Portland International Airport (PDX) News - Page 27

WestCoast · #**521** Posted **Feb 28, 2016, 8:12 PM**

speaking of which...

off to the UK this week. Have to do the dreaded PDX-SEA-LHR connection.

Everyone pray extra hard for PDX-LHR non-stop in 2017!

Tanaka07 · #**522** Posted **Mar 10, 2016, 6:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WestCoast

speaking of which...

off to the UK this week. Have to do the dreaded PDX-SEA-LHR connection.

Everyone pray extra hard for PDX-LHR non-stop in 2017!

You might get your way:

https://twitter.com/bmwwyatt/status/707511361421479936

Bill Wyatt, Executive Director at Port of Portland, is meeting with the Virgin Atlantic network group in London.

Could Virgin Atlantic beat BA to starting PDX-LHR/LGW?

Derek · #**523** Posted **Mar 10, 2016, 6:18 PM**

I'd love to see it but they wouldn't really be getting much feed on either end. How does the O/D traffic look on PDX-LHR/LGW?

maccoinnich · #**524** Posted **Mar 10, 2016, 6:43 PM**

That would be awesome. Having flown across the Atlantic with both BA and Virgin, I much prefer Virgin.

Tanaka07 · #**525** Posted **Mar 11, 2016, 6:39 PM**

IcelandAir expands Portland service

- service resumes in May with two weekly
- increases to four weekly flights in June and decreases back to two weekly in September
- season continues through January 2017
- resumption in March 2017

Service already available for booking.

Looking at fares for next winter to Europe, these additional IcelandAir flights are nearly 600$ cheaper than all other airlines!

Derek · #**526** Posted **Mar 11, 2016, 6:43 PM**

So Icelandair is basically serving PDX for 10 months out of the year now? March-January (after resumption this May)? Did I read that right? That's huge news if they are.

Tanaka07 · #**527** Posted **Mar 11, 2016, 6:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Derek

So Icelandair is basically serving PDX for 10 months out of the year now? March-January (after resumption this May)? Did I read that right? That's huge news if they are.

Correct. This IS big news for flights to Europe from Portland.

tworivers · #**528** Posted **Mar 12, 2016, 9:04 AM**

Flyertalk forum discussion of PDX-LHR via Virgin Atlantic.

WestCoast · #**529** Posted **Mar 12, 2016, 1:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by tworivers

Flyertalk forum discussion of PDX-LHR via Virgin Atlantic.

Only problem I have is if it would get any feed from AS.
Right now, Virgin and AS don't work together.
Now, Delta owns (49%?) of Virgin Atlantic.... so, I dunno, there could be something there.

Much prefer BA doing it, with AS connections on this side and their extensive network on the LHR side.

--
And ask expected, PDX-SEA-LHR sucked, the return was worse, but TONS of empty seats to lay out on

PDX-LHR, come on lady luck!

pylon · #**530** Posted **Mar 12, 2016, 11:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Derek

So Icelandair is basically serving PDX for 10 months out of the year now? March-January (after resumption this May)? Did I read that right? That's huge news if they are.

i wonder how much of this is driven by budget-minded european canna-tourists wanting to check out oregon's recreational wares.

maccoinnich · #**531** Posted **Mar 13, 2016, 12:20 AM**

I can see Virgin to Portland working. Some background:

Until 2008, when the Bermuda II Agreement was superseded by the EU–US Open Skies Agreement, the only US carriers that were allowed to fly into Heathrow were American Airlines and United Airlines (as the successor airlines to TWA and Pan Am, respectively). Other US carriers had to fly to the much less prestigious Gatwick airport. As soon as the EU-US agreement came into force Delta started flying to Heathrow (as did Northwest, with whom it later merged). However given their late start, Delta is playing catch up on the other two big US carriers. As of last year, American has 13% of the seats out of Heathrow to the US; United 14.34%; and Delta 7.92%. AA is way ahead when you consider that they're in a joint venture with British Airways, who have 31.9% of seats between Heathrow and the US.

This is why Delta acquired 49% of Virgin Atlantic in 2013, which is the maximum a non-EU based company can own. Delta really wants to grow in the UK market, and can't do it all alone. Virgin offer 22.19% of the seats between Heathrow and the US, which means that the combined Virgin-Delta joint venture now offer 30% of the seats between London and the US. Virgin and Delta split the revenues from any flights across the Atlantic to the UK equally, which means that from a financial perspective Delta is just as happy to have you fly on Virgin as they would be if you flew with them.

So why would Virgin consider Portland? Well, Delta is well positioned to sell tickets on the flight, given that they already have contracts in place with large employers in based in Oregon. (Virgin can obviously handle the sales in the UK). BA wouldn't be so well positioned given that its US partner, AA, doesn't have a large presence here. Virgin is also in the process of transitioning its fleet away from really large planes like the A340 and 747, towards smaller planes like the the A330 and 787. It's probably a lot more realistic to fill 264 seats on a 787 out of Portland than it would be for 367 seats on a 747. Boeing designed the 787 as the plane that could make long, thin routes financially viable for airlines, and PDX-LHR might just be that kind of route.

Derek · #**532** Posted **Mar 14, 2016, 5:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

I can see Virgin to Portland working. Some background:

Until 2008, when the Bermuda II Agreement was superseded by the EU–US Open Skies Agreement, the only US carriers that were allowed to fly into Heathrow were American Airlines and United Airlines (as the successor airlines to TWA and Pan Am, respectively). Other US carriers had to fly to the much less prestigious Gatwick airport. As soon as the EU-US agreement came into force Delta started flying to Heathrow (as did Northwest, with whom it later merged). However given their late start, Delta is playing catch up on the other two big US carriers. As of last year, American has 13% of the seats out of Heathrow to the US; United 14.34%; and Delta 7.92%. AA is way ahead when you consider that they're in a joint venture with British Airways, who have 31.9% of seats between Heathrow and the US.

This is why Delta acquired 49% of Virgin Atlantic in 2013, which is the maximum a non-EU based company can own. Delta really wants to grow in the UK market, and can't do it all alone. Virgin offer 22.19% of the seats between Heathrow and the US, which means that the combined Virgin-Delta joint venture now offer 30% of the seats between London and the US. Virgin and Delta split the revenues from any flights across the Atlantic to the UK equally, which means that from a financial perspective Delta is just as happy to have you fly on Virgin as they would be if you flew with them.

So why would Virgin consider Portland? Well, Delta is well positioned to sell tickets on the flight, given that they already have contracts in place with large employers in based in Oregon. (Virgin can obviously handle the sales in the UK). BA wouldn't be so well positioned given that its US partner, AA, doesn't have a large presence here. Virgin is also in the process of transitioning its fleet away from really large planes like the A340 and 747, towards smaller planes like the the A330 and 787. It's probably a lot more realistic to fill 264 seats on a 787 out of Portland than it would be for 367 seats on a 747. Boeing designed the 787 as the plane that could make long, thin routes financially viable for airlines, and PDX-LHR might just be that kind of route.

I never thought of it that way before. It makes a lot of sense. I was thinking BA would have an advantage because they could get feed from Alaska Airlines, but Delta's business partnerships certainly helps for VS. I don't know if Delta would want to poach Europe-bound customers from their AMS flight, but stranger things have happened. I wonder if Delta/VS could sustain a daily flight to AMS and LHR from PDX...

Tanaka07 · #**533** Posted **Mar 15, 2016, 3:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Derek

I never thought of it that way before. It makes a lot of sense. I was thinking BA would have an advantage because they could get feed from Alaska Airlines, but Delta's business partnerships certainly helps for VS. I don't know if Delta would want to poach Europe-bound customers from their AMS flight, but stranger things have happened. I wonder if Delta/VS could sustain a daily flight to AMS and LHR from PDX...

I think DL running PDX-AMS alongside PDX-CDG is much more likely. Tremendous amount of feed from skyteam's paris hub.

babs · #**534** Posted **Mar 15, 2016, 3:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tanaka07

I think DL running PDX-AMS alongside PDX-CDG is much more likely. Tremendous amount of feed from skyteam's paris hub.

CDG is the worst airport in Europe. Avoid it as a place a connecting point if you can. Have had several bad incidents at that airport to the point to where I would do anything to avoid it in the future.

maccoinnich · #**535** Posted **Apr 4, 2016, 4:20 AM**

This sort of fits in this thread:

Quote:

Alaska Airlines Wants To Buy Virgin America, But Is It A Good Fit?

Alaska Airlines is attempting to buy the airline Virgin America.

Bloomberg News reported this week that Seattle-based Alaska Air Group, Inc. and JetBlue Airways Corp. have both submitted takeover bids to Virgin America, Inc.

While all three airlines operate in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska dwarfs both Virgin America and JetBlue in both routes and passenger capacity.

Virgin America flies from Portland to San Francisco, and from Seattle to San Francisco and Los Angeles. Those are routes Alaska also flies, so a Virgin takeover will probably not affect air travelers in the Northwest much.

It’s the first time since 2008 — when Delta Air Lines bought Northwest Airlines — that a carrier with a substantial presence in the Pacific Northwest has been in a deal like this.

Airline industry analyst and writer Brett Snyder told OPB’s All Things Considered that Alaska might be interested in Virgin America not so much to absorb the Northwest routes, but to eliminate a competitor, especially in California.

....continues at OPB. (Since that piece was on air, it has emerged that Alaska is the likely winner).

Derek · #**536** Posted **Apr 4, 2016, 5:29 PM**

Hopefully Alaska doesn't neglect PDX after acquiring all these new routes out of SFO/LAX...

babs · #**537** Posted **Apr 4, 2016, 8:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Derek

Hopefully Alaska doesn't neglect PDX after acquiring all these new routes out of SFO/LAX...

There is a pretty good bet that Seattle and Portland will not much in the way of new routes added for a while until they absorb Virgin America. In the long run, it's really hard to predict if this will have any impact on our local market but I do think they will be preoccupied over the next several years to try and make this work.

PDX City-State · #**538** Posted **Apr 4, 2016, 9:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by babs

There is a pretty good bet that Seattle and Portland will not much in the way of new routes added for a while until they absorb Virgin America. In the long run, it's really hard to predict if this will have any impact on our local market but I do think they will be preoccupied over the next several years to try and make this work.

I don't think that it will. Alaska and Delta have been going for each others throats, and this play makes Alaska more competitive nationally. But Portland is still a priority hub and their number two market, so I imagine Alaska's presence will only increase. Now let's hope to see some directs from PDX to JFK or Newark. Alaska is so much better than Delta.

trofirhen · #**539** Posted **Apr 5, 2016, 8:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Derek

I never thought of it that way before. It makes a lot of sense. I was thinking BA would have an advantage because they could get feed from Alaska Airlines, but Delta's business partnerships certainly helps for VS. I don't know if Delta would want to poach Europe-bound customers from their AMS flight, but stranger things have happened. I wonder if Delta/VS could sustain a daily flight to AMS and LHR from PDX...

I'm from Vancouver, and researching Portland, I notice that Portland metro pop. is very similar to ours .... AND Portland's metro GDP is higher than Vancouver's. (You guys have more $$$)
I therefore wonder why a LHR is not a top priority. I know that the system in the USA is different than in Canada. In the States, various airlines have "hub" cities (DL in Atlanta being a huge example, or American at Dallas).
London is usually the top European destination for North American cities. Would British Airways be allowed to fly into PDX?
If yes, I am sure it would be profitable, unless Portland air traffic is dictated by DELTA.
LHR to YVR is big. We have BA once a day, plus Air Canada twice a day. That's a lot of pax. Plus, for the summer, BA is using the huge A380, daily.
PDX to LHR is feasible, surely!!!
Portland is a great city to visit, and people there would want a flight to London, surely.

pdxtraveler · #**540** Posted **Apr 5, 2016, 8:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trofirhen

I'm from Vancouver, and researching Portland, I notice that Portland metro pop. is very similar to ours .... AND Portland's metro GDP is higher than Vancouver's. (You guys have more $$$)
I therefore wonder why a LHR is not a top priority. I know that the system in the USA is different than in Canada. In the States, various airlines have "hub" cities (DL in Atlanta being a huge example, or American at Dallas).
London is usually the top European destination for North American cities. Would British Airways be allowed to fly into PDX?
If yes, I am sure it would be profitable, unless Portland air traffic is dictated by DELTA.
LHR to YVR is big. We have BA once a day, plus Air Canada twice a day. That's a lot of pax. Plus, for the summer, BA is using the huge A380, daily.
PDX to LHR is feasible, surely!!!
Portland is a great city to visit, and people there would want a flight to London, surely.

Our problem is not so much population as proximity to Seattle.