Check out a concept for a flying gym at SJC

There are planes with bars, massage rooms, and even showers--but I have yet to see a plane with a gym. A^3 by Airbus in partnership with Reebok and Peloton have created an interesting concept for future planes called Transpose. These modular cabins can be used for a variety of purposes including spas, cafes, and the gym you see below.

Instead of being boarded up like cattle, imagine being up-and-about getting some exercise while still having access to entertainment. You may not be getting on a plane with something like this anytime soon, but if you are flying out of SJC you can swing by Gate 18 and enjoy an interactive full-scale prototype. The model has stationary bikes, a yoga area, and weights.

For more details and a video of exercises to do before getting on a plane, hit the source link below. The prototype will be available until mid-may.

Source: Reebok

SJC's International Arrivals lounge opens Thursday

San Jose International is getting quite a bit of recognition lately. Not only is it the fastest growing major airport in the country, it was just recognized as the "best-run" international airport in the US. This Thursday SJC will get their latest improvement, a respectable area for international arrivals.

I have gone through customs at SJC twice now, and both times it has taken less than 20 minutes to get from the plane, through customs, through baggage claim, and grab a ride outside. Try doing that in any other airport in the country. The only problem is that the area looked a bit, well, janky. When leaving, you are basically dumped outside in a miscellaneous spot between Terminals A and B. Also, there is no indoor place for family and friends to wait for you.

That is going to change this week when a $8.2 million International Arrivals lounge opens up. The 5,600 SQFT space will provide a more pleasant experience for international visitors as well as those waiting to welcome them. Designed by Gensler, the area has seating, restrooms, vending machines, and a second baggage carousel for international flights. It may not sound like much, but it will be a huge improvement. Combined with the insanely fast processing time, SJC is continuing to up their game and I hope it results in more passengers and flights.

Source: SVBJ

Aeromexico coming to SJC

San Jose International just nabbed another international airline! Aeromexico is adding direct flights between SJC and Guadalajara in Mexico beginning on July 1st. There will be six flights each week, all using a Boeing 737.

This is a very popular route since Guadalajara is the tech hub of Mexico as well as its second largest city. Unfortunately, this is a route that is already served by both Volaris and Alaska Airlines. I was really hoping for some new routes such as a nonstop to Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, or Mexico City. At least it is the start of what can be a great relationship between Aeromexico and SJC.

Source: SVBJ, Thanks to Josh Russell for sending this in!

San Jose Airport Expansion

As a follow up to last week's post about SJC growing faster than any other major airport in the US, we now have more info on the physical expansion of the airport. The SVBJ article mentioned that the airport was adding two new gates, but provide no other information. Thanks to Brandon Stevens who posted in the comments, we now have a better idea of exactly what is going down.

Originally, I assumed that the airport was simply going to better incorporate the two awkward gates between Terminals A and B (also know as the international gates, located directly under SJC's only lounge and above border control and customs). Now we know for certain that the new gates are a true expansion of the airport on the South end.

Gates 29 and 30 will be very conveniently located to the left after going through the Terminal B security checkpoint. It will be a much shorter walk than most of the other Terminal B gates. In addition, there is plenty of room to continue expanding in that direction. The original plans for the SJC expansion called for 6 additional gates when demand permitted. Gate 31 is already referenced in some of the drawings. It looks like we may be getting many more new flights in the near future!

SJC grew faster than any other airport last year

We may not have a very large airport, but I would argue it is one of the best in the country. San Jose International is convenient to get in and out of, the central Silicon Valley location is great, it's clean, security moves fast, and staff seems way friendlier than most airports. Thanks to all of the new international and domestic routes SJC nabbed, it has also become the fastest growing airport in terms of passenger count in the country (among the 50 largest airports). SJC grew passenger volume by a whopping 10.2% in 2016!

Delta was the top contributor of additional flights, followed by Alaska and Southwest. SJC is now up to 10.8 million passengers a year, adding one million new passengers last year in its fourth straight year of growth. The increased traffic means hundreds of million of dollars injected into the economy, more tax dollars, and the likelihood of even more international and domestic routes.

2017 already has some many new flights scheduled. JetBlue is adding four flights to Long Beach, United is adding two flights to Chicago O-Hare and one to Newark, Alaska is adding a Newark route of its own and three flights to Burbank, Delta is adding two more flights to Atlanta, Southwest will be adding a new Reno flight, and Air Canada will be adding a third nonstop to Vancouver. The SVBJ also mentions two new gates being added to Terminal B, but I can't find any additional details. I'm assuming they are annexing the two "international" gates between Terminal A and B, but would be thrilled if this is part of a 6-gate expansion originally slated for the very end of Terminal B.

Source: SVBJ

Jimmy Kimmel SJC Shout-Out

This isn't big news, but is pretty cool nonetheless. A celebrity tweeted out a great compliment about SJC. I have to agree, we have one of the best airports in the US when it comes to convenience and customer service.

Source: SJEconomy Newsletter

JetSuiteX adds another San Jose route

JetSuiteX is a public charter airline that flies out of San Jose's swanky private terminal on the opposite side of Terminals A and B. They already have routes from San Jose to Burbank, Bozeman (Montana), and Carlsbad. Now they are adding a new nonstop to Santa Monica.

The flight will depart San Jose at 4pm and arrive in Santa Monica at 5:10pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. On Friday the flight leaves SJC at 2:30pm and arrives are 3:40pm. Return flights leave at 7:50am and land in San Jose at 9am on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Prices range from $99 to $219 each way.

For more info, head over to the JetSuiteX website.

Source: SVBJ

SJC now has robot helpers

San Jose International now has three robots to help "Silicon Valley's Airport" feel more like, well, Silicon Valley's Airport. The set of robots cost $120,000 and are named Norma, Amelia, and Piper. They conveniently speak six different languages and can help travelers find their way, locate places to dine, and provide helpful information. They'll even take photos and email them to you. This is a neat little way to make the airport more interesting to visitors.

The robots were programmed by a Milpitas-based company called 22 Miles and manufactured by Korea-based Future Robot.

You can find SJC's newest robotic attractions near Gates 11, 21, and 25. For more info, you can follow the trio on Twitter at #SJCRobots.

Source: SVBJ

JetSuiteX is launching a new route to Carlsbad (San Diego)

JetSuiteX is a public charter airline that flies out of San Jose's swanky private terminal on the opposite side of Terminals A and B. They already have two routes, one to Burbank and another to Bozeman, Montana. Their third route will be a nonstop to Carlsbad that launches on October 17th.

The flight will depart Carlsbad at 7:45am and arrive in San Jose at 9:10am, with the return flight leaving San Jose at 5pm and arriving at 6:25pm. Fares are $499 each way, but hey you are basically flying on a private plane.

For more info, head over to the JetSuiteX website.

Source: SVBJ

JetSuiteX launching twice daily service from SJC to Burbank

The week would not feel right without at least one post about a new SJC route. Currently JetSuiteX's only San Jose route is to Bozeman, Montana. If you have never heard of JetSuiteX before, there is good reason--the airline does not fly out of Terminal A or Terminal B. They fly out of the private aviation terminal on the other side of the airport. That means fewer security hassles and going from the door to the plane in as little time as possible.

They just announced that they will by flying from SJC to Burbank twice per day, typically once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Tickets range from $129 one way for a ticket bought more than a week in advance to $199-$249 less than a week. The plane is an Embraer 135s with just 30 seats (10 rows of 3 seats). It's as close as you can get to flying private without spending thousands of dollars each way.

Source: SVBJ

United and JetBlue add more flights at SJC

This is becoming an ongoing theme. San Jose International continues to attract more and more flights, something which I find very well deserved. Beside the obvious location advantages, it is one of the best operated airports I have ever been to. Flights are rarely delayed, it is surprisingly fast to get to the gate, baggage comes quickly, even the TSA seems friendlier than other airports.

Finally the word is getting out--passenger traffic is up 9% at SJC in the first six months of 2016 and both United and JetBlue are adding more flights and routes. United is taking a page from Alaska's book and will fly directly from San Jose to Newark in March. That is not only the exact same time-frame as the new Alaska Airlines flight to New York, but the flight will leave and return at the exact same time (6:30am departure from SJC, arriving at EWR at 2:55pm, return flight leaves EWR at 4:05pm and arrives at SJC at 7:40pm). I was suspicious that this is the same flight as Alaska Airlines co-listed as United, but that does not seem to be the case. United is also adding a twice-daily nonstop from San Jose to Chicago O'Hare.

JetBlue is launching a nonstop between San Jose and Long Beach starting January 4th, 2017. The best part is that the route will be flown not once, not twice, but four times each day. This addition means that San Jose now has direct flights to all five LA airports (LAX, Burbank, Orange County, and Ontario are the others). JetBlue is promoting the flight with rates as low as $39 each way.

Sources: Forbes (thanks Josh Russell for sending this in), SVBJ

SJC upgrading its "International Terminal"

Yes, I realize this is a second post about SJC this week. The airport is on a roll with adding new flights, especially international flights that bring millions of tax dollars, convenience, and recognition to our city. San Jose went from having two international routes a few years ago to eight (Guadalajara, Cabo San Lucas, Tokyo, Beijing, London, Frankfurt, Vancouver, and Shanghai). The airport is doing so well, it's time to expand the international facilities.

Despite flying out of SJC 100 times, I didn't get to got to fly internationally out of San Jose until a few weeks ago. My wife an I took a vacation to Barcelona and got to utilize the direct flight on British Airways from San Jose to London. It was an exceptional experience, far better than flying internationally through SFO or Oakland. On the way back, I finally got to go through San Jose's customs facility. I have gone through customs/immigration dozens of times, and have never had a better experience than San Jose. Even though we were sitting in economy, we were able to go from the plane, through customs/passport control, get suitcases, and be outside waiting for our ride within 15 minutes (!). If you fly a lot, you know this is pretty much impossible... not in San Jose.

The "International Terminal" is somewhere between Terminal A and Terminal B. On a return flight after going through customs, it spits you out in a place I never even knew existed in the airport that feels like it's from the 80s. This is the area currently being upgraded. The 5,600 SQFT project includes a second baggage carousel, an indoor waiting area for family and friends to welcome your arrival, a snack area, comfortable seating, and new restrooms.

The project will cost a total of $8.2 million (coming from unspent bond proceeds) and should be completed Spring 2017.

Source: ETN Global Travel Industry News

SJC gets nonstop service to New York metro

Finally, after all the amazing international additions at San Jose International Airport we are landing some new domestic routes. The most requested domestic route at SJC is between San Jose and New York. Currently we only have a red-eye flight (an overnight flight) to New York on JetBlue, and it's not even a daily flight. Now Alaska Airlines is stepping up to the plate and launching San Jose's first nonstop service to the New York area in quite some time.

The new flight will begin March 12, 2017 and uses a Boeing 737. It will depart seven days a week at 6:30am and arrive at Newark at 2:55pm. The return flight will depart Newark at 4:05pm, arriving back in San Jose at 7:40pm. Tickets will be available for purchase starting July 25th. The flight will be very convenient for both business and leisure travelers. I'll take an early flight over a red-eye any day of the week.

Alaska is also adding service from SJC to Burbank starting on March 17, 2017. Thank you Alaska Airlines for investing in San Jose!

UPDATE: Removed "first ever" based on comments below that American and Continental previously had nonstop service to New York.

Source: SVBJ

SJC is getting even more direct flights

Southwest Airlines, San Jose International Airport's largest carrier, has just announced several new nonstop flights. First off is a brand new flight to Baltimore/Washington (BWI). Not only will this be San Jose's only direct flight to BWI, but that airport is Southwest's hub for East Coast connections. It will open up several new routes with fewer stops.

Southwest is also adding two daily round trips to Salt Lake City. Here there is a bit more competition since Delta Airlines and Alaska Airlines both already have direct flights to Salt Lake. However, more competition means better options and lower prices for San Jose travelers.

The new routes start Nov 6th and their schedules are below:

San Jose-Salt Lake City
Leave 9:15 a.m., Arrive 12:05 p.m.
Leave 8:40 p.m., Arrive 11:20 p.m.

Salt Lake City-San Jose
Leave 9:35 a.m., Arrive 10:35 a.m.
Leave 6:25 p.m., Arrive 7:20 p.m.

San Jose-Baltimore/Washington
Leave 6:35 a.m., Arrive 2:35 p.m.

Baltimore/Washington-San Jose
Leave 2:30 p.m., Arrive 5:35 p.m.

Source: SVBJ

Inaugural British Airways flight lands in San Jose

BA has officially begun service to San Jose International Airport! Their first flight from London landed yesterday around 6pm and our friends at WMS Media managed to record the event from a Downtown San Jose tower (see below).

The new international route not only brings San Jose closer to London, but also the 130+ destinations that British Airways serves out of Terminal 5 in Heathrow Airport. The flight features a state-of-the-art Boeing 787-900 (20 feet longer than the 787-800 pictured below). The plane is the first in San Jose International's history to have four classes of service: 8 First Class "cabins," 42 Business Class seats, 39 Premium Economy, and 127 Economy seats. Those who have flown on British Airways know that even the cheapest seats are pretty nice compared to American carriers--and this is the very best plane in the British Airways fleet.

I'm thrilled that my favorite airline is finally in San Jose and hope they will add more routes in the future!

Arrival in San Jose of British Airways #279 Inaugural flight from London from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

Air China is coming to San Jose International!

SJC is on fire when it comes to landing new international routes. In 2012, ANA announced their nonstop to Tokyo. Then 2013 and 2014 came and went without any additional big news. The floodgates opened January of last year when Hainan announced a nonstop to Beijing. That was followed by British Airways announcing a direct flight to London in September. Then SJC scored a surprise hat trick the following month when Lufthansa revealed a flight to Frankfurt. In November, Air Canada announced they are returning to San Jose with a twice-daily nonstop flight to Vancouver. 

While 2015 was incredible, 2016 has been off to a slow start. That all changed last week when Air China officially got the green light to launch flights between San Jose and Shanghai. The direct flight will take to the skies three times per week on an Airbus A330, bringing two of the most innovative cities in the world closer together.

Shanghai will be San Jose's 8th international route (Guadalajara, Cabo San Lucas, Tokyo, Beijing, London, Frankfurt, and Vancouver are the others). This ties us with Oakland International in terms of international routes. However, Oakland's flight to the Azores is seasonal (summer-only and it requires a refueling stop) and five of its international routes are in Mexico. If we look at unique countries, San Jose is up 6 to 4.

Source: The Merc

British Airways: London vs. San Jose

As a clever promo for the new direct flight between San Jose and London, British Airways has made a video where San Jose and London face off. It is definitely worth watching and is only a few minutes long. The flight launched on May 4th and will utilize a cutting edge Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner plane.

Source: SJ Economy News

SJC Getting Nonstop Flight to Charlotte

While less exciting than an international route, any new nonstop from San Jose to the east coast is a welcome addition. San Jose International Airport received incredible traction in 2015, and this is the first significant news for the new year. American Airlines is adding a seasonal nonstop from San Jose to Charlotte, North Carolina. This also enables easy access to the Caribbean, Raleigh-Durham, and Florida.

Service will begin on June 2nd and continue until August 15th. The flight will use an Airbus A319 and leave from SJC each day at 10:45pm, arriving at 6:40am the next day (it's a red eye). The return flight leaves Charlotte at 6:10pm and arrives back at SJC at 8:40pm.

Source: The Merc

Signature Flight Support's SJC Terminal Nears Completion

The new 10,000 SQFT terminal for corporate and private aviation at San Jose International looks just about ready based on Viki Thompson's photos in the SVBJ. The building has everything an executive could want in a facility. There is a kitchen stocked with snacks, conference rooms, co-working spaces, free magazines, and best of all there are no TSA security hassles to slow you down. You can be in one door and out the other in no time at all.

The project cost $82 million and also includes 250,000 SQFT of hangar space. About 150,000 SQFT of that space was supposed to house private planes for Google executives; however, now that they have control over Moffett Federal Airfield they will be subleasing the whole facility. This will provide a nice opportunity for larger tech companies in Silicon Valley that own a fleet of planes. Signature Flight Support already has 14 leases for the new hangar space, representing the full amount originally earmarked for Google. They expect to be fully leased within a matter of months.

As for the city of San Jose, the new facility will bring in $2.64 million each year in rent payments. There will also be some branding benefits for San Jose. For example, both the NFC and AFC champions will be flying into San Jose for the Super Bowl, and you can guess where the planes will go.

Source: SVBJ

Air Canada is Returning to San Jose!!!

SJC is on a tear when it comes to landing new international routes this year. Five years ago, San Jose International Airport was barely earning the right to use the word "International." The only routes outside the US were to Mexico. Then in 2012, ANA announced their nonstop to Tokyo. While that was a significant milestone, 2013 and 2014 came and went without any additional big news. Then the floodgates opened this January when Hainan announced a nonstop to Beijing. That was followed by British Airways announcing a direct flight to London in September. If that wasn't enough, SJC scored a surprise hat trick the following month when Lufthansa revealed a flight to Frankfurt. What a year for the airport, how could it get any better? Well it just has.

Air Canada just announced they are returning to San Jose with a twice-daily nonstop flight to Vancouver! The airline ceased operations at SJC shortly after 9/11 fourteen years ago. It's great to have them back.

The route will use a Bombardier CRJ705 regional jet. It is a smaller plane than what is used on San Jose's other international routes, but the flight is only two hours and 15 minutes long. It also means there are no middle seats (see second image below). The plane will have 65 coach seats and 10 business class seats. Every single one of them will have a personal video screen and a USB port. 

Air Canada flights will leave San Jose at 7:30am and 1:25pm seven days a week starting on May 9th. Flights will return home from Vancouver at 10:35am and 5:15pm. You can already book flights today.

This will become San Jose's 7th international route (Guadalajara, Cabo San Lucas, Tokyo, Beijing, London, and Frankfurt are the others). 

Source: SVBJ