Aeromexico adding direct flights from SJC to Mexico City

SJC is now one of the fastest growing airports in the country when it comes to international travel (see second image below). Aeromexico already has a nonstop to Guadalajara and starting next June it will have a new nonstop to Mexico City. The flight will leave Mexico City at 9:35am and arrive in San Jose at 11am our time (three and a half hour flight, two hour time difference) and the return flight from San Jose to Mexico City is scheduled for 1:40pm. The last time San Jose had this route was a decade ago.

Mexico City will be San Jose's 9th international route (Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, London, Frankfurt, Vancouver, Guadalajara, and Cabo San Lucas are the others). This is an all-time high for international destinations from San Jose, and I have a feeling the number is going to become a lot higher in the near future.

Source: SVBJ

Frontier Airlines adds 3 more nonstop flights to San Jose roster

The news about new flights for San Jose keeps on pouring in. Earlier this year, Frontier Airlines announced their return to SJC with four routes:

• Denver (daily service starting Oct. 5th)
• Las Vegas (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat service starting Nov. 1st)
• Cincinnati (Tue, Thu, Sun service starting Apr 8th)
• San Antonio (Tue, Thu, Sun service starting Apr 8th)

Service has yet to begin on any of the routes, yet the airline has just announced three additional nonstops:

• Atlanta (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat service starting Apr 9th)
• Austin (Mon, Wed, Sat service starting Apr 9th)
• Colorado Springs (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat starting Apr 9th)

All three are significant. Atlanta is a highly desirable nonstop that is only serviced by Delta today. Austin flights are critical for tech companies (they call this route the nerd bird). Colorado Springs is a brand new route--I think it might be our first direct flight ever to this destination. It is a smaller city, but there are some neat touristy things to do there like Pike's Peak. Oh, and it also brings the number of San Jose's nonstop destinations to 50, an all-time high.

It looks like the fastest growing airport in the country is still picking up speed!

Source: SVBJ

Southwest is adding more flights at SJC

Southwest Airlines recently announced 25% increase in San Jose departures and a 50% increase in nonstop destinations by Spring. This will help keep Alaska Airlines at bay, who have also been steadily increasing their San Jose flights.

The new daily nonstops include Orlando, St. Louis, Houston's Hobby Airport, Spokane, and Boise. Southwest is also adding Sunday-only flights to New Orleans and Albuquerque. The new flights begin May 6th except for Orlando, which starts on April 8th. If those weren't enough new flights for you, on March 10th they are also launching their first international flight--San Jose to Cabo San Lucas (Alaska Airlines is the only other carrier with a direct flight to Cabo from SJC).

Southwest will be increasing the frequency of their Phoenix, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, and Dallas flights as well. After all of the changes, the airline will have 80 new flights each week and feature a total of 24 nonstop destinations.

Source: SVBJ

Frontier is the latest airline to come to SJC

Frontier is San Jose International's 7th new airline in just the last two years. The airline is a low-cost carrier that competes with Southwest, which should help keep fares as low as possible at SJC.

Their initial route will be a daily nonstop to Denver starting October 5th, which is also Frontier's base and largest hub. They are going to follow that with four weekly flights to Las Vegas beginning on November 1st. Up next will be a nonstop to Austin (this route used to be called the Nerd Bird as it connects two tech hubs). Lastly, they are planning to add a nonstop to San Antonio next spring. I'm most excited about the San Antonio flight since that will be a brand new route for San Jose.

Frontier typically charges half of what their competitors charge, but they have a multitude of fees for things you usually get for free such as seat assignments, sodas, and even carry-on bags. If you travel light and plan ahead, you can get fares as low as $29 each way.

More flights are routes are always a welcome addition to SJC!

Source: SVBJ

Photo by Chris Heaton (flickr)

New "all-you-can-fly" airline comes to San Jose

A new type of airline called Surf Air is about to launch several routes to San Jose. Instead of booking individual tickets, you subscribe to a membership that starts at $1,950/mo that gives you access to unlimited flights. This is aimed directly at executives and people who travel constantly within California.

Initial routes from San Jose will include Seattle, San Diego, and Las Vegas. It may also launch a route to Sun Valley, Idaho. Presumably they will fly out of the private aviation side of SJC, but that was not confirmed in the source article. Technically they could use any regional airport as the planes are Pilatus PC-12 single-engine turboprops.

Perks also include streamlined booking and the ability to arrive just 15 minutes before scheduled flight take-off.

This might be a very niche service, but I am sure it will be appreciated by the tech elite that are wealthy, yet not wealthy enough to own a private jet. It will be interesting to see how successful Surf Air becomes in the Bay Area.

Source: SVBJ

   

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

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!

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

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

San Jose's Skybox Security raises $96M in private equity

Skybox is a cybersecurity business that has been around for 14 years. They help customers manage and analyze threat data and prioritize risks. Some of the largest global banks, telecoms, and energy providers user their solutions.

Skybox has raised a whopping $96 million in their latest financing round, which is more than double all of the funding the company has ever received in the past. The company is profitable but likely will not go public for another couple of years.

Currently Skybox has 120 employees and they are looking to add up to 50 new hires in 2016. Their headquarters is at 2099 Gateway Place, near the airport.

Source: SVBJ

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

Lufthansa is Coming to San Jose!

When it rains it pours! SJC has landed another major international flight, this time to Frankfurt, Germany. Lufthansa is the largest European Airline and Frankfurt is their largest hub. Not only will this give San Joseans easy access to Germany, but every major city in Europe. This is the third international route San Jose has landed in 2015!

Luftansa will fly five nonstops each week on an Airbus A340-300 carrying 298 seats. Flights to Frankfurt will leave San Jose on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturday, and Sundays. The flights depart at 3:20pm and arrive at 11:35am the next day. Tickets will start around $977 round-trip and flights start on 4/29/2016--beating British Airways to market by a week.

This will become San Jose's 6th international route (Guadalajara, Cabo San Lucas, Tokyo, Beijing, and London are the others). There are rumors that a nonstop flight to Seoul, Korea will be next. 

In 2016, San Jose will surpass Oakland International Airport in terms of international countries served and will have more international routes than at any other point in SJC's history.

Sources: SVBJ, The Merc

British Airways is Coming to San Jose!!!

In what can only be described as a monumental win for SJC and the city of San Jose, British Airways announced that in 2016 they will begin a nonstop flight between San Jose and London. This will be San Jose's 5th international route (Guadalajara, Cabo San Lucas, Tokyo, and Beijing are the others). It may very well be the most important route that SJC has ever landed as London is the #1 requested international destination in Silicon Valley.

“We are thrilled to see British Airways provide direct service out of Mineta SJC Airport to London,” San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Matthew Mahood said. "This is a great opportunity for both business and personal travelers to experience the benefits of flying directly out of Silicon Valley’s airport – Mineta SJC International."  

The flight will feature a state-of-the-art Boeing 787-900, which is 20 feet longer than the 787-800 pictured below. The plane will be 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 can attest that even the cheapest seats are pretty nice compared to typical American planes, and this will be the very best plane in the British Airways fleet.

This new route will give San Joseans easy access to far more than just London. The flight will land in Terminal 5, allowing in-terminal connections to 130 destinations in Europe, Africa, and Asia. I can only imagine the amount of momentum this will give our airport going forward.

The first flight will land in San Jose on May 4th, 2016 at 6:05pm and depart to London at 8pm. It is expecting to be highly utilized by both business and leisure travelers. I know I'll be on one of those flights next year!

Source: SVBJ

Signature Flight Support Breaking Ground Today at SJC

Signature Flight's $82 million private jet terminal at SJC breaks ground later today. It will house Google's fleet as well as the jet fleets for other large Silicon Valley businesses. This means more tax dollars for the City and improved convenience for local companies. More info below:

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A new era  begins in San Jose - on Friday, February 28, Signature Flight Support will be breaking ground at Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport and begin development of a new facility that will serve Google and other Silicon Valley companies.

A powerful uptick in the private jet industry for companies of all sizes has spurred demand that is now being met in Silicon Valley - a strong need for hangar space, maintenance, and crew and passengers amenities in key worldwide locations.

Key competitive differentiators for business aviation:

— Business aviation companies reach over 10 times the number of U.S. airports than airlines do
— Users can reach multiple destinations in one day
— Business aircrafts increase employee productivity thanks to cabin configurations that are conducive to individual and team work

Signature Flight’s $82 million investment will help Silicon Valley companies stay competitive, will generate hundreds of new jobs and garner more than $3 million in annual revenue for San Jose. The company will also be an integral part of the community by partnering with local organizations such as the Tech Museum and Computer History Museum.