2018 Oklahoma City Aviation Thread

[brianinok]

I've flown the 717 on Delta and Hawaiian a few times. Love that plane. I can't believe airlines didn't buy more of them. Seems they would really fit well into the markets that use a lot of 737s and E-jets.

[HangryHippo]

I've flown the 717 on Delta and Hawaiian a few times. Love that plane. I can't believe airlines didn't buy more of them. Seems they would really fit well into the markets that use a lot of 737s and E-jets.

I'm with you, even though I enjoy the E170s and E190s. The 717s are awesome!

[catch22]

I've flown the 717 on Delta and Hawaiian a few times. Love that plane. I can't believe airlines didn't buy more of them. Seems they would really fit well into the markets that use a lot of 737s and E-jets.

It was the MD-95 until Boeing bought McDonnell Douglas and slapped the Boeing 717 name and marketing on it. It was a competitor to the Boeing 737-700 so Boeing had no incentive to go to any great effort to market it. Once they could justify shutting the line did they did.

[BG918]

looking on Frontier's website it looks like April 9th is the first non stop flight I see.

Saw that Frontier is adding SJC and IAD from Tulsa. Interesting adds but also makes sense with no non-stops from TUL to the Bay Area or Washington unlike OKC (Allegiant flies to BWI). Wish United would add back IAD and SFO for FF connectivity.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/f...c36a185a2.html

[HangryHippo]

SJC is an interesting add for Tulsa.

Are they looking at adding any other cities out of OKC?

[catch22]

SJC is an interesting add for Tulsa.

Are they looking at adding any other cities out of OKC?

Kind of surprised they didn't. They seem to be doing well.

[stjohn]

Saw that Frontier is adding SJC and IAD from Tulsa. Interesting adds but also makes sense with no non-stops from TUL to the Bay Area or Washington unlike OKC (Allegiant flies to BWI).

http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/f...c36a185a2.html

OKC also has Southwest to BWI, and United to Dulles.

[HOT ROD]

https://www.routesonline.com/news/29...e-hub-20180126

could this have a positive impact on OKC? We now have nonstops to all United hubs, but with the the return of the regional-to-hub focus I hope they reverse the planned OKC-LAX reduction and make OKC-EWR year round; maybe add frequency to IAD and SFO, and mainline to ORD (particularly with the absolutely makes no sense departure of WN's OKC-MDW). ...

[OUman]

Allegiant does not fly to BWI, only Southwest does.

[BG918]

Allegiant does not fly to BWI, only Southwest does.

I was originally referring to Allegiant flying TUL-BWI in the summer only, and only 2x/week. Otherwise there is no direct connection from TUL to the DC area with United ending their IAD flights so Frontier will fill a void. Maybe Southwest can eventually backfill with BWI nonstops, or even better, DCA.

[damonsmuz]

Correct me if I'm wrong but is 2018 the year that AA phases out all of their MD's?

[catch22]

Correct me if I'm wrong but is 2018 the year that AA phases out all of their MD's?

I think next year. But by the end of this year I believe they'll only be down to a couple dozen frames.

On a related note, in the May schedule we get a nice last dance with the fair lady. I believe this will be ge most capacity we have ever had to DFW. 8x MD80, 1x CR9. When it used to be all mainline, it was 7x daily. When we went to 9x flights it was approx. 2x 319, 2x S80, 1x 738 and a mix of 50/66 seat rj to fill the rest.

[damonsmuz]

I bet OKC will be one of the last stations to see the MD phase out. I only say that because of how close DFW is. It seems that OKC would be a route where IFE would not be important to offer. And AUS is too important to them to put the MD on that route. I'm sure they will grace AUS with new 737 MAX and A321's

[catch22]

ViaAir OKC-AUS pushed back to Apr 16. Just go ahead and stick the knife in this one.

[OUman]

I bet OKC will be one of the last stations to see the MD phase out. I only say that because of how close DFW is. It seems that OKC would be a route where IFE would not be important to offer. And AUS is too important to them to put the MD on that route. I'm sure they will grace AUS with new 737 MAX and A321's

AA has been flying 321s to/from AUS for more than a year now, at least a couple years. And not just to/from DFW, but I've seen them being flown between AUS and other AA hubs like LAX and JFK. And I'm sure AUS will be one of the first to get the MAXs also.

ViaAir OKC-AUS pushed back to Apr 16. Just go ahead and stick the knife in this one.

The flight times are not helping on this one that's for sure.

[damonsmuz]

Anyone have any ideas to the new routes that Tulsa is adding?? The Frontier service (Denver,Orlando,Dulles,San Jose and San Diego) seem odd to me. Is there really that much demand there for those routes?

[catch22]

Anyone have any ideas to the new routes that Tulsa is adding?? The Frontier service (Denver,Orlando,Dulles,San Jose and San Diego) seem odd to me. Is there really that much demand there for those routes?

It's the Frontier dartboard. They throw a bunch of darts at a map, and see what works. They then cancel what doesn't work (make money) very quickly and have another dartboard session. Wash rinse repeat.

[damonsmuz]

Via Air announced they will start new service from Tulsa to Austin starting in May. Hmmm.....

[catch22]

Via Air announced they will start new service from Tulsa to Austin starting in May. Hmmm.....

Good luck! They apparently have a horrendous reputation for canceled flights. Maybe they should work on that, and actually starting what they have announced before announcing other services.

[catch22]

I will give them credit, they adjusted our schedule to be 6x weekly (no Saturday) with a 2pm turn in OKC. Flight times are much better. Let's see if it sticks.

[damonsmuz]

I'm curious about ViaAir. Their model is interesting. I'm guessing you can't connect with the,. They are strictly P2P

[warreng88]

Airport expansion includes more access to electric outlets

By: Brian Brus The Journal Record February 9, 2018

OKLAHOMA CITY – Will Rogers World Airport has tasked designers in the upcoming terminal expansion project to include more access to electric outlets in the seating areas of all gates, officials said.

Those plans will also integrate power into all the post-security checkpoint areas used for travelers’ work and lounging. Director Mark Kranenburg is encouraging food and retail concessions to do the same when they move into the new parts of the terminal.

“We continue to monitor the amenities expected by today’s travelers (who) often have two devices when they come to the airport,” he said. “To the extent possible, we try to accommodate access to power throughout the airport.”

Although the overall draw on the airport power grid is small, it’s a huge value to travelers, according to a 2017 Airports Council International-North America guest experience survey. Electrical charging stations are now the fourth most common traveler amenity. At the same time, payphones and banking services are being phased out, reflecting the shift to private technology such as smartphones and portable computers.

ACI-NA spokesperson Mimi Ryals said the trend is expected to grow as airports deploy more innovations to better serve their passengers through mobile technology such as the rapid expansion of Mobile Passport, parking reservation systems, mobile-app ordering and ride-booking apps.

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is the latest to commit to a major charging stations upgrade. Last year, DFW approved a $1 million contract to install about 2,750 electrical outlets at gate seating in its terminals. With the new outlets, about 50 percent of seats now have direct access to power, compared with about 15 percent before the work.

Tulsa International Airport management foresaw the trend years earlier, spokeswoman Alexis Higgins said. The airport already has 1,700 power charging outlets incorporated in the gate area seating on the concourses, a total that does not include power charging stations in the business centers.

Higgins said new furniture installed in waiting areas last year also included charging stations. Overall, about 90 percent of the public areas in the terminal now have access to power, she said.

At Will Rogers, electrical outlets are now a fundamental amenity assumption for renovations and construction. Cross Grain Brewhouse, which opened in late 2015, added outlets built into dining tables and other seating areas in the restaurant. In 2016, another 16 bench power ports were added throughout the airport.

Kranenburg said the Oklahoma City airport is evaluating the addition of some shelf or bank-type charging stations as more space has opened up in the concourse.

[d-usa]

Whenever I travel I have a 4-USB charger that can use 110-220v and has a universal power-cord connector that lets me change out the power cable to fit whatever shape outlet I need. More than once I’ve been at an airport with limited outlets, and I’ve usually been able to share with folks who are waiting by letting them use the other 3-ports. None of them are data ports, and it’s nice to turn a single outlet into four outlets. Travelers gotta stick together.

[BG918]

I'm curious about ViaAir. Their model is interesting. I'm guessing you can't connect with the,. They are strictly P2P

Via Air's route map. I guess you could connect in Austin if you want to fly to Tucson.



Seeing DEN, MCI and Steamboat Springs on there reminds me of the old Mountain Air Express in the 1990's. Easy way to get from Oklahoma to the mountains.

[Urbanized]

Whenever I travel I have a 4-USB charger that can use 110-220v and has a universal power-cord connector that lets me change out the power cable to fit whatever shape outlet I need. More than once I’ve been at an airport with limited outlets, and I’ve usually been able to share with folks who are waiting by letting them use the other 3-ports. None of them are data ports, and it’s nice to turn a single outlet into four outlets. Travelers gotta stick together.

Outlets are a great idea and these days I can’t imagine building a space designed for lingering/waiting/eating which doesn’t incorporate outlets - with integrated USB - convenient to all chairs (except in an upscale dining environment perhaps). I can’t tell you how aggravating it is to go into recently-built places (especially bars) and have to hunt for an outlet or ask a bartender or server to charge behind the bar or something.

It’s awkward, often an imposition for the server, and yet it is simply the case that customers are going to be in places (especially in the evening) where their devices are critically low on juice. It’s easy to say it’s the customer’s problem, not the establishment’s, but the reality is that people are often using their phones to coordinate with other people who might be joining. It’s also reality that if people’s phones are dying and they have no access to charging they are likely to leave an establishment. I’ve done it many times myself, often in favor of moving to an establishment where I know there are easily-accessed charging outlets. Also there is the issue of customers bugging staff to assist with charging. I’ve done that too. So, including them is a good business decision, pure and simple.

Obviously the airport has a captive audience, but they are usually running multiple devices, often haven’t been able to charge for a while, plus anything you can do to make the flying experience less unpleasant is a good idea.

All of this said, now that Apple has finally been dragged kicking and screaming into the modern era of wireless charging, if I were building out a place I’d be placing wireless charging surfaces literally anywhere I could afford to do so: http://www.lgviaterausa.com/media/292/150