Alaska ETOPS...problems?

[QCappy]

I think that the kicker will be the winds. AQ had serious problems out of ANC due to winds, and had to send a bunch of bags through SEA quite frequently.

That was in a -700. I'm not sure if the -800s will make a difference.

 

[mdanno808]

I have heard that the 700 actually has better range than the 800. Any truth to that?

 

[Getter]

-700 has the best range of all the 737's except for the BBJ.

 

[Green Banana]

Range is not the issue here. The 800 can carry 20K lbs more than the 700. Extra fuel for the etops requirement.

Also AQ never flew the ANC route. Only YVR.

 

[Old School 737]

I don't think it a range issue but rather a balancing of numbers game. How many people / bags/ cargo / fuel required /can I take and still lift the weight off the runway and still be within ZFW and Max TO weight and Landing weight. If you look at the miliage I think it is more miles from SEA to MIA. And ORD to ANC. I think the -900er would be a great choice for Alaska. I don't have performance numbers but with 28.3K moters and 188,000 takoff weight I bet you could fill up the seats and lift all the people/ bags/cargo / fuel you need.

 

[Green Banana]

The thing I have to laugh at is the APU is on all the way across the pacific. Now I can say I fly a 3 engine jet!!

 

[HAL]

Also AQ never flew the ANC route. Only YVR.

Aloha did fly from ANC to HNL in the winter/spring of 2002/2003 for Hawaiian Vacations, the same charter company that Hawaiian Airlines flies for now. HV needed extra lift and used Aloha. They ran into big problems however with load/range issues, and soon dropped the contract. We (HA) picked up the slack when AQ left.

HAL

 

[Green Banana]

Ahh, contract. Noted.
Thanks

 

[Wally]

...I did hear from some people that we may have to block off a few seats to carry more fuel but this is a rumor.

From the company website:
There will be payload restrictions in the LIH to SEA market (due to the short runway). They will vary by month, but generally will be 10-15 passengers less than a full plane. This was taken into consideration when developing this market and even with the payload restrictions, it should be a viable market for us.

Wally

 

[igneousy2]

AS's EVP of ops stated that the 900er doesn't work for AS because you gain range at the expense of cargo capacity as the extra fuel is carried in space that would have been cargo.

later