SJO getting like PTY....with BA, AF, IB, DE, KL.
I guess KL saw the SJO connecting numbers on CM and decided it was time

Seems like CM just announced service PTY-DEN to begin in Dec.

yellowtail wrote:

SJO getting like PTY....with BA, AF, IB, DE, KL.
I guess KL saw the SJO connecting numbers on CM and decided it was time

It's still a seasonal service. I guess they don't want to undermine their PTY route, by doing the same thing AF does. On another note, I hear BA LGW-SJO isn't doing well right now. Anyone expect that flight to be on the chopping block soon?

BTW, the flight number for Big Blue's return to Costa Rica will be KL 759 (AMS-SJO) and KL 760 (SJO-AMS)

yellowtail wrote:

Seems like CM just announced service PTY-DEN to begin in Dec.

Hopefully it sticks after UA couldn't get it to work. CM is only doing it 4x a week, and the schedule is much better. UA's flight got into PTY after 8pm, so connections should be better with CM's flight arriving into PTY at 6am.

yellowtail wrote:

Seems like CM just announced service PTY-DEN to begin in Dec.

Flight will be operated by a 737-800, premium config C16/Y138 MO/WE/FR/SA
Flight 476 PTY 11:50am DEN 4:12pm
Flight 477 DEN 10:30pm PTY 6:05am+1

According to PR release, conx thru DEN will be possible to ABQ, MSP, OMA, SEA, PHX among others. To Latin America, via PTY to SJO,LIM, BOG, MDE, CLO, SCL, GUA and 8 cities in Brazil.

https://www.copaair.com/en/web/gs/new-r ... ama-denver

Chele737 wrote:

Flight will be operated by a 737-800, premium config C16/Y138 MO/WE/FR/SA
Flight 476 PTY 11:50am DEN 4:12pm
Flight 477 DEN 10:30pm PTY 6:05am+1

According to PR release, conx thru DEN will be possible to ABQ, MSP, OMA, SEA, PHX among others. To Latin America, via PTY to SJO,LIM, BOG, MDE, CLO, SCL, GUA and 8 cities in Brazil.

https://www.copaair.com/en/web/gs/new-r ... ama-denver

Great news, however, my sympathy goes for those PTY bound passengers having to endure heavy traffic from the airport to the city TU/TH/SA mornings.

Which U.S. airport will be next??
HOU, PHX, RDU, CVG, BWI?

LTU932 wrote:

On another note, I hear BA LGW-SJO isn't doing well right now. Anyone expect that flight to be on the chopping block soon?

That's a flight PTY and CM would love to get.

2travel2know2 wrote:

LTU932 wrote:

On another note, I hear BA LGW-SJO isn't doing well right now. Anyone expect that flight to be on the chopping block soon?

That's a flight PTY and CM would love to get.

If BA does come to PTY, I'd expect them to do so via LHR, as Panama seems to me more of a business destination in Central America than Costa Rica is.

LTU932 wrote:

If BA does come to PTY, I'd expect them to do so via LHR, as Panama seems to me more of a business destination in Central America than Costa Rica is.

Beggars can't be choosers and in this case, PTY and CM will take BA LGW if that's available to link London and Panama City.

AV is bringing back again flights out of SJO (which it is not a hub anylonger) to MEX and SAP effective June 1st schedule:

AV642 SJO 2215 MEX 0215+1 MO/TU/TH/SA 320
AV643 MEX 0257 SJO 0500 TU/WE/FR/SU 320

AV791 SJO 1230 SAP 1452 DAILY ATR72
AV790 SAP 1615 SJO 1837 DAILY ATR72

Source: avianca.com, La Republica and E&N Magazine (in Spanish only)

http://www.estrategiaynegocios.net/empr ... sletterFDS

https://www.larepublica.net/noticia/avi ... r-de-junio

That is a terrible schedule for the MEX flight; it is clearly using an idle aircraft.

As If there wasn't enough SJO MEX capacity already. Sheesh!

I don't understand the SJO-SAP capacity either. Doesn't CM already serve that market PTY-SJO-SAP? or is this an attempt to stop CMAirlines (the other CM!) from getting expansion ideas....CMairlines already hurts them bad on SAP/TGU-RTB.

avi8 wrote:

That is a terrible schedule for the MEX flight; it is clearly using an idle aircraft.

Same thing they are doing it with the new GUA-MIA flight.

Juanchito

yellowtail wrote:

As If there wasn't enough SJO MEX capacity already. Sheesh!

I don't understand the SJO-SAP capacity either. Doesn't CM already serve that market PTY-SJO-SAP? or is this an attempt to stop CMAirlines (the other CM!) from getting expansion ideas....CMairlines already hurts them bad on SAP/TGU-RTB.

CM left this market +/- 2 years ago and opted for PTY-SAP-PTY one daily nonstop only. RE CMAirlines, I did not know if they have ambitious expansion plans. Or Volaris CR? since they are expanding into Central America very faster like they are doing from SJO to SAL and MGA.

yellowtail wrote:

KL saw the SJO connecting numbers on CM and decided it was time

The upcoming KL AMS-SJO 2x weekly could be rather attend the O&D market unlike KL AMS-PTY 7x weekly, where Copa Airlines is getting a vast cooperation service in selected flights heading to Central America, the Caribbean and South America. This arrangement is available since CM was part of SkyTeam grouping.
The seasonal AF CDG-SJO also doesn't care about regional connections through SJO.
San Jose is experiencing the opening of new flights to Europe lately: BA LGW-SJO, WK ZRH-SJO, AF CDG-SJO, DE MUC-SJO and so forth. KLM knows it and they want a chunk of that market which is mostly focused in European travelers during the winter season.

Regards.

Chele737 wrote:

AV is bringing back again flights out of SJO (which it is not a hub anylonger) to MEX and SAP effective June 1st schedule:

AV642 SJO 2215 MEX 0215+1 MO/TU/TH/SA 320
AV643 MEX 0257 SJO 0500 TU/WE/FR/SU 320

AV791 SJO 1230 SAP 1452 DAILY ATR72
AV790 SAP 1615 SJO 1837 DAILY ATR72

AeroMexico took advantage of the withdrawal of MX MEX-SJO in 2010, whereas TA SJO-MEX abandoned that market when AV dismantled the hub in San Jose, back in 2013.
InterJet opened MEX-SJO, in those days.
Both AM and 4O have already expanded their frequencies into the MEX-SJO market and AV is pursuing this heavy market once again.
The "red-eye" schedule makes a resemblance to the third daily frequency on AV SJO-BOG.
With regard on the resumption of AV SJO-SAP, the flight time scheduled in almost 2:30' seems too hard for an ATR-72, like AV SJO-GUA. They flew SJO-SAP with ATR equipment in the past.

Regards.

British Airways did serve Panama City, in the past.
I couldn't find any reference about the last service. I think it was around 1990.
BOAC also flew to Panama City, many years ago. If I remember correctly, it was via Montego Bay, Bermuda and Nassau.

Regards.

juanchito wrote:

Volaris will start thursdays flights from MEX to GUA on A320

09:05 MEX - GUA 10:05 4 320
11:23 GUA - MEX 14:20 4 320

When will it start ?

May 18, 2017

SJOtoLIR wrote:

juanchito wrote:

Volaris will start thursdays flights from MEX to GUA on A320

09:05 MEX - GUA 10:05 4 320
11:23 GUA - MEX 14:20 4 320

When will it start ?

Nice press release in Spanish language and written by Captain Luis Fernando Bruno related to the glory days of LACSA and the BAC 1-11 in Costa Rica.

http://www.nacion.com/opinion/foros/maj ... 36986.html

I can almost remember these planes in the 70s.




Regards.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

written by Captain Luis Fernando Bruno related to the glory days of LACSA and the BAC 1-11 in Costa Rica

The stretched One-Eleven 500 series not only offered improved performance, in the form of more powerful engines, but also was aesthetically more pleasing.



As a side note, Capt. Bruno, the 35-year LACSA veteran who penned the op-ed piece, once said: "Conocí lo mejor y lo peor de la aviación. Conocí la excelencia de unos contra la indiferencia de otros" (I knew the best and worst of aviation. I knew the excellence of some against the indifference of others). In the early nineties, he and several of his colleagues successfully sued the now-defunct parrot cartel's local subsidiary for wrongful termination and illegal union-busting practices.

Both TK and CM will start soon a mutual code-share paternship as shown:


Copa Airlines operated by Turkish Airlines:
IST-BOG-PTY-IST


Turkish Airlines operated by Copa Airlines:
PTY-ASU
PTY-CNF
PTY-DAV
PTY-GYE
PTY-LIM
PTY-MAO
PTY-POA
PTY-UIO
PTY-GIG
PTY-SAL
PTY-SDQ
PTY-GRU

Effective: May 03rd.

Regards.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

Both TK and CM will start soon a mutual code-share paternship as shown:


Copa Airlines operated by Turkish Airlines:
IST-BOG-PTY-IST


Turkish Airlines operated by Copa Airlines:
PTY-ASU
PTY-CNF
PTY-DAV
PTY-GYE
PTY-LIM
PTY-MAO
PTY-POA
PTY-UIO
PTY-GIG
PTY-SAL
PTY-SDQ
PTY-GRU

Effective: May 03rd.

Regards.

So if CM PTY - GRU is now TK operated by CM, does it mean that TK will be able to sell IST-GRU-PTY too?

SJOtoLIR wrote:

Both TK and CM will start soon a mutual code-share paternship as shown:


Copa Airlines operated by Turkish Airlines:
IST-BOG-PTY-IST


Turkish Airlines operated by Copa Airlines:
PTY-ASU
PTY-CNF
PTY-DAV
PTY-GYE
PTY-LIM
PTY-MAO
PTY-POA
PTY-UIO
PTY-GIG
PTY-SAL
PTY-SDQ
PTY-GRU

Effective: May 03rd.

Regards.

So they offer codeshares to SAL but not to SJO, which is probably CM's biggest route and focus city???

Personally, I think MGA could use a longer-haul flight, most likely to MAD, as well as a nonstop to New York. I think Nicaraguans would enjoy those options along with their current ones.

2travel2know2 wrote:

So if CM PTY - GRU is now TK operated by CM, does it mean that TK will be able to sell IST-GRU-PTY too?

I tried to book a fictious flight called TK IST-GRU-PTY and found nothing yet.
It would rather work on the opposite side: TK IST-BOG-PTY and then CM PTY-GRU.
On the other hand, it looks like a complicated detour, taking into acount the existing TK IST-GRU 5x weekly.
Let's make the same exercise from May 03rd onward.

Regards.

LTU932 wrote:

So they offer codeshares to SAL but not to SJO, which is probably CM's biggest route and focus city???

San Jose is not within the plans of Turkish Airlines related to code-share services on CM yet.
I don't know further details.

Regards.

N292UX wrote:

MGA could use a longer-haul flight, most likely to MAD, as well as a nonstop to New York.

Both Air Europa or Wamos come to mind.
Wamos will initiate GUA-HAV-MAD 1x weekly with 330 in June.
UX MAD-SAP 1x weekly with 332 started on April 26.
I also envisage room for flights into the MGA-MAD market.

Regards.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

N292UX wrote:

MGA could use a longer-haul flight, most likely to MAD, as well as a nonstop to New York.

Both Air Europa or Wamos come to mind.
Wamos will initiate GUA-HAV-MAD 1x weekly with 330 in June.
UX MAD-SAP 1x weekly with 332 started on April 26.
I also envisage room for flights into the MGA-MAD market.

Regards.

I agree. I think those two could be the ones who could make it work (especially in a market that could use a TATL flight)

How are crews being rotated on those 1xweekly flights? Via IB?

Seems like a very expensive operation.

N292UX wrote:

Personally, I think MGA could use a longer-haul flight, most likely to MAD, as well as a nonstop to New York. I think Nicaraguans would enjoy those options along with their current ones.

UA keeps an aircraft overnight at MGA, so a swap with EWR could be done at least once per week (weekends?). Red-eyes MGA-EWR and EWR-MGA (wonder what a late night departure that would be).

Mr. Juan Orlando Hernández who's the current president of Honduras, among other local entities welcomed the first non-stop commercial flight ever linking Spain and Honduras on April 26.
The plane utilized was an Airbus 332 and registered as EC-JZL. The traditional water-cannon salute is shown into the attached video.
UX MAD-SAP 1x weekly will operate seasonally till November 2017 and based on their results, their services may grow up to thrice a week.
San Pedro Sula should become the regional operative center for Air Europa, discarding any possibility about the expansion of the Spaniard airline in Central America.
Honduran autorithies also stated the improvements in other local airports and airstrips: Palmerola, Roatan, Copan, Gracias a Dios, Tela, Trujillo, Puerto Lempira and Choluteca.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3F5oTP5PII

Regards.

Looks like AC has announced YYZ-BZE.
http://aircanada.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1131

in the footsteps of WS

yellowtail wrote:

AC has announced YYZ-BZE.

Based on the proposed weekly service, the southbound flight might operate on Saturdays and returning to Canada the next day.

Regards.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

the southbound flight might operate on Saturdays and returning to Canada the next day.

I've changed my point of view.
AC YYZ-BZE would work on Fridays, based on the filter period from Friday, December 15 till Friday, April 13.

Nature Air (5C) continues to capture a growing chunk (34%) of Costa Rica's domestic air travel market. A breakdown of the numbers, based on the latest available (2015) data, shows Sansa (RZ) has seen its market share erode to 53% while charter services (Aerobell, CarmonAir, Taxi Aéreo, etc.) are holding on to 13% of the market. Preliminary DGAC figures show the overall domestic market itself had grown 27% by the end of 2016.

And in keeping with its international expansion, 5C starts SYQ–RNI next month (02JUN). Flights will depart San José/Pavas at 1330 and return from Corn Island at 1600. Regularly scheduled service to DAV is not far in coming.

The comprehensive schedule on AC YYZ-BZE has been already loaded into the GDS sourdes as shown:

Air Canada. Toronto - Belize City.
AC 1870.....YYZ 09:40 - 13:15 BZE......Fr.....319
AC 1871.....BZE 14:15 - 19:30 YYZ......Fr.... 319
Effective: December 15.
Discontinued: April 13.

Regards.

YYZ BZE on AC will be seasonal to start much as WS was...which apparently was a home run for the airline.

http://gobierno.cr/vuelos-directos-entr ... ma-semana/

Usually I don't post things from the government's website, but in this case, I'm making an exception, as Costa Rica and Switzerland have officially signed an air services agreement, enabling Edelweiss to start the ZRH-SJO flights they announced last year.The announcement on the bilateral was from last Monday, so I guess it must have been signed on that day or in late April. First flight will depart ZRH this Tuesday.

Rumor has it that Copa Airlines is considering Mendoza, Argentina within their expansion plans.

SJOtoLIR wrote:

Rumor has it that Copa Airlines is considering Mendoza, Argentina within their expansion plans.

Under the Argentina Panama bilateral, MDZ has been among the airports where CM could fly from PTY.
A big chunk of MDZ international traffic currently connects at SCL. The conditions might not be same as ROS, however, Mendoza region it's more attractive for overseas tourists than Rosario.
Re: other destinations in Argentina, CM should also (seriously) study SLA and/or TUC.

Sorry if this was posted but I did not find if it was mentioned: NY court allows AV to continue negotiations with UA.

AV will continue negotiations with UA aimed to achieve a commercial alliance: a component of Avianca's strategy to become the airline leader of Latin America.

The New York Court today (5/8) denied the request raised by Kingsland Holdings Ltd. in order to anticipate the expedited discovery and accepted the request of Avianca Holdings S.A. to suppress the beginning of the probationary phase in the same litigation, until the Court decides the request made by Avianca Holdings to reject the claim of Kingsland.

When he heard the judge's decision, Hernán Rincón, CEO of the company, said: "We are convinced that the alliance with United is the best way for shareholders, customers and the company. Our purpose is to become the main airline in the continent, focused on offering an excellent service with more options and opportunities to travel. For this reason, we continue negotiations with United. We want to achieve a commercial alliance that contributes to the strengthening of operations and service, while generating value for our shareholders", said the director.

Faced with today's decision, Avianca is waiting for the Court to consider its motion to withdraw from Kingsland's allegations. The company considers that these allegations are unfounded and have no merit. Avianca is expecting to present its arguments and position in more detail during the next hearing of the case.

Full article published on May 9th (sorry, just in Spanish): http://www.estrategiaynegocios.net/lasc ... sletterEYN

AeroMexico has upgauged their equipment, in some regional flights:

AeroConnect on behalf of AeroMexico mainline.
MEX-GUA 28x weekly with E90 to [MEX-GUA 21x weekly with E90 plus MEX-GUA 7x weekly with 737].
Effective: June 01.



AeroConnect on behalf of AeroMexico mainline.
MEX-SAP 14x weekly with E70 to [MEX-SAP 7x weekly with E90 plus MEX-SAP 7x weekly with E70].
Filter period: June 01 - August 31.

Regards.

Qatar Airways has been interested in hiring more Costa Rican staff as more than 70 citizens are working on that airline nowadays.
Qatar Airways chief executive discussed the chance of including the Central American region within their expansion plans.
However, the possibility of the Middle East airlines operating profitably in Central America doesn’t seem to be clear. We all remind how EK DXB-PTY 7x weekly was announced last year, but the project never came into fruition.









Copa Airlines is aggressively expanding the continuity of the intended CM PTY-DEN, which is due to start in December.
The Panamanian airline has already signed a full code-share service by means of United Airlines:

Denver - Albuquerque
Denver - Aspen
Denver - Bakersfield
Denver - Billings
Denver - Bismarck
Denver - Boise
Denver - Bozeman
Denver - Burbank
Denver - Casper
Denver - Chicago O’Hare
Denver - Colorado Springs
Denver - Dickinson
Denver - Durango
Denver - Edmonton
Denver - Eugene
Denver - Fargo
Denver - Grand Junction
Denver - Hays
Denver - Idaho Falls
Denver - Jackson Hole
Denver - Laramie
Denver - Lincoln
Denver - Medford
Denver - Minneapolis/St. Paul
Denver - Missoula
Denver - Omaha
Denver - Orange County
Denver - Palm Springs
Denver - Pasco
Denver - Phoenix
Denver - Portland OR
Denver - Rapid City
Denver - Redmond
Denver - Reno
Denver - Rock Springs
Denver - Sacramento
Denver - Salt Lake City
Denver - San Diego
Denver - San Jose CA
Denver - Santa Barbara
Denver - Seattle
Denver - Sioux Falls
Denver - Spokane
Denver - Tucson
Denver - Vancouver
Denver - Williston
Denver - Winnipeg

Keep in mind that UA DEN-PTY was served for a while.


Regards.

AV is adding a third daily flight between GUA and SJO starting June 1st. Is there real demand for this route?

http://www.avianca.com/gt/es/nuevo-vuel ... a-san-jose

estefanovich wrote:

AV is adding a third daily flight between GUA and SJO starting June 1st. Is there real demand for this route?

http://www.avianca.com/gt/es/nuevo-vuel ... a-san-jose

Looks that Copa, Volaris and Avianca are creating demand.

Just take a look to the [San Jose - Guatemala City] tickets nowadays.
Both Avianca and Copa Airlines have matched the fares imposed by Volaris.

Regards.

Effective 05NOV17

WN303 FLL1135 – 1330SJO 73G D
WN304 SJO1425 – 1820FLL 73G D

http://www.nacion.com/economia/consumid ... 36476.html

LA is starting passenger service to SJO, thrice weekly from LIM and to be operated with an A320. Service begins on January 2, 2018. It does raise the question with me how much AV has downsized SJO-LIM when compared to the times of TA and even when pre-merger LR had LIM as an important focus city.

LTU932 wrote:

LA is starting passenger service to SJO, thrice weekly from LIM and to be operated with an A320. Service begins on January 2, 2018. It does raise the question with me how much AV has downsized SJO-LIM when compared to the times of TA and even when pre-merger LR had LIM as an important focus city.

Finally, they dare fly to Central America.
AV SJO-LIM-SJO is 7x weekly at this time and the former TA flew that route as 12x weekly or so.
This route has been always operated by LACSA on behalf of TA and AV lately.
I can see the point clearly: LIM is a very important hub for LATAM and they would want to funnel their onward passengers to many South American destinations, once in Peru.
The connectivity of LATAM through Lima is larger than AV.

Regards.