Why low-cost airlines won't quite cut it

It's certainly great hearing about the proposed service to Bogota by Spirit and JetBlue. I hope that really does become reality, despite high fuel prices.

However, I personally wouldn't be helped much by the new services from Orlando and FLL by these airlines. Even though I live near a very big airport (in the top 20 in the US), neither JetBlue nor Spirit offer direct flights between that airport and the proposed points of departure to Bogota. Therefore, if I were to use the new services, I'd need to make 2 stops, not 1, like I do with American, Delta or Continental.

First, two stops would be much more tiring. Second, the more stops you make, the likelier it is that something will go wrong due to delays. Third, it'll make the flight longer and if one doesn't have much spare time, the time difference may be considerable. Finally, only one of these two airlines even has service to near where I live, which means that to get to where it does have service I'd need to fly another airline-- thus having to deal with luggage and security twice.

As a result, unless Spirit or JetBlue offer truly dramatic savings, I wouldn't consider the invonvenience of an additional stop (possibly with going through security/luggage handling all over again) worth it. If, say, Delta charges me $800 to go to Bogota from where I live, Spirit or JetBlue would have to go down to $550 or less for me to consider them seriously. Somehow I doubt that will happen.

There's really a fundamental weekness that most low-cost carriers have. Their domestic US networks are quite poor, with the only exception of Southwest. Spirit's network is simply a joke, JetBlue's is better but it is still unimpressive compared to what the "big boys" offer. I don't think there's a single metro area in the country with a population of half a million or more which American, Delta or Continental don't connect directly to one of their Colombia-serving hubs. Therefore, in the near future low-costers won't cause a revolution on the international market. They are useful only if you live near (or fly to) some select airports, which are absolutely a minority. For the rest of us, "legacy carriers" are much, much more convenient.

Low-costers will have a positive effect on prices but it will be limited, as long as they don't improve their domestic connectivity considerably. That obviously can't happen very fast. So in the near future this whole market is destined to continue being the playing field of the big boys, unless one is lucky enough to travel from or to some particular airports.

By muchacho_escondido on Mar 25, 2008, 16:09 in Friendly Talkzone.

Clinman says on Mar 25, 2008, 16:22:

Low cost airlines have their market niche and your airport is not in their network. I have never flew Spirit but I booked a special intro flight in Sept from Boston to Cartagena. It does have two stops (Ft Lauderdales and Ft Myers). However I can get out of thois two airports quicker in cumlative time then again by just stopping in Miami. There are very few flights coming north flying non-stop to South America. I booked my flight for $300 and actually when you take out $125 for taxes Spirit only gets $175.
I agree that time is certainly worth something. I have quite a bit of mileage with American but can not use them in SA flights because of the sometimes overnights they impose. I did book American in May for $610 with 6:30hr flights both way....about the best you are going to get in combination

Noelito40 says on Mar 25, 2008, 16:35:

As an Irishman, I've seen how a low cost airline can do wonders for the economies of countries and can regenerate whole cities. Look at the darlings of low cost airlines (Ryanair). They have been successful using a combination of cutting costs (using some outrageous techniques!! but that's a story for another day...); flying to secondary airports outside the big cities, hence lower airport costs; by being a point to point airline, i.e. don't use them just for connecting flights; and by selling other services, everything from car hire to scratch cards; and these techniques have been incredibly successful, so I wouldn't write off a successful low cost carrier in South America.

One major difference between South America and Europe though is that the carriers in Europe (Ryanair , Easy Jet, etc) have focussed on short haul flights, but given the success of Ryanair, I wouldn't bet against them, or some similar carrier, making a fortune on a low cost carrier in America. (I think in fact that with the new open skies policy between the US and Ireland, Ryanair will be moving in to the long haul business very shortly, and if it works for them there, why not South America??)

Noelito

muchacho_escondido says on Mar 25, 2008, 17:02:

...I'm afraid of short stop-overs. One delay and the whole trip is screwed. I never, ever book with connections of less than 2 hours! Did that once with American and spent a whole night in Miami as a result.

...Yes, low-costers on US-South American have their niche. It's just that an awful lot of people aren't in it.

...Indeed, there are ridiculoursly low intro rates but they ARE intro-- meaning they won't hold by definition.

Man Tequila says on Mar 25, 2008, 17:22:

It's an easy flight from Canada to any US airport. Competition always seems to have a positive effect on service and prices, so I welcome the newcomers. If the savings and convenience are less than one might guess, so be it, but there are also many examples to the contrary.

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)

Saltador says on Mar 25, 2008, 18:31:

For me the new Spirit flights to Cartgena are a godsend. I always have to make at least one stop anyway, before it was Miami, now it's Fort Lauderdale so no difference there. Saving around 350 dollars this trip just on the flight tickets. There are signs that Avianca is going to lower prices at least a little in response. I fail to see the downside...

muchacho_escondido says on Mar 25, 2008, 18:33:

>It's an easy flight from Canada to any US airport

Still, I doubt you'll be able to go directly from, for instance, Calgary or, say, Vancouver to either to FLL or Orlando! However, you will be able to go directly to Miami, Newark, Houston or Atlanta which offer direct flights to Colombia.

This really goes down to an extra stop again. Note also that you'll have to fly something other than Spirit or Jetlue to get to their "hubs" so more hustle with luggage and security etc (not to mention that if something goes wrong you won't get a free hotel/flight change like you would with the big boys). Besides, the cost savings might just evaporate as you use another, not-so-low-cost airline to get to FLL or Orlando from Canada.

Nay, for the Canada-Colombia market low-costers seem to be totally irrelevant.

Yeah, it's great that these services are in the works. It's just that very many of us, gringos, will not be affected much.

Man Tequila says on Mar 25, 2008, 21:23:

No, it's very easy to fly from Canada to Orlando or Fort Lauderdale instead of Miami; so many snow birds do. I hate Miami airport and would rather do that anyway.

vicshere says on Mar 25, 2008, 21:28:

just got my price B/manga Bogotá Toronto Bogotá B/manga 1,500,000 about 800 CAN last year was 1,900,000 so I say airfares have come down a bit both prices includes all taxes including departure tax in Colombia

listo

megs622 says on Mar 26, 2008, 19:57:

Clinman: you actually booked a flight with Spirit? I've tried from C/gena and everyday I get no results. I"m under the impression that since they don't even start service until May, that the prices and booking aren't even up yet.

Am I wrong?

adrimm says on Mar 26, 2008, 21:38:

I'm with Noelito40.... after experienceing Ryanair and seeing the years of success by discount airlines in Europe, I think that they definitely stand a chance in the Americas....

goin_south says on Mar 26, 2008, 23:29:

WGAF?

and, thank you.