Please support more flights to Cozumel

[CozumelAntonio]

Hola Scuba Boarders!!

One of the main problems lately for visitors (or potential visitors) to Cozumel is the lack of direct flights, more and more we see Cancun get more flights and Cozumel get less, and with the new Tulum airport slated for 2013 the problem for Cozumel will only grow. I recently received this email and want to pass it along and ask for the support of the Cozumel dive community from the US:


Hello, Everyone!

My name is Edward Luedtke. I am the owner of Divetech, Inc. in Houston, Texas, and I am trying to organize a collective response from all the dive shops in our area that travel to Cozumel. Recently, Continental Airlines canceled all of their weekday direct flights from Houston to Cozumel, effective mid-August, and has elected to fly direct on Saturdays and Sundays only. We have been very fortunate to have the daily direct flights from Houston, and have all benefited from the revenue short trips have brought us. In the current economy, 4 or 5 day extended weekend trips are especially popular with customers who can’t afford 7 or 8 day trips. The alternative is to fly in to Cancun, endure a 4 ½ hour layover, then fly a puddle jumper to Cozumel and hope all your bags make it there. Needless to say, my customers did not find that alternative to their liking.

I have spoken with several people at Continental, and they say the only way to have the schedules changed to more favorable dates is for more interest in additional flights to come to their attention, so I am asking each of you to please email the two contacts below with your desire for weekday direct flights to Cozumel. Also, please forward this to anyone who will benefit from the flights to Cozumel being restored to something more favorable for dive operators and all our friends in Cozumel.

If you can take a few minutes and email the two contacts below, collectively we might have a better chance at getting a positive response from Continental to reinstate a better flight schedule to Cozumel for this fall. Please forward to anyone else who might have an interest and could forward this on.

Alex Savic: Sr. Director Latin America and the Caribbean

Alex.savic@coair.com


Chriselda Barrientes: Sales and Promotion for Latin America and Caribbean

cbarri@coair.com

Again thank you for your help,

Edward Luedtke
Divetech Inc
8713 Katy Freeway
Houston Texas 77024
Divetech Home Page

 

[ggunn]

Hola Scuba Boarders!!

One of the main problems lately for visitors (or potential visitors) to Cozumel is the lack of direct flights, more and more we see Cancun get more flights and Cozumel get less, and with the new Tulum airport slated for 2013 the problem for Cozumel will only grow. I recently received this email and want to pass it along and ask for the support of the Cozumel dive community from the US:


Hello, Everyone!

My name is Edward Luedtke. I am the owner of Divetech, Inc. in Houston, Texas, and I am trying to organize a collective response from all the dive shops in our area that travel to Cozumel. Recently, Continental Airlines canceled all of their weekday direct flights from Houston to Cozumel, effective mid-August, and has elected to fly direct on Saturdays and Sundays only. We have been very fortunate to have the daily direct flights from Houston, and have all benefited from the revenue short trips have brought us. In the current economy, 4 or 5 day extended weekend trips are especially popular with customers who can’t afford 7 or 8 day trips. The alternative is to fly in to Cancun, endure a 4 ½ hour layover, then fly a puddle jumper to Cozumel and hope all your bags make it there. Needless to say, my customers did not find that alternative to their liking.

I have spoken with several people at Continental, and they say the only way to have the schedules changed to more favorable dates is for more interest in additional flights to come to their attention, so I am asking each of you to please email the two contacts below with your desire for weekday direct flights to Cozumel. Also, please forward this to anyone who will benefit from the flights to Cozumel being restored to something more favorable for dive operators and all our friends in Cozumel.

If you can take a few minutes and email the two contacts below, collectively we might have a better chance at getting a positive response from Continental to reinstate a better flight schedule to Cozumel for this fall. Please forward to anyone else who might have an interest and could forward this on.

Alex Savic: Sr. Director Latin America and the Caribbean

Alex.savic@coair.com


Chriselda Barrientes: Sales and Promotion for Latin America and Caribbean

cbarri@coair.com

Again thank you for your help,

Edward Luedtke
Divetech Inc
8713 Katy Freeway
Houston Texas 77024
Divetech Home Page

Done.

 

[DiverG]

Continental!! :redhot:

The cost to get to Cozumel on the weekends will be going up now, and probably to Cancun if Cozumel travelers have to connect in Cancun.

:redhot: :redhot: :redhot: :redhot: :redhot: :redhot: :redhot:

 

[ReefHound]

I did not know that. I knew that their pricing from Houston to Coz was crazy this year and I could have had a dozen more people on my 5 night club trip this weekend if the airfare wasn't so ridiculous.

In my observations, there are two reasons Cozumel is so popular with divers, and it really isn't the diving. You can find just as good diving all over the Caribbean. It's been that airfare to Coz was cheaper and available any day.

There is no way Coz can compete on price on a "cost per dive" basis with places like Roatan and Bonaire, which are destinations that are based on week long visits. But Coz has been attractive for those who can't afford a full week, and one of the few destinations where you could fly in or out any day.

With the reduced schedule we will probably no longer see the cheaper airfare, either. Take away the cheap airfare and shorter trips, and a lot of divers will just go somewhere else.

 

[DiverG]

Ok just sent my emails out. Hopefully it'll work, but I fear Cozumel is going to be hit hard by this change.

 

[Diver Kat]

I have Wednesday flights already booked for November, so I was getting worried, but it looks like they reinstate the weekday flights as of September 29th. I wonder what reasoning they would have to pull the flights for a month & a half?

 

[DiverG]

I have Wednesday flights already booked for November, so I was getting worried, but it looks like they reinstate the weekday flights as of September 29th. I wonder what reasoning they would have to pull the flights for a month & a half?

Hmmm, you seem to be correct? A trial ballon to see our response? I would still be worried until your flight happens.

 

[BaileyM]

I just sent my emails out too, and forwarded what I wrote to my diver friends so that they will do the same. No wonder my next trip is so expensive!

 

[BTravlin]

Just e-mailed them both.

 

[redacted]

Perhaps Air Mexico will see an opportunity to fill a gap and further support the Mexican economy. A lack of direct, economical weekday flights from either Dallas of Houston will definitely effect my travel plans. My last trip on a Wednesday from Houston seemed fairly full and profitable.