A Sun Country 737 Departs MSP on a frigid morning. – Photo: Nick Benson / JetTip.net
Inaugurals, brandnewairlines, airline sunsets, new planes, unique planes. What do these all have in common? They’re a magnet for AvGeeks. And any time you get a group of enthusiasts in a room together they all start telling their “AvGeek experience” stories. You know how it goes – “the shortest flight I ever flew was…” and then someone chimes in with theirs. It’s good fun.
Today we are excited to tell you about an AvGeek experience we just recently learned of (and promptly booked) thanks to our friend and sometimes AirlineReporter contributor Nick Benson over at JetTip. Picture this: An inaugural flight between a new city pair, to an airport you and your friends have probably never been to. Just an 85-mile flight, onboard a 737 with a bunch of fellow AvGeeks…
Let’s Fly an Inaugural EAS Flight
The December 1 MSP-EAU flight is only $40 one way. Less than $1 a minute! What a deal. – Image: Sun Country
On December 1, 2022 Sun Country will inaugurate service between MSP and EAU (Chippewa Valley Regional Airport) using one of their 737s. At time of writing, the new route is a bargain at just shy of $40 each way. This is a ULCC, so seat selection, etc., are extra. But here’s the thing – it’s a short 45-minute flight, and an inaugural so why not just roll the dice? We realize this isn’t Spirit, but here’s your chance to go full un-bundled, like I did in 2016 when I tried the Bare Fare, for science. Do it, and you’ll have another story to tell your friends.
Wendy Burt, Sr. Director of communications for Sun Country confirms that this unique new route is part of the DOT’s Essential Air Service program. EAS is intended to ensure service to undeserved communities. She also confirmed that “there will be an event in Eau Claire on the first day to celebrate.” Airline-themed cake, anyone? We can only hope…
A JetSuiteX ERJ135 getting a water cannon salute at Boeing Field – Mount Rainier provided a dramatic backdrop
Simple, fast, efficient, comfortable, and reasonably-priced air travel. What’s not to like?
JetSuiteX kicked off scheduled service between Seattle and Oakland, Calif., on July 1, with three flights per day between the two cities.
This means that the metro Seattle area now has three airports offering scheduled passenger service: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA); Paine Field (PAE) in Everett; and Boeing Field (officially King County International Airport, BFI).
The airline euphemistically referred to the route as the “nerd bird” in a press release, no doubt calling out their hoped-for clientele: business travelers between the two tech hubs.
No fuss here – you just walk out of the terminal building and onto your plane (for the curious, that’s a GOL B-737 MAX 8 on a test flight in the background)
We’ll soon have a separate story offering background on the airline and more on their plans for routes, so I’m going to focus primarily on the flying experience here. And what an experience it was.
Arguably, one of the best parts of flying with JetSuiteX isn’t the flight itself so much as the removal of pre- and post-flight hassles. Lines? Not really. There are only a maximum of 30 people on your flight, and you’re either flying out of a relatively quiet secondary airport or an executive-style FBO (fixed base operator) at a major airport.
Late last year we spent a fun couple of days flying long-haul with Finnair and interviewing the head of their flagship Airbus A350 fleet. But we never actually flew the A350 ourselves, since Finnair’s US routes were all handled by their older A330s. That changed a month ago, when Finnair re-launched flights to LAX after a long hiatus and gave the honor to the A350. Obviously we weren’t going to miss the chance to cover the inaugural, and the folks at Finnair gave us the chance.
The onboard product lived up to the hype, with universal aisle access, lie-flat seats, Nordic style, and even a northern lights simulation on the ceiling. And it was just as fun covering Finnair’s pre-flight festivities on the ground. Clearly this route was a big deal for the Finnair team, getting the honorific flight numbers AY01 and AY02.
Read on for the full scoop on Finnair’s (re)inaugural celebration of its service from Los Angeles to Helsinki.
Alert: a new player has entered the game. At long last, Southwest Airlines is flying to Hawaii. It’s a major milestone for the airline, which has had its eyes on the Hawaii prize for a years. So when the first flight departed Oakland for Honolulu on March 17th, the airline threw a BIG party to celebrate.
There were hula dancers, live musicians, cakes, speeches, and (of course) TONS of Hawaiian shirts. Passengers on the flight — who mostly seemed to be Southwest employees and die-hard fans — got luggage tags and flower leis before taking to the skies. And we got to head out onto the airfield to see the flight off. Read on! We have so many photos, you’ll feel like you were there with us.
Condor inaugural San Diego arrival – Photo: San Diego County Regional Airport Authority
Recently, I had the opportunity to take my first ever inaugural flight. Condor inaugurated twice-weekly service nonstop from Frankfurt to San Diego and they were kind enough to allow me to tag along. This was a special trip for me, as I rarely get the opportunity to fly internationally in anything but economy class, as more opulent flying is typically not in my budget.
Condor inaugural San Diego arrival
Inaugural celebration – Photos: San Diego County Regional Airport Authority
Condor inaugural San Diego arrival
Not only was this a big deal for me, but this new connection to Europe is a big deal for the city of San Diego and the 3 million plus people in the metropolitan area. With the new flight, Condor becomes just the second nonstop connection to Europe, and first by a leisure airline.
