Vanity Flight News: Condor launching Frankfurt to San Antonio flights ✈️

[Devil's Advocate]

Condor Launching Frankfurt To San Antonio Flights

Condor is launching 3x weekly nonstop flights between Frankfurt (FRA) and San Antonio (SAT) as of May 2024, with A330-900neos.

onemileatatime.com

While SAT can physically handle widebody aircraft the passenger market has little chance of keeping the flight going beyond the subsidy period. That said I've never flown on DE or an A339n so there is a chance I'll be tempted to try this in at least one direction.

 

[jiml]

Even those in touch with airline developments are unlikely to have seen that route coming.

 

[MARC Rider]

Well, that part of Texas has a lot of people of German heritage, as one can find out if you visit the nearby town of Fredericksburg, named after Prince Frederick of Prussia. Whether there are enough to support a regular flight, I don't know.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Well, that part of Texas has a lot of people of German heritage, as one can find out if you visit the nearby town of Fredericksburg, named after Prince Frederick of Prussia. Whether there are enough to support a regular flight, I don't know.

New Braunfles is even more noted as a German Town that was settled by Prince Solms of Germany, and the area around San Antonio has lots of People with a German Heritage.

However I tend to think that Chris is right when he doubts if this flight will be sustainable.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Even those in touch with airline developments are unlikely to have seen that route coming.

SAT has been trying to find (and fund) almost any airline willing to start nonstop service to a major European airport and it has been "in progress" so long most people forgot about it. But money never sleeps and somebody seems to have found or negotiated a way to make it work during the subsidy period.

Well, that part of Texas has a lot of people of German heritage, as one can find out if you visit the nearby town of Fredericksburg, named after Prince Frederick of Prussia. Whether there are enough to support a regular flight, I don't know.

The distance from Fredericksburg to AUS is ~ 80mi while SAT is ~ 70mi. I'm hard pressed to see how an extra 10 minutes would make much difference.

However I tend to think that Chris is right when he doubts if this flight will be sustainable.

The problem with making SAT-FRA work long term is that it's competing with established international gateways like IAH, DFW, and neighboring airport AUS. There's just no rational business case outside of some kind of wonky 8th freedom setup that has little chance of being sought let alone granted.

Although this service will likely be fragile and fleeting it would be fascinating to see "San Antonio, Texas" on a gate in an airport like Frankfurt.

Cheers to those who make the trip...

 

[jiml]

On the upside for any considering this flight, the recent reviews of this aircraft and Condor service on similar length routes have been quite positive.

 

[railiner]

I recall when Condor used to fly seasonally between Frankfurt and the old Denver Stapleton. The only European flight from there, IIRC, that is until Sir Freddie started his Laker flights there to London Gatwick amongst great fanfare.

Prior to these, the only flights to Europe were either charters, or flights by private "clubs", such as Ports-Of-Call.

Here's an article mentioning the importance of these flights...

The Importance of Nonstop International Flights to Europe | Metro Denver

Metro Denver EDC and Denver International Airport (DIA) have been pursuing nonstop flights to European destinations since 1987. It wasn’t that we “loved” flying to London, Frankfurt, Munich, Amsterdam, and Stockholm—meeting with airlines in their home offices, attending their global conferences...

www.metrodenver.org

 

[Trollopian]

...Although this service will likely be fragile and fleeting it would be fascinating to see "San Antonio, Texas" on a gate in an airport like Frankfurt.

Cheers to those who make the trip...

Upvote for classic comic clip from Casablanca! A little internet surfing reveals that the couple in question, who are determined to speak nothing but English ("what watch? ten watch"), are German, presumably Jewish refugees, the Leuchtags. From No Small Parts: Supporting Actors in Casablanca (1942): "Ilka Grüning (1876-1964) and Ludwig Stössel (1883-1973) play the uncredited roles of Mr. and Mrs. Leuchtag, a couple who is immigrating to America after finally receiving their exit visas." Much of Casablanca's emotional power comes from the fact that it was released in 1942, when the war's outcome was very much in doubt, and many in the cast were refugees from Hitler's Europe. Both Grüning and Stössel, as Austro-Hungarian Jews who fled Europe in 1933, meet that description.

(Definitely a siding, in train-speak, but I hope the moderators will pass this. And I suppose though Casablanca is better-known as an airplane movie it also does have trains. There's the chaotic station scene when Rick leaves for Marseille sans Ilsa.)

 

[xzperu42]

On the upside for any considering this flight, the recent reviews of this aircraft and Condor service on similar length routes have been quite positive.

I flew the new Condor a330-900neo in Business Class from JFK to FRA last month. The Business class cabin is indeed very nice, and the price was much lower than any of the alternatives. Service and food on board was very good. Coach is 2-4-2 and Business is 1-2-1 with forward facing staggered seats and the foot well... what this means is your seat is essentially 2-4-2 ... so not especially spacious and with very little storge space compared to alternatives. Coach? Would never consider it on Condor. 31-inch seat pitch IIRC.

The flight over was pretty good. The flight home was not. Many issues starting with my seat being broken and not able to recline. Boarding a zoo... "priority baggage" offloaded dead last... took well over an hour waiting for it... and loaded onto different carousel. Probably contract JFK staff. However food and service still good. Still waiting for word back from Condor on my seat issue.

The problem with Condor is not in the air (unless your seat is broken), but on the ground. It is like 2 different airlines. Each check in station for every class of service had its own line at FRA. The Business class line in FRA was the longest. I swear every passenger had some unimaginable issue at check in that required phone calls and disappearing agents. Me? I timed it... 1 minute exactly. What is with everyone else?

The fear of a possible flight cancelation would keep me off any future Condor flights... which is too bad as the plane and food and crew were all good. There was always a line out the door at the Condor service center in FRA. If my flight was cancelled... I can imagine pure hell.