Primaris Airlines

[Mosquito]

I am new here, and I know I am out of place here, but reading all these bad news about the majors airlines losing money, I just wanted to post some good news.

NEW YORK -- Primaris Airlines, an upstart carrier that aims to offer all- business-class service between New York and other major U.S. cities as early as May, is expected to announce today that it has raised enough money to order 40 new airplanes from Boeing Co. (BA) and that it will become the first U.S. airline to operate Boeing's new 7E7 Dreamliner, Thursday's Wall Street Journal reported.

The Las Vegas carrier will place firm orders for 20 new Boeing 737-800 jetliners and 20 7E7s. It also has secured options for 25 more 737s and 15 more 7E7s. The total value of the firm orders is about $3.8 billion at list prices. Deliveries would begin in 2007, and would replace leased jetliners that the airline plans to use in the interim.
Primaris now operates a single leased Boeing 757 that most recently was used to ferry the White House press corps. The airline says it believes it has lined up financial backing that will enable it to start a premium service that would do for business travel what Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways have done for economy travel, at a time when the full-service carriers have been cutting back on the perks.

Boeing spokesman Tom Downey confirmed that Primaris has secured order positions for both models of airplanes. He said the Chicago-based jet maker was neither surprised nor troubled that a relatively unknown carrier would become the first U.S. airline to order the ultraefficient 7E7.

Wall Street Journal Staff Reporter J. Lynn Lunsford contributed to this report.

Here is the link, http://money.iwon.com/jsp/nw/nwdt_rt.jsp?cat=USMARKET&src=704&feed=dji&section=news&news_id=dji-00002120041021&date=20041021&alias=/alias/money/cm/nw

 

[potrack]

An airline with only one airplane talking smack about all these new planes they are gonna buy????

Are they getting a lot of revenue right now from all the flights they are flying with that one plane?

Lets get some info on Primaris.

Capt / F/O pay?
schedules?
domiciles?
contract or union?
retirement?

 

[General Lee]

Sounds like a major GAMBLE to me.......(Get it? I think they are based in LAS......I am sooo funny this dam early in the frickin morning! HAHAHHAHA!)




Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[zonker]

All-Business Airline Orders 40 Jets
Primaris, Ahead of Launch,
Secures Funds for Boeings,
Including 7E7 Dreamliners

By J. LYNN LUNSFORD
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
October 21, 2004; Page D3

Primaris Airlines, an upstart carrier that aims to offer all-business-class service between New York and other major U.S. cities as early as May, announced today that it has raised enough money to order 40 new airplanes from Boeing Co. and that it will become the first U.S. airline to operate Boeing's new 7E7 Dreamliner.

The Las Vegas carrier will place firm orders for 20 new Boeing 737-800 jetliners and 20 7E7s. It also has secured options for 25 more 737s and 15 more 7E7s. The total value of the firm orders is about $3.8 billion at list prices. Deliveries would begin in 2007, and would replace leased jetliners that the airline plans to use in the interim.

Primaris now operates a single leased Boeing 757 that most recently was used to ferry the White House press corps. The airline says it believes it has lined up financial backing that will enable it to start a premium service that would do for business travel what Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways have done for economy travel, at a time when the full-service carriers have been cutting back on the perks. "We feel very confident that there is a market out there for what we are offering," said Mark Morris, chief executive of Primaris.

Boeing spokesman Tom Downey confirmed that Primaris has secured order positions for both models of airplanes. He said the Chicago-based jet maker was neither surprised nor troubled that a relatively unknown carrier would become the first U.S. airline to order the ultraefficient 7E7. "We have said from the beginning that the 7E7 would be a catalyst for new business models that might help reinvent the industry," he said.

Several start-up companies, including Legend Airlines and MGM Grand Airlines, have attempted to create all-premium-class airlines in recent years, but they failed because the ventures were undercapitalized and couldn't compete with the major carriers' frequent-flier programs and their pricing power with major corporations. For Primaris, a particular challenge will be that many of the domestic routes it intends to serve are already extremely price-competitive.

There are certain niches where similar business models appear to be working. PrivatAir, a Geneva-based company, has been successful since 2002 in operating Boeing 737 business jets and Airbus A319 corporate jets for Germany's Lufthansa between Düsseldorf and Newark, N.J., as well as between Düsseldorf and Chicago, and Munich and Newark.

Primaris officials say they believe the airline can compete with existing full-service carriers by offering better service at a lower price. All of the company's planes will feature in-flight broadband Internet access, ample legroom and wide leather seats arranged two abreast on either side of the aisle. Mr. Morris said the airline believes it can offer the service for about $80 to $100 more a ticket than a comparable seat on a low-cost carrier. It says it believes it can offer fares between New York and London or Frankfurt starting at $400 to $600 one way.

The airline initially plans to begin nonstop service from one of the New York-area airports to Los Angeles and San Francisco. Over a period of a couple of years, it hopes to phase in service between several major U.S. cities, including Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas and Denver. Mr. Morris said the carrier hopes to use the 7E7s domestically, as well as to serve potential overseas routes to the busiest cities in Europe, Canada and Asia.

Write to J. Lynn Lunsford at [email protected]2

 

[Mosquito]

Seem they got a lot of money by flying the press around, or the ceo hit the jackpot in the casino. Anything can happen now, the Red Sox are in the world Series!

 

[flynlow]

Sounds just like JetBlue's hubble beginings

 

[On Your Six]

Sounds like an interesting idea. However, they must know something the rest of the industry does not know - everyone else is going the LCC route. I'd love to see those 7E7s in action. What was the timeline for the first flight of the 7E7?

 

[Mosquito]

Sounds like an interesting idea. However, they must know something the rest of the industry does not know - everyone else is going the LCC route. I'd love to see those 7E7s in action. What was the timeline for the first flight of the 7E7?

The first 20 737s are for delivery between 2007 and 2010 and the 7E7s between 2010 and 2013.

Check out boeng site for the pics of these planes.

http://www.boeing.com/flash.html

 

[On Your Six]

Hey, I'd like to fly one of those 7E7s. So, I guess I'll apply in late 2007 and hope to fly as an FO on the 7E7 by 2011...

 

[barbarian4]

Hmmm...Legend springs to mind

 

[On Your Six]

Hmmm...Legend springs to mind

Legend, MGM Grand (DC-8 and 727-100 operator), and McClain (not sure about spelling). Would I spend $30 more per sector to fly on a 7E7? You bet! But not more than $30.... Good luck.

Anyone know about the current operation? I know it operates one 757. How many pilots do they currently have and how many will they need in the near future? Will they continue to add 757s until the 737-800s start to arrive? Is LAS the only pilot base?

 

[EMB_driver2002]

I thought Primaris was a bunch of Ex National guys

 

[TOGA]

It appears to be.


www.primarisairlines.com

 

[Mosquito]

Legend, MGM Grand (DC-8 and 727-100 operator), and McClain (not sure about spelling). Would I spend $30 more per sector to fly on a 7E7? You bet! But not more than $30.... Good luck.

Anyone know about the current operation? I know it operates one 757. How many pilots do they currently have and how many will they need in the near future? Will they continue to add 757s until the 737-800s start to arrive? Is LAS the only pilot base?

Don't know if this answer your question,

"According to the news release, Boeing, based in Chicago, and Primaris expect to complete contract negotiations by the end of the year. Primaris is planning to begin service focusing on business travel on domestic routes, like Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Chicago, next year and on international routes in 2006".

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6297816/
http://www.primarisairlines.com/

Looks like it may go ahead to head with JetBlue, AA,UAL.

 

[NuGuy]

.....

 

[DDpaysoff]

Isn't that the airline in the movie "The air up There". If Gweneth Paltrow is an FA, I will work for (Fill in your favorite bottom feeder airlines name here) wages.

 

[Dizel8]

I must be missing something. The press, and Boeing, calls them a LCC, but they are going to have a lot less seats to spread the cost on, so how can they be low cost?

Now, I can see them trying to emulate Midwest Express all biz class service, or even Legends idea, however, neither op was an LCC.

So is it me missing the clues?

 

[AAflyer]

MUST BE THOSE PILOT PAY SCALES !!!!

That will make them an LCC

AA

 

[Dizel8]

If that is the case, I guess the pilots will be paying to go to work.

 

[potrack]

probably have to pay to get a 737 or 7E7 type rating before they apply and interview / or are hired.

Who would do that?

 

[captain caveman]

Anyone recall Legend? Weren't they an all 1st class operation out of Love?

 

[N1kawotg]

Legend was based out of Love. If I'm not mistaken the terminal they had redone on the far side of the airport is still there.

 

[Mooseflyer]

My buddy worked there for about a year. One night he got a call from his mother, saying she read a newspaper article about Legend going out of business. He called the company the next day, and they said "yeah, sorry about that, no need to show up for your flight next week". How many folks can say they were handed a pink slip by their MOTHER??!!

 

[Midnight Mike]

I must be missing something. The press, and Boeing, calls them a LCC, but they are going to have a lot less seats to spread the cost on, so how can they be low cost?

Now, I can see them trying to emulate Midwest Express all biz class service, or even Legends idea, however, neither op was an LCC.

So is it me missing the clues?

Low Cost Carrier
As long as Primaris can keep their cost down, they are a LCC.

Sounds like this Primaris will be more of a Biz Class than Midwest, Primaris will be able to go coast-coast non-stop, while Midwest has to stop for gas.

American Airlines went after Legend and smothered them.