Jet Blue to serve Puerto Plata

[POP Bad Boy]

For years................

I don't understand how people think that a non-stop from JFK-POP would not be popular.

Regardless of whether the plane will be 90% full of dominicans or tourists, the flight will be PACKED.

......from probably 1993 to around 2004 or so American Airlines flew direct to POP with up to 3 flights a day...............then when STI opened they were down to 1 flight per day and then none.............


........their reasoning was that while the flights were mostly full (I remember 3 flights per day full almost all year) most people were from the Santiago / Mau / La Vega area etc....and traveled to POP..... They claimed that the POP flight could not be supported by just POP people or tourists (since most come on charters) once they moved the operations to STI...

It will be interesting to see if Jet Blue lasts.........since even Continental doesn't fly to POP on a daily basis I don't think........

 

[bigbird]

......since even Continental doesn't fly to POP on a daily basis I don't think........

You are correct, Continental does not fly into POP on a daily basis year round.

 

[bigbird]

I doubled checked the Continental website. This time of year Continental flies one flight per day four days a week direct to POP. Is this the only airline in the tri-state area that has direct flights to POP?

 

[POP Bad Boy]

Yes,..........

I doubled checked the Continental website. This time of year Continental flies one flight per day four days a week direct to POP. Is this the only airline in the tri-state area that has direct flights to POP?

.......and that's why I questioned BERZIN's feelings that Jet Blue will do very well..............Before STI, American had their 3 flights per day, TWA (prior to being bought by AA) had one and Continental had theirs..............

.........they are all gone now and there must be a reason for it..........

Personally, I always flew JFK to POP, now I have to fly to STI and have then have a 1.5 hour trip to and from the airport whenever I want to go to NY....

I'd like to see the Jet Blue Route, even though I won't take it, cause I will only fly American Airlines........

 

[aegap]

...pas de probl?me!

First let me say that I am not questioning your information, just trying to verify it.

I get a daily update from Travelweekly.com and I have searched my saved e-mails as well as using the search function on the Travelweekly.com website and I cannot find this announcement.

Do you have a link to the story or can you tell me where your information came from?

Gregg

I meant to include the actual link, ...


With Ritz-Carlton's resort and residential entry into the luxury Cap Cana project under development on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic, can other Marriott brands be far behind?
<o></o>
Marriott boss J.W. "Bill" Marriott Jr. hinted at that when he expressed hope that "one or more of our other hotel brands also will fit in with Cap Cana's plans for this world class destination."
<o></o>
Cap Cana comprises 30,000 acres -- TC guesses there is more than enough room for additional hotel brands.



News Briefs, Week of Oct. 1, 2007

Four Seasons eyes Dominican Republic
The Four Seasons brand is coming to the Dominican Republic's La Romana region with a $120 million resort scheduled to open in the winter of 2009. The 200-room Four Seasons de Casa de Campo Resort will be set on 67 aces.
<o></o>
Dominican Republic Tourism Minister Felix Jimenez hailed the move "as an accomplishment for the hotel industry and our image, helping to bury the vision that the Dominican Republic offers only low-cost, all-inclusive tourism."
JetBlue to serve Puerto Plata
JetBlue filed at the Transportation Department to begin flying to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, saying it was prepared to start service from Kennedy in January.

Travel Weekly - The National Newspaper of the Travel Industry

 

[rellosk]

What is the big deal about the so called cheap prices with JetBlue? I have a ticket EWR-SDQ with Continental that I paid $345. The same dates with JetBlue but JFK-SDQ is $385. I fail to see the bargain.

I agree with you. JetBlue has the lowest advertised fare, but every time I've actually tried to make a reservation their fare seems to be the same or more than Continental.

 

[toneloc24]

Jet Blue won't last in the POP market. Many have tried and then pulled the plug on it. Not enough money nor incentive in it. Yes, the flights may sometimes appear full. However, airlines might be lucky to break even on the POP route.

Delta has had the ATL-POP route for little under a year, and are seriously looking at pulling it. I've seen some internal documents to that fact. For now, they've reduced the frequencies for the off-season. I doubt if the route will exist past winter. Seriously, they barely turn any type of profit on this route even with a full plane, due to taxes and landing fees then reduced fares to serve the market. Too much trouble.

 

[tflea]

Sr.

You also said on Aug. 15 msg. that you had 'internal sources at DL' that they would pull the plug 'very shortly' on both STI and POP and that was 2 months ago. You say now that JetBlue doesn't have enough incentives and will lose money which tells me you definitely don't know what is happening with B6 and the incentives they will get to fly here. If you can't divulge your sources for whatever reason, at least tone down your certainty.

 

[Rocky]

You also said on Aug. 15 msg. that you had 'internal sources at DL' that they would pull the plug 'very shortly' on both STI and POP and that was 2 months ago. You say now that JetBlue doesn't have enough incentives and will lose money which tells me you definitely don't know what is happening with B6 and the incentives they will get to fly here. If you can't divulge your sources for whatever reason, at least tone down your certainty.

I don't have the connections and inside info that you have, so my opinion is based only on what NYC and area tourists often say to me, that they wish there were more direct flights to POP.
The other thing I know, is that it seems that half the Americans who I pick up at the airport, seem to be coming from NYC and area.
So my assumption is that Jet Blue's proposed direct flight, would work out.
What do you think?

 

[bigbird]

So my assumption is that Jet Blue's proposed direct flight, would work out.
What do you think?

I don't know where JetBlue expects to get the passengers. Continental has a hard time filling all the seats on their 4 nonstop flights per week. Bear in mind that some of these passengers come from NY.

Sure people say they would love to see a nonstop to POP from NYC. Just like I say I would love to see an early evening flight to SDQ. Are the numbers there to support these flights..............I think NOT

 

[Tamborista]

Sure people say they would love to see a nonstop to POP from NYC. Just like I say I would love to see an early evening flight to SDQ. Are the numbers there to support these flights..............I think NOT

Are you the new Goldman Airline analyst now?
Please take a look at the JBLU model before you babble any further.

tambo'

 

[bigbird]

Are you the new Goldman Airline analyst now?
Please take a look at the JBLU model before you babble any further.

tambo'

I can babble as much as I please I do believe I was responding to the question "What do I think" not what does someone else think.

 

[Rocky]

I can babble as much as I please I do believe I was responding to the question "What do I think" not what does someone else think.

Not that I want to be involved in the "Babble Battle", but I was actually asking tflea what he thought, as he works in the industry and is based right in POP airport, so I figure that he might have good insight into how successful direct Jet Blue NYC to POP flights might be.

 

[bigbird]

Not that I want to be involved in the "Babble Battle", .

Ok Rocky, no babble battle here, I ain't got time for that foolishness.

 

[tflea]

Airlines

Airlines are as a fickle as a dog in heat. They have their sophisticated business models for every possible destination. they come and go faster than pizza places on the corner. But JetBlue has studied this market for at least 3 years and have hemmed and hawed for even longer and now have decided it is feasible, given the conditions they have been given.

 

[santobonao]

You also said on Aug. 15 msg. that you had 'internal sources at DL' that they would pull the plug 'very shortly' on both STI and POP and that was 2 months ago. You say now that JetBlue doesn't have enough incentives and will lose money which tells me you definitely don't know what is happening with B6 and the incentives they will get to fly here. If you can't divulge your sources for whatever reason, at least tone down your certainty.

Jetblue has plans to served Punta cana. Delta never had plans to pull out STI, where they make alot of money on that route. Average number of seat that full out in STI route is 150 seats per flight. Delta future in POP is uncertain.

 

[jackieboo]

The most exciting news I think is that there will be additional options for those passengers originating from the west coast. As it stands now there are few options for west coast passengers wanting to fly in and out of POP. The American flight from Miami misconnects on the return to most flights headed west, so one is limited to either Continental or Delta and since their serves have been reduced any new service will be welcomed by west coasters.

 

[bachata]

My cousin manages one of the STI air lines and he told me that POP air fares never will be as competitive as they are in STI. the reason is that they make a lot of money delivering differents products from the industrial and from the agriculture park in Santiago.

 

[suarezn]

My cousin manages one of the STI air lines and he told me that POP air fares never will be as competitive as they are in STI. the reason is that they make a lot of money delivering differents products from the industrial and from the agriculture park in Santiago.

Huh? From y experience Santiago is the most expensive destination in The DR (except maybe for Samana). I still fly to STI if I can, just because it is so much closer to my house, but It seems that flights into STI are normally 100 / 150 USD more than SDQ, POP or PUJ.

 

[toneloc24]

You also said on Aug. 15 msg. that you had 'internal sources at DL' that they would pull the plug 'very shortly' on both STI and POP and that was 2 months ago. You say now that JetBlue doesn't have enough incentives and will lose money which tells me you definitely don't know what is happening with B6 and the incentives they will get to fly here. If you can't divulge your sources for whatever reason, at least tone down your certainty.

With all due respect, I have an internal DL document stating exactly that the plug on ATL-POP, ATL-STI, and FLL-SDQ would be pulled THIS WINTER. In much more official speak, and the reasoning behind it, the equipment (planes) would be used in more profitable markets. They would maintain focus on the JFK/ATL-SDQ and JFK/ATL-PUJ routes.

However, it was an internal document, and has yet to be released publicly. I'm not sure why, nor is it my business, other than I'll be travelling less to the DR in the near future. Either way, I'm not posting it, nor specifically revealing my sources.

JetBlue would only be the latest in line to start the POP market, only to realize it's not worth it, and pull the route. If there was any kind of real value in it, at the least, American would've stayed there and defended it.