2014 Oklahoma Commercial Aviation Discussion

[venture]

I hope they do... Third time's a charm?

Not holding my breath.

History tends to side with the airline holding the temporary authority to retain the slot on the market it has normally been assigned to. We saw the same thing with the DCA-JAN slot that was retained by US over awarding to WN for OKC.

[damonsmuz]

Flew out Thurs AM on DL/OO to SLC. Took off on runway 31. That may have been the fastest taxi to take-off I have ever experienced from the DL gate to HOLD. Sunday night, landed on runway 13 from SLC and was at the gate within 3 mins from landing.

I will never make fun of that runway ever again. Thought it was silly at 1st but love it now.

[ChargerAg]

http://http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2014/03/11/frontier-airlines-to-add-six-new-nonstop-destinations-from-cleveland-hopkins-in-june


Interesting article about Frontier adding 6 routes from Clevland to various destinations. Any reason they couldn't do the same here in OKC? It would be nice to get that OKC to KC route back.

[venture]

Allegiant contact me back today. The seasonal suspension for OKC-SFB will start August 10th and end in late October. It will be reflected in the next schedule update later this Spring.

[venture]

http://http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2014/03/11/frontier-airlines-to-add-six-new-nonstop-destinations-from-cleveland-hopkins-in-june


Interesting article about Frontier adding 6 routes from Clevland to various destinations. Any reason they couldn't do the same here in OKC? It would be nice to get that OKC to KC route back.

Scroll up to the top of this page where this has been brought up about F9 and how it could expand here.

OKC-MCI is gone for good I'm afraid though, unless you find an airline that can run it with a smaller aircraft.

[warreng88]

Allegiant contact me back today. The seasonal suspension for OKC-SFB will start August 10th and end in late October. It will be reflected in the next schedule update later this Spring.

That's disappointing. The wife and I are taking that in early May and were trying to plan a return trip in early October. I guess we will have to look elsewhere for cheap flights then.

[venture]

That's disappointing. The wife and I are taking that in early May and were trying to plan a return trip in early October. I guess we will have to look elsewhere for cheap flights then.

This is very typical of Allegiant though. Sept/Oct are the slowest months for air travel and gives them a good period when to get heavy maintenance and such out of the way.

[warreng88]

This is very typical of Allegiant though. Sept/Oct are the slowest months for air travel and gives them a good period when to get heavy maintenance and such out of the way.

Good to know. I saw the Tulsa trip's last day is August 11 but they already have October 3rd available for booking and OKC does not.

[venture]

Good to know. I saw the Tulsa trip's last day is August 11 but they already have October 3rd available for booking and OKC does not.

Yeah, I reached out to them to make sure it was coming back.

[catch22]

Not sure how G4's scheduling department works, but mine uses a base schedule, and then as maintenance schedules and capacity guidance reports come in, they will finish up the schedule.

For example, OKC-AAA may be scheduled with 4 flights a day. They know generally they will have the number of airplanes to do the route 4 times a day. They want 5, but for now they are guaranteed to have the airplanes to do 4, so they post the schedule with 4. Later on, maybe a couple of months, maintenance and regional partners report with how many airplanes they have available, and are planned to be available for that month. Scheduling can now get that 5th daily trip in, so they add it in to the schedule.

This might be the same thing at G4, right now they know they have enough airplanes at their disposal to put in the routes they have put in for the Oct/Nov schedule, but are waiting for guidance (on the number of airplanes that will be up and running and when they anticipate them to be available) and reports from other departments before they can officially commit in the schedule OKC flights, or other cities that haven't been reflected.

[Jeepnokc]

Is United/Continental still flying prop planes into OKC?

[catch22]

Yes Denver. They seem to come and go in the schedule.

[Jeepnokc]

Yes Denver. They seem to come and go in the schedule.

Didn't realize it was to Denver. I thought I saw one tonight and figured they were just using them to shuttle to Houston. Denver is too long of a flight to be in a prop when there are other options that include two jet engines.

[catch22]

Effective in the June schedule;

To IAH:

2 mainline (737-800), 2 E170's, 6 ERJs Monday Wednesday Thursday Friday
3 mainline (2 737-800 1 737-900), 2 E170's, 5 ERJs Tuesday
1 mainline (737-800), 2 E170's, 5 ERJs Saturday
1 mainline (A319), 1 E170, 1 CRJ7, 6 ERJs Sunday

[catch22]

Represents a good capacity gain and a huge improvement for passenger comfort and reliability. The E145s are getting old and maintenance intensive, and are just plain unprofitable and unreliable.

[venture]

Didn't realize it was to Denver. I thought I saw one tonight and figured they were just using them to shuttle to Houston. Denver is too long of a flight to be in a prop when there are other options that include two jet engines.

DEN is about 100 miles longer than IAH, but yeah it does push it a bit. However you can't compare the Q400 to the props that were used more extensively until the RJ infatuation began and the airlines turned stupid and married themselves to them.

[OUman]

^Fuel-efficiency-wise it is a great plane on sectors around 400 miles or less. But that's pretty much where the good of the plane ends for me.

I was not impressed by the Dash 8-Q400. It is the one of the loudest turboprops I have experienced, I will not fly in it again. And that's coming from an aviation enthusiast. I flew in it to/from IAH back in 2011 (when Colgan had 2-3 daily). The takeoff was loud but that's acceptable, but once the props were throttled back there was a continuous loud drone for the entire cruise. In fact it did not die down until the plane was on short final. Pretty hard on the ears on a 1hr + flight. The entire cabin was vibrating the whole time too (in that you could actually see the bins moving in rapid motion back and forth - I've never seen that before or since in any other plane). I have also flown in the ATR 72-500. I'll take it any day over the "Q"400; much quieter, it sounds and feels more like a jet than a turboprop and there is no in-flight drone. It also feels roomier than the Q400 and I'm not that tall. I'll even take a Brasilia given the choice.

[venture]

^Fuel-efficiency-wise it is a great plane on sectors around 400 miles or less. But that's pretty much where the good of the plane ends for me.

I was not impressed by the Dash 8-Q400. It is the one of the loudest turboprops I have experienced, I will not fly in it again. And that's coming from an aviation enthusiast. I flew in it to/from IAH back in 2011 (when Colgan had 2-3 daily). The takeoff was loud but that's acceptable, but once the props were throttled back there was a continuous loud drone for the entire cruise. In fact it did not die down until the plane was on short final. Pretty hard on the ears on a 1hr + flight. The entire cabin was vibrating the whole time too (in that you could actually see the bins moving in rapid motion back and forth - I've never seen that before or since in any other plane). I have also flown in the ATR 72-500. I'll take it any day over the "Q"400; much quieter, it sounds and feels more like a jet than a turboprop and there is no in-flight drone. It also feels roomier than the Q400 and I'm not that tall. I'll even take a Brasilia given the choice.

I wonder if the sound dampeners were broke? To take an EM2 over a Q400 because of noise isn't a good thing. LOL

I'm holding out hope we'll see the new AA place a large order for the 600 series of the ATR-42 and -72.

[s00nr1]

Exciting to see all the E170 service to IAH. One of the most comfortable a/c you can fly.

[catch22]

In June one of those 170's routes ORD-OKC(Ron overnight)-IAH

So it is slowly entering our network from multiple places, will increase as we get more of them delivered.

[s00nr1]

I am looking forward to eventually getting the E75 to ORD on AA.

[OUman]

I wonder if the sound dampeners were broke? To take an EM2 over a Q400 because of noise isn't a good thing. LOL

I'm holding out hope we'll see the new AA place a large order for the 600 series of the ATR-42 and -72.

Maybe, I'm not sure what it was. The return flight was just as bad. I should clarify that in the Brasilia I was in the very last row, but the noise/vibration levels were still acceptable than in the Q400 (and I was sitting in the second-last row in that one, and it was still pretty bad). Then again my Brasilia flights were only to/from DFW.

One thing that did make the return Colgan Air flight from IAH fun was that strong winds were back in town that day and the Q400 was getting bounced around pretty good (from the south sustained 25 mph gusting to 35 mph). It really got jolted around as we turned left on base for a Runway 17L approach, then smoothed out as we turned onto final and the flaps/gear were deployed. Which is another cool thing about the Q400 - you see the gear in action.

An order for the ATR 42/72-600 variant for "Envoy" - Eagle's new name - would be pretty cool, but I guess the props will be only at Miami International and San Juan Int'l for now.

[venture]

An order for the ATR 42/72-600 variant for "Envoy" - Eagle's new name - would be pretty cool, but I guess the props will be only at Miami International and San Juan Int'l for now.

Now if AA orders the newer ATRs, I don't think it is for Envoy at all - which is why I avoided saying them. I would expect them to go to Piedmont to replace the Dash 8s initially - since that is the only carrier with props operating for either American Eagle or US Airways Express brands. There haven't been any in MIA or SJU for awhile now, especially SJU since that hub/focus city is gone.

[catch22]

Another month, flat still.

http://www.flyokc.com/statistics/Feb...nplanement.pdf

[OUman]

Now if AA orders the newer ATRs, I don't think it is for Envoy at all - which is why I avoided saying them. I would expect them to go to Piedmont to replace the Dash 8s initially - since that is the only carrier with props operating for either American Eagle or US Airways Express brands. There haven't been any in MIA or SJU for awhile now, especially SJU since that hub/focus city is gone.

Hmm, I thought AA kept the ATR bases at SJU and MIA. Guess I was unaware about both of them gone. I knew about AA mainline getting de-hubbed at SJU but I figured the ATRs would be kept for island-hopper feeding whatever's was left of the SJU mainline. But yeah I guess the Dash 8's of Piedmont would be good candidates for the new ATR's. I said Envoy because the DFW hub is a great fit for both the 42 and the 72, especially fuel-cost wise and all the intra-Texas and Texas border-state traffic. I guess public perception is the biggest hurdle to getting props back here though.

Speaking of DFW, heard about the new 10-gate "stinger" being built on the north side of Terminal B? I think they redesigned it to accomodate the larger RJs.