The scope work around is ramping up. Does anybody know if DALPA has commented at all regarding this activity (ie Skywest flying more and more RJ's under the Alaska Airlines brand, our code share partner and the huge large RJ orders in the pipeline)?

Multiple new routes announced


Colorado Springs, Colo. and Omaha, Neb. among the new cities served



June 27, 2013


Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Alaska's newest destination as of Nov. 1, served by SkyWest, is more than a mile high and is surrounded by mountains, making it an outdoor-lovers paradise.

By Christy True



Alaska Airlines will begin flying to Omaha, Neb., and Colorado Springs, Colo. this fall in addition to connecting to a number of cities the carrier already serves. The new flying announced today will be handled by sister carrier Horizon Air and regional partner SkyWest Airlines.



“Alaska Airlines is thrilled to give our customers access to four great destinations from our Seattle and Portland hubs including daily service to our newest destinations of Colorado Springs and Omaha,” said Joe Sprague, vice president of marketing. “This new service provides convenient flight options for both business and leisure travelers, and further strengthens our growing network.”



The new flights flown by SkyWest will use three CRJ-700 regional jets owned by Horizon Air, which are returning from a lease to South African Express Airways. The routes include: Seattle-Colorado Springs, Colo.; Seattle-Omaha, Neb.; Boise, Idaho – San Diego; and Portland-Tucson, Ariz. All flights start Nov. 1, except Omaha, which starts Nov. 7.



The new routes flown by Horizon on Q400s are Portland-Reno, Nev., and seasonal service between Mammoth, Calif. – San Diego (Dec. 19-April 13). Horizon currently serves Reno from both Seattle and San Jose. Mammoth is currently served by Horizon on a year-round basis from LAX.



“While we do not believe these markets have enough demand to support an Alaska 737 aircraft today, they will be good contributors to the network as part of our regional portfolio,” said Ben Munson, director of network planning. “The aircraft type deployed on each new route will be ideally suited for the market considering stage length, demand, and average fares. These markets will support the entire AAG network as we grow our hubs in Seattle and Portland, in addition to our growing presence in San Diego.”

Where have we heard this before?


All the new routes will be on sale, or have special offers upon launch. See alaskaair.com for specific fare sales.

Below is detailed information on each new market or route:



SkyWest-operated flights



Seattle-Omaha, Neb.
Aircraft: CRJ-700 (70 seats)
Distance: 1,368 miles
Schedule:
SEA-OMA: 10:40 am – 3:45 p.m. (daily)
OMA-SEA: 4:15 – 5:45 p.m. (daily)


Omaha zoo
The Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha is one of the attractions that contributed to Kiplinger's naming the city the number one place for raising kids. It also has a broad employment base with several large companies headquarted there.

Market description and competitive landscape: Omaha, Neb., is the largest unserved market from Seattle within the range of the CRJ-700. Omaha is considered a popular destination for business travel as well as for travelers visiting friends and family in the area.

According to a visitor website, Omaha is the largest city in Nebraska and is home to several Fortune 500 companies including Berkshire Hathaway, ConAgra Foods and the Union Pacific Railroad.



As far as visitor attractions, the web site touts zoos and animal parks, an aquarium, an indoor tropical rainforest, a historic soda fountain and the Durham Museum – an art deco train station that has been transformed into a hands-on history museum. For outdoor activities, the city boasts 150 miles of walking and biking trails, several lakes and the Heartland of America Park with a 300-foot fountain and gondola rides on the Missouri River.


Seattle-Colorado Springs
Aircraft: CRJ-700 (70 seats)
Distance: 1,067 miles
Schedule:
COS-SEA: 8:00 - 9:55 a.m. (daily)
SEA-COS: 6:20 – 9:55 pm (daily)


Market description and competitive landscape: This route, the only non-stop service in the market, is designed to improve Alaska’s network from Seattle. Non-stop service is expected to stimulate travel in the market, particularly from those that drive from Colorado Springs to Denver today. Historically, travelers have flown to Denver on a low fare and made the 90 minute drive to Colorado Springs.


This flight will also serve as a maintenance transition flight for SkyWest.



Colorado Springs, the second largest city in Colorado after Denver, is home to the U.S. Air Force Academy, an Army base and two Air Force bases. A number of defense and high-tech companies also have a strong presence there and tourism is the third economic driver.



A visitor website touts the area’s weather, boasting of 300 days of sunshine a year and outdoor attractions such as 14,115-foot-tall Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods, a registered National Natural Landmark consisting of towering sandstone rock formations. For indoor fun, the town hosts a wide variety of museums, including the World Figure Skating Museum, shopping, art galleries and a winery inside an abbey in nearby Cañon City.



Boise – San Diego
Aircraft: CRJ-700 (70 seats)
Distance: 749 miles
Schedule:
BOI-SAN: 10:20-11:25 a.m. (daily)
SAN-BOI: 5:35-8:40 p.m. (daily)


Market description and competitive landscape: Alaska will offer the only non-stop service in the market. In addition to serving the local market, the flight is also timed for easy connections on Alaska’s flight to Los Cabos, Mexico, giving Boise area residents access to two sun-filled destinations. The addition of San Diego will make Alaska the largest carrier from Boise, both in terms of seats and departures.



Portland-Tucson
Aircraft: CRJ-700 (70 seats)
Distance: 1,119 miles
Schedule:
PDX-TUS 9:15 a.m. -1:05 p.m. (daily)
TUS-PDX 1:35-3:30 p.m. (daily)


Market description and competitive landscape: Alaska will offer the only non-stop service in the market, which is the largest unserved market from Portland within the range of the CRJ-700. The Portland service will complement existing nonstop SEA-TUS flights. The availability of a non-stop flight is expected to stimulate travel on this route. Marketing also expects to gain travelers who traditionally fly to Phoenix and then make the two-hour drive to Tucson.



Horizon-operated flights



Portland-Reno, Nev.
Aircraft: Q400 (76 seats)
Distance: 444 miles
Schedule:
PDX-RNO: 11:10 a.m.-12:45 p.m. (daily)
RNO-PDX 1:15-2:50 p.m. (daily)


Market description and competitive landscape: Southwest is reducing capacity in this market, leaving an opportunity for Alaska to add one round-trip flight and build its network from Portland. Reno is one of the most under-served markets from Portland without Alaska Airlines service.



San Diego-Mammoth Lakes, effective Dec. 19 - April 13 (Seasonal Service)
Aircraft: Q400
Distance: 350 miles
SAN-MMH: 5:30 - 7 p.m. Every day except Saturday
MMH-SAN: 7:30-9 p.m. Every day except Saturday
SAN-MMH: 9:30 – 11 a.m. Saturdays only
MMH-SAN: 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturdays only