Allegiant - JAX / CVG Report

[spuwho]

I had the opportunity to take Allegiant for the first time out of JIA and went to Cincinnati (CVG) recently.

I much prefer JIA over Sanford. Much more rational, much more streamlined. Sanford is a bus terminal. In fact the Allegiant flight attendant told me that Allegiant is near capacity at Sanford and can't expand there without incurring a big expense.  This might explain their desire to spread their wings to Jacksonville more.

In my informal conversations I wanted to see who was flying out of Jacksonville back to CVG. Surprisingly, most of the people I spoke with were coming home from a Carnival cruise.  A couple of people were Reds fans and were going up for a homestand and a couple was coming back from Amelia Plantation.

This flight featured an Airbus A319 which even in its budget config (single class, basic seating) was more comfortable than that 30 year old bucket of bolts MD80 Allegiant had me on out of XWA.  Allegiant has started playing classical music over the PA while you are boarding on this flight, however, for reasons I can only fathom, they played Christmas music when I came back to JIA.

Not unexpected, Allegiant was late arriving/leaving JIA due a crew problem based in St. Pete and it snowballed into our flight 2 airports later. We were an hour late arriving in CVG. The inflight magazine has no ads featuring Visit Jacksonville. In fact the "only" ad for NE Florida was for Amelia Island and Nassau County Tourism!!  Where is our tourism dollars going I might ask?

This became apparent when a family next to me told me about their cruise on Carnival. I asked them if they had a chance to see anything around the city. They mentioned they had an extra day after the cruise before their flight and decided to book a hotel at Jacksonville Beach. They mentioned it was fun but that there were a lot of "weird people" there.  I asked them if they were aware of anything else to see in the city and they said no and there was no information available. Well, "I guess you gotta know where to look" is what I told them and said there was a lot more to do here and they should come back.

Landing at CVG, Allegiant has what is probably the gate with the cheapest rent as it is the most distant in the A concourse from anything.  I don't like the new CVG terminal all that much anyway, but it was problem free after that.

Coming back to JAX, I once again did my own little informal survey in the gate area. This time, nearly all I spoke with were coming for vacation. School had just gotten out in southern Ohio and lots of families had booked the low fare to JAX. A couple to teens said they were going to tour some colleges while here for viability. Being near a cheap airline they said was key to going to school in Florida, and being close to a beach.

I also asked if they were doing anything in Jax proper. Most said they were going to Ponte Vedra and St Augustine primarily. They weren't aware of anything to do in Jacksonville except go to the beach.

I asked the Allegiant staff if this route had gotten much business. One told me they had transferred just to work the JAX/CVG route for the summer. They said it was slow and empty at first but as schools started letting out the flights have been getting fuller and fuller. My flights were at least 90% full both ways.

So to recap my thoughts on JAX/CVG

- JIA better than Sanford
- Allegiant runs late a lot
- Jacksonville is a means, not a destination
- Visit Jacksonville needs to get more info out

[Bridges]

I'm flying Allegiant to Asheville in 2 weeks.  A little nervous after a friend pointed out that there have been major safety concerns.  Pilots and crew threatening to strike if they weren't taken care of.  And old mechanics quitting due to lack of proper protocol on inspections and repairs. 

[spuwho]

I'm flying Allegiant to Asheville in 2 weeks.  A little nervous after a friend pointed out that there have been major safety concerns.  Pilots and crew threatening to strike if they weren't taken care of.  And old mechanics quitting due to lack of proper protocol on inspections and repairs.

Allegiant (so far) has had most of its issues out of its Las Vegas and St Pete hubs with the pilots.

The maintenance issues mostly are around the use of 27 year old MD80's they lease for summer travel season. Many of these are in various states of repair. Most are mechanically sound, but smaller issues cause the pilots to hold the show until they are addressed.

The FAA is currently auditing Allegiant's maintenance records 2 years early due to chronic complaints.

Shortly after the FAA came in to audit, the head of maintenance resigned.

Many of the problems are cosmetic (interior) or mechanical (hydraulics) that cause other issues.  Allegiant has been stockpiling older MD80's to use as parts depots in Sanford and Las Vegas.

The Airbus A319's are newer and in much better shape.

MD80 is a proven plane, but it needs to be maintained like any other.

The business model of maintaining low fares through the consumption of remaining airframe life only works as long as you have confidence in your maintenance operation.

By pulling yet more MD80's out of desert storage is OK as long as you can verify its flightworthiness. 

[Bridges]

I'm not sure I feel safer after your explanation.

[Kerry]

This became apparent when a family next to me told me about their cruise on Carnival. I asked them if they had a chance to see anything around the city
...
They weren't aware of anything to do in Jacksonville except go to the beach.

Next time tell them to go visit the Stadium because that is where 66% of the tourism tax dollars are spent.

http://www.coj.net/city-council/tourist-development-council.aspx

Of the six percent bed tax collected, two percent is deposited into the Sports Complex Capital Maintenance Enterprise Fund as authorized by Ordinance 2009-817-E, two percent is dedicated to paying debt service on the bonds issued to construct Alltel Stadium, and the other two percent is dedicated to tourism promotion.

[JaxAvondale]

I flew Allegiant to New Orleans over a few weeks ago and the flight was full. I thought the seats were very uncomfortable but the flight was fine. I will definitely fly that route again in the near future.

[Kerry]

I have flown Allegiant one time OKC-Sanford.  We were 2 hours late leaving OKC but it was a direct flight so still faster than making a connecting flight on another airline.  The price was so much lower that it made the difference between going and not going (about $210 round trip). After being in the seat 4 hours it got uncomfortable but for the price I would have stood up the whole way.  Yes I had to pay for luggage, but every airline charges for that except Southwest.  So a soda onboard cost money - I can live 4 hours without a Coke.  The flight was completely full and the staff was pleasant.