United Airlines Announces Bigger Jets For Aspen, But There’s A Hidden Agenda

by Gary Leff

Word broke yesterday that United Airlines was putting bigger regional jets – Embraer 175s – on its Aspen routes. This was surprising since the airport doesn’t support these planes, and has blocked attempts to require that they make very modest changes in order to do so. How did United make this happen?

This made no sense because the airport has been fighting the FAA to keep out bigger planes and no word of any progress forcing them to make changes to support Embraer E-175s had come out.

Precisely because of that battle, United scheduling these regional jets with twice as many first class seats and an overall better passenger experience was big news. They’d somehow gotten permission!

Except they hadn’t! United says that the new flights are ‘subject to FAA approval’. Normally what aircraft you fly on a domestic route isn’t subject to FAA approval. This means ‘subject to the FAA prevailing and making the airport accept these planes.’

Put another way, announcing the bigger planes is just a way to signal that United wants to fly them – meant as ammunition in the ongoing fight over whether the airport has to be an airport at all (much like Santa Monica; Naples; Westchester; Boulder et al – local NIMBYs in wealthy neighborhoods who don’t want the noise or the outside people).

And once approval finally comes there will be a lag in starting the service because special pilot training is required for Aspen airport operations.

  • surrounding high-altitude mountainous terrain with specific approach and departure procedures designed to avoid obstacles.
  • rapid weather changes, strong winds, and turbulence
  • Ahigh-altitude performance calculations for takeoff and landing, taking into account the reduced engine performance and lift at higher altitudes

Aspen may eventually get larger regional jets with more first class seats but United’s announcement was likely both premature and strategic.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  3. Aspen residents looking to reduce airport traffic have coined the term “ASEholes” for passengers arriving on United Airlines flights from Los Angeles, Houston, or Denver. If you plan to visit Aspen, you might want to buy a T-shirt with the phrase “How’s your Aspen?”

  4. The lack of scheduled common carrier space on flights to ASE is why some owners of vacation houses in Aspen fly into ASE in other ways than on scheduled common carriers. From an environmental and safety perspective, doesn’t it make sense to increase the number of seats on scheduled common carrier flights into ASE so that there are fewer private flights and charters?

    About flying into ASE on common carrier flights, there are so many cancellations and major delays during the ski season that it has often made sense to just go to DEN and do the drive to and from Aspen/Snowmass/Buttermilk. E175s going to be a game changer in that regard? Not enough for me to say goodbye to DEN.

  5. Good for United. A few super rich people decided that they wanted to keep commercial flights into Aspen a miserable experience. They’d be perfectly happy if the airport remained private only. A ‘somewhat’ larger plane that is roomier with more premium seats is a plus. Aspen is more exclusive partly because it is harder to access the town. Driving is nearly impossible from Denver at times and is a long distance away. I’ve flown into Aspen from Denver in the winter and it can be quite harrowing but much needed.

  7. NIMBYism around airports is basically always fueled by greedy developers who prod locals. But View From The Right Wing won’t report that.

  8. When I worked for United Express in 2003 and 2004 , we operated BAE146 aircraft with 86 seats into ASE, and had been doing so for 10+ years so size isn’t the issue. Suitable equipment must have the requisite performance statistics to serve ASE.

  9. Meh. NW used to fly Avros to ASE, with pretty good domestic F. The trick? Four engines.

    Remember kids: four is better than two.

  10. EGE is about 90 minutes from Aspen by car. Compared to DEN, this seems like a decent compromise airport for increased scheduled service, cutting two driving hours and two passes (well, one tunnel under a pass, and then Vail pass).
    That said, Aspen residents wanting to choke off a chunk of the reason the town has an income base seems less than ideal.

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