US Airways competing with JetBlue for Colombia routes

scarby558 says on Oct 30, 2007, 11:43:

Wow thats great!! I hope some of those flights go out of an airport near to here! I hate flying AA... but you gotta do what ya gotta do to get to Colombia ;) Thanks a lot ColombianoGringo!

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Mr. Hollywood says on Oct 30, 2007, 11:52:

US Airways is one of the WORST, though. I'm rooting for Jet Blue.

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b bruce says on Oct 30, 2007, 13:45:

Avianca the airline of Colombia will feel the pinch here. I believe the airline is owned by a company out of Brazil, which may not want to compete. But I can tell you first hand, the one Avianca flight out of Ft. Lauderdale to Bogota daily Boeing 757 is always full. People do what they gotta do to avoid flying out of Miami. But then again, if the U.S.airlines are lining up to fly in to Colombia it must be an appealing destination.

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ColombianoGringo (Moderator) (Trustee board) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Oct 30, 2007, 13:52:

Man Tequila says on Oct 30, 2007, 13:56:

From what I hear, people should be cheering for Jet Blue. Never flied them myself.

Aunque no me creas/ si me lo propongo/ lograre olvidarte/ porque a fin de cuentas/ no soy tan cobarde./ Y termino todo una de estas tardes/ no sera dificil buscar algún sitio donde refugiarme/ donde nunca mas vuelvas a encontrarme. (Polo Montañez)

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costajunkie says on Oct 30, 2007, 20:30:

On a personal note, I would be turning cartwheels if US Air started flights to Colombia. Living in Phoenix (the hub and corporate offices) and flying so frequently, it would make my life so much easier. I am so tired of having to fly via MIA or JFK or LAX o lo que sea. Still I don't believe it will happen.

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scotty says on Oct 31, 2007, 00:42:

Im not a big US Airways fan but like you costajunkie i also live in the Phoenix metro area and it would be really convenient to fly US Airways out of Phoenix, save time and hopefully cost.

Get Rhythm, when you got the blues. Johnny Cash

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ColombianoGringo (Moderator) (Trustee board) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Oct 31, 2007, 10:19:

Boatygringo says on Oct 31, 2007, 11:16:

I personly dont care who gets the fights as long as they break the price monopoly Avanca has. I am tired of paying $650.00 or more for a 2.5 hr flight to the US from Cartagena.

Boatygringo

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El Piloto says on Oct 31, 2007, 11:26:

CG - America West and US Airways are part of the same company. America West actually acquired US Airways but chose to retain the US Airways name going forward. While both airlines still have separate operating certificates for now (some flights are flown on US Airways' certificate, others under America West's), that's a legal distinction only relevant to the FAA and DOT, operations manuals, etc. Evenutally they will wind up on just one certificate (as AA did a couple years after acquiring TWA).

Bottom line though, right now, as far as passengers are concerned, America West and US Airways are one and the same airline and the airline is US Airways.

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panthdave says on Oct 31, 2007, 15:10:

Seems if Jet Blue gets in all they want is a Bogota...Then you will need to connect via Avianca, Aero Republica or another colombian airline which will be a separate ticket. That won't break the ice for Avianca,Copa-AeroRepublica or American which fly's to Medellin,Cali, and Bogota....Would be nice if they would get a FLL Flight to Medellin Direct but have to get good ole MIA and few miles south to get to my City MDE>......

Need another airline that will fly the same routes out of South Florida as Avianca and American and Copa..(connect in Panama)....

panthdave Miami

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juanalejo says on Nov 1, 2007, 05:40:

US Airways has applied to fly from Charlotte to Bogota, so no more West Coast - Colombia flights yet. Spirit has also applied from Fort Lauderdale to Bogota, Jet Blue from Fort Lauderdale to Bogota and from Orlando to Bogota, Delta has applied for New York Bogota, Atlanta -Cali and Atlanta Medellin, and Continental has not defined which route but has also said they will be applying for a route, believed possibly to be Houston-Medellin.

There are only 21 weekly routes to be approved, 7 for December, 7 for April and 7 for October, plus American has to be operating their empty slots by December which will include the Miami-Barranquilla, and the 3rd daily 4 times a week Miami - Bogota and the twice daily 3 times a week Miami - Medellin.

Flights to Cartagena or Barranquilla do not count as both cities have open skies and any airline can start flying there when ever they wish (Barranquilla is a new open skies city so not sure if the AA slots will now be moved into another city). Both Spirit and US Airways have said that if they do not ge their routes awarded they will begin to operate into the North Coast anyhow.

The US Department of Transport has to award these routes sometime soon as the first airline has to be flying in by December.

P.D. Aires has been awarded the Bogota-Fort Lauderdale and are supposed to recieve a few Airbus A320 to operate the route and they have said they are interested in operating the Bogota - New York route also. This is competence of the Colombian Aerocivil which is the entity in charge of giving the permits for Colombian Airlines.

Both countries have agreed to expand yearly 21 weekly frecuencies for airlines of each country but the agreement is now very open to expansion according to airline loads.

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