AUS Base?
 

Just looking at the route map, seems like a lot of flights are starting this month out of AUS. Any chance a base will be opening up soon?

Many of the cities they pair up with AUS (or RDU) are only a couple days a week. So no..

Maybe in a few years, I certainly would not bet on it for now.

RDU will complete that second base East Cost Base! :)
Since the company desire 2 bases in each time zone...

Choosing a base has less to do with how many destinations YOU serve but a lot to do with how many destinations the AIRPORT serves. The company needs to be able to get crews to the base in a pinch, so a major airport served every day by big airlines makes more sense.

My money is on PHL (where we already have FA’s) but no time soon.

The Austin dream is just that...a dream by people who live in Texas.

It's looking probable that AUS will eventually become a base, but our network and frequency needs to grow more. I wouldn't make any short term plans (<5 years) based on it happening.

Watch, we'll all be completely wrong and everyone hired in the last 2 years will be commuting to upgrade there...

What will happen is we will bail on 75% of the routes in a year.

I can see Austin being a base long term. Low cost, no huge banks from other airlines, good weather in the winter. They can staff reserves heavy in Chicago and get a pilot anyway system wide to meet system wide disruptions from a central time zone. Yeah, I can see it.

Chief pilot in ground school said Philly and Austin were possible for future bases so that basically means neither of them will become bases.

+1. I remember the former CEO standing in ground school telling us that “MCO will absolutely NOT become a pilot base.”

I don’t see why this is even a question when their second biggest base is woefully understaffed and their newest base isn’t even close to staffed... and don’t forget, they decided not to upgrade anyone on the last adjustment...

Long term, as in the next few years, not now.

It seems like a completely logical base a few years down the road. As long as the market continues to respond well.
It’s not hard to see we are just modeling ourselves like Sprirts base structure, look where they have their bases and where our focus cities are in comparison. Multiple smaller bases is defiantly the future for us.
Plus with 150 or so airplanes in the next 8 years they will have to put them somewhere.

Get this crap off of here. Speculation on a base because of a route map is proposterous. Quit posting your rumors and wishful thinking. It doesn’t do anyone any good.

Agreed! +1

Some people take this website way too seriously. 🙄

It’s an easier rumor to spread (I’m not one spreading it) when the CP is saying Austin is one location being considered as a base.

Disclaimer: “Grain of Salt”

I recently had the station manager from SFO on a flight that said CVG is going to be the next base. She was actually flying back out west from CVG. I didn’t get a timeline from her. She said AUS is a strong possibility after CVG is established.

It seems like CVG, CLE, PHL and AUS could all be in the running. I've always thought PHL was the most likely candidate. It feels like we're a little less active in CVG and CLE as of late.

I was told by the DO in initial ground school that pilot bases are a function of having planes on the ground so mx can do inspections. 8 hours of down time. If the schedules don't provide that, it'll never be a base.

So if you start to see the schedules spread apart with airplanes sitting at gates overnight, it's logical to assume the company is trying to see if a base is feasible.

He also said that the pilots will be the last to know.

I hear. PHX, COS, ISP, FLL, MIA, SFO, SNA, SAN, SEA, PDX, IND, MSP, OMA, MCI, CLE, PIT, and BNA.

Seriously, who cares? Why is this even a thread?

People are bored. Let them have fun.

It's not that big of deal, but floating a certain base that is attractive to a lot of people is a way to recruit that costs nothing.

Anyone coming for a potential new base are probably making a horrible decision. We’re not getting any new bases this year and our route structure changes monthly so any city we fly out of a lot now, there’s a good chance that will change by next year.

100% this. I’d even be nervous to move to any of our bases (except maybe Vegas or Orlando) because I could see Indigo closing them in order to realign our route structure. Heck, even Orlando and Vegas aren’t safe from that. Just probably safer than the others.