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June schedule

denno
Adventurer B

After a quick scan through the new June schedule out today, it appears that the last flight of the day to/from DEN is a post-midnight arrival, whether it's a one flight a day market like GRR or ALB or multiple flight market like BWI, ATL, MKE, MCO, TPA, MDW with some arrivals as late at 1:55am (BWI).  Given that business travel is way down and most summer travel will be leisure travel, who's taking the kids to see the grandparents or the Mouse and going to book these super night owl arrivals?  I'm not looking for an explanation.  I know that WN is just squeezing in a final round trip with aircraft at the end of the day.  But I can't think there will be enough folks at times like these to pay the gas.  The folks going to the many single flight per day markets with no better choices are getting hosed the most.  Some times it's better to limit the offerings to a more reasonable schedule, fill 'em up, and call it a day.  It's like the final scene from "Raiders of the Lost Ark:" "top men are working on this."

5 REPLIES 5

Re: June schedule

jksobonya
Aviator A

There are plenty of flights that arrive after midnight all the time. I have been on quite a few of them traveling from the west coast to the east coast over the years. I have a flight in a few weeks that leaves Denver in the evening and won't get back to Philly until after midnight. Of course, it's one of the cheaper flights, but it is what it is - it's nothing new. But it's nice to hear that Southwest is bringing back several routes that they stopped in 2020 due to the pandemic, and are even bringing some brand new routes to the table. 

 

--Jessica

Re: June schedule

denno
Adventurer B

Jessica, how full was your flight?

Re: June schedule

dfwskier
Aviator A

There could be a simple explanation: planes might have to be moved to be ready for flights the next day.

 

SW has two options:

 

1) Offer the flights for sale and get at least some revenue .or.

2) Deadhead empty flights and get no revenue.

 

If you were Southwest, which of the two options would you pick?

Re: June schedule

denno
Adventurer B

3) Delete the last flight in each direction and space out the ground time earlier to depart at a more reasonable hour

Re: June schedule

bec102896
Aviator A

I've taken several LAS-AUS flights that leave at 8pm arrive after midnight and many times they have been 90-100% full. In March i took a LAS-AUS flight that left at 7:20pm arriving at midnight and it was 173 of 175 plus a few lap children. 

 

I take a lot of late flights from Florida as well and they are mostly full.