Yet another aviation thread.

Punta Gorda was general aviation only until Allegiant started flying there. So was St Petersburg as well as Sanford.

I wish Allegiant would introduce cross country flights.

Quote: Pacomartin

Punta Gorda was general aviation only until Allegiant started flying there. So was St Petersburg as well as Sanford.

I wish Allegiant would introduce cross country flights.

Yeah, I mean, they fly to Russia already ;)

Speaking of GA and small airports, Toluca is going full ghost town quickly. Interjet still has a few touristy destinations (though they moved the Vegas flight to MEX), but just one to MTY. Am has at least one to MTY, which I caught the other day on Flight Radar (unless it diverted).

I'm going to miss it.

Quote: Pacomartin

Punta Gorda was general aviation only until Allegiant started flying there. So was St Petersburg as well as Sanford.
I wish Allegiant would introduce cross country flights.

I think these small airports that some small carriers select are to take advantage of short trips to the airport, low costs for hangers and gates, a town that welcomes them, hotels and taxicabs that welcome them, etc. The trouble with Allegiant is that they rarely fly anywhere I might want to go. Vegas? I'd have to fly to Austin and most of the "de LAX" flights arrive in Austin after the Tampa bound flights have left, so it would involve a mandatory overnight hotel. (One of my worst hotel experiences was in Austin: utterly incompetent check in people). I can't get to Biloxi on Allegiant but I could get to New Orleans but don't relish the rental car backtracking. Maybe I should just to to NOLA instead?

Its hard to get the mega-travel sites (which only want to hawk hotels, taxis and credit cards anyway) to include some airports even if I check those 'nearby' airports because the smaller towns such as Punta Gorda ain't nearby enough. I might be willing to drive to a more distant airport's long term parking lot and then fly but I would dread the return trip of having to be awake enough to drive after a long flight. I recall that I once used an off-airport Long Term Parking But We Shuttle You service and was so tired that when I got to my car, I just drove home leaving my suitcase on the shuttle company's luggage rack. Red Eye flights just ain't worth it the next day.

Quote: Fleastiff

I think these small airports that some small carriers select are to take advantage of short trips to the airport, low costs for hangers and gates, a town that welcomes them, hotels and taxicabs that welcome them, etc.

Low Cost Carriers are generally catering to the tourist instead of the businessman. Landing fees are lower at small airports.
Instead of flying to MCO airport in Orlando, Allegiant flies to SFB (Sanford) which is 23.7 air miles north.
Instead of flying to TPA airport in Tampa, Allegiant flies to PIE (St Petersburg) which is 10.8 air miles west but across a bay.
Instead of flying to RSW Regional Southwest in Fort Myers , Allegiant flies to Punta Gorda (PGD); 29.4 air miles north.

In all three cases, Allegiant is primarily responsible for transforming these airports from general aviation airports to commercial airports.

Punta Gorda airport has a casual seating area offering food, cocktails and general concessions. SkyView Café is open daily for breakfast and lunch (7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. ), closed Tuesdays.

Quote: Pacomartin

Low Cost Carriers are generally catering to the tourist instead of the businessman. Landing fees are lower at small airports.

I'm convinced by my own analysis that Toluca failed, in large part, due to the transportation costs to get there. Even when Interjet and Volaris were substantially cheaper than AM or MX, it cost almost the same to fly the latter for a family of 4 when transport to the airport was taken into account.

Part of the problem is the toll highway connecting Mex City to Toluca. But another part is cab companies from the Mex City metro area charge double, because they can't pick up passengers at Toluca or anywhere nearby.

So I wonder what the transport costs are for passengers of the ULCCs elsewhere.

This may not be the proper thread for this but it is somewhat airline related.

I just rented a car from Dollar rent-a-car and saw this disclaimer for Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards points.

" Rapid Rewards Members will earn 600 points per qualifying rental transaction at participating locations.
Industry discount rates, tour rates, and complimentary rentals do not qualify for frequent flyer points.

Disclaimer

When the renter chooses to receive frequent flyer points under this program, Dollar will collect a frequent flyer surcharge of $1.50 per day up to a maximum of $8.00 at the time of rental, to offset a portion of Dollar's annual cost of participation in this frequent flyer program. "


I have never seen a surcharge from any vendor to collect airline miles or points.

Quote: DRich

I have never seen a surcharge from any vendor to collect airline miles or points.

There may be some info on points and miles websites. I follow a few, like One Mile at a Time, but mostly because of their flight reviews and occasional aviation news and tidbits.

My guess is every company that "gives" you points or miles, simply includes such overhead in their pricing structure. If they apply it to only those who take the points, then you can see it as a $1.50 per day discount, too.

So, Boeing and Airbus, and Embraer and Bombardier, China's COMAC has built a kind of regional passenger jet, and Russia has built a narrow-body plane that can compete directly with the A320 and 737 families. And China and Russia are setting up a joint venture company to make commercial airplanes.

Now what?

Chinese airlines will order the COMAC plane in droves (if they know what's good for them). You can be sure Aeroflot will order the MC-21 (if they know what's good for them).

Both powers can pressure third parties, but not by much.

China is a benign tyranny, for those living outside it, as it's interested only in economic competition, mostly in manufacturing. Russia thinks they're still living in the XIX century and has territorial ambition beyond its rather ample borders.

Interesting times.

Not content with stranding thousands of passengers over the weekend, ULCC BA seems intent in making its customers sue for compensation.

This is the airline that invented the fuel surcharge. I say they should pay triple compensation just because of that.

At some point during the Great Recession, the fuel "surcharge" in several flights added up to more money than the fuel for that flight cost.