urbanSTL

Wall Street Journal had a pretty good article this past week on United's plans going forward as well as a pretty good break out where other major airlines were at with AA leading the way getting to pre pandemic flight schedule & the others cautiously adding.   Read the article on one of my Southwest legs this week as slowly but surely I'm getting back to some business travel instead of constant zoom meetings.  

Couldn't help notice that all my Southwest legs were pretty much full planes - OAK to PHX, PHX to HOU (hobby if I got it right), HOU to Denver, and then back to OAK.  Will be on Delta in few weeks and see how that goes.   I wonder where they have the tipping point at to add more flights?  The article did a pretty job of explaining on pilots and furloughs has played into ramping back up as one of the difficulties, but also wonder how much of it is cashing in on full planes before they see a need.   

dredger wrote: ↑

Oct 24, 2021

Wall Street Journal had a pretty good article this past week on United's plans going forward as well as a pretty good break out where other major airlines were at with AA leading the way getting to pre pandemic flight schedule & the others cautiously adding.   Read the article on one of my Southwest legs this week as slowly but surely I'm getting back to some business travel instead of constant zoom meetings.  

Couldn't help notice that all my Southwest legs were pretty much full planes - OAK to PHX, PHX to HOU (hobby if I got it right), HOU to Denver, and then back to OAK.  Will be on Delta in few weeks and see how that goes.   I wonder where they have the tipping point at to add more flights?  The article did a pretty job of explaining on pilots and furloughs has played into ramping back up as one of the difficulties, but also wonder how much of it is cashing in on full planes before they see a need.   

The way I understand it is flight crew shortages are the big thing keeping them from adding at the moment. Forcing them to cut back schedules. I’m not sure the pilots Union thinks they have cut it back enough yet. Still some concern they can’t staff the flights in the schedule.

I thought SWA was expanding with an addition in baggage area? I’ve flown a
Few times over the past few months and the baggage area is so inefficient and sad. Anyone know if this is happening still?


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Covid has delayed it but both the airport and SW are still interested in moving forward

dbInSouthCity wrote: ↑

Oct 25, 2021

This is odd….Nordica is a 2 fleet Estonian airline. What’s going on
@flystl
@AviationStl

Glad to see @AviatioStl had the answer. (Apparently GoJet is doing some conversion work on it.) I'd have wondered if it was a charter, since both the Polish Air Force and Saab have been sending people to town fairly regularly over the last couple of years.

dbehrens011 wrote: ↑

Oct 25, 2021

I thought SWA was expanding with an addition in baggage area? I’ve flown a
Few times over the past few months and the baggage area is so inefficient and sad. Anyone know if this is happening still?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

As Db said covid set it back. They said in the commission meeting Southwest has to go back thru all their approvals on pre covid projects but they sounded hopeful it would move forward soon.

Did AA drop Austin back to once daily?

pmt257 wrote: ↑

Nov 13, 2021

Did AA drop Austin back to once daily?

only on Saturdays 

^I get insanely jealous of some of their shots. That was a particularly nice one.

British Airways Wants To Fly To Indianapolis

https://onemileatatime.com/news/british ... s-flights/

STL just can't get the tax $ to subsidize these European routes like other smaller markets so I just don't see Lambert getting a Euro flight again.  STL competes for tax $ with KC and, as we know, the majority of out-state legislators openly route for the STL region to fail. 

"I would imagine that the state of Indiana and the airport are providing significant incentives to any airline launching transatlantic flights; when Delta launched a transatlantic flight from Indianapolis, we learned that $5 million had been set aside for attracting transatlantic flights."

As much as I would love to have a European flight, I am not sure that those incentives are the best use of taxpayer money.
It adds to the convenience of the locals, but I doubt that European tourists will come to Indianapolis (or St. Louis) in droves. I'd love to see a cost benefit analysis of these incentives.

soulardx wrote: ↑

Nov 15, 2021

British Airways Wants To Fly To Indianapolis

https://onemileatatime.com/news/british ... s-flights/

STL just can't get the tax $ to subsidize these European routes like other smaller markets so I just don't see Lambert getting a Euro flight again.  STL competes for tax $ with KC and, as we know, the majority of out-state legislators openly route for the STL region to fail. 

"I would imagine that the state of Indiana and the airport are providing significant incentives to any airline launching transatlantic flights; when Delta launched a transatlantic flight from Indianapolis, we learned that $5 million had been set aside for attracting transatlantic flights."

Indy has more like 10+. I think the state has 20 for the entire state air development and most of that is for Indy.

Some cities it works out for. Some it doesn’t. Pit had delta there and happy for a decade after incentives ran out but then went and started bringing in other European airlines to dilute the passengers. They should have just stuck with Delta. They went and got more European carriers to at one point they had more flights to Europe than cities on the west coast of the USA. That’s what they should have been spending money on.

There is some incentives amount that is worth it. As companies leave town one of their major complaints every time is no international flights. Now maybe it’s just an excuse but is it keeps some employees here it’s worth something.

Now that all said I get the feeling the airport/business community isn’t looking as BA anymore anyway. We know they had an agreement with Aer Lingus a few years back but it fell thru due to the plane type being behind on deliveries. That should be worked out now. And then there is Niedorf (spelling?) saying London isnt the best option anymore and they had an agreement with someone else before covid messed that up.

So logically that probably means when we get something it’s Dublin or something else (Germany?) instead of London.

^Going through customs twice isn't the biggest deal in the world, but if you can avoid it why would you? It really does slow a connection down, and on a TATL flight that's a bigger issue than Trans Pac. I don't expect BA to move their hub, but I bet they loose some feed from both directions as a result. And Lufthansa and Air France/KLM are probably laughing all the way to the bank. Paris and Frankfurt are, what, an hour further, more or less? Amsterdam might well be less. The last time my brother flew back from the UK he flew LHR to Shiphol to the US for crying out loud. Okay, he's a cheapskate and goes for some really weird routings. And Covid. But still . . . that's telling. It never would have been a thing before. (He'd have flown LHR to Reykjavik instead.)

For what it's worth looking at major companies that might be pushing for flights convenient to their business: Bayer is based in Leverkusen with the closest major airport being Cologne and InBev is based in Leuven, Belgium with the closest major airport being Brussels (Leverkusen and Leuven are about 120 miles apart). I don't think either of these airports are big players on Transatlantic flights, but I'm not sure off-hand what other companies in the St Louis region would generate business traffic.

symphonicpoet wrote: ↑

Nov 16, 2021

^Going through customs twice isn't the biggest deal in the world, but if you can avoid it why would you? It really does slow a connection down, and on a TATL flight that's a bigger issue than Trans Pac. I don't expect BA to move their hub, but I bet they loose some feed from both directions as a result. And Lufthansa and Air France/KLM are probably laughing all the way to the bank. Paris and Frankfurt are, what, an hour further, more or less? Amsterdam might well be less. The last time my brother flew back from the UK he flew LHR to Shiphol to the US for crying out loud. Okay, he's a cheapskate and goes for some really weird routings. And Covid. But still . . . that's telling. It never would have been a thing before. (He'd have flown LHR to Reykjavik instead.)

I’ve never flown thru LHR so someone feel free to correct me. If you flew STL-LHR-CDG or reverse for example. You wouldn’t go thru customs at LHR would you? I just assume they have an international terminal that you don’t have to clear customs if you are just connecting. At least I hope that’s the case. If it isn’t than I would have to rethink my thoughts on that.

jshank83 wrote: ↑

Nov 16, 2021

symphonicpoet wrote: ↑

Nov 16, 2021

^Going through customs twice isn't the biggest deal in the world, but if you can avoid it why would you? It really does slow a connection down, and on a TATL flight that's a bigger issue than Trans Pac. I don't expect BA to move their hub, but I bet they loose some feed from both directions as a result. And Lufthansa and Air France/KLM are probably laughing all the way to the bank. Paris and Frankfurt are, what, an hour further, more or less? Amsterdam might well be less. The last time my brother flew back from the UK he flew LHR to Shiphol to the US for crying out loud. Okay, he's a cheapskate and goes for some really weird routings. And Covid. But still . . . that's telling. It never would have been a thing before. (He'd have flown LHR to Reykjavik instead.)

I’ve never flown thru LHR so someone feel free to correct me. If you flew STL-LHR-CDG or reverse for example. You wouldn’t go thru customs at LHR would you? I just assume they have an international terminal that you don’t have to clear customs if you are just connecting. At least I hope that’s the case. If it isn’t than I would have to rethink my thoughts on that.

I'm generalizing somewhat, as the only time I flew through LHR it was my final destination, but I've made a fair few international connections. So far as I can tell you always have to clear customs. I had to clear customs in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul, and I think even Paris back in the day even though none were my final destination and in a couple of cases the layover was just a few hours. I think my last trip through Tokyo Narita is the only time I didn't have to clear customs at the connection point. If you have to move between terminals (and LHR has four I think, making such a thing likely) you probably always have to clear customs. And even that most recent time in Tokyo I still had to claim and recheck my luggage. International connections are just more of a hassle than domestic connections. It's not terrible, but you do have to allow a little time. Maybe LHR has a smoother procedure, but I'm skeptical since they never would have needed one before the present. (And it's a very old airport, and old airports are, by and in large, the ones that are least smooth.)

jshank83 wrote: ↑

Nov 16, 2021

soulardx wrote: ↑

Nov 15, 2021

British Airways Wants To Fly To Indianapolis

https://onemileatatime.com/news/british ... s-flights/

STL just can't get the tax $ to subsidize these European routes like other smaller markets so I just don't see Lambert getting a Euro flight again.  STL competes for tax $ with KC and, as we know, the majority of out-state legislators openly route for the STL region to fail. 

"I would imagine that the state of Indiana and the airport are providing significant incentives to any airline launching transatlantic flights; when Delta launched a transatlantic flight from Indianapolis, we learned that $5 million had been set aside for attracting transatlantic flights."

Indy has more like 10+. I think the state has 20 for the entire state air development and most of that is for Indy.

If that $10+ million is true - is that annual subsidy? - STL just doesn't have a shot for TATL when competing against other similarly sized cities.  Unlike Indiana, Missouri has two big cities competing for tax $. Furthermore, being a state capital, like Indianapolis, has huge advantages.  (this isn't related to TATL, but the impressive growth of both Columbus and Nashville can be partially attributed to being the state capital)

This is not quite accurate.  I think you are confusing immigration vs. customs.

If you are connecting at LHR, you do not go through customs and immigration - only a security check.

If you are connecting in a Schengen country to another Schengen country - you will go through immigration at your connecting city, but customs at your arrival city.

If you are connecting in a Schengen country to a non-Schengen country - you only go through a security check.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area

I have connected in Seoul and all I went through was a security check.

I have connected in Tokyo and didn't even have to go through a security check.