Portland International Airport (PDX) News

[pdxtraveler]

Originally Posted by Tanaka07

Hope this service returns to PDX. Has anyone heard anything about possible resumption of service?

Unfortunately, I think that is very doubtful. They believe Seattle a more profitable market, and we are so close I doubt they will do both. Besides they don't want to compete with Delta's Amsterdam flight, as in the Portland market frequent travelers are more likely to fly Delta to get Alaska partner miles.

On the upside the President of Delta did hint that if all continues to go well on the Amsterdam flight they may give us Paris down the road.

[tworivers]

Can anyone explain to me why there is such a vast difference in the number of int'l flights between Seattle + Vancouver and Portland? I was just looking at FlightAware by airport code and was blown away by the number of flights to and from Vancouver: Hong Kong, Beijing (2 flights), Tokyo (3 flights), Seoul, Guangzhou, Taipei, Shanghai, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Sydney, Mexico City, etc etc. Seattle had a similar number of flights, including Osaka and Dubai. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I think PDX should have as many int'l flights as those cities (SEA = huge economy, VAN = only west coast Canadian city, big Asian population), I just can't believe that our similarly-sized metro area can only support a single airplane full of people to the entire continent of Europe, the entire continent of Asia, per day. It's depressing. Even Calgary (Amsterdam, Tokyo, London-Heathrow --2 flights--, Manchester, Frankfurt, Mexico) blows us out of the water. Help me out here, knock some sense into me...

[202_Cyclist]

Originally Posted by tworivers

Can anyone explain to me why there is such a vast difference in the number of int'l flights between Seattle + Vancouver and Portland? I was just looking at FlightAware by airport code and was blown away by the number of flights to and from Vancouver: Hong Kong, Beijing (2 flights), Tokyo (3 flights), Seoul, Guangzhou, Taipei, Shanghai, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Sydney, Mexico City, etc etc. Seattle had a similar number of flights, including Osaka and Dubai. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I think PDX should have as many int'l flights as those cities (SEA = huge economy, VAN = only west coast Canadian city, big Asian population), I just can't believe that our similarly-sized metro area can only support a single airplane full of people to the entire continent of Europe, the entire continent of Asia, per day. It's depressing. Even Calgary (Amsterdam, Tokyo, London-Heathrow --2 flights--, Manchester, Frankfurt, Mexico) blows us out of the water. Help me out here, knock some sense into me...

1) Population: As you noted, the Seattle area is about twice the size of Portland.
2) Economic activity: I think Seattle and Washington state have a stronger economy than Oregon.
3) Seattle is an Alaska Airlines hub. Alaska Airlines has codeshare partnerships with many carriers with international service. This provides connecting traffic from throughout the Pacific Northwest.
4) Proximity: Seattle is about a three hour drive from Portland. This is within the catchment area for Seattle for international flights. Many Portland passengers likely drive to Seattle, diverting passengers that would be needed to support international service at PDX.

[tworivers]

Thanks 202_Cyclist. Kind of a stupid question, I know, it's just something I've been wishing were different about Portland. Having those kinds of direct connections to other parts of the world adds a level of vibrancy to a city (or at least reflects a cosmopolitanism that is already there). Certainly not totally lacking here, and getting better, but still...

[pdxtraveler]

Originally Posted by tworivers

Thanks 202_Cyclist. Kind of a stupid question, I know, it's just something I've been wishing were different about Portland. Having those kinds of direct connections to other parts of the world adds a level of vibrancy to a city (or at least reflects a cosmopolitanism that is already there). Certainly not totally lacking here, and getting better, but still...

Just on the good side we are the smallest city in the country to have nonstops to BOTH Europe and Asia.

[Derek]

Originally Posted by tworivers

Thanks 202_Cyclist. Kind of a stupid question, I know, it's just something I've been wishing were different about Portland. Having those kinds of direct connections to other parts of the world adds a level of vibrancy to a city (or at least reflects a cosmopolitanism that is already there). Certainly not totally lacking here, and getting better, but still...

You can kind of say San Diego (smaller metro area [of 3,000,000] overshadowed by a larger metro) is in the same boat. I think the last overseas flight that SAN had was a SAN-LHR British Airways flight back in 2002. They just started that route again last year, and Japan Airlines is adding a SAN-NRT flight later this year.


Tijuana International (20 miles south of SAN) has a daily flight to Tokyo-Narita and Shanghai on Aeromexico (as well as a few other Latin American flights), and you have LAX about 100 miles north of SAN which obviously offers all kinds of international flights.


Seattle is further away from Portland than Los Angeles is from San Diego, so perhaps in the near future we could see at least a few more international flights. Fingers crossed at least.

[Tanaka07]

Think the next international flight out of PDX will be Paris. Delta has been contemplating a new PDX-CDG flight in conjunction with Air France for some time. This will complement the PDX-AMS flight. The feed from Alaska Airlines helps build the case for more Delta International flights out of Portland.

[davehogan]

Originally Posted by Derek

You can kind of say San Diego (smaller metro area [of 3,000,000] overshadowed by a larger metro) is in the same boat. I think the last overseas flight that SAN had was a SAN-LHR British Airways flight back in 2002. They just started that route again last year, and Japan Airlines is adding a SAN-NRT flight later this year.


Tijuana International (20 miles south of SAN) has a daily flight to Tokyo-Narita and Shanghai on Aeromexico (as well as a few other Latin American flights), and you have LAX about 100 miles north of SAN which obviously offers all kinds of international flights.


Seattle is further away from Portland than Los Angeles is from San Diego, so perhaps in the near future we could see at least a few more international flights. Fingers crossed at least.

SAN has a 9000 foot runway as well as hills that prevent most planes from being fully loaded because they'd weigh too much to not crash. It has hills and downtown on the other end of the runway as well, so there are practical reasons for airlines to fly into Ontario and LAX instead.

One big problem for San Diego's airport is they don't have anywhere to put a replacement, so they're pretty much constrained to a 9000 foot runway they can't put to it's maximum use. The last study I was involved with came up with two options that wouldn't require trying to get the military to give up a base. They were both pretty crazy.

One was a floating airport 8 miles off Ocean Beach, with high speed boats shuttling pre-screened passengers out to it. The other was basically cutting the top off of a mountain, using it to fill in some valleys, and building the airport there. It was about 90 miles east of anywhere, and would have involved building a $20 billion maglev rail tunnel through the mountains so that it would be "closer" than just using Ontario, LAX, Tijuana, or John Wayne, Burbank, etc.

SAN isn't the best comparison to PDX which is a paradise as far as planning ahead regarding aviation. SAN is more like having the airport on Swan Island still.

[Derek]

Originally Posted by davehogan

SAN isn't the best comparison to PDX which is a paradise as far as planning ahead regarding aviation. SAN is more like having the airport on Swan Island still.

All of your other points are valid, but I have to disagree with it not being comparable. It is somewhat comparable.

[Tanaka07]

Spirit Announces Nonstop Portland-San Diego route

Daily beginning November 8, 2012.

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2012/08/spirit_airlines_plans_nonstop.html

What new flights will we see next from PDX?

[Derek]

I just read Southwest is ending their Portland-Spokane route early next year.



It'd be cool to see a Portland-Orlando flight with Alaska Airlines.

[Shilo Rune 96]

Originally Posted by Tanaka07

Spirit Announces Nonstop Portland-San Diego route

Daily beginning November 8, 2012.

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2012/08/spirit_airlines_plans_nonstop.html

What new flights will we see next from PDX?

Sweet! They are so cheap

[Web]

Originally Posted by Shilo Rune 96

Sweet! They are so cheap

yeah no checked bags.no carryon bags, middle seat.......

[pdxtraveler]

Originally Posted by Web

yeah no checked bags.no carryon bags, middle seat.......

Yeah, agreed. NOT a big Spirit fan. I am a corporate travel agent and try to avoid them like the plague.

As for the PDX-Orlando on Alaska they tried that two or three years ago, must not have done will as it is gone.

[davehogan]

Originally Posted by Web

yeah no checked bags.no carryon bags, middle seat.......

If I can take a backpack with my laptop, a change of clothes or two, and some toiletries it might be worth it. For the right price, and staying at a hostel or a friend's couch, flying to SD with no amenities might be something I'd be okay with.

[pdxtraveler]

Originally Posted by davehogan

If I can take a backpack with my laptop, a change of clothes or two, and some toiletries it might be worth it. For the right price, and staying at a hostel or a friend's couch, flying to SD with no amenities might be something I'd be okay with.

That's just it, you will be charged for the backpack. Always something more. lol!

[Derek]

Originally Posted by pdxtraveler

As for the PDX-Orlando on Alaska they tried that two or three years ago, must not have done will as it is gone.

Ah, didn't know that. I only said that because San Diego just got a SAN-MCO flight.

[Tanaka07]

Alaska Announces Nonstop Portland-Fairbanks service


http://splash.alaskasworld.com/Newsroom/ASNews/ASstories/AS_20130212_045844.asp

[WestCoast]

Unfortunately YYZ-PDX non stop is going away. I was booked on this for a quick business trip to Toronto and it's now canceled.

I'm pretty loyal to AS/DL but the non stop was so much faster than PDX-MSP-YYZ.

--
United is starting a seasonal CLE-PDX according to airliners.net.


--
Dunno if it was mentioned but modified 767s will be running the PDX-NRT route starting in March. Good news since I'm using it in April. The old ones are just dreadful.

[RED_PDXer]

Originally Posted by WestCoast

Unfortunately YYZ-PDX non stop is going away. I was booked on this for a quick business trip to Toronto and it's now canceled.

I'm pretty loyal to AS/DL but the non stop was so much faster than PDX-MSP-YYZ.

--
United is starting a seasonal CLE-PDX according to airliners.net.


--
Dunno if it was mentioned but modified 767s will be running the PDX-NRT route starting in March. Good news since I'm using it in April. The old ones are just dreadful.

I never bothered to learn airport codes.. I'm so lost with this post.