PC-12 service between Boeing Field and Portland
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thebigblog/archives/141353.asp
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N934SP
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N932SP
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N933SP
Using the Platypus for a commuter! How interesting.
You gonna’ plunk down the $78 for a one-way during July to check out the experience Waz?
Reading the comments made in response to the Blog posting is hilarious.
Are the economics there for this plane? Seems like few passengers for a high cost to operate.
Interesting concept, but I can’t imagine that it will work financially.
Fuel cost for that segment has to be at least $500, probably more, yet they’re only charging $80 and only have 8 seats. Even if you were full on every trip then you’re barely even covering your fuel, let alone crew, aircraft, maintenance, and ground handling.
That’s only an introductory fare, goes up to $149 each way on 1AUG, for now.
For a 30-40 min leg like that the fuel burn is around 50 gal. and I’m guessing that they’ve cut a fuel deal of about $5/gal or less. So the whole operating cost of the leg is no more than $500. At a full 8 seats they make money on the introductory fare. And at the $149 price they break even at a 32% load factor.
I’m sure that somebody did their math before jumping into this venture.
It’s an interesting proposition. It’s a horrid drive, always raining cats & dogs for three hours with bumper to bumper traffic most of the way. Horizon runs a Q400 at least every half hour and they have some kind of promise where they’ll throw on another plane if needed. The door to door service from downtown Seattle to downtown Portland is a nice feature. Both terminals offer door front parking, kind of like a 7-11. Kenmore flies Caravans on wheels out of BFI to the San Juans, so this is a good fit. I think they’d be smart to offer a second route from Paine Field north of Seattle.
I wish them well.
JHEM, if I want to fly to Portland I’ll fly direct in a 152/172. Otherwise, I’ll have to drive 2-3 hours to catch this flight. But I’ll admit, it would be kind of fun to sit in the very last seat of a PC-12 commuter. Just once!
ALLRIGHT. I need more single engine IFR time in my logbook. I wonder if they pay more than food stamps or how long it would take to get bored flying between the same two airports day in and day out. Maybe I could fly for the sister airline in Alaska once in a while.
man, I need a vacation. oh wait, I get one in a week 
Dam, their sister airline in Alaska is doing well. Check out the equipment they are using:
flightaware.com/live/flight/WAK3 … /PAJN/PAHN
They don’t appear to be making the most efficient use of the afterburner!
Oh, that’s all I meant, a joyride. I know YAK is a bit off the beaten track from BFI for this service to make sense to a commuter.
SeaPort takes over for Horizon on Pendleton, OR - Portland, OR route
http://www.keprtv.com/news/32638039.html
SeaPort bidding on Astoria, OR - Portland, OR route joint bid with Kenmore Air to provide Astoria, OR - Seattle (BFI).
http://www.newportnewstimes.com/articles/2008/10/17/news/news02.txt
They must be doing well if they are going after these routes.
If you need IFR in your logbook go work for Ameriflight, or some other freight company, you don’t have to deal with Pax.
Also it’s not a bad deal Horizon charges about $160 for the flight.
It’s an interesting proposition. It’s a horrid drive, always raining cats & dogs for three hours with bumper to bumper traffic most of the way. Horizon runs a Q400 at least every half hour and they have some kind of promise where they’ll throw on another plane if needed. The door to door service from downtown Seattle to downtown Portland is a nice feature. Both terminals offer door front parking, kind of like a 7-11. Kenmore flies Caravans on wheels out of BFI to the San Juans, so this is a good fit. I think they’d be smart to offer a second route from Paine Field north of Seattle.
I wish them well.
JHEM, if I want to fly to Portland I’ll fly direct in a 152/172. Otherwise, I’ll have to drive 2-3 hours to catch this flight. But I’ll admit, it would be kind of fun to sit in the very last seat of a PC-12 commuter. Just once!
I worked for San Juan Airlines before Kenmore put the C208 on line. We ran a C208 and C207’s and a PA-31 between BFI and the San Juan’s. It was a great first VFR job.
There was a rumor last year that Southwest was going to pull out of KSEA and start service to KBFI. I thought it made sense for SW, they could save money on renting the gates at SEA but they wouldn’t lose too many of the Tacoma Pax cause the drive wouldn’t be that much longer.
Wasn’t a rumor - Southwest had drawn up the plans to build a terminal at BFI at their own expense: A Renewed King County International Airport: a proposal from Southwest Airlines
But, of course, idiotic, shortsighted politicians and NIMBYs* killed the plan: Plan won’t fly: Sims kills Southwest’s Boeing Field hopes (Seattle PI)
*NIMBY: Not in my backyard. Also known as the idiots who buy houses then complain about the noise. If you look it up in the dictionary, look for “jackass”
What plan ? This was simply a canard by WN to extort a better financial deal out of the Port. They never intended to leave SEA.
Now, NIMBYs at PAE I might agree on.
I just don’t think Southwest would spend all that money on a study if they had no plans to follow through.
Southwest likes to use underutilized airports. BFI would have been perfect for them. In fact, when they started service at Detroit they used DET instead of DTW. That’s why Chicago is served by MDW rather than ORD. Boston is served by PVD and MHT rather than MHT. Same thing for Miami - the service is at FLL.
Some of the airports I mentioned above are now not so underutilized but that because Southwest has been able to increase passengers at those airports.
Alaska/Horizon F’d it up for them too. They wanted to move a bunch of flights over to BFI also. Now Horizon and Allegiant are proposing service at PAE.
Southwest used those airports because they couldn’t afford gates at the “biggies”. The legacies had way more clout at that time and pissant airlines were relegated to the “underutilized” airports. They came out smelling like a rose. Damn, Herb is smart.
Damn, Herb is smart.
Have you read NUTZ? The man is a GOD