Quote:
Originally Posted by otnemarcaS
Really good to hear this. I plan to fly to Toronto next year. Price seems competitive as well for a nonstop flight.
Hopefully they also add SMF to Montreal nonstops in the future.
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Although my contacts at SMF have been greatly depleated over the years, I still get a juicy tidbit tossed my way on occasion.
Talking with a few folks in the industry and they said the SMF team is ecstatic because Air Canada was choosing between reinstating service to Toronto from San Jose, where it had been 3x/day prior to the lockdowns, or starting new service to Sacramento.
Obviously, they went with SMF. The local team relishes any victory over San Jose and this may be the first time SMF has come out on top for an international route (no one could remember another time).
Hoping the local community jumps all over this flight cuz it really is a pretty big deal.
Btw - a couple of things you may not have heard is that Alaska is increasing the number of flights to San Diego next year to 7x/day. Southwest increases service to Saint Louis to 6x/week (up from 1x/week at present). And... Southwest returns to Nashville on March 11 with a 1x/week - Saturday only flight departing at 8:05am (the return flight ariives @ 12:55pm).
That Nashville flight has done well in the past so I think we can expect to see that grow as more pilots and equipment return to the skies.
I'm told that Kansas City remains a definite add once the new airport there opens in March (of course, I was told Puerto Vallarta was a definite add and we saw how that went...)
Still some gaping holes left from the lockdown carnage (Orlando, Detroit, Baltimore, New Orleans among the most painful) and some long-sought service is significantly delayed (LHR, NRT/HND now not expected until the end of decade), but SMF has more than held its own.
This is refelcted in the recent FRQ requests for termnal and concourse expansions.
RFQ packages are due December 20 for a new passenger walkway connecting Terminal B (Landside) to Concourse B (airside). As you know, at present you can only get between the terminal and the gates by the Automatic People Mover. This walkway will also be used to connect a future Concourse C.
Also due December 20 are qualifications to add six to eight gates to the existing terminals. The airport team is finalizing the preferred mix and alternatives for each terminal now.
However the gates are split between terminals, it will also require additional baggage claim carousels, baggage handling system expansion and related improvements, additional ticket counters, and office space.
The rest of the schedule looks like this...
December 20, 2022 - RFQ due date
January 5, 2023 - Interview invitation letters sent to proposers
January 18 - 19, 2023 - Interviews
March 21, 2023 - Recommendations of selection presented to Board
April 4, 2023 - Effective date of agreement with selected proposer
The terms for these services start at five years with two one-year extensions. So probably looking at best case 2027 to use the new gates. That's only four or so years and really not bad at all for these kinds of things.
While no one had specific dates for the new walkway, it is on an accelerated schedule because it is part of an ADA-related agreement.
I'll be flying into SMF at least one more time this year. I always look forward to it.
Happy flying everyone!
