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George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)


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10 hours ago, Houston19514 said:

 

 

 

Hey guys, how is Southwest going to provide service to IAH when United is blocking growth of other airlines and keeping American from getting its planes to the terminal?

They will probably fly into Terminal A like the other Non-United airlines- you know, the GOOD airlines.

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5 hours ago, Tumbleweed_Tx said:

They will probably fly into Terminal A like the other Non-United airlines- you know, the GOOD airlines.


i know they will fly into terminal A.  But we have been told that American and others have trouble finding a gate to dock their planes at Terminal A because United is squatting on the gates and blocking growth of the other airlines. If American and Alaska can’t figure out how to work around United’s alleged blockade, how is Southwest going to do it?

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Because it isn't 2018. Because the entire industry has shrunk by over half. Because travel isn't predicted to return to normal until the end of 2021 and that's if there's a vaccine. 

 

Southwest's answer is to try and stimulate O&D in existing markets by serving alternative airports (IAH and ORD) and expanding service to the few vacation destinations Americans can travel to (PSP, MIA, and Mexico). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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20 hours ago, KinkaidAlum said:

Because it isn't 2018. Because the entire industry has shrunk by over half. Because travel isn't predicted to return to normal until the end of 2021 and that's if there's a vaccine. 

 

Southwest's answer is to try and stimulate O&D in existing markets by serving alternative airports (IAH and ORD) and expanding service to the few vacation destinations Americans can travel to (PSP, MIA, and Mexico). 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

they still have to get access to gates and if United was squatting on them ...   I doubt United has released any gates as a result of COVID.  Have any other airlines left Terminal A or permanently reduced service?

Edited by Houston19514
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  • 1 month later...

Can somebody explain to me the benefit of having one gate and two or three destinations from IAH when all your resources, planes, mechanics, operations are out of HOU? I mean don't get me wrong, I think it's great to have more traffic at IAH but from a business perspective, nobody thinks Southwest and IAH. 

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@wxman Here are my thoughts on the matter. SWA would not being doing this if it weren't for COVID. They have slashed their schedule and they have empty planes and crew that needs to be on planes. Southwest is looking into how they can utilize their planes and crew in effective ways that won't burn cash at alarming rates. If that means they can start IAH operations (in addition to HOU) by using aircraft that would've been parked with crew that needs hours, and at the end of the day could even possibly turn a small profit or just break even; then they'll pounce on it.  Also, Southwest might see a weakness from United's standpoint. They see an opportunity to take marketshare away from UA without UA really putting up a fight. Does it seem practical in the long run? Probably not, but COVID has changed the airline industry and things that would not have seem normal a year ago, might makes sense today. 

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there are smaller markets that are served by IAH but not Hobby, and vice versa. Southwest wants to capitalize on those passengers who need to go from say Chiraq to Marfa... You catch a SW flight from Chiraq, fly to IAH, the catch AreJay's charter service at IAH to Marfa.

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18 hours ago, wxman said:

Can somebody explain to me the benefit of having one gate and two or three destinations from IAH when all your resources, planes, mechanics, operations are out of HOU? I mean don't get me wrong, I think it's great to have more traffic at IAH but from a business perspective, nobody thinks Southwest and IAH. 

 

They are effectively going to have three gates.  Three aircraft parking/boarding positions at "Gate A3".

12 hours ago, Justin Welling said:

@wxman Here are my thoughts on the matter. SWA would not being doing this if it weren't for COVID. They have slashed their schedule and they have empty planes and crew that needs to be on planes. Southwest is looking into how they can utilize their planes and crew in effective ways that won't burn cash at alarming rates. If that means they can start IAH operations (in addition to HOU) by using aircraft that would've been parked with crew that needs hours, and at the end of the day could even possibly turn a small profit or just break even; then they'll pounce on it.  Also, Southwest might see a weakness from United's standpoint. They see an opportunity to take marketshare away from UA without UA really putting up a fight. Does it seem practical in the long run? Probably not, but COVID has changed the airline industry and things that would not have seem normal a year ago, might makes sense today. 

 

Mostly correct, but Southwest's return to IAH was merely accelerated by COVID. It was already in their long-term plans before COVID.

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5 hours ago, Houston19514 said:

 

They are effectively going to have three gates.  Three aircraft parking/boarding positions at "Gate A3".

 

Mostly correct, but Southwest's return to IAH was merely accelerated by COVID. It was already in their long-term plans before COVID.

What was SW's reason for leaving IAH in the first place? I remember going to SMU in the 90s, it was really handy having SW flying between IAH and LUV since my parents lived in the Champions area. It would have been hell to have to schlep out to DFW or HOU when I was just coming home for a weekend.

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5 hours ago, wilcal said:

Hearing that Southwest will launch from the A3 gates.

 

Pretty skeptical of this rumor considering there are no jetways at A3. I guess it's possible that UA is giving up A3 and that will be the site of first construction. 

 

It's not a rumor.  It's a fact.  City Council approved the lease agreement.

 

And where are you seeing that will be the site of first construction?  I think not.

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13 hours ago, Houston19514 said:

 

It's not a rumor.  It's a fact.  City Council approved the lease agreement.

 

And where are you seeing that will be the site of first construction?  I think not.

 

I was just conjecturing. Is Southwest planning on having all passengers use stairs, then?

 

Also, does that mean UA has stopped services at A? I missed that there was a lease signed. Was there a starting date announced for the lease?

Edited by wilcal
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8 minutes ago, wilcal said:

 

I was just conjecturing. Is Southwest planning on having all passengers use stairs, then?

 

Also, does that mean UA has stopped services at A? I missed that there was a lease signed. Was there a starting date announced for the lease?

  
Yes, Southwest's passengers will board  via stairs.

 

United returned A3 to the airport some time ago (around a year ago,I believe).  AFAIK, they still use their other gates in A.

 

I didn't notice a start date for the lease.

 

 

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4 minutes ago, Houston19514 said:

  
Yes, Southwest's passengers will board  via stairs.

 

United returned A3 to the airport some time ago (around a year ago,I believe).  AFAIK, they still use their other gates in A.

 

I didn't notice a start date for the lease.

 

 

 

Very interesting. Thanks for the update! I guess the United bus to Beaumont is truly dead 

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2 hours ago, wilcal said:

 

Very interesting. Thanks for the update! I guess the United bus to Beaumont is truly dead 

 

This is very much intended to be a "temporary" location and situation for Southwest, pending the upcoming renewal and expansion of Terminal A.  And FWIW, I'm pretty sure the first expansion will be on the southeast side of Terminal A.

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More detail:

 

Chicago (Midway): Two flights each way

Dallas (Love Field): Six flights each way

Denver: Three flights each way

Nashville: Three flights each way

New Orleans: Four flights each way

 

For a total of 18 flights per day (and 18 arrivals)

 

and all 5 routes start on April 12.

Edited by Houston19514
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  • 1 month later...

Buried in an attachment to a City Council Agenda item regarding the Terminal Redevelopment Program at Bush Intercontinental:

" By mid-Summer this year, design will have been completed and construction will be fully underway."

To remind everyone of what the project includes:

 Constructing a new 11-gate concourse on the northside of Terminal B, becoming the “New Terminal C North” (project already completed by United Airlines); demolition (already completed) and replacement of the “Old Terminal C North” pier with a new Terminal D-West pier, renovation of the existing D Terminal, and integrating the Terminal D-West pier and D Terminal into a new single common-use north gate complex; expansion, modernization, and reconfiguration of the Federal Inspection Services (FIS) facility to improve baggage handling systems; constructing a new centralized international ticketing hall and centralized international security checkpoint; improving the meeter/greeter hall, and increasing the passenger roadway and curbside drop off/pickup capacity. ITRP also provides for the completion of various Program-supporting enabling projects such as utilities infrastructure and terminal roadways.

 

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1 hour ago, wxman said:

Did Houston permanently lose any routes or airlines during this pandemic? I see Houston no longer has a direct to Sydney. That's the one that stick out to me the most since I've been on that flight several times. Any others? Are they coming back?

I think that's a temporary suspension along with Ethiopian Airlines 

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