3 Links I Love: E Kipa Mai, Palm Springs Boomtown, Global Crossing

This Week’s Featured Link

Know this before you go to Hawaii Oct. 15 – Alaska Airlines Blog
The day is getting closer… on October 15 you can once again travel to Hawai’i. There are, however, restrictions. I found this blog entry worth a read to understand exactly what’s required. Now I just need to figure out when I can go.

*Image of the Week*: Have I mentioned how excited I am that Hawai’i is reopening? I took this photo on final approach into Honolulu July 2019. I want to go back.

Two for the road

Palm Springs is booming with new flights during the pandemic. But is it sustainable? – TPG
Every week, it seems, more airlines add service to Palm Springs. Is it really a ray of sunlight in a state with depressed demand? Or is this all just very wishful thinking?

Global Crossing Airlines Signs LOI to Convert Five (5) Airbus A321s to Freighter – Global Crossing
If anyone figures out exactly what this airline is actually going to do some day, let me know.

Brett

8 responses to “3 Links I Love: E Kipa Mai, Palm Springs Boomtown, Global Crossing”

Tim Dunn

Sep 25, 2020

Passenger covid testing is the best way to get airlines moving people on discretionary travel until a vaccine is widely circulated.

I hope Hawaii succeeds; Alaska had a similar requirement this summer and it help salvage some of the season.

and I hope you get out to Hawaii, CF>

Reply
Matt D

Sep 25, 2020

Wait! Did Southwest say that Palm Springs is the largest city in California that WN does not serve?

Ummm…Fresno?

A quick Google search says the estimated population of the Coachella Valley is ?388k people. That includes not just PSP itself, but adjacent areas like Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, etc.

https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=cAFuX82UIMqQtQXLuKTgBQ&q=population+of+coachella+valley&oq=population+of+coache&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAxgAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgYIABAWEB46CwguEMcBEKMCEJMCOgsILhCxAxDHARCjAjoFCAAQsQM6CAgAELEDEIMBOggILhDHARCjAjoOCC4QsQMQxwEQowIQkwI6BQguELEDUL0EWLobYIImaABwAHgAgAFeiAHLDJIBAjIwmAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpeg&sclient=psy-ab

And then Fresno County. Just under a mil, or almost triple. Probably quadruple if you expand the catchment area to as far as Merced in the north and Tulare to the south.

How did he arrive at the figure?

What am I missing?

https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=cAFuX82UIMqQtQXLuKTgBQ&q=population+of+coachella+valley&oq=population+of+coache&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAxgAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgYIABAWEB46CwguEMcBEKMCEJMCOgsILhCxAxDHARCjAjoFCAAQsQM6CAgAELEDEIMBOggILhDHARCjAjoOCC4QsQMQxwEQowIQkwI6BQguELEDUL0EWLobYIImaABwAHgAgAFeiAHLDJIBAjIwmAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpeg&sclient=psy-ab

Reply
1. CF
  
  Sep 25, 2020
  
  Matt D – I’m going to say it’s the largest city from an air travel demand perspective. Here are total passenger arrivals by California city for 2019.
  
  LAX 23,116,956
  SFO 15,127,367
  SAN 10,888,003
  SJC 6,475,759
  SMF 5,710,270
  OAK 5,464,777
  SNA 4,826,999
  BUR 2,865,473
  ONT 2,498,050
  LGB 1,714,022
  PSP 1,007,046
  FAT 750,732
  
  Reply
  1. Matt D
    
    Sep 25, 2020
    
    Perhaps. But if that’s the case, the statement is misleading at best and outright fiction at worst. Fresno would definitely be much larger than it is if you were to take the drive-off pax into account. Because of Fresno’s often extortionate fares, a lot of locals drive to either LAX or SFO. Which makes their O/D numbers look a bit larger than they really are and Fresno’s smaller than it really is. But if there’s anyway to determine and calculate that, I don’t know.
    
    Reply
southbay flier

Sep 25, 2020

I don’t understand why Delta is flying LAX – Palm Springs. It’s not too far to drive. I assume it’s all connecting traffic. It makes about as much sense as United flying SFO – Charles Shulz Airport.

Reply
1. SEAN
  
  Sep 25, 2020
  
  I don’t understand why Delta is flying LAX – Palm Springs. It’s not too far to drive. I assume it’s all connecting traffic. It makes about as much sense as United flying SFO – Charles Shulz Airport.
  
  Yeah, but in the United case you can fly for peanuts.
  
  Reply
2. Chris
  
  Sep 25, 2020
  
  I would also imagine that the PAX for both command pretty high airfares to justify the route.
  
  Reply
PF

Sep 25, 2020

In the 80s there was frequent service PSP LAX on Skywest EMB120s. It was convenient for Los Angeles residents, and those wanting to make connections.
There was also an AirCal 737 PSP SAN- a very short flight.

Reply