Sun Country Airlines to London, UK

[Anonymous2]

Hey all, I see that SY has announced seasonal service to London/Stansted via gander, newfoundland. I assume its on the 737-800? For those who know about the numbers/factors pertaining to a new route, is there potential to make money on a route like this with the 738? Has this ever been tried before? (aside from 757's).

 

[schafjet]

Hey all, I see that SY has announced seasonal service to London/Stansted via gander, newfoundland. I assume its on the 737-800? For those who know about the numbers/factors pertaining to a new route, is there potential to make money on a route like this with the 738? Has this ever been tried before? (aside from 757's).

I don't think it's a route that will make money. Hopefully it will break even. SCA is doing this to get ETOPs experience, so they can fill a requirement by the US military to fly troops overseas. The military now requires 1 year of experience over the pond before you are allowed to fly troops. This is due to the DC-8 crash that killed 200+ military back a few years ago.

 

[cargoflyr69]

The military now requires 1 year of experience over the pond before you are allowed to fly troops. This is due to the DC-8 crash that killed 200+ military back a few years ago.

Didn't the DC-10's do both military and overwater back in the day? Or does this flying have to be in type?

 

[schafjet]

Didn't the DC-10's do both military and overwater back in the day? Or does this flying have to be in type?

Yes, SCA did both back in the day. I think it has to be recent experience and this also now falls under ETOPs, which SCA has never done before in it's history. All I know is that SCA got it's ETOPs approved by the FAA and the military said, "Congrats, now go get your 1 year of experience."

 

[cargoflyr69]

ahh, etops is the key then.

I suppose all the carribbean overwater you guys do, really isn't with all the islands nearby and such.

Any idea how if the 73-8 will be weight restricted at all? Sounds like a potential non-rev express for minne folks. I'd bet business people would opt for a n/s on Delta

 

[schafjet]

ahh, etops is the key then.

I suppose all the carribbean overwater you guys do, really isn't with all the islands nearby and such.

Any idea how if the 73-8 will be weight restricted at all? Sounds like a potential non-rev express for minne folks. I'd bet business people would opt for a n/s on Delta

Yep, it's an ETOP's thing. The Carribbean doesn't help SCA any.

I haven't run the numbers, but I suspect it will be weight limited. Nov-rev express, you bet, my wife already is looking into going to London now.

Again, I don't think this is being run as a profitable route, it is pure and simply a way to get experience to fly for the DOD. This is being run through a tour operator and I'm sure (hope) SCA is limiting their exposure to huge losses on this route.

 

[HalinTexas]

The more severe weight limits will be the westbound ETOPS flights in the wintertime, depending on the track structure.

 

[Draginass]

When the flights get canceled 30% of the time, I'll be real fun to be stuck in London or Chicago for a few days to get there or get home. Sometimes "cheap" is a lot more expensive.

 

[MTV]

Why would they be canceled 30% of the time ?

 

[schafjet]

Sounds like a potential non-rev express for minne folks.

Nope, heard yesterday that our CEO said that we will not be allowed to non-rev. I guess that's a benefit that other airlines get, not SCA. He always thanks us for our hard work though, so we got that going for us.