Delta - NWA merger effect on VPS and PFN

[BeachSiO2]

Article on MSNBC predicts that fares will be higher and that United & Continental will now merge to stay competitive.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24128795

And if I were to GUESS, I would say there will be more people fighting for fewer frequent flyer seats so those will be even harder to get..

 

[ASH]

The new Panama City hub will have some impact on the routes coming out of VPS. It has to just due to its proposed size. Years into the future, but something to keep an eye on. It could become a threat to Memphis from a passenger standpoint. Memphis is a huge shipping hub regardless of the people flowing through it. Memphis isn't going anywhere soon as far as brick and mortar which then stands to reason makes sense to keep people in the mix.
Now that I am in SRB, I don't know which would be closer, Panama City or Fort Walton Beach for future flights. I sure don't like the idea of travel to Pensacola to get anywhere anymore. I personally appreciate FWB right now.

 

[Will B]

The new Panama City hub will have some impact on the routes coming out of VPS.

Not unless demand dictates it. Obviously, the demand is not there, yet, as the VPS aircraft are packed whereas the PFN aircraft are not.

As I've said on other airport threads, airlines do not operate on the Field of Dreams principal..."Build it, and they will come..."
You can have a beautiful new airport, but unless the paying public shows a need to change frequency / aircraft size based on passenger yields it's just not going to happen. VPS is only 60 miles away, yet, it warrants larger aircraft and a few more flights a day. By and large, the passengers using VPS either have no need to fly into PFN, or they are choosing not to fly into it for other reasons. Wait until all the condos are finished. You'll see demand pick up...

 

[Matt J]

SC, my understanding for the aircraft size difference was due to the shorter/restrictive runway currently at PFN. Is that incorrect as well?

 

[beachmouse]

It's not like you can land a 747 at PFN like you can at VPS (which is long enough to land a 747 with a Space Shuttle piggybacked on it there). But it is long enough to safely handle a fair number of mid-sized jets, and is actually not that much shorter than the 'long' runway at Washington National, and National handles a ton of those planes every day.

 

[Will B]

SC, my understanding for the aircraft size difference was due to the shorter/restrictive runway currently at PFN. Is that incorrect as well?

The new airport basically being built to the same spec as the old airport. The new runway is not much longer at all. The terminal is the biggest difference between the two airports. I've flown Delta 737's and MD88's into Panama City, but they always got pulled from the route because they were always running way under capacity.

I have the entire project file for the new airport at home, but if I remember correctly, it does say while the runways and taxiways are build to accomodate the weight of something the size of a 757 the airport was designed around aircraft the size of Airbus A319's and 320's (same basic airframe) which are no larger than MD88's.