Charlotte-Douglas Airport (CLT) Expansion

[CLT704]

15 minutes ago, CLT_sc said:

Kind of airportish related, I recently flew in on the Lufthansa A350, great plane, and noticed another Lufthansa plane sitting close to the A Concourse.  Any idea on why another Lufthansa plane would be parked in CLT?

The airport does seem to grow each time I fly, which is only a few times per year.  My family from upstate SC was amazed at how large CLT is and what is to come, they were very impressed........until the 10 mile long security line.

Probably a diversion from Atlanta.

[nakers2]

4 hours ago, CLT_sc said:

Kind of airportish related, I recently flew in on the Lufthansa A350, great plane, and noticed another Lufthansa plane sitting close to the A Concourse.  Any idea on why another Lufthansa plane would be parked in CLT?

The airport does seem to grow each time I fly, which is only a few times per year.  My family from upstate SC was amazed at how large CLT is and what is to come, they were very impressed........until the 10 mile long security line.

If it was on Saturday then that was diversion from ATL due to bad weather. They were sitting on the hardstand for refueling. 

[CLT_sc]

1 hour ago, nakers2 said:

If it was on Saturday then that was diversion from ATL due to bad weather. They were sitting on the hardstand for refueling. 

That makes sense.  

[csweet]

9 hours ago, CLT_sc said:

Kind of airportish related, I recently flew in on the Lufthansa A350, great plane, and noticed another Lufthansa plane sitting close to the A Concourse.  Any idea on why another Lufthansa plane would be parked in CLT?

The airport does seem to grow each time I fly, which is only a few times per year.  My family from upstate SC was amazed at how large CLT is and what is to come, they were very impressed........until the 10 mile long security line.

It was an A330-300 diverted from Frankfurt->ATL

[kickazzz2000]

https://onemileatatime.com/aer-lingus-iberia-order-a321xlr/?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=facebook_page&utm_medium=One Mile at a Time&utm_content=Aer Lingus and Iberia Order A321XLR

 

I would think this makes CLT more likely...

[nakers2]

3 hours ago, kickazzz2000 said:

https://onemileatatime.com/aer-lingus-iberia-order-a321xlr/?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=facebook_page&utm_medium=One Mile at a Time&utm_content=Aer Lingus and Iberia Order A321XLR

 

I would think this makes CLT more likely...

Maybe an off season MAD-CLT, and an off season DUB-CLT. The MAD-CLT route seems more likely as Ibera and American are part of OneWorld, Aer Lingus has bilateral agreements, IE British Airways, another OneWorld partner, but also with Delta and KLM, a Skyteam Partner. 

[LKN704]

JetBlue is dropping CLT-JFK in favor of additional BOS frequencies. 

[kickazzz2000]

JetBlue is so useless from CLT.  Not even an FLL flight to take advantage of Caribbean connections.  

[Clemson16]

4 hours ago, LKN704 said:

JetBlue is dropping CLT-JFK in favor of additional BOS frequencies. 

When will this happen? I have a JetBlue jfk flight in a few weeks

[CarolinaDaydreamin]

5 hours ago, LKN704 said:

JetBlue is dropping CLT-JFK in favor of additional BOS frequencies. 

Shows the need for more gates. JetBlue needs to add FLL.

[LKN704]

I can't remember the specific date (and where the press release was posted was now deleted, I believe it was for internal use only) but it wouldn't be until the next schedule release,  so the last flight likely wouldn't be until 2/12/2020. 

They aren't dropping the service due to the lack of gates at CLT, as the 2 daily JFK flights will simply shift to serve BOS, so they will do CLT-BOS 5x daily. 

I doubt airfares on CLT-JFK will rise significantly or at all due to the suspension...with only 2 daily flights they were hardly making a dent in airfares. Additionally, the route sees both DL and AA, and DL recently upguaged some of their flights to mainline. 

[CarolinaDaydreamin]

11 minutes ago, LKN704 said:

I can't remember the specific date (and where the press release was posted was now deleted, I believe it was for internal use only) but it wouldn't be until the next schedule release,  so the last flight likely wouldn't be until 2/12/2020. 

They aren't dropping the service due to the lack of gates at CLT, as the 2 daily JFK flights will simply shift to serve BOS, so they will do CLT-BOS 5x daily. 

I doubt airfares on CLT-JFK will rise significantly or at all due to the suspension...with only 2 daily flights they were hardly making a dent in airfares. Additionally, the route sees both DL and AA, and DL recently upguaged some of their flights to mainline. 

I mean if Jet Blue could get two more gates I think JFK would be safe and there would be 3 FLL flights a day.

[CLT2014]

7 hours ago, CarolinaDaydreamin said:

I mean if Jet Blue could get two more gates I think JFK would be safe and there would be 3 FLL flights a day.

JetBlue already woefully underutilizes the one gate they have with just 5 flights per day.  

Hours the gate sits completely empty: 
- 6AM to 9:15AM ;  First departure currently is 9:49AM.
- 11:06AM to 3:25PM ; over four hours sitting empty, could easily rotate a midday flight through to a leisure destination like FLL.
- 4:05PM to 7:28PM ; nearly 3.5 hours sitting empty during a prime departure time for people flying after work

JetBlue could add a morning departure (say 7:30AM), midday departure (1PM) and evening departure (6PM) and maximize their gate usage. They only have gate C10 at Raleigh-Durham for example and manage 10 flights per day out of one gate. They could be operating a similar schedule here if they wanted, but instead sit on a gate all day that other airlines could better utilize. 

Edited June 19, 2019 by CLT2014

[Vitamin_N]

AA is ordering 50 Airbus 321XLRs. AA President Robert Isom mentioned this will let them fly to new markets from (among others) CLT.

Edited June 19, 2019 by Vitamin_N

[CLT704]

This is very interesting, which the latter being a direct quite from Vasu Raja who is VP of Network Planning. Sounds like we're gonna get a flight to Düsseldorf or Cologne, plus other smaller Euro markets (maybe a return to Lisbon?). 

[LKN704]

I took that as a shot aimed directly at DL's long standing ATL-STR (Stuttgart) and DUS service. 

I also wouldn't be surprised to see MAN resume. 

Also considering that "some in Germany that would make sense from CLT" was stated one can infer that AA's new CLT-MUC service is performing OK. Crazy to think that the world's largest airline only has three year round flights to Germany and two of them are from CLT. 

Edited June 23, 2019 by LKN704

[atlrvr]

Lisbon, Stuttgart, Amsterdam, Manchester, Edinburgh, Dusseldorf, possibly Geneva all might make sense.

[CLTaviation13]

I shouldn’t say I’m glad to see the JFK route ending for B6. Its more bittersweet and exciting at the same time for me. jetBlue has been operating the CLT-JFK route since it started service July 12 of 2006. Believe it or not, US Airways didn’t even serve the route at the time lol. If memory serves, they started 2 months after with a CRJ 900 operated by Mesa. 

 

Despite this unfortunate news, I’m more hopeful/encouraged for B6 future in CLT than ever before. They can finally have an established/competitive schedule on CLT-BOS for once. Rather than just a pathetic token service between the JFK/BOS. Granted, CLT-BOS finally got an additional flight last October. Still isn’t good enough against 9 daily American flights. With DL going 4 daily 717 on CLT-JFK, AA already maintains 6-7 mainline flights a day, the heat was definitely turned up. Then you look at AA CLT-LGA which is 10 flights a day and DL operates about 8 a day to LGA. It was only a matter of time for them to pack up and move eggs all into CLT-BOS basket. For those who don’t follow B6 like I do. All hands are on deck for them in expanding BOS to 200 flights a day. With that, DL is breathing down there neck quickly in BOS. Fortunately, for B6 in BOS, DL simply can’t outgrow B6 due to the fact DL has 20 gates and B6 will soon have access to 30. 

 

Now the fun part, speculation. More specifically, potential flight schedule for CLT-BOS post JFK.

BOS-CLT 

7:45-10:10 flight 1245 (E90)

10:45-12:55 flight 1345 (E90)

1:10-3:20 flight 1445 (E90)

6:00-8:15 flight 1645 (E90)

9:55-12:15 flight 1745 (E90)

CLT-BOS

6:00-8:20 flight 1746 (E90)

10:55-1:15 flight 1246 (E90)

1:40-3:55 flight 1346 (E90)

4:00-6:35 flight 1446 (E90)

9:00-11:35 flight 1646 (E90)

[davidclt]

8 hours ago, JetBlueCLT said:

Despite this unfortunate news, I’m more hopeful/encouraged for B6 future in CLT than ever before. 

Now the fun part, speculation. More specifically, potential flight schedule for CLT-BOS post JFK.

BOS-CLT 

<snip 5 daily flights on> (E90)s

CLT-BOS

<snip 5 daily flights on> (E90)s

I'm just wondering when the begin A320 service to Charlotte rather than a fleet of E90s? I mean the E90s are nice enough but they feel like runner up in a beauty contest to me.

[NikolaTesla]

13 minutes ago, davidclt said:

I'm just wondering when the begin A320 service to Charlotte rather than a fleet of E90s? I mean the E90s are nice enough but they feel like runner up in a beauty contest to me.

Runner up? Why so?

I am a fan of the A320, but i personally prefer the E190 over the A320.   On the E190 you are guaranteed a window or aisle seat vs a 3x3 layout.   Faster boarding and deplaning than a A320.   Also much higher chance that you will get a lower density seating layout with better legroom and seat width than on a A320.  

 

[LKN704]

The E90s will gradually be retired as soon as the A220 enters the fleet. 

The E90s are definitely comfortable from a passenger experience, but US/AA/AC/B6 all found out that the aircraft wasn’t suitable to the cost structure of mainline carriers. 

[CarolinaDaydreamin]

54 minutes ago, LKN704 said:

The E90s will gradually be retired as soon as the A220 enters the fleet. 

The E90s are definitely comfortable from a passenger experience, but US/AA/AC/B6 all found out that the aircraft wasn’t suitable to the cost structure of mainline carriers. 

I fly E70s often on Delta. They are comfortable but they get thrown around in bad weather. 

[NikolaTesla]

2 minutes ago, CarolinaDaydreamin said:

I fly E70s often on Delta. They are comfortable but they get thrown around in bad weather. 

I just did  a GSO-MIA-GSO hop a few weeks ago on a E75, was a great flight and very comfortable, especially with half of the airplane empty on the first leg and a empty seat next to me on the 2nd leg!..

But yes to your point LKN704, it doesn't seem to fit the needs of a lot of the mainline carriers.  It's my understanding that the CASM is higher than desirable, and that the maintenance costs for C and D checks are quite high.  There also was some unfavorable with the CFM engine choice Embraer went with.  Apparently underpowered and higher cost. 

 

[CLTaviation13]

3 hours ago, NikolaTesla said:

Runner up? Why so?

I am a fan of the A320, but i personally prefer the E190 over the A320.   On the E190 you are guaranteed a window or aisle seat vs a 3x3 layout.   Faster boarding and deplaning than a A320.   Also much higher chance that you will get a lower density seating layout with better legroom and seat width than on a A320.  

 

E90 are way more comfortable than the A320. That's why I'm looking forward to getting the A220-300s in CLT. Best of both worlds, 2 X 3 configuration and more seats in the market. 

Edited June 23, 2019 by JetBlueCLT

[LKN704]

While unrelated also heard that ramp workers absolutely detest working the E-Jet series as they have these huge cages built over the cargo area’s fire extinguishing equipment that ramp workers frequently accidentally strike their body against, causing injury.