Sprirt headed to Medellin

nueva york bombero says on Oct 22, 2008, 14:02:

I can't wait!!! If I get flights as cheap as I just got to Cartagena from NY, I'm in!!!!!
I heard San Andres is on their schedule too. Hear anything about when???

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Mononoke28 says on Oct 22, 2008, 14:06:

Really? Get out!

Diana

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drvannostren says on Oct 22, 2008, 14:20:

this is good news I can get to FLL even though I'm nowhere near there hope it's a night flight too might be able to get that MDE airport bus running later

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jomilena says on Oct 22, 2008, 16:59:

Is Spirit good? I read lots of complaints about them.

te amo

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corporalgator (☼Travelguide writer) says on Oct 22, 2008, 17:13:

gorgonabob says on Oct 22, 2008, 17:21:

i think youll find spirit will be the last airline to go bankrupt....in ten years youll be left with a few huge carriers, singapore airlines, lufthansa, ba, delta etc and then the low cost carriers tiger, spirit and ryanair id say... i think spirit is owned by some private investors with deep pockets... not listed on the stock market and does not have to tell anyone how it is doing...

i read in the medellin newspaper last week or earlier also that the guy in charge of Rio Negro airport said that spirit would start flying there next year... that certainly is going to be a boon. and air comet from medellin to madrid next year that will be great

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nine inch nails says on Oct 22, 2008, 17:45:

If you can take direct flights only or budget extra time for any problems then bring only carry ons can avert most headaches on Spirit. If you are worried about them going under well worth the $13 bucks travel insurance esp. if the ticket price is so goooooooooood!

I'll fly em again.

The Hedge funds have all gone wild on us!

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Catfish35 says on Oct 22, 2008, 18:42:

Speaking about the Rio Negro Airport..I recently heard it was bought one person and he is Japanese.
he will be doing some changes.
Again, cannot substantiate this or that it even means a hill of beans..just FYI or maybe for some trivia in a game..

"So many guns, and so few brains". sam spade

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toneloc24 says on Oct 22, 2008, 18:45:

I think people know that I don't have a high opinion of Spirit at all. I'd advise JetBlue over Spirit 10x out of 10. If cost is the issue. From Bogota, you have other low cost options to points forward.

Here's the deal with both Spirit and JetBlue. If anything happens to that aircraft, and it gets grounded, or whatever, you're are completely on your own. Spirit will charge you a ticket change fee to rebook, or you must purchase another fare. Seriously. It has happened to people I know. And good luck trying to reach their "customer service.

With Delta, AA, Continental, and Avianca, yes it costs you more, but they value you as a passenger. They will not strand a paying passenger, first class or coach cabin. They can book space on other airlines, if anything happens, to accommodate a passenger. Spirit does not, nor do they even offer lodging or food vouchers. I believe JetBlue does, or used to, at least. That $13 Spirit insurance ain't all it's cracked up to be. Please read it first.

The US DOT and Colombian aviation authorities have an open skies agreement in place where in 2008, airlines can fly unlimited routes to CTG and BAQ, and in 2009 into Armenia and San Andres. This is how Spirit flies into CTG right now.

I wouldn't put any faith in the "guy in Rio Negro airport" words. There's nothing on file at the DOT that Spirit even applied for anything to Medellin, and they MUST. It has to be approved by the DOT, and the line is already deep and bitter from the last round of route assignments. If Spirit attempts to change their route assignment to BOG, they open themselves up to losing them entirely, exactly how AA lost their 7 weekly direct flights from MIA-BAQ, as well as Continental did Houston-Cali.

To show how bad word of mouth is down there, in BAQ, up until last month, they were still advertising on radio a new Delta direct flight ATL-BAQ, beginning in November. The city and vested interests were advertising this, not Delta. Meanwhile, Delta had postponed all plans for that route in May-08. They did have serious meeting with city officials expressing interest, but nothing concrete developed. Pure speculation ensued thereafter.

"PBH is dead!!!!"

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drvannostren says on Oct 22, 2008, 21:24:

That ATL-BAQ route sounds a little pointless to me, but then I don't know Delta's projections.

As a side note to this whole topic, and the topic of air traffic to Colombia in general, how are they filling these flights? Are there really that many Americans going down there? To go direct from Canada to Colombia you've got about 2 choices, 1) Air Canada Toronto-Bogota (thrice weekly, arrives late but makes many domestic connections, and departs after midnight) or 2) Air Transat Toronto-Cartagena (like once a week, charter only, strictly seasonal). Those make sense to me, and I know there are way more latinos in the US than up here in Canada, but from all I've heard it's crazy hard for Colombians to get tourist Visas and whatnot into the US.

Are these flights full of people from other SA countries, connecting through Colombia? Or is it actually not that hard for Colombians to gain entry into the US?

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toneloc24 says on Oct 22, 2008, 22:57:

Delta's problems were the same as every other airline at the time. High fuel costs. And, there wasn't a revenue guarantee to offset potential low load factors included in the deal, another reason AA pulled out. I believe it will be revisited again.

BAQ is an interesting market to exploit for the airlines that can pull it off, esp. since no further authorization is needed. Colombia's top 2 mainland vacation spots (CTG and SM) within 90 mins either way.

"PBH is dead!!!!"

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nueva york bombero says on Oct 23, 2008, 05:28:

Exactly what I was thinking tone. I would fly that route with Delta because it's no problem to jump on a bus and go either direction. I just wonder what they would charge? Spirit's fares may bring the others' down (hopefully).

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toneloc24 says on Oct 23, 2008, 06:37:

Probably not as low as Spirit, but reasonable. Colombia has just started their tourism push, stateside. Maybe the idea will pick up steam next year.

Thing is, if anything were to happen to the flight, Delta would work with Avianca to get you back to the US mainland, either through MIA or BOG or even PTY. Or, they would put you up in a BAQ hotel until the next possible flight out.

With Spirit, you are truly on your own.

"PBH is dead!!!!"

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corporalgator (☼Travelguide writer) says on Oct 23, 2008, 08:15:

lite sweet dude says on Oct 23, 2008, 12:01:

If you wanna fly Spirit then by all means join their $9 club.
It's only $35 a year to be a member.
Check out some of the prices I paid for round trip travel:
Ft. Lauderdale to Panama City $175
Ft. Lauderdale to Lima $236
Ft. Lauderdale to San Jose Costa Rica $79
That's including tax.

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panthdave says on Oct 23, 2008, 12:04:

Great will drive American Prices down...Will pay the extra bucks to fly American right now....even over Avianca and Copa to get to Medellin....

panthdave Miami

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