AUSTIN | ABIA Updates

[Austin1971]

[QUOTE=ILUVSAT;8210667]April up 17.8% Y-O-Y!!! First April since before 2014 to achieve more passengers than March of the same year.

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[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by Austin1971

Wouldn't be surprised if Delta has already overtaken United for the 3rd spot....Delta is up 24% YOY.

Thus far, in 2018, United has served roughly 75,000 more passengers than Delta.

[khowaga]

Originally Posted by aschwab

I do like that we are getting more directs to random countries, but this is not the flight I would ever take for that reason.

Allegiant/Frontier, sure. I can likely get somewhere else easily enough with some connections. This so called Vacation Express? I think you would be effed.

It’s a package deal, with hotel and flight. I wonder if you can actually book the flight on its own? It seems almost weird the port is promoting the flight on its own.

[mumu]

Originally Posted by StoOgE

Yeah, taking a direct with Frontier to Buffalo or Indy is one thing because you can one hop back on 3-4 different airlines to Austin within 24 hours.

Yes, but sometimes at an astronomical price.

A friend of mine got abandoned in Las Vegas on Frontier during a Denver snowstorm that screwed up their whole system. They flatly told him he wouldn't be offered another flight, period, just a refund of his low airfare ticket. He had to pay like $800 one way to get back to Austin on American Airlines.

Airlines like Frontier, especially on low frequency cities/routes have basically zero slack in their system even for routine disruptions (thunderstorms, aircraft problem, etc), unlike the 3 majors + Southwest, who, while delayed and perhaps needing to go through a couple of hubs, can almost always get you to your destination within 12 hours worst case.

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by mumu

Yes, but sometimes at an astronomical price.

A friend of mine got abandoned in Las Vegas on Frontier during a Denver snowstorm that screwed up their whole system. They flatly told him he wouldn't be offered another flight, period, just a refund of his low airfare ticket. He had to pay like $800 one way to get back to Austin on American Airlines.

Airlines like Frontier, especially on low frequency cities/routes have basically zero slack in their system even for routine disruptions (thunderstorms, aircraft problem, etc), unlike the 3 majors + Southwest, who, while delayed and perhaps needing to go through a couple of hubs, can almost always get you to your destination within 12 hours worst case.

Which is why I fly Southwest most of the time. Its just their boarding system
can be hit or miss if you don't get the 'A' line or even the 'B' line. You can easily get separated from your group on the plane.

[StoOgE]

Originally Posted by mumu

Yes, but sometimes at an astronomical price.

A friend of mine got abandoned in Las Vegas on Frontier during a Denver snowstorm that screwed up their whole system. They flatly told him he wouldn't be offered another flight, period, just a refund of his low airfare ticket. He had to pay like $800 one way to get back to Austin on American Airlines.

Airlines like Frontier, especially on low frequency cities/routes have basically zero slack in their system even for routine disruptions (thunderstorms, aircraft problem, etc), unlike the 3 majors + Southwest, who, while delayed and perhaps needing to go through a couple of hubs, can almost always get you to your destination within 12 hours worst case.

Oh, I'm Delta died in the wool.

I have to go to Indy, Columbus, Reno and Buffalo for work annually. Frontier has directs to all of the above and I still 1-hop on Delta for a number of reasons, partly is free bumps to first (but honestly first class on a MD or ERJ isn't anything to really right home about) but it's mostly flexibility to extend/cut short a trip.

Now, can we get that focus city :p

[khowaga]

Just noticed a very, very, very small notice on the airport’s website that Sun Country is relocating from the South terminal to the Barbara Jordan terminal; they’re adding a flight to CUN, so they’ll need access to customs.

[aschwab]

Originally Posted by khowaga

Just noticed a very, very, very small notice on the airport’s website that Sun Country is relocating from the South terminal to the Barbara Jordan terminal; they’re adding a flight to CUN, so they’ll need access to customs.

So we need more flights from uber budget airlines in T1? Frontier needs to move over.

So, another Cancun flight. Is there anything that is good in that area to get away from the beaches and the hordes of American tourists?

[StoOgE]

Originally Posted by aschwab

So we need more flights from uber budget airlines in T1? Frontier needs to move over.

So, another Cancun flight. Is there anything that is good in that area to get away from the beaches and the hordes of American tourists?

The beaches 90 minutes away are lovely. You just gotta GTFO of Cancun itself.

[khowaga]

Originally Posted by aschwab

So we need more flights from uber budget airlines in T1? Frontier needs to move over.

So, another Cancun flight. Is there anything that is good in that area to get away from the beaches and the hordes of American tourists?

I don’t know if we *need* them, but the South Terminal is only open five days a week right now, so it’s far from being utilized fully.

And, yeah, as Stooge said, Yucatán is phenomenal: Mayan ruins, great beaches (away from Cancún), Yucatecan food is quite different from the other types of Mexican cuisine. CUN itself is close to the major north/south road and the big east/west toll road that runs over to Mérida, the state capital. It’s just that most people don’t bother...

[masonh2479]

I just did some dummy bookings on ViaAir and found that they are adding 6x weekly service to Amarillo beginning September 19th, 3x weekly service to Baton Rouge beginning September 13th, and 2x weekly service to Orlando/Sanford beginning September 13th. Hopefully these year round routes pan out and start on time.

[aschwab]

Originally Posted by khowaga

I don’t know if we *need* them, but the South Terminal is only open five days a week right now, so it’s far from being utilized fully.

And, yeah, as Stooge said, Yucatán is phenomenal: Mayan ruins, great beaches (away from Cancún), Yucatecan food is quite different from the other types of Mexican cuisine. CUN itself is close to the major north/south road and the big east/west toll road that runs over to Mérida, the state capital. It’s just that most people don’t bother...

I am all about exploring more of Mexico, which is why I have used the Volaris flight a couple of times as a starting point.

I would really like Interjet to start flights here to allow more options (maybe a MEX-AUS route on them to force lower prices on AeroMexico).

I just never have gone to Mexican beaches since I am not a beach person and no desire to go to the tourist resorts.

Maybe I should book one of these and make my way to Merida.

[khowaga]

Originally Posted by aschwab

I am all about exploring more of Mexico, which is why I have used the Volaris flight a couple of times as a starting point.

I would really like Interjet to start flights here to allow more options (maybe a MEX-AUS route on them to force lower prices on AeroMexico).

I just never have gone to Mexican beaches since I am not a beach person and no desire to go to the tourist resorts.

Maybe I should book one of these and make my way to Merida.

I’d like to see more service to inland Mexico too, although the AM flight is reducing to 6x weekly for most of the winter months. I dunno what that means about yields, but it doesn’t seem to fare well for a second carrier on AUS-MEX.

Although in all honesty, MTY is a *much* easier connecting point than MEX. I would love for Interjet or AM to introduce AUS-MTY, even a couple times a week. It makes getting to my in-laws’ in Guanajuato so much easier...

[We vs us]

Quality little blurb comparing TX airports relative sizes, growth rates. Worthwhile click through for the infographics.

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/n...re-larger.html

Air travel at a glance: DFW's airports are larger than those in Houston, Austin and San Antonio combined

The two major commercial airports in North Texas — Dallas/Fort Worth International and Dallas Love Field — are larger than airports in Houston, Austin and San Antonio combined.

The seat capacity for scheduled flights out of DFW and Love from May 2017 to April 2018 reached a combined 49.9 million, according to OAG, an airline analytics firm.

The capacity at the four major airports in Texas' three other largest cities — George Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby in Houston, Austin-Bergstrom International and San Antonio International — was 48.5 million in the same time frame.

In its latest report detailing the fastest-growing North American airports, OAG noted that a Texas airport is growing at one of the highest rates in the country.

Compared to other mid-sized U.S. airports (between 3 million and 20 million departing seats), ABIA ranked No. 2 for highest growth rate at 16 percent. The fastest-growing airport was Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International.

Not surprisingly, a pair of regional airports have seen the highest growth. While DFW and George Bush are the state's largest airports, their capacity is limited given how large they are.

Love Field saw a giant leap earlier this decade when certain restrictions of the Wright Amendment were lifted. Previously, airlines operating out of Love Field, mainly Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV), were only allowed to fly in-state or to states that share a border with Texas.

Those restrictions were lifted and Dallas Love Field saw capacity rise from 6 million in 2013-14 to more than 10 million this year.

Austin's growth has also been steady, as it never experienced a growth rate lower than 3.5 percent the past four years. Below is a graph showing the average growth rate each airport has experienced these last four years.

[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by We vs us

Quality little blurb comparing TX airports relative sizes, growth rates. Worthwhile click through for the infographics.

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/n...re-larger.html

Air travel at a glance: DFW's airports are larger than those in Houston, Austin and San Antonio combined

I love how this "journalist" used the word: larger. WRONG! The whole point of the article pertains to outbound/departing seating capacity - and nothing to do with actual size.

Laughable!

Furthermore, it would have been interesting to see how well each airport performs against one another based on load factors not just raw available departing seats.

[masonh2479]

Here's a construction update from the port. Gate re-numbering will begin in July. The airline drop of signs will now become digital.
http://www.austintexas.gov/blogs/con...ruction-update

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by masonh2479

Here's a construction update from the port. Gate re-numbering will begin in July. The airline drop of signs will not become digital.
http://www.austintexas.gov/blogs/con...ruction-update

You mean that they are digital I take it. Even the signs on Presidential Blvd. Are going to be digital.

[masonh2479]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

You mean that they are digital I take it. Even the signs on Presidential Blvd. Are going to be digital.

Ah whoops, I meant now instead of not! I don't know about those signs if you are asking me

Backing up my statement yesterday about the new routes, the port just broke the news about Baton Rouge. I wonder what the load factors are on ViaAir's current routes...
http://www.austintexas.gov/news/viaa...south-terminal

For Amarillo and Baton Rouge I really expected Southwest to be the first carrier to serve them. I don’t see why Southwest isn’t serving them now but we see flights to Lubbock and Harlingen.

[aschwab]

Originally Posted by masonh2479

Ah whoops, I meant now instead of not! I don't know about those signs if you are asking me

Backing up my statement yesterday about the new routes, the port just broke the news about Baton Rouge. I wonder what the load factors are on ViaAir's current routes...
http://www.austintexas.gov/news/viaa...south-terminal

For Amarillo and Baton Rouge I really expected Southwest to be the first carrier to serve them. I don’t see why Southwest isn’t serving them now but we see flights to Lubbock and Harlingen.

Lubbock gets good business partly due to Tech, and Lubbock being almost twice as big as Amarillo.

SW probably doesn't see much potential in adding on an airport 100 miles away that would not cover that many more people.

[Sigaven]

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

I love how this "journalist" used the word: larger. WRONG! The whole point of the article pertains to outbound/departing seating capacity - and nothing to do with actual size.

Laughable!

Furthermore, it would have been interesting to see how well each airport performs against one another based on load factors not just raw available departing seats.

What's your issue with airport size being measured by departing capacity?

Cities are measured by population, not land area.