they changed that.... due to humans/drugs trafficking etc etc.... Puerto Rico is a known route in the caribbean for that...
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21460 posts, RR: 24 Reply 5, posted (1 year 3 months 4 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 2679 times:
Quoting N62NA (Reply 1): Unfortunately, I wouldn't hold out much hope for that as visitors from Latin American countries would require a visa issued by the USA, and the visa system is horribly broken - waits of months (and even years) are not uncommon, not to mention the usual indignities that applicants have to suffer at U.S. embassies during the visa interview (being treated like criminals and less than human by visa officers).
N62NA From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 3667 posts, RR: 4 Reply 6, posted (1 year 3 months 4 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 2639 times:
Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 5): However, Mr. Obama announced a few days ago that changes are going to be made to streamline issuance of visas, focusing initially on China and Brazil which are among the fastest-growing sources of U.S. visitors.
Forget it, the end result will be no improvement. The way the Congress wrote the Immigration Law (which was then interpreted by the bureaucrats and put into regulations), the visa officer at the embassy conducting the interview has the sole discretion as to whether or not to grant the visa.
The President can't "rewrite" or "reinterpret" the law, nor can anyone put pressure on the visa officers. Not the President, not a U.S. Senator, not a lawyer and certainly not a member of the public who actually pays the salaries of these sadistic individuals.
Typically, they'll do a "soft denial" by putting the poor applicant into something they call "Administrative Processing" and sending them away with a stern warning of "don't contact us, we'll contact you" and then it becomes a game of running out the clock with the hope (by the visa officer) that the applicant will just give up after a year or two of being in "Administrative Processing."
Avianca From Venezuela, joined Jan 2005, 5857 posts, RR: 41 Reply 7, posted (1 year 3 months 4 weeks 4 hours ago) and read 2384 times:
Quoting N62NA (Reply 1): Unfortunately, I wouldn't hold out much hope for that as visitors from Latin American countries would require a visa issued by the USA, and the visa system is horribly broken - waits of months (and even years) are not uncommon, not to mention the usual indignities that applicants have to suffer at U.S. embassies during the visa interview (being treated like criminals and less than human by visa officers).
well maybe the Visa system is not the best but I can not complain about any treatment to my Colombian wife who requested a US visa some 10 months ago in Lima / Peru. She received the embassy apointment within 1 week
flyingalex From Germany, joined Jul 2010, 992 posts, RR: 1 Reply 11, posted (1 year 3 months 3 weeks 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 2153 times:
Quoting N62NA (Reply 6): The President can't "rewrite" or "reinterpret" the law, nor can anyone put pressure on the visa officers. Not the President, not a U.S. Senator, not a lawyer and certainly not a member of the public who actually pays the salaries of these sadistic individuals.
Well, not the President alone, no, but Congress could change the law if there was a majority for such a change. I cannot see that happening in the current political climate in Washington though.
Public service announcement: "It's" = "it is". To indicate posession, write "its." Looks wrong, but it's correct grammar
A388 From Netherlands Antilles, joined exactly 12 years ago today! , 9067 posts, RR: 13 Reply 12, posted (1 year 3 months 3 weeks 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 1956 times:
Quoting flyingalex (Reply 11): but Congress could change the law if there was a majority for such a change.
I can imagine this too, in politics everything stands and falls with getting the majority votes
PRAirbus From Puerto Rico, joined Apr 2005, 1012 posts, RR: 1 Reply 13, posted (1 year 3 months 3 weeks 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 1912 times:
BA has attempted success in Puerto Rico several times. Simply there is no market there. Puerto Rico is an expensive place to go on vacation, the all-inclusive concept that Europeans love is not offered in Puerto Rico. Condor also flew to SJU years ago even when LH had scheduled flights to Puerto Rico. I cannot imagine DE succeeding either, the economy of Puerto Rico is awful.
chepos From Puerto Rico, joined Dec 2000, 5966 posts, RR: 12 Reply 14, posted (1 year 3 months 3 weeks 6 days 4 hours ago) and read 1694 times:
I can't imagine BA and DE doing so hot in SJU, as mentioned above by PRAirbus tourism in Puerto Rico is very expensive when compared to the competition (Jamaica, DR, Cuba, Mexican Riviera etc. etc.). I am assuming these two carriers are bringing cruise ship passengers to San Juan but I doubt very little of them are staying on the island. Add to this a dramatic rise in crime and very little knowledge regarding Puerto Rico in the rest of the world and you get very few tourist visiting the island (outside of Americans).
Iberia serves the island and "thrives" on the route because there are historical ties btw the island and Spain, but beyond Spain it is a struggle. I doubt Iberia were ever to drop the route because they see a need to fly to almost every ex-Spanish colony in the Americas, as to the routes performance I have no clue. The current and past governments of the island have no clue how to market the island outside of the US so I don't see more international visitors/carriers landing in San Juan.. Unfortunately I see SJU in a downward spiral with no improvement in the foreseeable future.
flyingalex From Germany, joined Jul 2010, 992 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (1 year 3 months 3 weeks 5 days 16 hours ago) and read 1544 times:
Quoting chepos (Reply 14): I am assuming these two carriers are bringing cruise ship passengers to San Juan but I doubt very little of them are staying on the island.
Yes, cruise ship pax are very important for both carriers' flights.
Public service announcement: "It's" = "it is". To indicate posession, write "its." Looks wrong, but it's correct grammar
BigGSFO From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 2755 posts, RR: 7 Reply 16, posted (1 year 3 months 3 weeks 5 days 16 hours ago) and read 1533 times:
Curious as to why BA is there in first place when they can easily funnel passengers via MAD on IB.
A388 From Netherlands Antilles, joined exactly 12 years ago today! , 9067 posts, RR: 13 Reply 18, posted (1 year 3 months 3 weeks 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 1455 times:
Quoting BigGSFO (Reply 16): Curious as to why BA is there in first place when they can easily funnel passengers via MAD on IB.
As flyingalex said, the majority (if not all) are cruise ship passengers so the flights are probably arranged flights by tour operators in the U.K. (and Germany for that matter).
VV701 From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2005, 6618 posts, RR: 17 Reply 19, posted (1 year 3 months 3 weeks 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 1399 times:
With the BA flight being an add-on to their LGW-ANU service two days a week it would be very difficult to determine independently whether the service was successful or not.
It could be highly successful if it carried few if any passengers but the freight hold was full or nearly full. Is this possible? Certainly. On 26 February 2010 G-GSSA, a 744F then oprated by GSS exclusively on behalf of BA World Cargo was reported at SJU. So the idea of the LGW-ANU-SJU-ANU-LGW service operating with a full freight hold with most bound for or originating from SJU is not that fanciful.
On the other hand if the 26 February report was a special one-off, even if the passenger cabin of the LGW-ANU service when the flight has its SJU add-on is now regularly more than half full with passengers travelling to and from SJU, those passengers may have been tempted by fares that make the yields so low that at best the service could be described as a failure.
Quoting BigGSFO (Reply 16): Curious as to why BA is there in first place when they can easily funnel passengers
If it did not operate the add-on to SJU the aircraft would be unproductively sitting on the ground at ANU waiting for the return flight to LGW. Assuming that there is sufficient freight or the passenger yield is good enough, the add-on would clearly be the better option for BA, Note here that BA2157 operates 6 days a week LGW-ANU. The add-on to SJU operates twice a week. On two days there is an add-on to PUJ. On the other two days the add on is to SKB.
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