AUSTIN | ABIA Updates

[ILUVSAT]

I would imagine that there would be specific airline (check-in) counters in the North Terminal that would not be located in the South Terminal, and visa versa. So, I'm not sure that dropping off a passenger at one terminal to fly out of the other would be accomplished as easily as suggested. Unless one was traveling without any checked baggage.

[Jdawgboy]

You know I didn't consider the drop off and pick up area which is weird because I had to drop off and pick up in July and it was really hard to get into a spot. How in the world did they expect the current length of the lower and upper deck would be sufficient for a terminal with 45 or 50 gates? Doesn't look like there is any way for them to expand that and really they are going to have to do something.

[DoubleC]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

You know I didn't consider the drop off and pick up area which is weird because I had to drop off and pick up in July and it was really hard to get into a spot. How in the world did they expect the current length of the lower and upper deck would be sufficient for a terminal with 45 or 50 gates? Doesn't look like there is any way for them to expand that and really they are going to have to do something.

Again the growth Austin is getting was very unanticipated, so the airport is suffering much like the highways we have. There doesn't appear to be a solution as simple as adding more space for drivers to drop off travelers. Perhaps encourage and expand public transportation/shuttling? Haha...

Even with a South Terminal (not the low-cost terminal), adding those midfield concourses (if they ever happen) would really challenge the current drop-off facilities. Perhaps if the airport decides to try this proposal, they could stick with just one midfield terminal and then build an airport elsewhere once the airport's final version reaches its limits.

Also Southwest is adding seasonal flights to Memphis; weekend flights in the winter, reduced to a Saturday (?) flight afterwards. Whoohoo I guess, lol.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by DoubleC

Even with a South Terminal (not the low-cost terminal), adding those midfield concourses (if they ever happen) would really challenge the current drop-off facilities.

If they did build a new South Terminal, they don't have to build it with land side security arrangements, they could just build it with air side security arrangements. All that would be needed is an underground People Mover system or moving sidewalks connecting the air side of both the North and South Terminals.

As for additional drop off loading spaces on the land side of the North Terminal, building a second drive; either above, below, or parallel to the existing drive; will work.

[jbssfelix]

Council has voted to move forward with the South Terminal lease.

https://twitter.com/AshleyG_KVUE/sta...50805803761664

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by jbssfelix

Council has voted to move forward with the South Terminal lease.

https://twitter.com/AshleyG_KVUE/sta...50805803761664

Now that this is settled, barring a major, major renovation, travelers using this terminal should be given a disclosure that says, 'This terminal in no way represents the overall quality and beauty of ABIA or the city of Austin. It is intended for penny pinching passengers like you. Please remember you got what you paid for. Before you complain on facebook, twitter, yelp, ect...try booking your next flight on any of the other airlines that use the REAL terminal. Enjoy your over priced vending machine food and your climb up the ladder to your plane. Hope the weather is nice or you might get cold and wet while waiting behind wheel chair bound passengers back lifted up one step at a time. Have a nice day?!'

[Digatisdi]

Originally Posted by the Genral

Before you complain on facebook, twitter, yelp, ect...try booking your next flight on any of the other airlines that use the REAL terminal.

Add in Skytrax reviews too

Lord have you seen those reviews? Most of them are several years old (like from 2007) and the many of them have absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the airport but are rather, "Traffic on the highway going to the airport was bad and they don't have a Starbucks, 2/10"

[GoldenBoot]

Something to watch? Maybe?

JAL is re-establishing their NRT-DFW route beginning 30 November 2015. This route was cancelled back in late 2001. JAL will be using their B788 on the route and flying 4 times a week (M, W, F, Su).

Could JAL choose to fly to AUS on the remaining days of the week (Tu, Th, & Sa)? Possibly...but, probably not very likely (at least at this juncture). Just something to watch.

[DoubleC]

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

Something to watch? Maybe?

JAL is re-establishing their NRT-DFW route beginning 30 November 2015. This route was cancelled back in late 2001. JAL will be using their B788 on the route and flying 4 times a week (M, W, F, Su).

Could JAL choose to fly to AUS on the remaining days of the week (Tu, Th, & Sa)? Possibly...but, probably not very likely (at least at this juncture). Just something to watch.

There's probably a better chance of a Austin-Tokyo route than to Seoul since the city has listed it as a "priority route", if we all remember.

As for your question, it probably wouldn't happen unless Austin leaders actually went up to a JAL official and said "hey while you're at it, we'd like to have you over here just South of DFW".

[Jdawgboy]

Well it's September. We usually hear about new routes that would start in the first quarter of the next year around now. Any guesses as to what we could expect over the next couple of months in terms of new routes or possibly new carriers?

[Austin1971]

T

[Speculator]

Originally Posted by Austin1971

The new domestic and international air service incentive program was adopted yesterday so we might see some new announcements.

http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=237257

Not sure why London is on that list. Adding another London flight would be overkill. I'm surprised they aren't trying to entice one of the ME3.

Austin needs to be more targeted and focus on operators of 788 or 789 or maybe some 763 or 4. That would bode well Tokyo, Abu Dhabi/Doha, Gunagzhou or Beijing.

[jbssfelix]

Originally Posted by Speculator

Not sure why London is on that list. Adding another London flight would be overkill. I'm surprised they aren't trying to entice one of the ME3.

Austin needs to be more targeted and focus on operators of 788 or 789 or maybe some 763 or 4. That would bode well Tokyo, Abu Dhabi/Doha, Gunagzhou or Beijing.

Probably because there's already flights to the ME3 from Houston (oil, you know).

[DoubleC]

Originally Posted by Speculator

Not sure why London is on that list. Adding another London flight would be overkill. I'm surprised they aren't trying to entice one of the ME3.

Austin needs to be more targeted and focus on operators of 788 or 789 or maybe some 763 or 4. That would bode well Tokyo, Abu Dhabi/Doha, Gunagzhou or Beijing.

DFW has reported lower passenger numbers on their European nonstops (I forget which routes exactly if not all), which was a result of all three Gulf Carriers serving the airport. Fewer people are connecting via American or British Airways, and the Big three are in a bit of a scuffle with the Gulf Carriers and the "Open Skies Agreement".

http://www.star-telegram.com/news/bu...e16090664.html

Plus as mentioned way back, they would probably serve another major airport first before Austin, like O'Hare or Miami (though they will be/are serving Orlando). British Airways already operates out of a lot of major cities in the US, so they started to serve secondary cities like Austin with the 787 (Nashville will also be seeing BA 787 service this year I think). I guess you can say international airline service starts service at the top with major airports, then "trickles down" to smaller cities after time, as Austin experienced.



KLM will be getting 787-9s by the end of this year, so an Amsterdam route could happen, assuming the 787 economics are good enough and there are enough people flying across the pond each week.

[Austin1971]

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[Digatisdi]

I think it'll be interesting to see how the Condor route affects the BA route during the season in which it operates. I'd argue they're marketed toward different people, but I'm sure that both the routes will be watched closely in the coming year.

[GoldenBoot]

I don't think BA is too concerned with the entrance of Condor as a seasonal competitor.

In 2016, they, Condor, will only have about 20 arrivals and 20 departures (2 x per week x roughly 10 weeks) during the summer months. During that same timeframe, BA will have approximately 140 round trips.

[Digatisdi]

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

I don't think BA is too concerned with the entrance of Condor as a seasonal competitor.

In 2016, they, Condor, will only have about 20 arrivals and 20 departures (2 x per week x roughly 10 weeks) during the summer months. During that same timeframe, BA will have approximately 140 round trips.

I'm not concerned at all, nor do I think BA would be, but I think that other airlines that don't currently serve the airport will be watching, and if I remember correctly DE is flying a 767 in? It'll be interesting to see the effect that has on overall airport numbers, even though it's a somewhat infrequent seasonal route.

[Austin1971]

Pi

[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by Digatisdi

I'm not concerned at all, nor do I think BA would be, but I think that other airlines that don't currently serve the airport will be watching, and if I remember correctly DE is flying a 767 in? It'll be interesting to see the effect that has on overall airport numbers, even though it's a somewhat infrequent seasonal route.

Yes, sir. You are correct. According to Condor's press release they will be flying their 259-seat, B763ER on the FRA-AUS route. It will be a three class seating arrangement: 18 business class, 35 premium class and 206 economy class seats.

Regarding impact on ABIA's numbers, there will be a total of 1036 seats available per week on the route (518 to AUS and 518 to FRA). And, if I am not mistaken the flights commence on Monday, June 27, 2016 and the first season ends on Thursday, September 1, 2016 (10 weeks/20 flight in/20 flights out). So, if that is the case, Condor will have the maximum capacity to increase ABIA's 2016 numbers by 10,360 passengers (or roughly 7,770 at a load factor of ~75%).