chepos wrote:

If Volaris could not make SJU work what makes you think AM could.

That, mi pana Chepos, is the big question I have, how would AM work in PR if Volaris did not..

AntonioMartin wrote:

[ou got that right about Caribbean Airline service lacking in Puerto Rico...in the old times PR had Air Jamaica, Air Haiti, Aero Virgin islands, BWIA, Air BVI, ALM, plus Viasa and Dominicana, both of which doubled both as a Caribbean and Latin American airlines because of their location geographically speaking, as well as a number of competing Puerto Rican airlines on the same routes.

SJU has service on LIAT, PAWA, Copa and InterCaribbean, but it could also have service ob Caribbean Airlines, on Aruba Airlines, Air Caraibes and Winair to name a couple others.

Well PAWA no longer exists and LIAT barely flies there, only 3x weekly, which I suspect is only to ensure that they maintain a minimum presence. InterCaribbean links SJU with EIS, essential given that the BVI don't have jet service. Air Antilles does fly to SJU from SXM and the French Antilles. This filling a gap as Seaborne canceled its FDF/PTP and outside of the winter there is little service to those islands from the USA, aside from the AF MIA milk run via PAP.

But its certainly a far cry from the days when BWIA was flying loads of Trinidadians and Barbadians eager to shop in SJU. SJU relinquished itself to MIA as a destination for tourists from the Eastern Caribbean traveling for shopping and "big city" recreational activities. SDQ now has better connectivity to Latin America than does SJU.

guyanam wrote:

AntonioMartin wrote:

[ou got that right about Caribbean Airline service lacking in Puerto Rico...in the old times PR had Air Jamaica, Air Haiti, Aero Virgin islands, BWIA, Air BVI, ALM, plus Viasa and Dominicana, both of which doubled both as a Caribbean and Latin American airlines because of their location geographically speaking, as well as a number of competing Puerto Rican airlines on the same routes.

SJU has service on LIAT, PAWA, Copa and InterCaribbean, but it could also have service ob Caribbean Airlines, on Aruba Airlines, Air Caraibes and Winair to name a couple others.

Well PAWA no longer exists and LIAT barely flies there, only 3x weekly, which I suspect is only to ensure that they maintain a minimum presence. InterCaribbean links SJU with EIS, essential given that the BVI don't have jet service. Air Antilles does fly to SJU from SXM and the French Antilles. This filling a gap as Seaborne canceled its FDF/PTP and outside of the winter there is little service to those islands from the USA, aside from the AF MIA milk run via PAP.

But its certainly a far cry from the days when BWIA was flying loads of Trinidadians and Barbadians eager to shop in SJU. SJU relinquished itself to MIA as a destination for tourists from the Eastern Caribbean traveling for shopping and "big city" recreational activities. SDQ now has better connectivity to Latin America than does SJU.

SJu cant compete..

mugler wrote:

LatinPlane wrote:

According to this article, Colombia is AM's most important Latin American market and the airline is studying more destinations in the country.

https://www.eleconomista.com.mx/empresas/Aeromexico-espera-movilizar-400000-pasajeros-a-Colombia-en-2018-20180517-0055.html

I would think they would be considering Cali and Cartagena.

Well they better hurry up because Interjet is also looking at those markets. They will fly to SAL but haven’t announced it yet. They were looking for personnel in SAL recently

My bet is for a new destination in Colombia. AM has landed at the 1st and 2nd busiest airport. Which one is the 3rd? I think Cali will be next.

There will soon be a 3rd destination announced this year to somewhere in South America. It can be Cali.

I think SJU would be great, if they could start it maybe Mondays, thursday and sunday with Boeing 737 would be great. I think due to high MEX, a red eye to SJU don't know if it would make it. I wish somehow, someday they can fly to SJU.

I also hope one day AM lands at HNL.

dcajet wrote:

Is this a move by AM to capture some of the US-sourced traffic to PUJ and LIR (like the west coast) or catering to Mexican travelers? If the latter, how robust is that traffic? Without previous knowledge it'd seem with Mexico having world class resorts/beaches on 2 oceans... Is there an added "cachet" that comes with vacationing at a resort in the Caribbean/Central America?

IMHO, both markets. US/Canada as well Mexico.

g77

With SAP a success would AM try TGU?

yellowtail wrote:

With SAP a success would AM try TGU?

Maybe, but some of the passengers flying to San Pedro Sula may be transferring to Tegucigalpa on CM Airlines or Avianca Honduras, so starting MEX-Tegucigalpa may eat at the "connection"s flight to San Pedro Sula and then AM would have two half-empty planes flying to Honduras instead of one full one. Just maybe.

AntonioMartin wrote:

how would AM work in PR if Volaris did not..

In a hypothetical AM MEX-SJU, the service would be weekend-only, like PUJ. AM could work with tour operators in order to make sure the planes are full. Shouldn't be too difficult. We are not proposing a daily service or anything, just another way for AM planes to be in the air as much time as possible all days of the week.

EddieDude wrote:

AntonioMartin wrote:

how would AM work in PR if Volaris did not..

In a hypothetical AM MEX-SJU, the service would be weekend-only, like PUJ. AM could work with tour operators in order to make sure the planes are full. Shouldn't be too difficult. We are not proposing a daily service or anything, just another way for AM planes to be in the air as much time as possible all days of the week.

EddieDude wrote:

AntonioMartin wrote:

how would AM work in PR if Volaris did not..

In a hypothetical AM MEX-SJU, the service would be weekend-only, like PUJ. AM could work with tour operators in order to make sure the planes are full. Shouldn't be too difficult. We are not proposing a daily service or anything, just another way for AM planes to be in the air as much time as possible all days of the week.

I think that 2-3 weekly flights it’s a good start for AM in SJU and if the route works, gradually increase MEX-SJU until the route becomes daily. When Avianca started BOG-SJU in 2013, it started with 3 weekly, then increased to 5 weekly and now since 2016 the route is daily.

EddieDude wrote:

AM MEX-SJU

Mexicana used to fly the MX MEX-SJU sector as non-stop during the 80s and 90s. No more than thrice a week, if I remember correctly.
However, the route was abandoned probably due to the shortage of demand of passengers.
I even have my doubts if the fictitious AM MEX-SJU should be fairly compared to the upcoming AM MEX-PUJ and AM MEX-LIR.
Punta Cana and Liberia are essentialy focused for tourism. Their two weekly flights on Saturdays and Sundays seem to fit perfectly for that purpose. This may not be the case for San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Regards.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

EddieDude wrote:

AM MEX-SJU

Mexicana used to fly the MX MEX-SJU sector as non-stop during the 80s and 90s. No more than thrice a week, if I remember correctly.
However, the route was abandoned probably due to the shortage of demand of passengers.
I even have my doubts if the fictitious AM MEX-SJU should be fairly compared to the upcoming AM MEX-PUJ and AM MEX-LIR.
Punta Cana and Liberia are essentialy focused for tourism. Their two weekly flights on Saturdays and Sundays seem to fit perfectly for that purpose. This may not be the case for San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Regards.

Before their demise MX returned to SJU in the form of Click with a MEX- CUN-SJU route, not sure of the frequency.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

EddieDude wrote:

AM MEX-SJU

Mexicana used to fly the MX MEX-SJU sector as non-stop during the 80s and 90s. No more than thrice a week, if I remember correctly.

Mexicana actually flew that route up to five times a week in winter 1987-1988:



g77

SJOtoLIR wrote:

EddieDude wrote:

AM MEX-SJU

Mexicana used to fly the MX MEX-SJU sector as non-stop during the 80s and 90s. No more than thrice a week, if I remember correctly.
However, the route was abandoned probably due to the shortage of demand of passengers.
I even have my doubts if the fictitious AM MEX-SJU should be fairly compared to the upcoming AM MEX-PUJ and AM MEX-LIR.
Punta Cana and Liberia are essentialy focused for tourism. Their two weekly flights on Saturdays and Sundays seem to fit perfectly for that purpose. This may not be the case for San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Regards.

Mexicana operated MEX-SJU up to 5 weekly and the route was doing well during the 80s. My grandparents used to fly to Mexico nonstop with Mexicana from SJU on mid 80s and the loadfactor was around 70%-80%.

Mexicana returned briefly on late 90s, and MX ended Puerto Rico operations, a year after the carrier resumed SJU ops due to low profitability, poor promotions, and lack of Puerto Rico’s government support.

kiramakora wrote:

Schedules are now available:

AM 2656 MEX (0815) - LIR (1105) .....67
AM 2657 LIR (1205) - MEX (1505) .....67

AM 2654 MEX (2330) - PUJ (0610+1) ....56.
AM 2657 PUJ (1200) - MEX (1510) .....67

Woof...brutal schedule for PUJ but I think it'll be daily in no time, at maybe a better departure time. How is that even crewed?

AntonioMartin wrote:

yellowtail wrote:

With SAP a success would AM try TGU?

Maybe, but some of the passengers flying to San Pedro Sula may be transferring to Tegucigalpa on CM Airlines or Avianca Honduras, so starting MEX-Tegucigalpa may eat at the "connection"s flight to San Pedro Sula and then AM would have two half-empty planes flying to Honduras instead of one full one. Just maybe.

Thats probably minimal. more likely currently pax to TGU from MEX are going AV via SAL or CM via PTY.

MaverickM11 wrote:

kiramakora wrote:

Schedules are now available:

AM 2656 MEX (0815) - LIR (1105) .....67
AM 2657 LIR (1205) - MEX (1505) .....67

AM 2654 MEX (2330) - PUJ (0610+1) ....56.
AM 2657 PUJ (1200) - MEX (1510) .....67

Woof...brutal schedule for PUJ but I think it'll be daily in no time, at maybe a better departure time. How is that even crewed?

I think the timing makes sense as people can go to their hotels to check in and not waste time. I look and analyse AM flights at MEX and I think because PUJ is far away, they cannot leave in the morning and also come back in time for connections.

I like their departures at 1200 hour because it is right for those checking from hotels. For both LIR and PUJ, you arrive at 1500, and then all the AM flights to LAX, SEA, SFO, PDX, IAH, ORD, YVR, YYZ, YUL, YYC, etc. leave between 1500 and 1900.

yellowtail wrote:

AntonioMartin wrote:

yellowtail wrote:

With SAP a success would AM try TGU?

Maybe, but some of the passengers flying to San Pedro Sula may be transferring to Tegucigalpa on CM Airlines or Avianca Honduras, so starting MEX-Tegucigalpa may eat at the "connection"s flight to San Pedro Sula and then AM would have two half-empty planes flying to Honduras instead of one full one. Just maybe.

Thats probably minimal. more likely currently pax to TGU from MEX are going AV via SAL or CM via PTY.

yellowtail wrote:

CM

which of course is not to be confused with my above mentioned CM Airlines....confusing, I know!

flyingqueen wrote:

the timing makes sense as people can go to their hotels to check in and not waste time. I look and analyse AM flights at MEX and I think because PUJ is far away, they cannot leave in the morning and also come back in time for connections.

Furthermore, Punta Cana is two hours forward than Mexico City, once AM MEX-PUJ will be active later.
The red-eye flight to the eastbound makes sense, in terms of the returning time to MEX, as pointing out before.

Regards.

flyingqueen wrote:

For both LIR and PUJ, you arrive at 1500, and then all the AM flights to LAX, SEA, SFO, PDX, IAH, ORD, YVR, YYZ, YUL, YYC, etc. leave between 1500 and 1900.

Punta Cana doesn't have non-stop flights heading to the US western coast yet.
The upcoming AM MEX-PUJ may funnel these passengers to Dominican Republic and vice versa through MEX.
The point is that [LAX-MEX-PUJ] is easier and faster than [LAX-MIA-PUJ].
Liberia is already getting non-stop flights to Los Angeles. However, their weekly frequencies are still limited.

Regards.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

flyingqueen wrote:

Liberia is already getting non-stop flights to Los Angeles. However, their weekly frequencies are still limited.

Regards.

Isn’t AS daily on LAX LIR?

yellowtail wrote:

Isn’t AS daily on LAX LIR?

Correct. I was only thinking on DL LAX-LIR 2x weekly.
Regards.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

flyingqueen wrote:

For both LIR and PUJ, you arrive at 1500, and then all the AM flights to LAX, SEA, SFO, PDX, IAH, ORD, YVR, YYZ, YUL, YYC, etc. leave between 1500 and 1900.

Punta Cana doesn't have non-stop flights heading to the US western coast yet.
The upcoming AM MEX-PUJ may funnel these passengers to Dominican Republic and vice versa through MEX.
The point is that [LAX-MEX-PUJ] is easier and faster than [LAX-MIA-PUJ].
Liberia is already getting non-stop flights to Los Angeles. However, their weekly frequencies are still limited.

Regards.

Just because a destination is very popular doesnt mean will be a sucess. In 2013 Dominican Turism Ministery started to promote PUJ in Mexico City by the year 2014 and only 7,000 Mexicans visited Dominican Republic, those numbers didnt match the goals of the ministery and in the year 2015 they changed the promotion and started to promote Santo Doming, also show the nice beaches and in the year 2016 the amount of mexican visitors jumped from 7,000 to 13,000 visitors. Next thing AM was announcing will start with 4 weekly flights year round MEX SDQ with E90 aircraft. 3 months aftter start the route was announce will be increased to 5 weekly flights MEX-SDQ. then in March 2017 another increase was announce from 5 flights a week to daily flights MEX-SDQ. Then 2 years after they started the route in april 2018 they announced will increase seats from 99 to 124 changing aircraft to 737-700. Bedside we have that Mexican business is increasing a lot in Santo Domingo.

Having by first hand all that information and previous charters flights, it's clear they are still in the process to develope the route MEX-PUJ. The seasonal flights is only first step and Im sure will be suport in part this new route with Conections from the west of USA and travel agencies. They are the good guys in PUJ that fill almost the 100% of all the flights. We will see how long takes change from seasonal to daily and year round.