10-intuition wrote:... And I would like to see service return for STL-SJC (San Jose, CA) and STL-ONT (LA/Ontario). I miss the day I could fly to those airports for cheaper and non-stop than I could fly to LAX or SFO. I don't mind and wish Southwest would add those instead of adding destinations that AA, UAL, or NWA already have from STL.
I wish we had a flight to San Jose also. I flew AA to San Jose last week changing planes in Dallas. That was torture. They used to have a direct that stopped over in Orange County, but you didn't need to get off. Now AA elimnated those flights as near as I can tell. I usually try to get one of the AA non-stops to SFO and then drive down to San Jose from there.
DeBaliviere wrote:Doesn't Southwest fly into San Jose?
Yes, Southwest flies into San Jose, but nothing direct from STL. Last time I flew on Southwest to San Jose from STL I had to stop in Phoenix and switch planes.
matguy70 wrote:AA has direct non-stop srvice to Santa Ana (orange County) from STL.
AA has connection service to San Jose through Dallas, Sandiego or L.A.
I flew into SNA John Wayne Airport over Christmas, used United and flew on a B757-200. The biggest jet allowed at SNA because of the short runway. Its exciting during takeoff when the pilots rev up and let her go along with the steep climb and engine power cut back. SNA is sweet!
^Correct, the largest jet to serve Santa Ana/Orange county is a B757 due to size restrictions. However, there are also restrictions on aircraft noise during evening and morning hours. During the early morning and evening hours, there is a requirement that a plane can't exceed a certain number of decibels (maybe this has changed since 2000). AA used to route a 737-800 (which was the ONLY 738 serving STL on AA) on BOS-STL-SNA-STL-BOS because of the times. This flight was axed in early 2005 and was replaced by the mid-day MD-80 service. St. Louis currently does not see any regularly scheduled 737-800 on AA, however DL regularly routes them from ATL.
SNA is a great airport to fly in and out of. The takeoffs on the 757s to the west, with the glide out over the ocean, is great.
Used to take the late 8pm-ish departure out of STL to SNA on TW...some fun landings when the Santa Ana winds were blowing. And any delays on that flight meant a diversion into LAX because of the curfew.
I'm still not convinced the masses understand the purpose of the cell phone lot. Shortly after Christmas I picked a friend and was surprised to see the 5 minute waiting area was full as usual. I was 20 minutes late to pick up my passenger so I had no use for it, but it appeared business as normal with quite a deep line of waiting vehicles.
The parking monitors were barking order as per usual without ever informing drivers that there was a cell lot for their use.
Is the cell phone lot intended to be used as overflow for the waiting area? To further communicate the availability of the cell phone lot, they could place signs visible from the waiting area. Well, if they haven't done so already.
innov8ion wrote:Is the cell phone lot intended to be used as overflow for the waiting area?
Not at all. The cell phone lot, in theory, is where all waiting vehicles are parked until your passenger calls you (via cell phone, hence the name). At that point you can proceed to the 5 minute waiting area outside of baggage claim, where your passenger is waiting and off you go.
As witnessed in other cities, some people also tend to take off for the terminal as soon as the arrival board displays their passenger's flight as landed. This causes further congestion as there is still quite a bit of time in between deplaning and claiming luggage, which is quite a feat at Lambert.
The first lot opened in November. The P-D ran stories or mentions about them, as have the local TVs. The AP did a story. USA Today picked it up.
So its only been open a few months. Funny, I've flown out of the airport twice since then and picked up people a few times and still didn't know about it. I guess we can't expect everyone to read the P-D and USA Today. I'm sure in time it will catch on as word gets out.
As for the overseas flights, I hope something can develop.
I haven't used the cell phone lot. When I drop people off at the airport, I usually drop off at arriving flights as the security checkpoints are on that level (assuming you aren't checking bags). When picking up in the evening, I always end up going to departures as they have plenty of 10 minute spaces and the guards tend to be more patient up there. I even waiting 30 min in my car and they never bother me...
I just got back to STL after spending a week in Ft. Lauderdale. I am surprised that Lambert was packed in the late afternoon. A lot of people looking at the flight departure boards and people walking the concourse. Though the AA MD80 from FLL (Ft. Lauderdale) was about 60% full one the way back. Its nice to see Lambert busy, but wish there were more larger jets and more destinations. I saw at FLL lots of people and of course large planes, plus lots of variety of carriers.....Delta B767, Westjet B737-700, Air Canada A320, lots of B757. Too bad the STL-FLL route for AA is only seasonal.
Last year, lawmakers OK’d a Kennedy-sponsored measure in the state economic development bill to cut aviation fuel taxes on overseas flights beginning in Missouri. But Gov. Matt Blunt vetoed the bill, and the fuel-tax cut died. This year, Kennedy said he’d try a different tack, with a study.
why did Blunt veto this tax cut? Why do these outstaters TRY to destroy St. Louis and KC?
Someone a long time ago told me you can go through B concourse security, where the lines are shorter, and then cut over to C/D/E on the other side. Is this still true?
ben1040 wrote:Aces! A stupid question about Lambert:
Someone a long time ago told me you can go through B concourse security, where the lines are shorter, and then cut over to C/D/E on the other side. Is this still true?
Yes, however now that AirTran serves concourse B, the line is a little longer, not no where near as long as C/D. In the coming years I know the airport has talked about opening up A (which would then mean anyone could walk from any concourse to another without exiting security, however there currently isn't a timeline.
stlterp wrote:Countdown to AA pulling out of Denver? It's already downsized to RJs...
looks like it's going to be very soon. i was looking at flights for april and on travolicity there are no nonstops on AA for the last weekend in april. that really does leave me with frontier for flying here. you have to pay me money to get on a united flight. SWA is all well and good, but i also have to be in a pinch to fly them.
AA has been down to all regional jets since 2003. This is nothing new! Flights are currently loaded into Sabre through April 6th. While it is unfortunate that they are pulling out on this route, there is still plenty of competition among carriers so fare paying customer shouldn't be concerned. However, I do think AA should be concerned about the reaction from the business community that is loyal to them. I'm sure they are aware that Southwest is entering the market and that United runs a mix of 737s, 757s, A319s, and the occasional 320. Business customers will likely turn to United. I would expect by next ski season for UA to have this route on all 319/320/737 and pull the CRJs so they can take some of AA's business customers.
Finally, this may only be temporary! AA has pulled other routes and added them back in response to customer demand. The following are recent additions of routes that were cut but have been added back and perform well:
There’s a new destination for Lambert’s hungriest travelers. Quiznos has opened to satisfy cravings for hot sub sandwiches, flatbread chopped salads and soups. And here’s another reason Quiznos will draw a crowd. They serve breakfast. Quiznos is located in B Concourse, which is also accessible to passengers from the C & D Concourses and the East Terminal. Quiznos is open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Lambert Records Third Straight Year of Passenger Growth
Nearly 15.4 million passengers traveled through Lambert-St. Louis Int’l Airport in 2007
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport recorded its third straight year of passenger growth during 2007 serving 15.38 million passengers (boardings and arrivals). The number of boarding passengers at Lambert increased 1.5 percent for a total of 7.7 million additional passengers in 2007.
In 2007, Lambert’s airline partners recorded a nine percent increase in the number of passengers per departure. The busiest travel months of 2007 were June, July and August; the summer travel season was part of a six-month stretch of increased passenger service levels over 2006.
Lambert’s newest airline, AirTran Airways came on board in May, 2007. It has now served more than 197,000 passengers through Dec. 31
Southwest Airlines adds new non-stop flights to Lambert
St. Louis travelers can now fly Southwest non-stop to Denver on Southwest Airlines. Southwest Airlines is adding five new flights to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport beginning May 10. Southwest will make its debut into Denver International Airport (DEN) from St. Louis with three non-stop flights a day. Southwest is also adding one non-stop flight each to its Las Vegas (LAS) and Tulsa, Oklahoma (TUL) schedules. Southwest is adjusting other flights in its May schedules by dropping one non-stop flight each from St. Louis to Chicago Midway (MDW) and Kansas City (MCI). Southwest will still have 11 flights a day from St. Louis to Chicago Midway and five flights a day to Kansas City.
The latest flight additions to Lambert comes just a few months after Southwest announced it’s adding new non-stop service to Philadelphia (PHL) with two flights daily from Lambert. That service begins March 17.
“The new flights by Southwest Airlines show that St. Louis is a key growth market,” said Dick Hrabko, Director of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. “We’re excited that our partner airline continues to grow at Lambert giving our community more travel options.
The five new non-stop destinations to Denver and Philadelphia and the added flights to existing cities will give Southwest Airlines nearly 80 flights a day from Lambert.
matguy70 wrote:STL International News - February 2008:
“The new flights by Southwest Airlines show that St. Louis is a key growth market,” said d*ck Hrabko, Director of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. “We’re excited that our partner airline continues to grow at Lambert giving our community more travel options.
The five new non-stop destinations to Denver and Philadelphia and the added flights to existing cities will give Southwest Airlines nearly 80 flights a day from Lambert.
Why doesn't Dick Hrabko get SWA to add other destinations that aren't already served by legacy carriers or other LLCs. Having Southwest serving DEN and PHL will most likely make AA, UAL, and US Airways cut their flights out of STL to those places. 1.7% passenger growth is kinda low and its still below the year 2000 peak of almost 31 million passengers that used Lambert. Still growth is good, even if its small....it just shows that STL has demand for air travel! We just need for choices and non-stop routes, and destinations. Many people hate having to connect at DEN, O'****, MSP, and DFW.
I still would rather see SWA add flights from STL to cities not already served by legacy carriers such as SJC (San Jose, CA), BUF (Buffalo-Niagara) or PDX (Portland, OR) and even some European flights from AA or other carriers.
I'm currently freezing here at 1 am waiting for a parking shuttle. It's a miracle I'm even here at all given the weather today but that's another story altogether.
Who should I write to request that they install some heat lamps on the pickup island?
