Huntsville/Madison Development News (skateboarding, construction jobs, dog parks)

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

You're not alone... I thought the same thing when I read it. The headline seems to imply luring a new low-cost carrier, but the article mentions negotiations with Breeze, which is already at HSV.

I think this is the important paragraph, though: "Under the deal, Breeze will provide two weekly round trips to two destinations, a total of 16 flights a month, and Huntsville will give it $10,000 a month. If Breeze adds a third destination, it gets $10,000 more a month. The deal is for a year with an option to extend a year."

And they're already adding a third destination (New Orleans was a third for a while, but that didn't work out. It never has with any airline). At the moment, they have Charleston and Tampa (or is it Orlando?), but will be adding Las Vegas in August. I guess that means $20K a month now to Breeze.

It sounds like an article that was written over a year ago and was updated poorly or maybe not updated at all.

HSV also has other low cost carriers - Frontier and Silver - but none of them has daily schedules.

[cooldiver]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

And they're already adding a third destination (New Orleans was a third for a while, but that didn't work out. It never has with any airline). At the moment, they have Charleston and Tampa (or is it Orlando?), but will be adding Las Vegas in August. I guess that means $20K a month now to Breeze.

Currently Breeze only operates two flights a week to Huntsville. Both go to Tampa, and both continue with same plane service to Charleston. You can see that if you try to book Charleston flights on the Breeze web site.

Breeze won't meet the required service levels until it adds Las Vegas in September unless they add more flights before then. Which seems iffy as Breeze is in the midst of a service meltdown with its new longer range A220 routes. Many cancellations, delays, and even leasing aircraft and crew from other operators.

The article is poorly researched as is often the case with al.com. "Huntsville hasn’t had a low-cost airline since 2011, when Southwest Airlines bought AirTran and canceled its Huntsville flights, and the city badly wants a new one."

Huntsville has had Frontier since October 2018. Currently Frontier is only operating Denver with Orlando returning later this year. Also Allegiant came and went. And Silver is here if you don't mind the hum and rumble of a turboprop aircraft.

[btcaub]

“ Breeze is a descendant of Jet Blue airlines, which tried to start flights from the Rocket City to Charleston, New Orleans and Tampa. ”. Umm no, no it isn’t. Just because the CEO founded both airlines, it is not a descendant.

[btcaub]

Hate saying it, but if this paragraph is correct;

“ “Charleston stopped, New Orleans went away and, through discussions with Breeze, we thought it was important to help incentivize them to stay longer to help establish certainty, to establish routes that our public could come [to rely] on,” Davis said.”

Sounds like Breeze was getting ready to pull the plug on HSV… and that’s why the city is “now” in negotiations with them.

[JackF]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

Is that the one on Old Monrovia Rd north of University Drive?

BAPS Alabama LLC, a Hindu Church, bought the former AMC Theater property at 1359 Old Monrovia Road on 09/29/2020 for $1,400,000.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by btcaub

Hate saying it, but if this paragraph is correct;

“ “Charleston stopped, New Orleans went away and, through discussions with Breeze, we thought it was important to help incentivize them to stay longer to help establish certainty, to establish routes that our public could come [to rely] on,” Davis said.”

Sounds like Breeze was getting ready to pull the plug on HSV… and that’s why the city is “now” in negotiations with them.

Didn't know Charleston had stopped, but there are only so many who want to vacation there. Boeing is there, but it's the airplane group and Huntsville's is aerospace, so no real commonality there. Pretty much the same with New Orleans, except they have Michoud but not much going on there now, as far as I know.

[cooldiver]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

Didn't know Charleston had stopped, but there are only so many who want to vacation there. Boeing is there, but it's the airplane group and Huntsville's is aerospace, so no real commonality there. Pretty much the same with New Orleans, except they have Michoud but not much going on there now, as far as I know.

Charleston shows on the schedule, but it is a same plane connection through Tampa. Most airlines call this a direct flight, Breeze calls it a BreezeThrough.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by cooldiver

Charleston shows on the schedule, but it is a same plane connection through Tampa. Most airlines call this a direct flight, Breeze calls it a BreezeThrough.

Good name. Many travelers call a non-stop a direct flight. It is, since you stay on the same plane unless you jump out, but, as the SEC says, "It just means more".

[Coogan]

Originally Posted by cooldiver

Currently Breeze only operates two flights a week to Huntsville. Both go to Tampa, and both continue with same plane service to Charleston. You can see that if you try to book Charleston flights on the Breeze web site.

Breeze won't meet the required service levels until it adds Las Vegas in September unless they add more flights before then. Which seems iffy as Breeze is in the midst of a service meltdown with its new longer range A220 routes. Many cancellations, delays, and even leasing aircraft and crew from other operators.

The article is poorly researched as is often the case with al.com. "Huntsville hasn’t had a low-cost airline since 2011, when Southwest Airlines bought AirTran and canceled its Huntsville flights, and the city badly wants a new one."

Huntsville has had Frontier since October 2018. Currently Frontier is only operating Denver with Orlando returning later this year. Also Allegiant came and went. And Silver is here if you don't mind the hum and rumble of a turboprop aircraft.

Or you don’t mind your flight being canceled 2 hours before you started boarding for your week-long family trip to DisneyWorld, forcing you to spend over $1000 on alternative flight down later that day.

Yeah I’m still salty, which is why we’re driving down to Orlando instead for our next trip.

[dijkstra]

Originally Posted by Coogan

Or you don’t mind your flight being canceled 2 hours before you started boarding for your week-long family trip to DisneyWorld, forcing you to spend over $1000 on alternative flight down later that day.

Yeah I’m still salty, which is why we’re driving down to Orlando instead for our next trip.

Same thing happened to us when we tried to fly out of Huntsville with Frontier. Never did get a full refund out of them. We only booked the flight with them because the price was so good. Normally we would drive to Orlando. Couldn't get another flight until about 10 hours later at night so we ended up having to drive down anyway. Lesson learned. Never ever will we try to fly with Frontier again. I'm still pissed and have told everybody I know about the experience so they can spare themselves the aggravation in the future.