Comments on: Southwest Wants to Fly to LaGuardia, Virgin America Not As Interested in O’Hare

By: jetsgo

jetsgo — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 07:31:46 +0000

Virgin is strating non stop service from LAX and SFO to BOS satrting Feb. 12

By: Gabe Andino

Gabe Andino — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:37:31 +0000

The Virgin America situation sounds like the same thing JetBlue went through a couple of years back. They had their hearts set on entering the Chicago market through ORD but could not find an airline that would lease them a gate for the 8 daily flights they wanted to operate. Terminal 5 was considered but was deemed less than optimal due to the higher costs associated with using that facility (the same reason Spirit ended up moving to T3 after a year of operating at T5). Once the America West/US Airways merger went through, HP moved out of the lone domestic common use gate in T2 and JetBlue was finally able to move in.

None of the other airlines currently at ORD (the hub carriers in particular) are going to willingly lease their gate space to a high profile competitor like Virign. As for US, they might be willing to lease to Virgin for the right price, but their gates have a good size utilization rate which would most likely limit Virgin’s scheduling options. So right now its try to negotiate a gate arrangement within a limited amount of available gate space, move in to T5 or consider serving MDW instead.

By: CF

CF — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:02:54 +0000

Anon – I agree that the Marine Air Terminal is a huge advantage in New York, but I’d think you’d be surprised to see that few people consider Southwest to be the bottom of the barrel anymore. Southwest has more legroom, leather seats, free drinks and snacks, no fees for checked bags, etc.

But my guess is that the DL flights are marginally successful at best. Yes, New Yorkers would probably fly Delta long before Southwest because Delta can get them a lot more places, but Southwest will put tremendous price pressure on the route and that may be enough to push them out.

By: Anon Coward

Anon Coward — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 01:36:59 +0000

I’ve taken Delta’s MDW-LGA service myself and found it to be _spectacular_ on both ends. Curious about your rationale for why that service would end with a SW entry into that market? I would gladly pay more for an assigned comfy pleather seat on a Delta regional jet, where I can accrue OnePass miles, vs. cattle class on a SW 737.

How much more I don’t know. But to me, that Delta service on the exclusive regional jet with the exclusive seats, into the exclusive and gorgeous Marine Air Terminal, with the exclusive free newspapers, must be the top of the end in terms of coach flying experience. SW is the bottom. My opinion only.

Side note from Chicago, regardomg “IF” the Tribune is inaccurate…. it’s “when”, not if…

By: Southwest Airlines May fly to NYC « Justin Nachod’s Blog

Southwest Airlines May fly to NYC « Justin Nachod’s Blog — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:26:35 +0000

[...] LGA, New York, southwest A posting today on the Cranky Flier blog discusses Southwest Airlines considering expanding to New York City’s LaGuardia Airport. I’m not sure whether this would be a good or a bad decision for the airline; only time [...]

By: CF

CF — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:22:41 +0000

Chris – I don’t think it would be worth the pain that would be involved with the merger. But I’ve long ago learned never to say never in this industry.

By: thisworldtraveler

thisworldtraveler — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:54:31 +0000

AirTran leases its slots in LaGuardia currently from ATA so I don’t think that purchasing AirTran would get Southwest into LGA any faster.

By: A

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:41:49 +0000

seems as if Chicago doesn’t quite fit the image they’re trying to sell

Chicago is more of a frat party, beer swilling type of town than California types like. I too get the impression Virgin is more image than anything else, but would say ORD is more like a good ol’ boys club…similar to Chicago politics.

Now if Virgin wants to set down in Detroit or Cleveland, then I’d let them shake that image thing.

By: chris

chris — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:27:30 +0000

Hey Crankster– What do you think about the possibility and rumors about SW + AirTran as a way they could break into LGA?

By: eponymous coward

eponymous coward — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:09:54 +0000

FLL IS the nicer airport than MIA- though yeah, MIA is my first bet, because they could link up with VS there(one thing is nobody is doing LAX-FLL these days, so they would have that route to themselves).

My guess is (as I implied) that the amount of money they found out they’d be paying for gates doesn’t make ORD a good enough target unless/until their network is further along- and that it was more than they figured originally.

I kind of wonder about why they couldn’t use the common use gates at T5 (at least to get off the ground at ORD) myself- yeah, it’s the International Terminal and a pain if you need to fly another domestic carrier, but who’s going to be flying VX and connecting to another airline at ORD (people avoid connecting at ORD on basic pinciple anyway, let alone switch carriers)? Besides, that’s what they are doing at their SFO hub, anyway- flying out of common use gates in the International Terminal…

-shrug-