AS does HLN and LIH in October!

[onewithwings]

Alaska Airlines launches daily Seattle-Honolulu, Seattle-Kauai service starting in October
* * * INFORMATION EMBARGOED UNTIL THURSDAY, MAY 31* * *

WHEN: 6-9 a.m. Pacific time, Thursday, May 31 WHERE: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Main Terminal, Alaska Airlines check-in area WHAT: Alaska Airlines celebrates new service to the Aloha state starting in October. Festivities in the Alaska Airlines check-in area will include live Polynesian entertainment and airline senior executives presenting leis to arriving customers and employees. Senior executives will be available for interviews. WHO: Bill Ayer, Alaska Airlines' chairman and chief executive officer Gregg Saretsky, Alaska Airlines' executive vice president of flight and marketing

 

[turbodriver]

Source?

 

[HalinTexas]

Does AS even have ETOPS yet?

Thought they put it on hold.

 

[Poahi]

My understanding is that they were running in to the same operational problems as Aloha with the 737. Apparently, they've overcome them. This is obviously going to put pressure on HA and NW. I've been told once they make the commitment to Hawaii, it's going to be more than this.

 

[HalinTexas]

ATA has been doing it with our -800's for a couple of years now.

What's the problem?

Not the right airplane for the job, though.

 

[Poahi]

I think it had more to do with ETOPS certification than the aircraft itself. If they use the 900, it should be able to compete with the 757-200, but I'm hearing the 800. Aloha had problems with the 700 because it was originally planned as an interisland airplane.

Alaska is very deliberate about where they fly, so they must really see something in Hawaii. There has been a pull back in flying to LIH, so there might be some room, but it looks to me they want to squeeze the incumbents.

 

[Capi_Cafre']

Are they covering new flying with new airplanes or will they just shift more existing flying over to Horizon?

 

[CesnaCaptn]

What does

* * * INFORMATION EMBARGOED UNTIL THURSDAY, MAY 31* * *

mean?

 

[Mookie]

What does



mean?

....there is a bell at Angle Lake that cannot be unrung....

mookie

 

[Frap]

Thought they were gonna do Helena, MT for a minute there...

 

[BORAT]

Where is the airplane coming from? We can't even fly our current schedule...

 

[HalinTexas]

ATA starts OAK-LIH this summer. Hope it's not just seasonal.

 

[flyingid]

I saw a AS aircraft with ETOP on the nose gear the other day.

 

[General Lee]

ATA starts OAK-LIH this summer. Hope it's not just seasonal.

You're also doing 3 daily to HNL from OAK, 1 to Hilo, and 2 to OGG. (all on the 738) Add the extra to LIH and that's a pretty good operation. Is there a crew base there in OAK for you guys?


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[HAL]

What does



mean?

The press release gets sent out to the different media outlets a few days ahead, but isn't supposed to be publically released until the date noted. Obviously, somebody slipped up somewhere and let the info out early.

HAL

 

[becket]

BFD only those arrogant A-holes from Seattle would think this is an earth-shattering development. The whole ETOPS team should have been fired two years ago...stay tuned! Alaska will cross the Mississippi!!!! (BTW, I know they already do)

 

[RJAA]

I think it had more to do with ETOPS certification than the aircraft itself. If they use the 900, it should be able to compete with the 757-200, but I'm hearing the 800. Aloha had problems with the 700 because it was originally planned as an interisland airplane.

Alaska is very deliberate about where they fly, so they must really see something in Hawaii. There has been a pull back in flying to LIH, so there might be some room, but it looks to me they want to squeeze the incumbents.

I think it's the ETOPS add fuel that puts the strain on the aircraft performance, range and how much payload it can carry on the B737s between the west coast-Hawaii. Even on a B767 between HNL-LAX it carries tons of ETOPS add fuel. The B767s won't feel a thing carrying all that extra gas and it's just going to slosh back and forth in the tanks, but can be costly on the B737s.

 

[Dan Roman]

My understanding is that they were running in to the same operational problems as Aloha with the 737. Apparently, they've overcome them. This is obviously going to put pressure on HA and NW. I've been told once they make the commitment to Hawaii, it's going to be more than this.

Obviously going to put pressure on the incumbents? They will fill most of their seats with their own feed. HAL used to be the only carrier flying from PHX to HNL. When USAir started multiple flights to Hawaii from PHX and LAS it had little if any effect on HAL. USAir generated their own feed, they didn't get passengers from HAL. A 737 doesn't compete with a 767 in the transpac market very well.

 

[n25na]

Alaska will cross the Mississippi!!!! (BTW, I know they already do)

so that now requires ETOPS?

 

[HalinTexas]

You're also doing 3 daily to HNL from OAK, 1 to Hilo, and 2 to OGG. (all on the 738) Add the extra to LIH and that's a pretty good operation. Is there a crew base there in OAK for you guys?


Bye Bye--General Lee

We're also adding KOA and LIH next month. ATA will serve more Hawaiian cities from the mainland than anyone else. We have a crewbase in OAK, all B737. B757 base in PHX. OAK will get larger come July 1 as the LAX base closes then.

OAK-ITO, KOA, OGG, HNL, LIH. LAX-OGG, HNL. ONT-HNL, LAS-OGG, HNL. PHX-OGG, HNL.

We regularly take off out of LAX on the -800 within 200 lbs of MGTOW (174.2k). We leave OGG regularly with flaps 25/ max blast. I'm wondering how AS config. their -800's and what the mileage is from SEA and ANC to HI.

I'll repeat. As long as the 737 does NOT have a RAT, it's not a very good ETOPS airplane. You have to run the APU the whole time (for electrics).

 

[igneousy2]

It's official now...

http://www.alaskaair.com/as/www2/Promo/New-Hawaii-Service.asp

 

[Ih8AFYesmen]

We're also adding KOA and LIH next month. ATA will serve more Hawaiian cities from the mainland than anyone else. We have a crewbase in OAK, all B737. B757 base in PHX. OAK will get larger come July 1 as the LAX base closes then.

OAK-ITO, KOA, OGG, HNL, LIH. LAX-OGG, HNL. ONT-HNL, LAS-OGG, HNL. PHX-OGG, HNL.

We regularly take off out of LAX on the -800 within 200 lbs of MGTOW (174.2k). We leave OGG regularly with flaps 25/ max blast. I'm wondering how AS config. their -800's and what the mileage is from SEA and ANC to HI.

I'll repeat. As long as the 737 does NOT have a RAT, it's not a very good ETOPS airplane. You have to run the APU the whole time (for electrics).

Just curious..... are ATA 737s (ETOPS) configured with a RAT?

 

[Freight Dog]

I don't think any 737 comes with a RAT. We're running the APU til an hour out from destination.

 

[Freight Dog]

I think it's the ETOPS add fuel that puts the strain on the aircraft performance, range and how much payload it can carry on the B737s between the west coast-Hawaii. Even on a B767 between HNL-LAX it carries tons of ETOPS add fuel. The B767s won't feel a thing carrying all that extra gas and it's just going to slosh back and forth in the tanks, but can be costly on the B737s.

There is a significant difference between -700 and -800 with respect to endurance and performance. We fly -700's from SNA to Hawaii - 5700 ft runway and rarely get weight-restricted with full load of pax. FLAPS 10, 26K and off we go - 154.5 MTOW, and land in Hawaii with roughly 2 hours of fuel left.

On the other hand we couldn't do that in the -800. It is my understanding we'd have to block off something like 25-30 seats in order to be able to operate SNA to Hawaii.

 

[Poahi]

Obviously going to put pressure on the incumbents? They will fill most of their seats with their own feed. HAL used to be the only carrier flying from PHX to HNL. When USAir started multiple flights to Hawaii from PHX and LAS it had little if any effect on HAL. USAir generated their own feed, they didn't get passengers from HAL. A 737 doesn't compete with a 767 in the transpac market very well.

From Dunkerley himself and he doesn't exclude 737 competition:

"...Intense competition both across the Pacific and between the Islands of our State and some weakness in demand for travel to Hawaii all put downward pressure on our unit revenues. ...," commented Mark B. Dunkerley, the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer. "

http://investor.hawaiianairlines.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=82818&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=994677&highlight=

 

[onewithwings]

Alaska says aloha to Hawaii
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]May 31, 2007[/FONT]

Starting this fall, Alaska Airlines will offer service to the Hawaiian Islands of Oahu and Kauai from Seattle and Anchorage.

“Now that we have the right business conditions and aircraft, it’s time to launch the service we’ve had on our radar for a long time,” says Alaska Air Group CEO Bill Ayer.

Year-round service between Seattle and Honolulu will begin Oct. 12 with one daily flight, pending FAA approval. The airline will add a year-round daily flight Oct. 28 between Seattle and Lihue on the island of Kauai.

Seasonal Anchorage-Honolulu service will begin daily on Dec. 9.

All flights will be operated with 737-800s, seating 16 passengers in first class and 141 in the main cabin.

As the single largest market for Hawaii-bound travelers out of Seattle and Anchorage, Honolulu was an obvious choice for Alaska. Lihue was chosen because it is underserved from the Pacific Northwest. Currently, travelers to Kauai on other airlines must change planes in Hawaii or California.

Out of Seattle, Alaska will compete against Hawaiian and Northwest Airlines. Hawaiian also serves the Anchorage-Honolulu market with charter flights. Alaska ended its Mileage Plan and codeshare agreements with Hawaiian on April 30.

With only one roundtrip per day in each market, it is uneconomical for Alaska Airlines to station its own employees in Hawaii. Instead, an outside vendor will provide ground support. Work is under way to select a vendor and determine the location of Alaska’s gates and ticket counters in Honolulu and Lihue.

“We don’t intend to just dip our toes in the Hawaii market,” says Steve Jarvis, Alaska vice president of sales and customer experience. “Our goal is to develop it like we did Mexico, adding frequency and new destinations over time.”

 

[Poahi]

In terms of code sharing, the flights to Hawaii would most directly affect AA as Alaska sells seats on AA's 757, 767 aircraft to the state. I'm guessing they will add OGG next. Anyone know the seat costs on the 800 v. the 757-200?

 

[QCappy]

Are they covering new flying with new airplanes or will they just shift more existing flying over to Horizon?

From Alaskasworld.com:

Three daily flights between the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and Hawaii will produce a considerable number of available seat miles (ASMs), “but our growth for the year will remain in the 4 to 5 percent range,” Garvett said.

That’s because service in less-profitable markets, such as San Diego-San Francisco, will be scaled back.

 

[HalinTexas]

In terms of code sharing, the flights to Hawaii would most directly affect AA as Alaska sells seats on AA's 757, 767 aircraft to the state. I'm guessing they will add OGG next. Anyone know the seat costs on the 800 v. the 757-200?

Two things. Loads are great right now. Won't affect AMR.

Two, the 75 is a much better airplane for one reason: freight. The 757 can haul it and the 73 can't.

 

[igneousy2]

This is the way the VP of Flight Ops explained it at a presentation that I was at...

If a mileage plan member redeems miles to a destination, Alaska must pay out money to the airline that provides the redemption (i.e. American) If we have our own flights to Hawaii to draw most of our mileage plan members to, then we don't incurr that extra cost when they redeem their miles to Hawaii. He stated that even if we didn't sell very many seats, it would still be worth it to fly to Hawaii to keep the members from redeeming miles outside the AS system.

AS recently announced the cancellation of its code share agreements with Hawaiian Airlines a month or so ago. Hawaiian and Northwest are the only direct competitor on these routes to Hawaii. Elimination of this agreement assures that all of the Seattle/Alaska mileage members would most likely take Alaska's direct flight for 35,000 miles instead of flying all the way to LAX to get on an AA flight at a cost of 40,000 miles. They could also go direct on Northwest for 40,000.


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