I always wondered why JetBlue never started service to Chicago Midway rather than Ohare where they are competing
with United and American..Midway is mostly served by Low cost air carriers.
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RE: Why No JetBlue At MDW
You answered this in your question. ORD is full of legacy carriers. These carriers have a public perception that they are overpriced for the service offered. B6 is going to compete with them on this, rather than invade a LUV fortress hub. Southwest doesn't term MDW a hub, but it really is a fortress for them. I think Delta and Porter are the only other airlines in there. JetBlue has a history of not competing with Southwest and starting fare wars with them. They rather compete with the legacies.
RE: Why No JetBlue At MDW
There is also a lack of any gate available.
RE: Why No JetBlue At MDW
Also it's been widely noted that ORD is generally preferred for biz traffic even though it's further from downtown. The vast majority of business outside the city limits is on the west, northwest and north sides which are all much more convenient to ORD.
RE: Why No JetBlue At MDW
Even though B6 stared serving the Los Angeles area at LGB, rather than LAX, B6 decided that it wanted to serve ORD rather than MDW.
It seems to me that at the time, MDW was still undergoing the modernization project, so the terminal layout kept changing as portions of the new complex were finished and portions of the old complex were torn down.
At the same time, ORD was under the FAA flight caps, because the far north runway hadn't opened. So, there was a petition for an exemption from the cap, that UA and AA fought tooth and nail.
One other point is that the Mayor at the time, Richard M. Daley, thought that fares at MDW were fine, but they were too high at ORD. He put his political muscle behind getting B6 into ORD.
It seems to me that at the time, MDW was still undergoing the modernization project, so the terminal layout kept changing as portions of the new complex were finished and portions of the old complex were torn down.
At the same time, ORD was under the FAA flight caps, because the far north runway hadn't opened. So, there was a petition for an exemption from the cap, that UA and AA fought tooth and nail.
One other point is that the Mayor at the time, Richard M. Daley, thought that fares at MDW were fine, but they were too high at ORD. He put his political muscle behind getting B6 into ORD.
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- DCA-ROCguy
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RE: Why No JetBlue At MDW
I seem to remember from our discussions at the time JetBlue started service at ORD, that B6 thought that more of their target demographic lived near ORD.
Jim
Jim
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RE: Why No JetBlue At MDW
Slightly off topic, but does anyone believe that B6 will relaunch LGB-ORD?
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RE: Why No JetBlue At MDW
| Quoting asteriskceo (Reply 6): |
No.
Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, Pirates and Charlotte Hornets Fan
RE: Why No JetBlue At MDW
| Quoting DCA-ROCguy (Reply 5): I seem to remember from our discussions at the time JetBlue started service at ORD, that B6 thought that more of their target demographic lived near ORD. |
I know plenty of people who live north, northwest, or some distance west of the Loop and find that MDW is too far or too hard to get to, compared to ORD. That's the market that B6 went after.
RE: Why No JetBlue At MDW
| Quoting UPNYGuy (Reply 1): You answered this in your question. ORD is full of legacy carriers. These carriers have a public perception that they are overpriced for the service offered. B6 is going to compete with them on this, rather than invade a LUV fortress hub. |
This was my exact experience today. Booking for 11/18-11/19, virtually the same timing on flights to within an hour each way.
AA - BOS-ORD - $487
UA - BOS-ORD - $478 (nope it was $9 different, not a transposition error)
B6- BOS-ORD $367
Our corporate policy is to fly UA on this route, but $110 cheaper for this option they had to go for it.
That feeling when you sit at the end of a runway, brakes are released and the raw power takes over. Now that is a thing of beauty and it never gets old.
RE: Why No JetBlue At MDW
Neeleman did not want MDW
It was ORD or bust. And they fought tooth and nail for 7 or so slots.
They got them. And basically wasted any opportunity they ever had in Chicago.
2 a day to JFK
3 a day to BOS
1 a day to ORD
After that long fight with the FAA and AA/UA, the real question is, why did you even bother?
It was ORD or bust. And they fought tooth and nail for 7 or so slots.
They got them. And basically wasted any opportunity they ever had in Chicago.
2 a day to JFK
3 a day to BOS
1 a day to ORD
After that long fight with the FAA and AA/UA, the real question is, why did you even bother?
RE: Why No JetBlue At MDW
JetBlue has also marketed itself as a sort of premium LCC. Accordingly, the big money in the Chicago suburbs (ie North Shore) is much closer to O'Hare than it is to Midway. For the western burbs (Naperville, Aurora, Downer's Grove, etc) it's a wash. Purely subjective, but IMHO unless you live south of the Stevenson Expressway it's just as easy, if not easier to get to O'Hare than Midway. It's surrounded by expressways. On a personal level, unless there's a major weather issue, I find O'Hare the more pleasant experience in the terminal itself. From where I live (near Wrigley Field) while distance and time wise it's the same, logistically it's easier to get to O'Hare because a bus drops in front of my home that deposits me at the Blue Line, which is not the case to get to the Orange Line that takes me to Midway. I'd either have to drag my bag over to the Red Line, or take a bus downtown and deal with bags in the Loop.
RE: Why No JetBlue At MDW
| Quoting ckfred (Reply 4): It seems to me that at the time, MDW was still undergoing the modernization project, so the terminal layout kept changing as portions of the new complex were finished and portions of the old complex were torn down. |
I believe the MDW modernization project finished in late 2004 or early 2005; B6 did not announce ORD until about October, 2006.
| Quoting luckyone (Reply 12): I'd either have to drag my bag over to the Red Line, or take a bus downtown and deal with bags in the Loop. |
I think it really depends on how far east you are. If the Red (or Brown) Line is reasonably convenient, the transfer to the Orange Line is not difficult. The Red Line-Orange Line transfer at Roosevelt and Brown Line-Orange Line transfers at Washington and Wells are typically quite easy (both easier than the elevated lines to the Blue Line at Clark and Lake).
| Quoting FLIHGH (Reply 11): They'd really be wasting the slot if they flew ORD-ORD! |
ORD is not slot controlled.
I can't decide whether I miss the tulip or the bowling shoe more
RE: Why No JetBlue At MDW
I think if JetBlue had chosen MDW over ORD back in 2006 they would be stronger in the Chicago market today. Although gates are not available at MDW today, over the span of ten years JetBlue would have been in a better position acquiring more gates at MDW than at ORD, where they only have one gate and there are no new gates in sight.
Using common knowledge to save the day!
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RE: Why No JetBlue At MDW
| Quoting luckyone (Reply 12): Purely subjective, but IMHO unless you live south of the Stevenson Expressway it's just as easy, if not easier to get to O'Hare than Midway. |
I agree with that. When I travel to Lisle it is easier to get there from O'Hare than from MDW.
135 hrs PIC (mostly PA-28) - not current. Landings at MDW, PIA, JAN.
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