urbanSTL

gregl wrote:

I will take everyone who has ever posted on this thread out for drinks if a 2x weekly STL-SJJ flight happens before 2030 (and lasts at least a full year).

^Out in the B concourse events space or on the year end celebratory flight? Let me see if I can find an investor and a used 757 . . . 

(I kid. 757s aren't leggy enough.)

In all seriousness, though, what are the O&D numbers weekly? I think gregl is entirely right, even though I once suggested that this very thing might be neat.

On the other hand . . . 2030 isn't that far away, really, and a cheap used 767-ER could make the trip. (Cheap very much in quotation marks here.) There's a leasing company in KC with a couple available for wet lease right now! (Probably in the old TWA heavy maintenance base, if I had to guess. Better still if they're old TWA birds.) Hint hint. 12-24 months! Competitive rates! I bet they'll throw in any legal paint job you can dream up (but best make it red and white, they might have those colors sitting around in discount quantities) and gregl buys the first round of drinks!

symphonicpoet wrote:
In all seriousness, though, what are the O&D numbers weekly? I think gregl is entirely right, even though I once suggested that this very thing might be neat.

I don't know the passenger counts from STL to Sarajevo, but 2018 was the first time SJJ exceeded 1 million passengers in a year.

Zagreb would make more sense then Sarajevo, even for Bosnian passengers 
By flying to Zagreb you're also catching US tourists as Croatia is a pretty popular place to go these days. 

dbInSouthCity wrote: Zagreb would make more sense then Sarajevo, even for Bosnian passengers 
By flying to Zagreb you're also catching US tourists as Croatia is a pretty popular place to go these days. 

Wouldn't really make sense from a FlyBosnia perspective - based on the presumption they are trying to get passengers to Bosnia.

^ correct but FlyBosnia to STL flight is a pipe dream.....meanwhile Croatian Airlines is an actual airline. 

dbInSouthCity wrote: ^ correct but FlyBosnia to STL flight is a pipe dream.....meanwhile Croatian Airlines is an actual airline. 

So is FlyBosnia - https://www.flybosnia.ba/

Yes, i know..i meant in a sense that one is an established airline with a 10+ plane fleet and the other has 1 plane that just started to operate. 

Neither one is going to fly here anytime soon and probably ever. I am with Greg on this one. Going from one single aisle plane to a widebody with transatlantic flights is a big step, especially to Bosnia. Even with a big Bosnian population, I can't imagine the O&D would be higher than it is to London and we can't even get a flight there. 

Since I was one of the posters talking about this pipe dream, I'll add in some of my rationale. Basically, ORD has a very similar situation with its population from KRK. Anyway, LOT Polish decided to take a gamble and add a once weekly ethnic flight, and it has been very successful, thus allowing other ethnic flights to be considered as a possibility by airline experts and of course a.netters. Now, will it happen, probably not, but I wouldn't be too suprised to see an airline try it in the future.  

Comparing Chicago and St. Louis is a little apples and oranges. LOT also is a Star Alliance Member so that helps with it being a United Hub. You can get connectors and O&D to Chicago in general is just much higher. 

O/D won't be greater than a London-STL flight will, but yield will. A LHR/LGW flight has to compete with connecting options in ORD/NYC/DTW ect. There is no competition to Bosnia. Anyways, this is still very unlikely 

stl07 wrote: O/D won't be greater than a London-STL flight will, but yield will. A LHR/LGW flight has to compete with connecting options in ORD/NYC/DTW ect. There is no competition to Bosnia. Anyways, this is still very unlikely 

The people who drive the cash (business class purchasers) would flock to a direct Europe flight through LHR/FRA/MUC/AMS, and would not to SJJ. 

I know quite a few personally who would kill for the direct flight but we don't have one yet.

I got a Sun Country alert today.  They've extended their schedules to Apr. 2020. Looks like they'll be serving four markets for the winter.


Minny - 4x weekly starting in Nov

Tampa - 2x weekly Dec - Apr, beginning Dec. 20

Fort Myers - 2x weekly Dec - Apr., beginning Dec. 19

https://www.suncountry.com/booking/sear ... t=05212019

^^Vegas is cut, those flights you mentioned are via MSP

stl07 wrote: ^^Vegas is cut, those flights you mentioned are via MSP

Yeah, I see that now.  This was just me getting overly excited.  LOL!  Thanks for the correction.

frequentflyer wrote:

stl07 wrote: ^^Vegas is cut, those flights you mentioned are via MSP

Yeah, I see that now.  This was just me getting overly excited.  LOL!  Thanks for the correction.

Even without Vegas, it is still a fairly large bulk-up of service for an airline that didn't even fly here before last year. 

^^^ Agreed.  I'm glad to see they brought back TPA and RSW.

I'm surprised by the MSP connection to Vegas, however.  I wouldn't want to fly up north during the winter months to connect to Vegas when there are direct flights from STL.  But, who knows?  It might work out for them.

Thanks for your reply.  I always enjoy your posts and insight.

I'm actually pretty impressed with the announcement. 
Nice little AvGeek day.

stl07 wrote: I'm actually pretty impressed with the announcement. 
Nice little AvGeek day.

Agreed.  I'm convinced STL reads this forum.

Oh no, I will be traveling that day, otherwise would love to go!

frequentflyer wrote:

stl07 wrote: I'm actually pretty impressed with the announcement. 
Nice little AvGeek day.

Agreed.  I'm convinced STL reads this forum.

You are right, it does sound suspiciously like the discussion we were having a few days (weeks?) ago.

Applications, huh? This sounds both promising and intriguing. Don't know who really has a shot at this (jshank!) but . . . I'm in! (The line to apply, that is.) This sounds like incredible fun! And hopefully, it will generate some excitement about our airport on other forums as well.

symphonicpoet wrote: Applications, huh? This sounds both promising and intriguing. Don't know who really has a shot at this (jshank!) but . . . I'm in! (The line to apply, that is.) This sounds like incredible fun! And hopefully, it will generate some excitement about our airport on other forums as well.

What pick did you use? I know you have some pretty good shots

symphonicpoet wrote: Applications, huh? This sounds both promising and intriguing. Don't know who really has a shot at this (jshank!) but . . . I'm in! (The line to apply, that is.) This sounds like incredible fun! And hopefully, it will generate some excitement about our airport on other forums as well.

I'm offended... no offense, Jshank!

stl07 wrote:

symphonicpoet wrote: Applications, huh? This sounds both promising and intriguing. Don't know who really has a shot at this (jshank!) but . . . I'm in! (The line to apply, that is.) This sounds like incredible fun! And hopefully, it will generate some excitement about our airport on other forums as well.

What pick did you use? I know you have some pretty good shots

None so far. Applications begin tomorrow at eight if I'm reading the thing correctly. I'm . . . debating that. I figure I'll point out some of my shots in Wiki, airliners.net, flightaware . . . And here of course. But they've perhaps already seen that. Maybe even mention that I make them free to whomever needs them.