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It seems like in recent years the Aguadilla BQN airport has only been able to attract ultra-low-cost carriers. I wish they would try to get better airlines to serve BQN.
I would love to see flights from Delta from either ATL or JFK. Delta has one of the best in-flight products of any US airline and I would gladly pay extra to fly them over Spirit or Frontier. Right now, the only viable options for me into BQN are JetBlue or United.
Anyone else would like to see better airlines flying into BQN?
Try contacting Delta online and send them an email asking them to consider BQN. There have been some chains I have been able to get them interested in my area. Admittedly I contacted them several times during the year and none were airlines, but most of the time had success.
Some of my cousins that live in the USA are half Puerto Rican (father from PR) and whenever they go to the island it’s through BQN since that one is closer to their paternal family home. I never heard them complain with the airlines option, but then again I guess they aren’t customers of Delta. lol Even worse is when they combined a trip to PR with the DR (mother is Dominican) since there is only one ferry company that does the trip between the two islands.
I also have a few other cousins that are half Puerto Rican, but their father’s family home is in a town closer to San Juan, so guess what airport they use. lol
Try contacting Delta online and send them an email asking them to consider BQN. There have been some chains I have been able to get them interested in my area. Admittedly I contacted them several times during the year and none were airlines, but most of the time had success.
Some of my cousins that live in the USA are half Puerto Rican (father from PR) and whenever they go to the island it’s through BQN since that one is closer to their paternal family home. I never heard them complain with the airlines option, but then again I guess they aren’t customers of Delta. lol Even worse is when they combined a trip to PR with the DR (mother is Dominican) since there is only one ferry company that does the trip between the two islands.
I also have a few other cousins that are half Puerto Rican, but their father’s family home is in a town closer to San Juan, so guess what airport they use. lol
My grandparents are elderly and can no longer drive to SJU. I don't drive myself and BQN is basically the only option unless I go with my parents. Last time I went to Puerto Rico I actually booked two tickets - a PHX-JFK/FLL-PHX open jaw ticket on Delta using SkyMiles and a JFK-BQN/BQN-FLL ticket on JetBlue using my Wells Fargo Rewards. This turned out to be cheaper than booking a single ticket on JetBlue or United, plus I stayed overnight at a friend's house near Fort Lauderdale and installed her a new Honeywell programmable thermostat (unfortunately she couldn't get a smart thermostat since she didn't have a C-wire).
A big part of it is demand. Demand for non-SJU flights to the Mainland US are centered on just two markets: New York City and Orlando. Fares to PSE and BQN also tend to be very low which makes airlines not love the idea of flying there. The market is also dominated by ULCCs which drives the fares further into the ground.
A big part of it is demand. Demand for non-SJU flights to the Mainland US are centered on just two markets: New York City and Orlando. Fares to PSE and BQN also tend to be very low which makes airlines not love the idea of flying there. The market is also dominated by ULCCs which drives the fares further into the ground.
I don't see how Delta can't compete with JetBlue on a JFK-BQN flight; I think the demand is there. Delta has a highly competitive product.
I don't see how Delta can't compete with JetBlue on a JFK-BQN flight; I think the demand is there. Delta has a highly competitive product.
So a little background: I am an commercial airline industry analyst by trade. I can tell you that well over 95% of demand to PR is to SJU. It gets to the point that only NYC and Orlando have the critical mass to be able to support BQN and PSE consistently. And the fares are so bad that they often fly in the overnight hours one way so that the plane wouldn't necessarily be used for a more profitable route.
But the primary point is that no airline is going to trip over themselves to fly to PSE or BQN not because they couldn't fill a plane. They could. The problem is that the fares are so low and there is no premium demand to Puerto Rico outside SJU. You typically need a decent sized premium market to counter low fares to make a market work. BQN and PSE don't have that.
I worked on a project involving LAX-Bangkok on Thai Airways. They really wanted to keep the flight, but it was full of people who didn't want to pay more than $800 round trip and they were having to discount their business class so highly that there were losing millions on it every week. BQN and PSE are not that extreme because the expenses are not as high to fly to PR vs. Thailand, but it is the same principle.
I'm not an air commercial transportation expert but Puerto Rico is a tiny island of 130 x 35 miles. San Juan should be the only main airport in the island with Aguadilla being secondary. The island has lost population since 2017. I don't see the economic payback of making Aguadilla as the San Juan airport but then again when I go to Puerto Rico is to stay in the north because I was raised there. So I understand why people from the South wants many direct flights to the south.
and what's up in naming airports in Puerto Rico after politicians of 1 party? Luis Munoz Marin and Rafael Hernandez Colon. LOL. I would love to see the "independentistas" and Populares using an airport to fly named after Carlos Romero Barcelo. "Welcome to Carlos Romero Barcelo Airport, don't take off your seat belts until the plane fully stops and the sign is off, again, welcome to Carlos Romero Barcelo Airport enjoy your stay" They would look like they ate nails for breakfast.
As far as I know, the BQN airport in Aguadilla is named after Rafael Hernández Marin the music composer (a native of Aguadilla and cultural icon of Puerto Rico), not Rafael Hernandez Colon the politician. Does Preciosa, Lamento Borincano, Cachita, Ausencia, Capullito de Alheli, Silencio, El Cumbachero, Tu No Comprendes, and many other songs that are part of Puerto Rican culture ring any bells? But yes, I too despise naming places after politicians.
As far as I know, the BQN airport in Aguadilla is named after Rafael Hernández Marin the music composer (a native of Aguadilla and cultural icon of Puerto Rico), not Rafael Hernandez Colon the politician. Does Preciosa, Lamento Borincano, Cachita, Ausencia, Capullito de Alheli, Silencio, El Cumbachero, Tu No Comprendes, and many other songs that are part of Puerto Rican culture ring any bells? But yes, I too despise naming places after politicians.
LOL. Thanks for the correction, that is much better. Then I say that's a well deserved name. You can tell I'm not from that area or been to that airport. I haven't been to Aguadilla since Rafael Hernandez was governor during a high school trip.
fwiw, Isla Grande Airport is named after the Utuado native, USAF Captain Fernando Ribas-Dominicci, who perished during Operation El Dorado Canyon in Lybia, and posthumously promoted to Major shortly after his disappearance. I spent the plurality of my USAF career as an instructor where he went through UPT (Laughlin AFB) back in 1976. Not much has changed between his time and mine wrt pilot career progressions.
As to airline service, yeahthe poster above who spoke about market research hit it on the head. Contrary to OPs opinion, the market research does not reveal actual demand of consequence for Aguadilla. Yes, the municipality has seen growth as a regional hub due to the entrance of the Lufthansa german workers, the expansion of federal agencies in the old Ramey AFB grounds adjacent to the runway (DHS, Coast Guard, CBP, DEA et al), and the settling of Rincón as an Anglo enclave for the last 10 or so years, but these are ultimately local and part-time living people who do not call Orlando/Miami and NYC/EWR/PHL/LGA their node of interest when traveling from or to the mainland. Not as a plurality. As such, SJU continues to be the origination/destination point of consequence. The drive is not even that long anymore from the west coast, for mainland standards. Heck, I live within 30 minutes of a Class C airport (SAT) and I still drive 3 hours to IAH for a direct flight home (SJU). And we have a house 10 minutes from the BQN runway mind you.
I did make use of BQN when landing my single engine flying lawnmower all the way from TX (FL, then via Bahamas fuel stop) on my 2-day great solo TX-PR crossing. Epic trip, and seeing the hue of punta borinquen on the horizon after 4 hours of nothing but deep blue, lack of radio reception and a one man raft if my 1940s technology engine crapped out, was a welcome sight. It was a personal moment I'll always hold dear and never regret having done. Airliners bore me (but that's the pointy nosed USAF pilot talking lol).
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