Update.......Little Rock National Airport.

[Architect]

2 hours ago, TRB said:

I have yet to see anything on frequency, I'm betting 3 to 4 times weekly. This could provide an easily backdoor connection to cheap TATL flights out of Denver  now that Norwegian is setting up shop with London and Paris flights.

The downside is that it will pressure Southwest )if they are successful) with increased competition on connections in the west via LAS and Dallas now that Phoenix is going away. Maybe they kinda knew this was coming and that's why Phoenix got shut down just before this starts. The Las Vegas flight will be pressured with Frontier's Memphis nonstop to Vegas and now connections via Denver.

 

Below are the cities being added by Frontier over the next 12 months:

New services added to the Denver International Airport immediately include:

• Albuquerque, N.M.
• Oklahoma City
• Ontario, Calif.
• Palm Springs, Calif.
• Reno, Nev.
• San Jose, Calif.

New services added to the Denver International Airport starting Spring 2018 include:

• Boise, Idaho
• Buffalo, N.Y.
• Calgary, Alberta
• Charleston, S.C.
• El Paso, Texas
• Fargo, N.D.
• Fresno, Calif.
• Grand Rapids, Mich.
• Jackson Hole, Wyo.
• Jacksonville, Fla.
• Little Rock, Ark.
• Louisville, Ky.
• Pensacola, Fla.
• Spokane, Wash.
• Tulsa, Okla.

[TRB]

It's not Little Rock bUT it is about as close as you can get without actually landing at LIT. Nonstop TATL 2 hrs away? I've mentioned them before and he yet again eludes to Memphis.

Edinburgh/Memphis

http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/norwegian-to-launch-cheap-flights-from-edinburgh-to-los-angeles-and-san-francisco-1-4477392
 

Quote

Chief executive Bjorn Kjos also plans flights from the Scottish capital to Midwest cities like Memphis in 2019.

 

That would be when they get A321LRs from Airbus.

[Arkanzin]

I heard this weekend that American Airlines will start direct flights to Washington National Airport in May 2018.  I haven't been able to confirm any of this and haven't found anything online.  Has anybody else heard this or have information?  

[galador]

Looks like they just announced it... here's an article I saw on Talk Business: https://talkbusiness.net/2017/10/clinton-national-airport-to-offer-daily-flights-to-washington-d-c-starting-april-3/

[Arkanzin]

Wow!  I can't believe I was "in the loop" about anything!  

That's great news!  

[Architect]

Awesome news!  Nice to add a new direct, and the E-175 is the largest "regional" jet on the market per se...in fact, the E-190 (same plane, slightly longer) is flagged as a "mainline" American Airlines jet.

[TRB]

Makes sense connecting capital to capital and Southwest not having a BWI flight from LIT. Won't be cheap for non gov't passengers though.

[Arkanzin]

$411 roundtrip right now for dates I was looking for in June.

$388 if you don't check a bag, pick a seat, breathe, or use the bathroom. 

[Smith]

17 minutes ago, Arkanzin said:

$411 roundtrip right now for dates I was looking for in June.

$388 if you don't check a bag, pick a seat, breathe, or use the bathroom. 

I did it for $248 on American direct from Memphis just a few months ago. I hope the prices come down a bit here.

[TRB]

On 10/31/2017 at 10:16 AM, Smith said:

I did it for $248 on American direct from Memphis just a few months ago. I hope the prices come down a bit here.

Doubtful, that MEM/DCA flight competes with Southwest and MEM/BWI. They LIT has no direct Competition. They'll be in line with what you see at XNA or slightly less.

Progrease is being made on the Dulles Metro Station. When that is done in 2019, I can see Dulles getting some new service once wor gets out its easier to get into DC.

[arky]

It looks like LIT has finally settled out from the impact of the Wright Amendment and returned to steady growth, which is good to see. Traffic is up 2% YTD. 

The biggest gripe for me is lack of direct to NYC or somewhere far out west, think California. I'm surprised we don't at least have regional service to NYC similar to XNA. I understand significant business traffic drive those routes but they have several directs daily - seems LIT could support one. 

[Architect]

2 hours ago, arky said:

It looks like LIT has finally settled out from the impact of the Wright Amendment and returned to steady growth, which is good to see. Traffic is up 2% YTD. 

The biggest gripe for me is lack of direct to NYC or somewhere far out west, think California. I'm surprised we don't at least have regional service to NYC similar to XNA. I understand significant business traffic drive those routes but they have several directs daily - seems LIT could support one. 

LIT has had on again/off again service to NYC over the past 15 years...there for a while, Continental had TWO daily nonstops to Newark.  Most recently, AA had daily non stops and they NEVER advertised the route...so many people I knew didn’t know there was non-stop service. They pulled the flight in spite of 66% load factors (said it needed to be higher)...I blame AA (and LIT) for lack of promotion. 

p.s.  Coincidentally, Tulsa doesn’t have direct NYC service either.

[jnholmes]

It looks like our LIT-DTW on Delta is no longer available. I tried to book it, but it's gone. I wish Delta would add SLC or LAX! 

[Architect]

1 hour ago, jnholmes said:

It looks like our LIT-DTW on Delta is no longer available. I tried to book it, but it's gone. I wish Delta would add SLC or LAX! 

Really?  That is strange.  That was the connector we used coming back to LIT from Europe last year.  DTW is a major international hub.  If it's not replaced by Minneapolis, it certainly restricts connections to LIT.  Disappointing.

[arky]

I'm still seeing a direct AM flight to DTW and a return direct in the PM as far out as the booking window goes. I fly that route a decent amount so had panicked, maybe there was a quirk in their system?

[Walls99]

On 1/3/2018 at 2:41 PM, jnholmes said:

It looks like our LIT-DTW on Delta is no longer available. I tried to book it, but it's gone. I wish Delta would add SLC or LAX! 

According to the LIT Wikipedia page, the LIT-DTW route is a seasonal route only. Of course we all know how reliable Wikipedia can be 

[Architect]

Florida-based Via Airlines has announced non-stop service between Little Rock and Austin, TX on 50 seat Embraer ERJ-145s beginning on April 29.  This will bring the number of "low-fare" airlines at LIT to four (Southwest, Frontier, Allegiant, and now Via).  Apparently, Austin is a "focus" city for Via, as they also announced service to Austin from OKC and Tulsa today as well.

[theman]

On 6/30/2017 at 8:07 AM, TRB said:

Looks like Southwest draws down the Phoenix flight in Jan and it disappears in Feb. I feel this is a reduction to bolster the LAS flights with the potential of any loss the LAS flight might have from the loss of any passengers from Memphis now that Frontier is flying direct to LAS from MEM at low cost prices. Just my opinion. 

Southwest saw 10,000 more passengers in MEM over just last year yet has not yet offered a direct from there past Texas. It's coming and it'll be Denver, Phoenix or Las Vegas. But... they have to get through the retiring of all the 737-300 classics and get the new737Max in.

Southwest is still showing the direct flight to Phoenix from Little Rock.

[TRB]

I noticed that, it was shown on their chart the last schedule release as being gone, guess they decided against it.

 

Memphis lost a DAL frequency M-F and kept 2 on Sat and Sun. It has really degraded their connecting times to the west  coast.

Southwest is now song with retiring their 783 300s and actually gaining planes again. Maybe that had something to do with it. Hopefully Both get DEN now 

Frontier is nibbling at their west coast fed. 

 

Frontier is really throwing darts from Tulsa. They have added San Jose in addition San Diego and Denver for out west and added IAD for the east .

Southwest swe ms to neglecting some markets opening them up for attack. They are really failing the wEST coast from Memphasis by not offering any nonstopd further west than DAL and HOU and LIT with nothing east of the Mississippi. 

They should add BNA-LIT 

[Architect]

13 minutes ago, TRB said:

I noticed that, it was shown on their chart the last schedule release as being gone, guess they decided against it.

 

Memphis lost a DAL frequency M-F and kept 2 on Sat and Sun. It has really degraded their connecting times to the west  coast.

Southwest is now song with retiring their 783 300s and actually gaining planes again. Maybe that had something to do with it. Hopefully Both get DEN now 

Frontier is nibbling at their west coast fed. 

 

Frontier is really throwing darts from Tulsa. They have added San Jose in addition San Diego and Denver for out west and added IAD for the east .

Southwest swe ms to neglecting some markets opening them up for attack. They are really failing the wEST coast from Memphasis by not offering any nonstopd further west than DAL and HOU and LIT with nothing east of the Mississippi. 

They should add BNA-LIT 

Interesting (and good) news about SWA LIT-Phoenix.  Let's hope it stays.  I agree that it is odd that SWA isn't providing any eastern destinations from LIT, such as BNA (as you suggest), or even Chicago (MDW).

The Tulsa/Frontier thing is odd...I mean, Tulsa is a little bit larger market/demand than LIT, but not in another class (20% more traffic), and it seems Frontier is almost making Tulsa a focus city.  It's hard to imagine that TUL could support that much west coast traffic, especially to San Jose AND San Diego?

[theman]

9 hours ago, Architect said:

Interesting (and good) news about SWA LIT-Phoenix.  Let's hope it stays.  I agree that it is odd that SWA isn't providing any eastern destinations from LIT, such as BNA (as you suggest), or even Chicago (MDW).

The Tulsa/Frontier thing is odd...I mean, Tulsa is a little bit larger market/demand than LIT, but not in another class (20% more traffic), and it seems Frontier is almost making Tulsa a focus city.  It's hard to imagine that TUL could support that much west coast traffic, especially to San Jose AND San Diego?

I know since the lifting of the Wright Amendment Little Rock is not as important to SWA hence the loss of direct flights to Chicago, Houston and Baltimore/Washington. Every time I’ve flown to Phoenix on Southwest the flight has been full so I didn’t understand why they would eliminate that flight.

[Architect]

I know since the lifting of the Wright Amendment Little Rock is not as important to SWA hence the loss of direct flights to Chicago, Houston and Baltimore/Washington. Every time I’ve flown to Phoenix on Southwest the flight has been full so I didn’t understand why they would eliminate that flight.

True, though the lifting of the Wright Amendment didn’t just impact LIT, also TUL, OKC and others.


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[TRB]

Supposedly back in the early 80's Southwest toyed with the Idea of flying into West Memphis. Memphis was the low hanging fruit here. The West Memphis airport was right by I-40 and being in Arkansas, satisfied the Wright Admendment. Memphis was the economic powerhouse of Tennessee back then, not Nashville. It supposedly fell on deaf ears with Clinton and Little Rock out of fear of the effect on LIT. Memphasis and Tennessee feared the effects it would have at MEM.

Looking back, this likely cost East Arkansas an economic fortune. (See North MS.)and Memphis as well. I think MEM would have kept going and the growth of the entire area may have kept it a hub unlike today. Let's be honest Memphians drove to LIT and BNA for cheap Southwest Flights or just drove period. I have no idea of knowing but I feel that narrow mindedness has held the Memphis MSA down I I feel it would be over 2 million had it happened with 100s of thousands of those in East Arkansas.

Edited February 13, 2018 by TRB

[Architect]

Supposedly back in the early 80's Southwest toyed with the Idea of flying into West Memphis. Memphis was the low hanging fruit here. The West Memphis airport was right by I-40 and being in Arkansas, satisfied the Wright Admendment. Memphis was the economic powerhouse of Tennessee back then, not Nashville. It supposedly fell on deaf ears with Clinton and Little Rock out of fear of the effect on LIT. Memphasis and Tennessee feared the effects it would have at MEM.
Looking back, this likely cost East Arkansas an economic fortune. (See North MS.)and Memphis as well. I think MEM would have kept going and the growth of the entire area may have kept it a hub unlike today. Let's be honest Memphians drove to LIT and BNA for cheap Southwest Flights or just drove period. I have no idea of knowing but I feel that narrow mindedness has held the Memphis MSA down I I feel it would be over 2 million had it happened with 100s of thousands of those in East Arkansas.

Wow...very interesting concept about meeting the technical requirements of the Wright Amendment while serving Memphis. But honestly, I can’t imagine it was ever a serious consideration given the SIGNIFICANT upgrades that would have had to be made at West Memphis to accommodate main line service, especially balanced against the fact that the Wright Amendment had a set sunset date, and the fact that Memphis isn’t a huge air traffic market (complicated at the time by its hub status).

If that had happened, it might have had interesting impacts, but certainly wouldn’t be the driver for a scenario you paint of vastly increased population, etc. Remember, Southwest could have served MEM ANYWAY but chose not to go head-to-head with AirTran. It’s doubtful the Wright Amendment had much to do with the decision. Memphis’ struggles are more intrinsically tied to much larger socio-economic issues and market forces than any service by SWA.


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[TRB]

The socio economic issue bit is very much overplayed. There's a difference in being too cheap to fly and not flying because you are getting fleeced. Memphians were fleeced for decades. Since the Delta Dehub, Memphis has seen average fare prices fall 13 quarters in a row. They are projected to pass the top annual mark for locals flying out of Memphis of any time during the hub years. Memphians are finally USING their airport. Southwest would have nurtured that a long long time ago. Right now, Southwest needs to add DEN to both aireports but especially MEM ago their westerner connecting times really suck and's holding them back bigly. They are trying to serve too many markets out of DAL and flight times are suffering from some markets. Maybe it's time they consider a secondary Metroplex airport like McKinney to shift shift some of all that interTexas traffic. They are doing this in Seattle with adding flight from Payne Field, North of Sea Tac.