Tag Archives: laguardia airport

Delta to expand its customer Porsche service at LaGuardia, SeaTac and Detroit

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) will expand its customer Porsche service to New York’s LaGuardia Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Detroit Metropolitan Airport this month. Through its pioneering partnership between a U.S. airline and automotive manufacturer, Delta and Porsche have transferred more than 35,000 high-value customers in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul and New York-JFK in the last year.

The program began as a trial at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in 2011 and expanded to Los Angeles, New York-JFK and Minneapolis-St. Paul in 2013. During a typical day more than 100 high-value customers are transferred from gate-to-gate at Delta’s largest hub in Atlanta. Transferring select SkyMiles Diamond Medallion customers with Porsche vehicles is just another way that Delta delivers exceptional customer service for its most valuable flyers while providing a unique travel experience.

There are 19 Porsche vehicles used across the Delta system to whisk customers quickly between connecting gates. Follow a behind-the-scenes video experience with 19 year Delta employee, Dawn, as she transfers three of Delta’s customers at its Minneapolis-St. Paul hub:

The service cannot be requested or reserved but is provided to Diamond Medallion customers based on a number of factors including the day’s flight operations, connections times between flights for customers and a member’s status. Once customers are added to the priority list for the service by Delta’s Elite Services team, they are greeted at the aircraft boarding door and escorted with their baggage to an awaiting vehicle and on to their connecting gate.

Delta Air Lines:

Virgin America touches down at LaGuardia Airport in New York

Virgin America (San Francisco) today (October 28) launched its new service from New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) with four daily nonstop flights to Dallas Love Field (DAL). From today, the airline is now servicing all three major airports in New York with now up to 20 flights departing the New York metropolitan area each day.

Virgin America secured 12 slots at LGA earlier this year as part of the American Airlines merger settlement. The new services have been timed to provide convenient connections with Virgin America’s new nonstop schedule from DAL. This includes three daily nonstop flights from DAL to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). With a loyal following of business travelers, the airline recently announced plans to add a fourth daily trip from DAL to DCA, SFO and LAX as of April 2015.

Virgin America Aircraft Slide Show:

American to restore service from LaGuardia Airport to Atlanta on January 6

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) is resuming service from New York’s LaGuardia Airport to Atlanta starting on January 6, 2015. The restored daily route will probably be operated by Envoy Air under the American Eagle brand with Bombardier CRJ700s according to Airline Route.

Copyright Photo: Ken Petersen/AirlinersGallery.com. Envoy Air’s Bombardier CRJ700 (CL-600-2C10) N543EA arrives in Raleigh-Durham.

American Eagle-Envoy Air:

JetBlue and Cape Air partner with Bridgewater State University to establish a pilot pipeline

JetBlue Airways (New York) and Cape Air (Hyannis) recently announced a new partnership with Bridgewater State University (BSU). BSU is the newest addition to JetBlue’s University Gateway Program, a pilot talent pipeline which partners with top university aviation programs and regional airlines such as Cape Air. BSU is the airline’s first school alliance in its Boston focus city.

JetBlue’s University Gateway Program is a career-planning and mentoring initiative designed to identify and recruit talented professionals into the pilot ranks. The program includes rigorous academic training and valuable regional airline experience. The University Gateway program creates a clearly defined career path for aspiring pilots, beginning early in an aviator’s college career and culminating with the possibility of a final interview at JetBlue.

In late August, Captain Rich Carter, JetBlue’s director system chief pilot, Dr. Dana Mohler-Faria, president of Bridgewater State University and Linda Markham, president of Cape Air officially signed a memorandum of understanding. JetBlue crewmembers as well as school administrators were on hand at Boston’s Logan International Airport to celebrate the announcement. BSU is the seventh university partner for JetBlue’s University Gateway Program. Other academic alliances include the University of North Dakota, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona and Prescott), Auburn University, Jacksonville University and Inter-American University of Puerto Rico.

The University Gateway Program is open to students at participating schools with high academic standing (GPA of 3.0 or above) and recommendations from their professors. It requires a successful series of interviews with JetBlue and a regional airline partner, as well as continued enrollment in an Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI) program. During the Gateway Program, participants intern at Cape Air or other regional airline partners, and then serve as an instructor at their respective flight school. Following that process, candidates fly with Cape Air for at least two years and then receive an interview at JetBlue.

BSU is an AABI accredited university which offers a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Science with concentrations in aviation management or flight training. The university combines a liberal arts education with flight experience and prepares students to fly in varying weather conditions and over mountainous terrain and open waters as well as how to handle operations in both controlled and uncontrolled environments.

Education is a core pillar of JetBlue’s overall strategy and responsibility platform. The airline and its newly launched JetBlue Foundation encourage students to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), including aviation careers from piloting an aircraft to maintaining its engines. JetBlue has a unique education pathway including relationships with elementary school students and mentoring high school and college students to the University Gateway Program, which may lead to positions as Pilot Trainees with the carrier.

Copyright Photo: Ken Petersen/AirlinersGallery.com. A dramatic “up close” runway action view of JetBlue’s special 10th Anniversary color scheme on Airbus A320-232 N569JB (msn 2075) at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.

JetBlue Airways:

Cape Air:

Virgin America to expand its schedule from Dallas Love Field on April 29, 2015

Virgin America (San Francisco) has announces that it will expand its schedule out of Dallas Love Field (DAL) to include four daily nonstop round trips to Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) by adding one new daily nonstop in each of these markets as of April 29, 2015. This expansion is in addition to the four daily nonstop round trip flights to New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) that will begin on October 28, 2014 and the three daily nonstop roundtrip flights to Washington D.C., San Francisco and Los Angeles that begin on October 13, 2014. The new flights will take Virgin America to sixteen departures per day from Love Field. The airline will be the only carrier at Love Field to offer three classes of service (including a First Class cabin and a Main Cabin Select premium economy service) as well as WiFi, in-seat power outlets, confirmed seating and touch-screen seatback entertainment to every guest.

The airline also announced that it will extend its popular second daily roundtrip flight between San Francisco and Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) that it started in July 2014 as part of the airline’s core schedule.

Beginning April 29, 2015, Virgin America’s flight schedule from Dallas Love Field is as follows (frequencies announced today indicated in bold):

Virgin America’s current network of destinations includes Austin, Boston, Cancun, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth (ends October 13, 2014), Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Los Cabos, Newark, New York (JFK), Orlando, Palm Springs (seasonal), Philadelphia (suspends October 6, 2014), Portland, Puerto Vallarta, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. (IAD and DCA). Later this fall, the carrier will launch service from Dallas Love Field (October 13, 2014) and New York’s LaGuardia Airport (October 28, 2014).

Virgin America:

American Airlines ends McDonnell Douglas DC-9-80 (MD-80) service at LaGuardia Airport

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) today (March 5) is ending scheduled McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82/83 (MD-82/83) “Super 80” service at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) according to Airline Route. The aging type was being deployed on the Chicago (O’Hare)-LGA route.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. The older AA aircraft are now being repainted in the new livery as they will be replaced. McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82) N3507A (msn 49801) departs from runway 27R at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

American Airlines (current):

American Airlines (historic):

Southwest Airlines announces new routes

Southwest Airlines (Dallas) has announced its schedule through June 2014. In the wake of the recent slot reallocation concerning New York’s LaGuardia Airport, Southwest is increasing service between LaGuardia and Nashville, Houston Hobby, Chicago Midway and Akron-Canton, Ohio. The new service begins on May 11, 2014.

Southwest Airlines also announced new nonstop service between San Diego and Orlando; New Orleans; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle/Tacoma. The new flights come as Southwest gets ready to celebrate its 32nd anniversary of serving San Diego’s Lindbergh Field.

The airline also is making waves in Portland, Oregon, by offering new nonstop destinations to Customers in the northwest. That includes the two daily nonstop flights to San Diego, as well as daily service to Baltimore/Washington, Chicago Midway, and Houston Hobby.

As Southwest moves toward its final phase of integrating AirTran Airways, new nonstop service at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport includes service to Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Milwaukee, and Pittsburgh.

Southwest Airlines:

AirTran Airways:

Southwest acquires six New York LaGuardia slot pairs, will drop three cities

Southwest Airlines (Dallas) has acquired 12 takeoff and landing slots (for six roundtrip flights) at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) being divested by American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) as part of its merger with US Airways (Phoenix). In addition, Southwest gained permanent control of 10 takeoff and landing slots (for five roundtrip flights) that it currently operates under a lease from American. Details of the transactions are confidential. Southwest plans to begin its new service at LGA in May 2014. Details of the new service will be available later this month.

Southwest and its subsidiary AirTran Airways currently operate 27 daily roundtrip flights to and from LGA to eight nonstop destinations. The acquired slots will allow the airlines to add six daily roundtrips.

Southwest currently serves Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia Airport, and Long Island MacArthur Airport. These six additional roundtrips at LGA will strengthen Southwest’s service to and from the New York City area.

In other news, Southwest Airlines announced its decision to close three cities in the airline’s network. On June 7, 2014, Southwest will cease operations at Branson Airport (BKG), Key West International Airport (EYW), and Jackson-Evers International Airport (JAN). Southwest began service to Jackson-Evers International in 1997. The airline added Branson Airport and Key West International Airport to its route map in 2012 as part of its integration with AirTran, a wholly-owned subsidiary.

“Unfortunately, the level of local demand no longer allows Southwest to profitably serve these markets,” said Bob Jordan, Southwest’s Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. “Southwest takes pride in becoming not only a great choice for air travel in the cities we serve, but we also become a member of the community. These decisions are never easy.”

Over the next six months, Southwest will operate its full schedule at each of these cities, and there will be no disruption to reservations for travel through June 6, 2014.

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. Southwest Airlines retains one Boeing 737-700 in a gold “Southwest Classic” version of the original 1971 color scheme. Boeing 737-7H4 N714CB (msn 27848) taxies at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Southwest Airlines:

NTSB: The captain took over Southwest flight 345 seconds before its hard landing at New York LaGuardia Airport on July 22

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) (Washington) has issued this statement regarding the investigation of the hard landing of Southwest Airlines (Dallas) flight 345 at New York (LaGuardia) on July 22, 2013:

In its continuing investigation of the July 22 accident in which Southwest Airlines flight 345, a Boeing 737-700, landed hard at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA), the National Transportation Safety Board has developed the following factual information:

The captain has been with Southwest for almost 13 years and has been a captain for six of those years. The captain has over 12,000 total flight hours, over 7,000 of which are as pilot-in-command. In 737s, the captain has over 7,900 hours, with more than 2,600 as the pilot-in-command.
The first officer has been with Southwest for about 18 months. The pilot has about 5,200 total flight hours, with 4,000 of those as pilot-in-command. In 737s, the first officer has about 1,100 hours, none of which are as the pilot-in-command.
This was the first trip the flight crew had flown together and it was the second leg of the trip. The first officer had previous operational experience at LGA, including six flights in 2013. The captain reported having flown into LGA twice, including the accident flight, serving as the pilot monitoring for both flights.
The en route phase of the flight, which originated in Nashville, was characterized by the flight crew as routine. On approach into LGA, the first officer was the pilot flying and the captain was the pilot monitoring. SWA 345 was cleared for the ILS Runway 4 approach.
The weather in the New York area caused the accident flight to enter a holding pattern for about 15 minutes. The crew reported that they saw the airport from about 5-10 miles out and that the airplane was on speed, course and glideslope down to about 200-400 feet.
The crew reported that below 1,000 feet, the tailwind was about 11 knots. They also reported that the wind on the runway was a headwind of about 11 knots.
SWA 345 proceeded on the approach when at a point below 400 feet, there was an exchange of control of the airplane and the captain became the flying pilot and made the landing.
The jetliner touched down on the runway nose first followed by the collapse of the nose gear; the airplane was substantially damaged.

At this point in the investigation, no mechanical anomalies or malfunctions have been found. A preliminary examination of the nose gear indicated that it failed due to stress overload.

Investigators have collected five videos showing various aspects of the crash landing. The team will be analyzing these recordings in the coming months.

Parties to the investigation are the Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Southwest Airlines, and the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association.

This is a factual update only and no interviews are being conducted.

Southwest to convert Wichita to a Southwest city on June 2

Southwest Airlines (Dallas) on June 2, 2013 will convert service at Wichita, Kansas from AirTran Airways to a Southwest city. At Wichita’s Mid-Continent airport, WN will substitute three AirTran nonstop flights between Wichita and Atlanta with two Southwest nonstops between Wichita and both Dallas/Love and Chicago/Midway, and daily Southwest nonstop service between Wichita and Las Vegas. This will give Southwest five daily departures, with direct and connecting service to another 70 Southwest cities across America.

Integration between Southwest and AirTran also continues in the Caribbean. On the same day WN will convert existing AirTran nonstop service between Baltimore/Washington and San Juan, Puerto Rico to Southwest Airlines service, and will add a fourth daily roundtrip between San Juan and Orlando. All of Southwest’s service to San Juan utilizes Boeing 737-800 aircraft complete with Boeing’s Sky Interior.

According to the airline, Southwest will also add two daily nonstop roundtrips between Houston/Hobby and New York’s LaGuardia Airport. WN will also add new nonstop service between Chicago/Midway and Tulsa. Other nonstop markets that will seasonally return will be daily nonstops between Seattle/Tacoma and Atlanta, Nashville, Houston/Hobby, and Kansas City, between Austin and Portland OR, and between Las Vegas and Manchester. Southwest will end nonstop service in five markets—Albuquerque-Tucson, Oakland-Reno, Little Rock-St. Louis, and between Birmingham and both Jacksonville and New Orleans. In addition, WN will eliminate seasonal nonstops between Hartford and Ft. Myers, weekend-only nonstops in the Norfolk-Tampa and Providence-Ft. Myers markets, and will seasonally shift Southwest nonstop service between Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood and both Raleigh/Durham and Milwaukee to AirTran. WN will also reduce frequency in 40 roundtrip markets and increase service in 49 others, winding up with an average of 3,382 departures each weekday—which represents an overall increase in roughly 18 midweek departures per day.

Southwest Airlines: