Airlines Chase the Sun to New Vacation Destinations
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APEX Insight: Seasonal shuttling newcomers WowAir and Norwegian are competing by flying passengers from the US, UK and Iceland to sunny getaways in California, Guadeloupe, Martinique and the Caribbean. Meanwhile, longtime winter leisure airlines are expanding their networks to Hawaii and Costa Rica. “Our loyal Bay Area travelers … have been asking for an island escape for some time,” says Virgin America CEO, David Cush.
Winter typically sees airlines open their seasonal routes for those who long to feel sand between their toes… or at least just feel their toes. This year, though, several airlines are flying to sunny destinations for the very first time. If you long for a Latin American or South Pacific getaway, airlines from all over the world are eager to take you there, and this year’s season sees a host of airlines flying to warmer climes for the first time.
JetBlue has been flying to the Caribbean for around 13 years, starting with its New York-Puerto Rico route, and has been flying to Cuba for years. Now, via direct flight and codeshare, the airline is expanding through the region like a pirate-movie franchise and will soon be serving nearly 30 Caribbean destinations.
Icelandic budget carrier WowAir is flying its daylight-starved customers to California during the winter, while allowing Americans to double down on the season’s lower temperatures. In what founder and CEO Skúli Mogensen calls “a game-changer”, WowAir will connect Reykjavik to San Francisco and Los Angeles beginning in January 2016, using Airbus A330-300 aircraft with a coach-class-only configuration.
Fellow Nordic carrier Norwegian is starting up low-cost service from the US to the Caribbean as well, with fares advertised as low as $79 each way from Boston, New York, and Baltimore to Martinique and the Guadeloupe Islands. Hilaire Brudey, chairman for the Guadeloupe Islands Tourist Board, described the new routes as “[A]n excellent opportunity for more East Coasters to finally tick the Guadeloupe Islands off their bucket list.” Norwegian is also flying from London, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Oslo to San Juan, Puerto Rico; and from Copenhagen and Stockholm to Las Vegas.
Norwegian’s first nonstop flight between Stockholm and Las Vegas is on its way. t#Fly_Norwegian pic.twitter.com/nZK5DKn6V6 €” Norwegian (@Fly_Norwegian) October 31, 2015
Virgin America takes North Americans to sunny California, but where does it take Californians in need of even more Vitamin D? Hawaii, of course. Virgin’s newest fleet is expanding to the 50th state aboard an Airbus A320, which is smaller and more fuel-efficient than the jets flown by its more-established competitors.
“Our loyal Bay Area travelers, and especially our Elevate frequent flyers, have been asking for an island escape for some time, and as of today they have a fresh option for their Hawaii travels,” said Virgin America president and CEO David Cush in a press release: “We are thrilled to be bringing our unique service to Honolulu and next month, Maui, and we look forward to building lasting community ties with the state and people of Hawaii.” Complete with its own Spotify playlist, the inaugural SFO-HNL jaunt was Virgin Group founder Richard Branson’s first intentional flight to Hawaii.
Meanwhile, Alaska Airlines is solidifying its Southern California presence by adding routes from Los Angeles to San José and Liberia in Costa Rica. “With the addition of Costa Rica, Alaska offers up to 80 peak season weekly departures from Southern California to Latin America, more than any other airline,” said John Kirby, Alaska Airlines’ VP of capacity planning, in a press release. The Boeing 737-800 aircraft flying these new routes will feature USB ports, so you can start making your snowbound friends jealous with beach selfies as soon as you land.
So if this year’s passenger-experience news seems unusually full of balmy vacation-destination announcements, it’s not just you. Should those chilly grey days get you down, this year it’s easier than ever to join the winged migration to somewhere sunny; and several airlines are fighting for the privilege of taking you there.