It wasn't all a bed of roses - OC Register Travel
Travel editor Gary Warner writes that an annual roundup must also include a list of least-favorite places and experiences.
Least favorite airport: LA X. A perennial winner in this category, the overcrowded hub of Southern California travel is fitfully modernizing its antiquated facilities. While I love the overall midcentury design of the Theme Building and the concourses, the inability to create a quick way to get to and around the airport makes a trip to LAX somewhere between a nuisance and a nightmare, depending on the time of day and year.
Passenger traffic expected to be up at LAX but down at Ontario - Press-Enterprise
With more airlines shifting their Southern California departures and arrivals to Los Angeles International Airport, LAX officials expect a 1.9 percent increase in holiday passengers.
Ontario Airport is expected to have 7 percent fewer travelers, about 208,000 total, use the Inland airport during that time, according to the agency.
LAWA's director of external affairs Michael Molina said the reason for the increase at LAX was because travelers heading to or from Southern California preferred that airport's "variety of fares, available seats, and better-timed flight schedules," he said.
Long Beach Airport hasn't lost any of its 41 daily flights, said airport spokeswoman Sharon Diggs-Jackson. That airport doesn't break out holiday passenger forecasts, but Diggs-Jackson said traffic there is expected to decrease slightly for the month of December compared to the same month last year because companies such as Alaska Airlines have started flying smaller planes.
Jenny Wedge, spokeswoman for John Wayne International Airport in Orange County, said that based on a 4 percent increase in Thanksgiving holiday travel it's possible that the airport will see more travelers in December than last year.
3-hour limit placed on airline passengers' tarmac waits - LA Times
Responding to horror stories of stranded passengers, federal regulators say they will begin levying hefty fines on airlines that leave travelers grounded in planes on the tarmac without food, water or the option to disembark.
The new regulations, announced Monday by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, require airlines to provide access to bathrooms as well as food and water on domestic flights within two hours of a delay. After three hours, passengers must be offered a chance to disembark.
Airlines that fail to comply could be fined up to $27,500 per passenger -- a potential penalty of $5.5 million for a jet with 200 people on board.
9/11 attacks led to beefed up security at John Wayne Airport - Daily Pilot
John Wayne Airport has seen its annual security costs jump from about $4 million to $16 million since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, according to airport officials.
Whereas John Wayne officials use to advise air travelers to arrive 30 to 45 minutes before their flight’s scheduled departure, passengers now are encouraged to come 90 minutes to two hours ahead of time.
Week of December 14 - December 20, 2009
John Wayne Airport shedding its business reputation - OCRegister
Passengers at John Wayne Airport are more likely to be flying to see a cousin than a client in 2009, reversing a longtime trend at Orange County's airport.
The 2009 John Wayne Airport Passenger Survey found that 56 percent of people interviewed for the survey were traveling for leisure purposes. That's a big shift away from the airport's long-time reputation as a business person's airport. In 2007, the leisure travelers accounted for 48 percent of those polled. In 2005, it was just 40 percent. Website Editor: Click for 2000 and 1998 survey summaries when 49 and 54 percent were business travelers.
With the worst recession in decades and the increasing prominence of budget airlines like Southwest and the newer Virgin America, the vacation traveler is taking up more seats at the airport than ever before. Southwest, while trying to attract more business travelers, is a longtime favorite of families and cost-minded travelers. It accounts for approximately a third of all flights in and out of John Wayne Airport.
Orange County residents are just flat out pleased with most of what they find at John Wayne Airport. The 2009 survey found that a majority of people using the airport had a "high level of satisfaction" in most areas. Approval is also on the rise.
Website Editor: In the telephone part of the survey, ninety-four percent of Orange County residents choose to fly out of John Wayne Airport because it is a convenient location.
Forty-three percent of Orange County residents say that flight availability is the reason they choose other Southern California airports over JWA, an increase of twelve points from 2007. This reinforces our belief that JWA needs to provide service to more destinations. JWA serves 16 nonstop destinations today, down from 25 cities in 2005.
Airport group bashes train plan - Burbank Leader
Local officials are lining up against a Metrolink proposal to cut service to Bob Hope Airport by 28%, calling the plan a shortsighted way to deal with anemic ridership figures.
Metrolink officials contend that the average 500 daily passengers serviced by the eight Ventura County trains planned for elimination could be absorbed by higher-traffic lines, and that the proposal is the best way to save money while minimizing impacts to passengers.
State high-speed train rides to be costlier, ridership lower than promised to voters - San Mateo County Times
According to an updated business plan released Monday, the average ticket on the bullet train from San Francisco to Los Angeles is now estimated to cost about $105, or 83 percent of comparable airfare. Last year, the state said prices would be set at 50 percent of comparable airfare and predicted a ticket from San Francisco to Los Angeles would cost $55.
As a result of the higher fares, state officials now think the service will attract 41 million annual riders by 2035, down from last year's prediction of 55 million passengers by 2030.
Finally, the cost of the project — recently pegged at $33.6 billion in 2008 dollars — is now estimated at $42.6 billion in time-of-construction dollars.
Week of December 7 - December 13, 2009
JWA airlines trim requests for allocations
For years, airlines sought flight slots and passenger seat allocations at John Wayne Airport. Most years, some of their requests to increase passenger service were cut by the county or denied all together. Airlines hoping to begin serving O.C. passengers languished for years on the "new entrants waiting list" with no chance to fly out of JWA. That has all changed. Airlines have stopped begging to be allowed into Orange County.
Last year, in a reversal, the Board of Supervisors gave the airlines all of the flights and seats they requested, but Orange County airport travel slumped. Air Canada received authorization to begin flights after seven years on the waiting list, but opted to say "no thanks," at least temporarily.
It's a situation well know in business. If you turn away clients during good times, it becomes difficult to attract them during hard times.
The airport manager is preparing next year's recommendations for the Board of Supervisors' approval in January. He proposes giving airlines all the seat allocations they want. Unfortunately, what they have requested is the smallest number since the airport's existing limits on service were set in 2003. Airport management proposes to allocate 12,227,096 seats for 2010-11, down 6 percent from the 13,011,543 that airlines requested and the county authorized for this year and down almost 11 percent from the 13,682,672 seats allocated two years ago.
Air Canada is still on the list, at one flight per day. Virgin Airlines, which got a lot of attention when it started service, is in the plan for 2010-11 at the same volume of traffic as previously approved for this year. US Air is "temporarily returning" some of its departure slots.
We estimate that John Wayne Airport will serve 9 million passengers in its current "access control plan year" ending in March. With airlines reducing service at the very time that the airport is being expanded from two to three terminals, it is not the best possible economic picture.
Then there are the people in Newport Beach who want to unload as many JWA passengers as possible onto Ontario Airport so the noise can bother someone else - and their ticket and landing fees can go to a different county.
SoCal air travel summary for October is down
For the 10 months through October 2009, total air travel was down by 8.5 percent from the previous year at the six airports that comprise the SCAG region - LAX, John Wayne, Bob Hope, Ontario, Long Beach and Palm Springs.
Only Long Beach Airport had 2009 traffic running slightly ahead of 2008.
The other major Southern California airport, San Diego's Lindbergh Field, was 7.8 percent behind last year's volume of traffic.
Airport devises incentive program - The Palm Springs Desert Sun
With the economy causing the airlines to trim many of their flights, the Palm Springs International Airport Commission on Wednesday recommended a new
$1 million air service incentive program aimed at boosting passenger service to the Coachella Valley.
The Palm Springs airport's total passenger count has dropped 7 percent in the last year, according to airport Executive Director Tom Nolan. The details haven't been worked out yet, but under the proposed program the airport would partner with airlines on marketing and advertising promotions.
The airport also would look at temporarily waiving certain fees charged to the airlines, such as landing fees, Nolan said.
The idea, Nolan and other airport officials said, is to boost airport revenues through more flights, passengers and possibly new airlines as well as to help give a much-needed push to the valley economy by bringing in more visitors.
The airport's nearly $11 million in unrestricted cash reserves would fund the incentive program at up to $1 million, which the board voted 15-0 to recommend.
Website Editor - Since some folks in Orange County want to chase away paying passengers using John Wayne Airport, perhaps Palm Springs can devise an incentive for visitors heading to Disneyland. Come stay in Palm Springs and we'll shuttle you to Disneyland for the day.
Pro-El Toro airport folks in Orange County - who argued long and hard that their county's economy needs more air service - now want to avoid fully utilizing JWA's expanding facilities.
John Wayne traffic continues
to recover in November
Airline
passenger traffic at John Wayne Airport increased in November 2009 as
compared to November 2008. In November 2009, the Airport served 700,223
passengers, an increase of 7.8% when compared to the 649,486 passenger
traffic count of November 2008.
Commercial Carrier flight operations increased 8.1%, while Commuter Carrier (air taxi) operations decreased 29.4% when compared to the same levels recorded in November 2008.
Commercial Carrier flight operations increased 8.1%, while Commuter Carrier (air taxi) operations decreased 29.4% when compared to the same levels recorded in November 2008.
Vintage bomber museum opens in O.C.- OC Register
The first departure is Friday, when the new Lyon Air Museum at John Wayne Airport formally opens its doors to the public, giving locals an up-close-and-personal glimpse of vintage bombers.
The Lyon Air Museum is a 33,000 square foot exhibition space on 19300 Ike Jones Road in Costa Mesa.
Created by homebuilding magnate William Lyon – a combat veteran who flew missions over Korea – the 30,000-square-foot, hangar-enclosed gallery has a roughly $10 million value and stems from a "lifelong passion" for aviation, said Mark Foster, museum president.
The planes began as a private collection, but Lyon "wanted to share them with the public" and "somehow present the stories of the greatest generation," Foster said.
Of five aircraft on display, the crown jewel might be a B-17 "Flying Fortress" that carried future president and then-Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Several classic automobiles are also housed, including a six-wheeled, Mercedes-Benz touring wagon – outfitted with bullet-resistant glass – that Adolf Hitler used when greeting crowds.
LAX baggage screening system gets funding, could cut passenger lines - LA Times
Officials have secured $150 million to add in-line baggage screening systems at several terminals at Los Angeles International Airport.
According to Los Angeles World Airports, the Transportation Security Administration has pledged the money for the systems, which will screen luggage outside the main terminal area.
Officials hope the machines will speed up the security checks for passengers.
With the grant, LAX now has more than $300 million in federal funds for the screen system. Officials said the system will cost a total of $600 million and should be completed by 2012.
Week of November 30 - December 6, 2009
ONT struggling with higher costs, reduced passenger loads - Daily Bulletin
It is no secret that tickets to fly out of LA/Ontario International Airport are often markedly more expensive than those from other area airports.
But just why the midsize airport is so expensive leaves many puzzled.
"A reduction in airlines also means higher costs spread onto the flier, which is a recipe for raising costs per passenger," said Tim Wagner, spokesman for American Airlines.
The cost of doing business at the Ontario airport exceeds that at many of the airports in the region.
"Ontario is relatively high (cost) and that's because of their recent capital improvement projects," Wagner said.
First, there's the terminal fee.
At ONT, airlines are charged $182.87 per square foot. That's after a 15 percent increase went into effect July 1.
That's 147 percent higher than the same fee at John Wayne Airport in Orange County.
Then there's the landing fee, which the board of directors voted in June to increase to $2.76 per 1,000 pounds.
That's 245 percent higher than the same fee at Burbank, and 38 percent higher than at John Wayne.
Website Editor: All of which makes it difficult to realize Newport Beach's dream of shifting passengers from JWA to ONT. See stories below.
Think through this airport idea - Daily Pilot Editorial
AirFair, a local airport watchdog group, has proposed an intriguing remedy to help muffle the noise in local skies: Ontario.
AirFair hopes that by offering rides and discounted tickets, Disneyland-bound air passengers will choose the more-distant gateway in San Bernardino County instead of John Wayne Airport. See story below.
Of course, the Ontario airport is more than three times as far from Disneyland as JWA, a fact to consider on our infamously congested freeways.
While we applaud AirFair’s diehard efforts to bring calm to the skies above Newport-Mesa, we hope they’ll also think through some of the possible economic implications of encouraging passengers to use Ontario as the welcome mat to the House that the Mouse Built.
Solution seen in Disney - Daily Pilot
A local group says it’s found a way to steer away more than a million travelers from landing at John Wayne Airport and help relieve some of the pressure on the facility to expand. “Any amount of traffic we can get diverted is key,” said Jeanne Price, one of the founders of AirFair, a local group dedicated to keeping JWA from expanding.
AirFair hosted a presentation Friday by Peggy Ducey, a consultant hired by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) that owns the Ontario and Palmdale airports and is looking to divert passengers from Los Angeles International Airport.
Ducey said a recent survey showed that an estimated 1.3 million passengers, or 14% of JWA’s annual customers, are headed to the land of Mickey, Minnie and Goofy.
Because Ontario Airport is significantly farther away than JWA, the groups are looking at different incentives — such as discounted air fares, hotel prices or Disneyland ticket prices — to attract travelers to Ontario Airport, Ducey said.
The plan will only be temporary until Anaheim finalizes its own transportation hub called ARTIC, which will then be drawn into the operation, Ducey said.
“We were pleased to listen to Los Angeles World Airports’ regional plan, and we are always interested in opportunities that might benefit our guests,” Betsy Sanchez, a Disneyland Resort spokeswoman, said Friday in a phone interview. “However, we have made no commitments, and it would be extremely premature to discuss any details.”
The goal at this point was simply to reduce demand on the airport in hopes it eventually stops any push for expansion.
Website Editor: Diverting these passengers from JWA to Ontario would cost Orange County's airport millions of dollars each year at a time when it is financing and constructing a major expansion of the airport. Where is the economic sense in that?
California Airports Join Together to Form California Airports Council - PR News wire
The Executive Directors and CEO's of California's 30 commercial
airports have formed a statewide airport consortium, the California
Airports Council (CAC), it was announced today. "Airports play a
critical role in the fabric of the state's economy, providing billions
in revenue and tens of thousands of jobs statewide," said John Martin,
executive director of San Francisco International Airport and president
of the organization.
Among the high-priority issues for the CAC is passage of
the pending Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Bill, which
contains several issues key to airport operations and California's
local and regional economies. Those issues include:
Passenger Facility Charge - The CAC is seeking (1) an increase in the
PFC cap to $7.50 (from $4.50); and (2) indexing for inflation to allow
the PFC cap to keep pace with increasing capital costs.
Inflation
of the new upgraded Great Park Balloon envelope. - Great
Park media release
A crew of thirty
people over five days to install the new Great Park Balloon
envelope.
The process includes deflating the original round envelope and removing
it from the landing platform. Laying out the new envelope
on the platform and pumping it full with 210,000 cubic feet of
helium.
The crew will utilize 400 sandbags to ballast the lift until the net
can be attached to the existing tether.
The envelope is now also enhanced with internal illumination to improve its night time visibility for miles.
