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  #781  
Old Posted Apr 26, 2013, 10:00 PM
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Originally Posted by LoneStarMike View Post
...BTW, this whole idea was brought to the mayor by Jim Smith, the aviation director. Based on your past criticisms of him, I'm surprised you'd support anything that was his idea.
As I already mentioned...this is not a new idea. Jim Smith did not wake up one morning and have a stroke of brilliance.

Of course, it’s always easier to copy the ideas of others than it is to come up with your own, unique stroke of business genius.

ABIA could have been so much more. How sad…
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  #782  
Old Posted Apr 26, 2013, 11:29 PM
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LoneStarMike LoneStarMike is offline
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Originally Posted by GoldenBoot View Post
As I already mentioned...this is not a new idea. Jim Smith did not wake up one morning and have a stroke of brilliance.
Yes, I remember back in 2008 when this idea first surfaced. I believe it was Macquarie - an Australian company - that wanted to lease ABIA. I remember back then, you thought it was a brilliant idea. I was on the fence at the time because there were too many unanswered questions concerning that particular deal. Leffingwell was against it at the time and it was nixed by the City Council, so I never found out the answers to the questions I posed.

I have to wonder if this is such a good idea now, why most of the City Council (except Martinez) didn't even know the idea was being discussed. And if it's such a good idea now, why is the idea being "quietly explored" and why is discretion advised due to its "political and sensitive nature?" The way they are going about it makes it look like some backroom deal.

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Of course, it’s always easier to copy the ideas of others than it is to come up with your own, unique stroke of business genius.
In a post a couple of months ago you mentioned:

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Smaller markets (domestic and globally) have already achieved much more than Austin in terms of aviation progress!!!
Could you give an example or two of airports which achieved more than Austin in terms of aviation progress? What did they do - and how much did it cost? If you were in charge of ABIA, what would you have done differently?

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ABIA could have been so much more.
Yeah - more profitable for the company that would potentially lease it and perhaps more expensive in terms of cost per enplanement for the airlines that fly out of here. And for what? Money to fund a 5.5 mile light rail system (not even connected to the airport) that's going to be run by Capital Metro? (which - knowing them - will probably go over budget and take 10 years to complete.)
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  #783  
Old Posted May 7, 2013, 4:49 PM
Austin1971 Austin1971 is offline
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The Big Easy nonstop on Southwest

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Last edited by Austin1971; Jan 24, 2020 at 10:49 PM.
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  #784  
Old Posted May 7, 2013, 7:15 PM
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Originally Posted by Austin1971 View Post
Finally.......Southwest will begin offering n/s service to New Orleans on November 3rd.
Why has this taken so many years to happen. It seems like such a no brainer to have non stop service between these two cities.
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  #785  
Old Posted May 7, 2013, 9:12 PM
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^Probably because Austin simply connects to Houston, then onto New Orleans.
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  #786  
Old Posted May 7, 2013, 9:14 PM
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I've been lazy when it comes to reporting passenger statistics this year.

January 2013 Passenger & Air Cargo traffic at Austin-Bergstrom

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Total passenger traffic for January 2013 was 690,023, up 4.5% compared to January 2012.

February 2013 Passenger & Air Cargo traffic at Austin-Bergstrom

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Passenger Activity: Total passenger traffic for February 2013 was 661,556, up 1% compared to February 2012.

Total passenger traffic for January – February YTD was 1,351,579 up 3% compared to January – February 2012.

March 2013 Passenger & Air Cargo traffic at Austin-Bergstrom
Record month of passenger traffic at Austin-Bergstrom


Quote:
Passenger Activity: Total passenger traffic for March 2013 was 876,806, up 6% compared to March 2012, topping the previous single month record of 869,308 set in June 2008.

Total passenger traffic for January – March YTD was 2,228,385 up 4% compared to January – March 2012.
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  #787  
Old Posted May 7, 2013, 10:18 PM
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Wow, the 10+Million passengers per year mark is getting pretty close. If the whole year ended up 6.1% higher than 2012 (not likely with a month like Feb being only 1% up), then we'd reach it this year. Otherwise it will happen in 2014.
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  #788  
Old Posted May 8, 2013, 3:15 AM
austlar1 austlar1 is offline
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Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas View Post
^Probably because Austin simply connects to Houston, then onto New Orleans.
Yeah, I know. I fly it fairly often. Sometimes there are 20 or more people from the Austin/Houston leg making the transfer with me to the Houston/NO flight. Most of the flights are connections rather than through flights. I think at least one or two non stop flights between Austin and NO would have been justifiable for several years now.
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  #789  
Old Posted May 8, 2013, 1:31 PM
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Originally Posted by austlar1 View Post
Yeah, I know. I fly it fairly often. Sometimes there are 20 or more people from the Austin/Houston leg making the transfer with me to the Houston/NO flight. Most of the flights are connections rather than through flights. I think at least one or two non stop flights between Austin and NO would have been justifiable for several years now.
SW flys 737s exclusively that seats at least 120 passengers. They can't fly profitably with 20 or even 30 passengers. SW would have to combine Austin to New Orleans traffic of 5 to 6 flights into one flight to turn a profit. It's your choice, one direct flight a day or six multiple stop flights a day?

SW's mode of operations has been these multiple hops flights since its inception in which they have done very well. Who are you to question their operations?
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  #790  
Old Posted May 8, 2013, 3:22 PM
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Hes saying 20-30 passengers on his one flight... If there are 4-5 flights a day from Austin to Houston and then 4-5 from Houston on to New Orleans, then certainly SW can have a nonstop flight for AUS to NOLA... Beleive me the flights going to Houston will still be full of passengers in addition to the one nonstop flight a day to NOLA... It's not an either or situation. They're not going to cancel flights to Houston there buddy...
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  #791  
Old Posted May 8, 2013, 8:27 PM
austlar1 austlar1 is offline
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Originally Posted by alwaysmiling View Post
Hes saying 20-30 passengers on his one flight... If there are 4-5 flights a day from Austin to Houston and then 4-5 from Houston on to New Orleans, then certainly SW can have a nonstop flight for AUS to NOLA... Beleive me the flights going to Houston will still be full of passengers in addition to the one nonstop flight a day to NOLA... It's not an either or situation. They're not going to cancel flights to Houston there buddy...
Thanks, Alwaysmiling. I think you made my point for me very well. Since there are almost hourly SW flights AUS to Houston during the day and flights between Houston and NO about every two hours during the day, the way most SW passengers travel to NO from Austin is just book a Houston flight and catch the most convenient connection in Houston. The connection in Houston can sometimes be problematic and full of hassles. I have been doing this for years and noticed that there was considerable demand for service between Austin and NO. I never understood why there was no non-stop flight and only one (sometimes two) through flights usually available. Continental also offered no non stops, so who knows. Hopefully the new nonstop service will be a money maker and produce a second non stop later.
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  #792  
Old Posted May 8, 2013, 9:12 PM
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Originally Posted by austlar1 View Post
Since there are almost hourly SW flights AUS to Houston during the day
Have you seen the November schedule? There's only 4 daily Austin - Houston flights left. That's down from a peak of 11 daily nonstops just before 9/11.

I still think the flight will do well, though. It's not just people flying between Austin & New Orleans that will be on those flights. I looked at Southwest's schedules out of New Orleans, and they show several connecting opportunities from New Orleans to Austin to points west, like El Paso, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Oakland, etc. And someone from Austin could also fly to New Orleans and connect there to go somewhere else (like Florida.)
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  #793  
Old Posted May 8, 2013, 10:46 PM
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Originally Posted by LoneStarMike View Post
Have you seen the November schedule? There's only 4 daily Austin - Houston flights left. That's down from a peak of 11 daily nonstops just before 9/11.

I still think the flight will do well, though. It's not just people flying between Austin & New Orleans that will be on those flights. I looked at Southwest's schedules out of New Orleans, and they show several connecting opportunities from New Orleans to Austin to points west, like El Paso, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Oakland, etc. And someone from Austin could also fly to New Orleans and connect there to go somewhere else (like Florida.)
I did not realize that so many of SW's Austin-Houston flights no longer exist. There are five scheduled daily non stops in the May schedule and nine Houston to New Orleans non stops scheduled. Anyway, I am sure SW can keep the NO to Austin non stop seats filled one way or the other.
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  #794  
Old Posted May 10, 2013, 4:53 PM
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Aussie Super 8's Cargo Flights

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Last edited by Austin1971; Jan 24, 2020 at 10:49 PM.
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  #795  
Old Posted May 10, 2013, 11:57 PM
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This article has some interesting info about the freight carriers for the V8 supercars race. They can fit like 16 cars in each 747. The 747s should start arriving Monday and Tuesday of next week, if spotters are interested:

http://www.v8supercars.com.au/news/2...estination-usa

I wonder if these specialized freight carriers are included in the statistics ABIA realeas each month? And are they counted twice, since the freight comes in then goes out? If so, you'd figure all the 747s for MotoGP, Aussie V8s, and Formula 1 would have a significant yearly impact on the belly freight numbers.
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  #796  
Old Posted May 11, 2013, 4:44 AM
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Originally Posted by hookem View Post
I wonder if these specialized freight carriers are included in the statistics ABIA realeas each month?
I'm pretty sure they are reflected in the monthly reports. Go here to see the March activity report for ABIA. Scroll down to page 5 (total cargo poundage) and page 8 (history of international air cargo.) Notice the huge spike in November during the Formula One race.
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  #797  
Old Posted May 13, 2013, 5:16 AM
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Eight 747's will be bringing in the cars and equipment for the race May 17-19.
I saw a 747 flying over downtown yesterday. I'm guessing it was one of the cargo planes carrying the V8 Super Cars for the race.
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  #798  
Old Posted May 13, 2013, 6:27 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alwaysmiling View Post
Hes saying 20-30 passengers on his one flight... If there are 4-5 flights a day from Austin to Houston and then 4-5 from Houston on to New Orleans, then certainly SW can have a nonstop flight for AUS to NOLA... Beleive me the flights going to Houston will still be full of passengers in addition to the one nonstop flight a day to NOLA... It's not an either or situation. They're not going to cancel flights to Houston there buddy...
If 20 passengers per all 5 Houston flights were transferring planes to continue their flight to New Orleans, it would only support one direct flight. What time of day would you schedule it, the am or pm? How many Austin passengers will take that one flight, when there are 5 Houston flights throughout the day they can take and transfer to a fight heading to New Orleans? At best, twice the 20 passengers to New Orleans flying at whatever time that one direct flight leaves would take it. Those taking the other options (at a specific time) will still take them, as those flights better match their schedules - even with a delay in Houston.

Take a look at Dallas to New Orleans flights by SW Airlines. 22 flights on Monday May 13, 8 Nonstops and 14 single stops of which only one doesn't require changing planes. 4 of the flights are already sold out, 3 are single stops and 1 is a nonstop. Time of the flight or departure is more important than nonstop service. I see no reason to expect Austin patrons to differ from Dallas.

Last edited by electricron; May 13, 2013 at 6:37 AM.
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  #799  
Old Posted May 13, 2013, 2:14 PM
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Originally Posted by electricron View Post
Take a look at Dallas to New Orleans flights by SW Airlines. 22 flights on Monday May 13, 8 Nonstops and 14 single stops of which only one doesn't require changing planes.
And yet during Q2 2012, there were only 776 people per day who traveled between Love Field and New Orleans, or about 388 passengers per day each way. Most of Southwest's 737's seat 143 passengers, so if they have 8 nonstops, that's 1,144 seats per day in each direction.

So how are they able to support 8 nonstops per day? Because people from other cities (like El Paso, Amarillo, Albuquerque, Midland Odessa, Lubbock, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, etc) fly to Dallas and and make a connection to fly on to New Orleans. Additionally, some folks from Dallas fly to New Orleans and make a connection there and fly on to other places like Tampa, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, etc. The flights are supported by a combination of origin and destination passengers and connecting passengers.

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Originally Posted by electricron View Post
I see no reason to expect Austin patrons to differ from Dallas.
And I see no reason for the Austin flight to New Orleans to be any different from the Love Field to New Orleans flights. It will be supported by a combination of origin and destination passengers and connecting passengers.
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  #800  
Old Posted May 13, 2013, 2:47 PM
Novacek Novacek is offline
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Originally Posted by LoneStarMike View Post


And I see no reason for the Austin flight to New Orleans to be any different from the Love Field to New Orleans flights. It will be supported by a combination of origin and destination passengers and connecting passengers.
But Love Field is a hub and Austin isn't. There will be fewer connecting passengers.
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