urbanMSP

Looks like we'll get to see Air France A340-300 five days a week next summer... AF is launching a seasonal flight to supplement the daily Delta CDG flight.

I feel like I'm among the few on this forum who are very interested in MSP news. And (not that this really matters) this flight actually goes from 5 times a week to daily in mid-June. So slightly better news I guess?

Here's the release from Air France, along with a lovely picture of 1/3 of our skyline.

This is awesome! So will check in be through Delta or will they have their own tickt counters and signage?

This is awesome! So will check in be through Delta or will they have their own tickt counters and signage?

Pretty sure through Delta -- if I recall correctly, their ticket counters already say Air France and KLM in addition to Delta.

Exciting news. I am pretty sure this is the first scheduled A340 service to MSP. It will be nice to have a 4 engine jet, now that the Tokyo flight is a 777. It also adds to our paltry service from international airlines. Right now it is just a few Air Canada Express flights to Toronto as well as seasonal Icelandair 757 service. I think it has been about 15 years since KLM served MSP, so the variety will be nice.

Pretty sure through Delta -- if I recall correctly, their ticket counters already say Air France and KLM in addition to Delta.

Just so long as they add their name to the signs over 494 and on the Light Rail lol. It may just be me but that's always something I look at when visiting other cities. When your only two international airlines are Air Canada and Iceland Air it kinda gives the impression we only cater to other cold places. Hopefully we'll see Korean Airlines join us soon, that may be our best chance of getting 747 service back.

Air Canada has signage at the airport, but everything is handled by United. I would imagine Air France, with less service, will have a similar arrangement with Delta.

It's unlikely that we will ever get a lot of international destinations with service to Delta's hubs in Tokyo and Amsterdam as well as London. With one stopover on United, American, and US Airways pretty much ever major city in the world is accessible to Minneapolis. I'm not too sure that there are many international destinations that could use a direct service to Minneapolis.

That being said, it seems a lot of Minnesotans (and Americans in general) visit France for vacation, and a summer service to Paris could be quite successful.


On another note, if we do expect Terminal 2 to be of any use, we are going to need to figure out a way to allow passengers to travel between the two terminals without exiting and reentering security, in addition to the 5-min walk at both terminals and the train wait.

On another note, if we do expect Terminal 2 to be of any use, we are going to need to figure out a way to allow passengers to travel between the two terminals without exiting and reentering security, in addition to the 5-min walk at both terminals and the train wait.

Terminal 2 is almost entirely Origination and Destination traffic -- very few people connect through there. Even fewer connect from one flight in Terminal 2 to another in Terminal 1 or vice versa. Terminal 2 handles a lot of people quite well -- I'd say that it's plenty useful as is.

It's fairly common at older airports to have to leave security to get from one terminal to another.

I hope they add Air France to the highway signs, too! I am pretty sure they would, there would be people that would be confused if they book their flight through Air France.

The most that I could see as far as travel between Terminals 1 and 2 would be some sort of shuttle bus. I don't think there are very many people that have connections between terminals. Most of the people that use light rail between terminals seem to be airport employees.

Air Canada has signage at the airport, but everything is handled by United. I would imagine Air France, with less service, will have a similar arrangement with Delta.

It's unlikely that we will ever get a lot of international destinations with service to Delta's hubs in Tokyo and Amsterdam as well as London. With one stopover on United, American, and US Airways pretty much ever major city in the world is accessible to Minneapolis. I'm not too sure that there are many international destinations that could use a direct service to Minneapolis.

That being said, it seems a lot of Minnesotans (and Americans in general) visit France for vacation, and a summer service to Paris could be quite successful.


On another note, if we do expect Terminal 2 to be of any use, we are going to need to figure out a way to allow passengers to travel between the two terminals without exiting and reentering security, in addition to the 5-min walk at both terminals and the train wait.

K, but Salt Lake City is Delta's next International superstar and NOBODY from Europe needs to go to Salt Lake City....so I'm not sure how much that has to do with the international routing by airlines. In fact, I have NO IDEA how airlines decide which cities are going to be international hubs (Detroit is another international superstar, although it makes more sense than Salt Lake....or Denver).

K, but Salt Lake City is Delta's next International superstar and NOBODY from Europe needs to go to Salt Lake City....so I'm not sure how much that has to do with the international routing by airlines. In fact, I have NO IDEA how airlines decide which cities are going to be international hubs (Detroit is another international superstar, although it makes more sense than Salt Lake....or Denver).

Not sure what you're talking about. SLC has a single daily flight to Europe and zero flights to Asia. MSP is actually the best located of the Delta hubs for service to Asia but Detroit has been getting the Asian routes over MSP primarily because of facilities.

Delta has been recently expanding their international service out of Seattle, especially to Asia. With their alliance with Alaska Air, Seattle is developing into a fairly significant hub for Delta.

K, but Salt Lake City is Delta's next International superstar and NOBODY from Europe needs to go to Salt Lake City....so I'm not sure how much that has to do with the international routing by airlines. In fact, I have NO IDEA how airlines decide which cities are going to be international hubs (Detroit is another international superstar, although it makes more sense than Salt Lake....or Denver).

Not sure what you're talking about. SLC has a single daily flight to Europe and zero flights to Asia. MSP is actually the best located of the Delta hubs for service to Asia but Detroit has been getting the Asian routes over MSP primarily because of facilities.

Delta has (or had) major plans for Salt Lake to be the next Delta International hub......look it up if you don't believe me (I read this before but not recently, however if I find the article I'll post it here).

They are replacing the antiquated terminal at SLC, but I have heard nothing about it being the next "International Hub". They gave a shot at Tokyo a few years back, but it wasn't successful. Not sure where you got your info.

They are replacing the antiquated terminal at SLC, but I have heard nothing about it being the next "International Hub". They gave a shot at Tokyo a few years back, but it wasn't successful. Not sure where you got your info.

I'm not either, but it was engrained into my head and now I can't back it up. Maybe it was just the Tokyo thing, but I thought I also remembered talk of London and Paris as well, along with Asia. I know it was at least talked about and this was around the time shortly after Delta merged with NWA.

http://www.slcairport.com/cmsdocuments/ ... June09.pdf

This one mentions Paris as well, and maybe that was it, but I STILL maintain I remember hearing about SLC becoming a next major Delta Intl hub. Whatever......really not that important. I still think it's odd that SLC needs non-stop service to/from Paris and Tokyo though. I'm not sure what would drive that demand, but I'm not that in tuned with aviation 101.

I can't see SLC getting more service than MSP. Likely just daily flights to NRT/AMS/CDG on the smallest equipment that can do the route. MSP sees at LEAST double the number of seats a day, and double the number of flights. So from a hub perspective it is much more strategic to connect traffic via MSP (and DTW) from Middle/West America than it is thru SLC.

The downside is mountain-west traffic connecting to Asia, but I bet many of those destinations can connect via SEA on the Alaska codeshare.

Mormon mission trips, duh.

http://www.slcairport.com/cmsdocuments/ ... June09.pdf

This one mentions Paris as well, and maybe that was it, but I STILL maintain I remember hearing about SLC becoming a next major Delta Intl hub. Whatever......really not that important. I still think it's odd that SLC needs non-stop service to/from Paris and Tokyo though. I'm not sure what would drive that demand, but I'm not that in tuned with aviation 101.

SLC-NRT ran for like a year in 2008/2009. Not coming back any time soon, IMO.

i was in england a couple weeks ago and took the delta non-stop to london and back. full flights on weekdays, there and back.

Interesting Article, I don't know much about airports, but I figured many of you would like

http://www.minnpost.com/stroll/2012/11/ ... idden-gems