For the industry in 2015, things should finally start quieting down as M&A activity should finally be coming to an end. Mergers are to the point where they should be wrapped up for the most part or getting ready to get to that point, as is the case with AA & US. Below is a review of the predictions for 2014 and also a year over year comparison of service by each airline. For 2015, the information shown is for January 2015 though some other changes have been announced for later in the year so the numbers may be off slightly. Also some changes are not currently showing up in the schedules that were previously announced.


Allegiant Air
No additional service from G4 based on 2014's performance. Service ran for a few months during peak travel season to Florida, but no additional growth took place.
Destination2014 Start FlightsDetails2015 FlightsDetailsChangeSanford-Orlando, FL2 Weekly2x MD-802 Weekly2x MD-80None

American Airlines
We finally did see additional service come from the merger with the addition of Charlotte. Chicago and Dallas are converting to rolling hubs this year so that may impact frequencies and aircraft size. Overall we've seen some minor capacity changes to LAX and an upcoming decrease in seats to DFW for later this year is planned.

Destination2014 Start FlightsDetails2015 FlightsDetailsChangeCharlotte*new service in 2014*2x CR922x CR9NoneChicago O'Hare42x CR7, 2x ER432x CR7, 1x ER4-1Dallas/Fort Worth87x M80, 1x CRJ96x M80, 1x CR9, 1x CR7, 1x CR7+1Los Angeles22x CR722x CR9None

Delta Air LInes
No major changes as expected except for some frequency changes.

Destination2014 Start FlightsDetails2015 FlightsDetailsChangeAtlanta62x 738, 2x M88, 2x 31953x M88, 2x 717-1Detroit Metro22x CR711x CR7-1Minneapolis/St. Paul33x CRJ21x CR9, 1x CRJ-1Salt Lake City31x CR9, 2x CR711x CR7-2

Frontier
The airline did indeed drop to 1 flight as suggested and the airline did announced they are leaving OKC in 2015. This is due to the carrier focusing on growing more point-to-point services into larger cities and downsizing the hub at Denver.

Destination2014 Start FlightsDetails2015 FlightsDetailsChangeDenver22x 319Service Ends in Mayn/a-2

Southwest
AirTran merger is complete and Dallas Love has open access to the rest of the country. We did lose a flight to DAL as predicted but also lost frequencies to MDW and ATL after the change over to WN metal.

Destination2014 Start FlightsDetails2015 FlightsDetailsChangeAtlanta22x 717 (AirTran)11x 73G-1Baltimore11x 73G11x 73GNoneChicago Midway22x 717 (AirTran)11x 73G-1Dallas Love44x 73G33x 73G-1Denver33x 73G33x 73GNoneHouston Hobby44x 73G44x 73GNoneLas Vegas22x 73G22x 73GNonePhoenix22x 73G22x 73GNoneSt. Louis11x 73G11x 73GNone
United
No major changes except additional mainline removed. As expected, the local OKC employees are all being let go this year in favor of outsourced employees for all positions.
Destination2014 Start FlightsDetails2015 FlightsDetailsChangeChicago O'Hare3CR7, CRJ, ER421x 170, 1x CR7-1Cleveland11x ER4Discontinued in 2014n/a-1Denver52x CR7, 1x DH4, 2x ER442x CR7, 1x DH4, 1x ER4-1Houston Bush101x 73G, 8x ER4, 1x CRJ91x 319, 3x 175, 1x 170,
1x CR7, 3x ER4-1Los Angeles11x CR711x CR7NoneNewark/New York11x ER4*Suspended*Pending restart in Spring.-1San Francisco11x CR711x CR7NoneWashington Dulles11x CR711x CR7None

New Entrant Predictions
Finally Alaska to Seattle has happened via SkyWest. No other options were realized, but they were all long shots.

Destination2014 Start FlightsDetails2015 FlightsDetailsChangeSeattle*None*n/a11x 175+1

Correction to your DL: 5 in 2014 to ATL, 6 in 2015 starting June.

Also, UA has not announced the outsourcing yet but is rumored to announce 15-28 more stations within the next two weeks. (Have heard today and tomorrow might be the announcement). But those are only rumors and no stations are confirmed.

Correction to your DL: 5 in 2014 to ATL, 6 in 2015 starting June.

Also, UA has not announced the outsourcing yet but is rumored to announce 15-28 more stations within the next two weeks. (Have heard today and tomorrow might be the announcement). But those are only rumors and no stations are confirmed.

Yeah, see the bolded part at the start of the post. :) The comparison is usually for Dec/Jan year over year...so the summer adjustments normally don't show up.

I'm saying, delta did not operate 6 flights a day to Atlanta in 2014. This summer is the first time they have operated 6 flights in about 7 years.

I'm saying, delta did not operate 6 flights a day to Atlanta in 2014. This summer is the first time they have operated 6 flights in about 7 years.

Then I'm wondering why I put DL operating 6 flights a day in Dec 2013 (see: http://www.okctalk.com/transportation/36144-2014-oklahoma-commercial-aviation-discussion.html)

The last time they had 6 flights a day was at least 2009... I remember taking DL to ATL on the 530am flight. When they had the 530 they also had a 630. So maybe not seven years... But it has been several years. I worked the ramp for them in 2011, and it was only 5 a day then. So between 2009 and 2011 it ended.

The last time they had 6 flights a day was at least 2009... I remember taking DL to ATL on the 530am flight. When they had the 530 they also had a 630. So maybe not seven years... But it has been several years. I worked the ramp for them in 2011, and it was only 5 a day then. So between 2009 and 2011 it ended.

Yeah who knows. Not sure why I put 6 in there for last year unless I had pull some random holiday date with an extra section.

Yeah who knows. Not sure why I put 6 in there for last year unless I had pull some random holiday date with an extra section.

That's entirely possible. Wish there was a way to review old info...it gets deleted from GDS systems rather quickly.

I am 100% certain 2013 and 2014 did not have 6 flights a day. 75% certain about 2012. and am 50% certain 2011 did not either.

As DL continues to shrink their flights to hubs other than ATL, they are going to lose loyal passengers. I am Delta Gold and because I am big guy, I normally book 1st/business. Two flights x 2 people to MSY next month booked on UA because I refuse to pay more to fly two extra hours. (not to mention that the 1st class ticket on UA was 40 more than a coach on DL and 450 cheaper than 1st on DL) When Memphis was open...no problem. Flight x5 for spring break to Bahamas on American because DL only flies there 2 days a week. Flights to west coast are a joke now that there is 1 flight through Salt Lake. After flying SFO to ATL to OKC a couple of months ago, I decided enough. If you want one main hub....put it in the middle of the country.

Jeep: The reduction on DL to SLC is temporary. Looks like in early March is it back to 2 a day on either a -700 or a -900.

Yeah, once more segment numbers get released by the DOT I'll be able to put something together that shows the trends in capacity a bit better.

Thanks for sharing the info. I wish OKC-ORD was healthier - quite surprising that AA is at 3x/day and UA down to 2x/day - would think UA would have higher freqs to ORD as they're still technically larger there, but the "new AA" seems to be recommitted to ORD so that could be part of it. Just curious how are loads on OKC-CLT?

http://www.flyokc.com/statistics/December2014Enplanement.pdf

Year end 3,834,009 passengers. I believe that is the busiest year ever, if trends continue, 2015 should be the year we break 4 million, as long as our local oil companies hold it together during the oil crash.

Just out of curiosity, how did Tulsa's airport do?

Their numbers are not posted, but as of November they are 2.6 million. Once December is in shoud be around 2.8 million.

Tulsa Airports Facebook page says they will be announcing 3 new destinations on January 13. Anyone have insider knowledge of where it might be???

Tulsa Airports Facebook page says they will be announcing 3 new destinations on January 13. Anyone have insider knowledge of where it might be???

First guess would be on G4 to PIE, PGD, and AZA. Second guess would be PHL, CLT, and LAX on AA.

code decoder please :)

Tulsa new service on Allegiant to LAX ,LAS and St Pete

Well I got one right. LOL

HR - Sorry! PIE = St. Pete, PGD = Punta Gorda, FL, AZA = Mesa-Phoenix.

EDIT...from Channel 6 in TUL...



Two of the destinations, St. Petersburg-Clearwater and Los Angeles will be seasonal. St. Petersburg-Clearwater flights will be May 7, 2015 through August 18, 2015 and Los Angeles June 5, 2015 through August 18, 2015. Allegiant will offer year-round service to Las Vegas beginning on April 8, 2015.

Correction to your DL: 5 in 2014 to ATL, 6 in 2015 starting June.

Also, UA has not announced the outsourcing yet but is rumored to announce 15-28 more stations within the next two weeks. (Have heard today and tomorrow might be the announcement). But those are only rumors and no stations are confirmed.

NOW it's official that I am losing my job :) hooray for minimum wage contractors stealing Union jobs!

NOW it's official that I am losing my job :) hooray for minimum wage contractors stealing Union jobs!

My sympathies, man, I've been laid off twice and it's quite unpleasant, good luck!

sorry to hear catch. ...

I wish the rainbow tulip could re-emerge, the darkened globe has ruined United to the point of no return it appears.

NOW it's official that I am losing my job :) hooray for minimum wage contractors stealing Union jobs!

That sucks Catch. Fingers crossed that you land a better gig.

NOW it's official that I am losing my job :) hooray for minimum wage contractors stealing Union jobs!

You seem to have pretty good knowledge of the industry and whatnot, any prospects at FAA or anything like that? Something you can do in the private/GA world?

Venture! Get Catch a job! You all and Anon are the most informed posters in this type of discussion!

sorry to hear catch. ...

I wish the rainbow tulip could re-emerge, the darkened globe has ruined United to the point of no return it appears.
I come from the dark colored Globe. However, Continental did not ruin United and United did not ruin Continental. This is a completely different company than how either existed prior to the merger. Things are being ran in a way that are not common to either pre merger carrier.

It's unfair to blame CO.

Sorry to hear that catch. Wish you the best, you certainly have the knowledge and experience to impress anyone.

That really sucks, catch. SMI/J has really destroyed CO/UA. Unbelievable. I'm just happy I didn't fly to/through Denver this winter: United's baggage woes start to affect Denver airport's reputation - The Denver Post (http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_27270086/uniteds-baggage-woes-start-affect-denver-airports-reputation)

Hope you land on your feet soon!

Chin up catch, you'll land another job.

That really sucks, catch. SMI/J has really destroyed CO/UA. Unbelievable. I'm just happy I didn't fly to/through Denver this winter: United's baggage woes start to affect Denver airport's reputation - The Denver Post (http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_27270086/uniteds-baggage-woes-start-affect-denver-airports-reputation)

Hope you land on your feet soon!

I've dealt with the Denver airport baggage debacle multiple times flying UA. Each time it has taken well over an hour from when we pulled up to the jet bridge to when we got our bags. Usually it's 30 min which is fine because it takes about that long to get to the baggage claim if you have to take the train. OKC airport is such a breeze compared to DIA.

Outsourcing to the lowest bidder...you get what you pay for. Unfortunately it seems, especially for UA, the only actual United employees anyone will see will be the flight crews. I can get outsourcing ramp, but outsource above wing (or counter/gate) to a third party is just crazy for any major brand with a decent number of flights.

Chalk this up to weak contracts/unions at United. Of course...people want their cheap fares so airlines try to cut what they can. Just like people want their cheap gas, and well...you know how that is going over for some people right now. LOL

.... Of course...people want their cheap fares so airlines try to cut what they can. Just like people want their cheap gas, and well...you know how that is going over for some people right now. LOL

Read this last week, good timing...

Cheap airlines: Why Americans will suffer worse service on flights in order to pay less. (http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2014/12/cheap_airlines_why_americans_will_suffer_worse_ser vice_on_flights_in_order.single.html)

From the JR:

Generating lift: Will Rogers sets record for passengers, expects more growth

By: Brian Brus The Journal Record January 19, 2015

OKLAHOMA CITY – More than 3.8 million travelers, a record number for Will Rogers World Airport, moved through the airport in 2014, officials reported.

The number surpassed the pre-recession high mark set in 2007 by about 97,000 passengers. With the exception of February, passenger traffic increased every month in 2014 over the previous year. For the year overall, the number of people getting on and off planes was up by 4.8 percent.

After a drop in 2008, the airport has seen a steady rise in passengers over the last seven years. Officials attributed much of the growth to the metro area’s robust economy and enhanced air services. An overview of the airport’s major new routes includes a nonstop United Airlines run to Washington Dulles added in 2007 to the latest announcement of Alaska Airlines’ nonstop flight to Seattle scheduled to begin in July.

“Those are basically markets that we’ve pursued,” airport spokeswoman Karen Carney said. “We’ve lost a few cities, but those were sites that we did not pursue; they basically resulted from airlines’ strategies and mergers – we lost Memphis, for example, as a result of the Delta-Northwest merger and the downsizing of that hub.

“After having such a low point in 2008, watching things rebound like this feels good,” she said.

There is no question that the growth in the city’s primary industry sectors – energy, aerospace, bioscience, convention and tourism – have contributed to this record-setting year, Oklahoma City Airports Director Mark Kranenburg said in a prepared statement.

“The good news is that this trend is expected to continue,” he said. “We hope that 2015 will set another record.”

But the difference in that record likely will not be as great. Officials projected a rise of only 1.8 percent for 2015 over 2014. Carney said the Oklahoma City Airport Trust is trying to pace development to match demand, with long-term plans beginning with the addition of three new gates and possibly as many as six. Officials are pursuing the establishment of new routes via JetBlue and Spirit airlines.

“Right now we can accommodate new carriers,” she said. “But we’re not going to build a bunch of new gates and then hope they can come.”

Flight patterns

Direct flights added over last seven years, and date service began:
• United nonstop to Washington Dulles, June 2007
• Southwest nonstop to Baltimore, August 2007
• United nonstop to San Francisco, August 2011
• Southwest nonstop to Chicago Midway, June 2012
• Southwest nonstop to Atlanta, November 2013
• Allegiant Airlines nonstop to Orlando/Sanford, November 2013
• American Airlines nonstop to Charlotte, July 2014
• Alaska Airlines nonstop to Seattle, begins July 2015

Anyone know if the trend in AA bringing more regionals to the DFW-OKC route is going to stay or can we expect more mainline on this route soon???

This might have come up a few threads ago but why does the Oklahoma Commercial Aviation discussion get broken apart by years?

This might have come up a few threads ago but why does the Oklahoma Commercial Aviation discussion get broken apart by years?

Length of the threads is the main reason.

Anyone know if the trend in AA bringing more regionals to the DFW-OKC route is going to stay or can we expect more mainline on this route soon???

AA is retiring the S80s quite briskly, so I'd expect more RJs on the DFW route in the year ahead. Possibly an A319 or so if AA is feeling generous. OTOH I wouldn't be surprised if OKC is one of the very last S80 stations.

My AA flight to DFW yesterday morning at 7am was maybe 30% capacity (S80). I hadn't witnessed a flight this empty in a long time.

10070

My AA flight to DFW yesterday morning at 7am was maybe 30% capacity (S80). I hadn't witnessed a flight this empty in a long time.

10070

Not completely shocking. I wonder if LFs are lower throughout the system. AA has had some absurd fares lately - there was a thread on another forum where many frequent flyers were buying Toronto-Hong Kong for $505 roundtrip. Fine with me though, OKC could use some lower fares for a change!

My AA flight to DFW yesterday morning at 7am was maybe 30% capacity (S80). I hadn't witnessed a flight this empty in a long time.

10070
I have no way of knowing for sure, but it's possible that the weather back East may have contributed to this with many cancellations. A lot of people may have decided to just change their plans instead of getting stuck somewhere with no connecting flight.

Yeah i wouldn't base anything you saw early this week in the overall state of aviation, it was crazy all around

Jus knowing AA, they probably called those absent folks night before with cancellations, they are the worst for canceling too soon

Or the best. Without those cancellations the airlines can get airplanes stuck in locations that complicate getting the entire network going again when the weather improves. I have no problem with erring on the side of caution in this situation.

January and February are typically junk load wise. Mostly empty flights are pretty typical this time of the year outside of the majority routes.

Or the best. Without those cancellations the airlines can get airplanes stuck in locations that complicate getting the entire network going again when the weather improves. I have no problem with erring on the side of caution in this situation.

I get that side too, six years we got burned by AA though, they called the night before we were supposed to leave for PHX for a wedding, cancelled our flight, said they could rebook us that afternoon (wouldn't work, would miss rehearsal). So we told them to forget the OKC-DFW leg, we'd just drive to DFW that night and catch a DFW-PHX flight in the morning. Well, we drove to DFW, got there at 2am, slept for a couple hours at a relatives, get to DFW, only to find out that they went ahead and flew our OKC-DFW flight anyway (we watched people deplane at the gate from it). Needless to say we were pissed.

OKC loads are in the dumper right now for everyone.

UA is sending Airbuses out with less than 30 people on board routinely this Jan.

My flight from PHX-DFW tomorrow on one of AA's brand new A321s is also empty, which is saying a lot considering the size of that aircraft. The flight from DFW-OKC looks fairly full however.

Huge UA update effective May:

IAH: 5x E75, 2x ERJ, 1x 319, 1x E70
DEN: 1x 320, 1x E70 1x DH4, 1x ERJ
ORD: 1x 320, 2x CR7
IAD: 1x E75
EWR: 1x E70
LAX: 1x CR7
SFO: 1x CR7

just in time for the outsourcing too.

Mainline routings will be:

ORD-OKC(turn)-IAH
DEN-OKC(RON)-DEN
DEN-OKC(RON)-ORD

Wow - how long has it been since OKC-ORD had mainline from either UA or AA? Last I remember AA ran some F100s from ORD in the early 2000s. Way to go UA - now let's see what AA counters with.

Excellent news with UA bringing mainline back to ORD!

In other news...in case anyone cares or doesn't know by now...Frontier's final day of service to OKC is Thursday, March 5th.

Yes vey surpring update.

EWR and IADS are upgraded, ORD and DEN receive mainline service. Was not expecting this in this schedule update.

nice, mainline to ORD returning - finally!

3 mainliners total for the market.

Also, nice to see all of the UA hubs covered with the return of the temporarily suspended EWR flight. A little surprised SFO is still just one CR7 though.

what is mainline?

what is mainline?

Planes that are operated by the airline, not a regional airline

thank you

Huge UA update effective May:

IAH: 5x E75, 2x ERJ, 1x 319, 1x E70
DEN: 1x 320, 1x E70 1x DH4, 1x ERJ
ORD: 1x 320, 2x CR7
IAD: 1x E75
EWR: 1x E70
LAX: 1x CR7
SFO: 1x CR7

just in time for the outsourcing too.

That is just an astoundingly big upgrade across the board for UA. The E75 to IAD will be a great ride.

Great to see mainline back between OKC and ORD. Also a nice uptick, a total of 21 peak day departures from OKC from UA/UAX.

Just FYI, AA also had MD 80s to/from ORD in the late 90s-early 2000s, at one flight a day. Used to arrive at/depart from gate B2 in the old Concourse B, back when the terminal had the two-concourse layout (with the rotundas at each end).