DELTA announces 4 new non-stop round trips daily to Miami

[Ocklawaha]

Effective in March, DELTA will be adding 4 round trip flights between Jacksonville and Miami in what has been a very under served market.

This should be interesting to watch, though I still prefer the train.

OCKLAWAHA

[simms3]

StreetInsider: Delta Boosts International Flights in 2011

[spuwho]

Effective in March, DELTA will be adding 4 round trip flights between Jacksonville and Miami in what has been a very under served market.

This should be interesting to watch, though I still prefer the train.

OCKLAWAHA

Agreed, its underserved. I think AA is the only one with a commuter style jet.

But with the announcement coming so soon after a proposed FEC/Amtrak link with cities donating land for stations...ummm.

No connection perhaps, but for a route that has been ignored for so long....why now?

[thelakelander]

You can't overlook or ignore the power of connectivity.  Unless this route is going to stop in St. Augustine, Daytona Beach, Melbourne, West Palm Beach, etc., its still a completely different animal and market.  When I look at the FEC/Amtrak route, its the connectivity with the cities inbetween that's important.  This is one of the reasons that the Florida HSR project won't be as successful as some wish. 

[fieldafm]

StreetInsider: Delta Boosts International Flights in 2011

That was the main reason Delta wanted Northwest, their highly profitable Pacific routes and the big hub at Narita. 

[Coolyfett]

Effective in March, DELTA will be adding 4 round trip flights between Jacksonville and Miami in what has been a very under served market.

This should be interesting to watch, though I still prefer the train.

OCKLAWAHA

Agreed, its underserved. I think AA is the only one with a commuter style jet.

But with the announcement coming so soon after a proposed FEC/Amtrak link with cities donating land for stations...ummm.

No connection perhaps, but for a route that has been ignored for so long....why now?

Competition. Airlines dont want these high speed rails to competing with them. It would mean they may have to lower fares. I think.

[simms3]

Airline fares are already pretty low.  Amtrak fares for lengthier service are not.  Last year it cost a group of us individually less to fly to DC than to use Amtrak, which also would have gotten us there late.  HSR won't be "cheap" and will probably be even more expensive than Amtrak.

[tufsu1]

well coolyfett is partially correct...it is competition....but instead of rail it is Southwest Airlines....since they only flew into FTL, Delta didn't have competition....with the acquisition of Air Tran, Southwest can now fly to MIA.

[Dog Walker]

Just checked the fares and travel time from Marseilles to Lille in France.  One city is in the extreme south, the other in the extreme north of the country.

One way fare for 1St class (not premier class) is $160 one way.  Trip takes 5 hours with a twenty-five minute layover in Paris.  The distance is darn near 1000 miles.  (Note to self-check this on Google Earth)

Note, this is from city center to city center so no rental car or taxis or parking fees at either end.  No one hour prior to flight check-in either or thirty minute ride from airport on the travel time.  AND no groin gropes.

Obviously HSR all the way.