Delta moving from A-East to D

[usairways85]

We will have to wait and see. Southwest has added very few flights at PHL for 6-12 months and most are the seasonal additions to Florida. Yes they are split between two terminals but they have at least 7-9 gates right now for around 55-60 flights a day.(They lost usage of a few gates due to the E construction) That is a high utilization but not as high as it once was when their initial ramp up in PHL occurred. I am not too sure that once they centralize in E and gain more gates that all of a sudden they will ramp up like they have in DEN. It could have more to do with the airline industry rebounding than gaining additional gates but I am still not sold.

 

[wings396]

Actually if WN gets all of "E", they will have at least 16 gates - 6 more than I believe they now have. Noting that Southwest is paying for a new 7 Gate Fanned end of "E" - which is part of the 2 level "E" expansion/overhaul and includes redesigned and expanded baggage claim areas and 23 new ticket counters - all scheduled for completion at the end of 2010. Ironically by then, the airline industry could be recovering to more acceptable performance levels and WN may not hesitate to expand PHL to 100+ daily flights.

They will not be gaining 6 gates. This was discussed in another post, or earlier in this one. They are leaving 4 gates behind in "D", and the addition to "E" will add 6 new gates. As far as I know, AirTran will be staying in "E", using 2 gates there. Delta will be moving to "D", and UA & CO will remain there. I assume that at some point AA will come over to "D" as well if US is supposed to be getting all of A-east at some point. At this time, WN doesn't appear to be using their gates in "D" at an alarming rate anyway. Their new ticket counter appears to be "dinky" for the amount of cattle that are jammed into that area, not to mention the ones lined up curbside freezing their butts off. I used them once out of there, and the counter and service wasn't anything to brag about. The agents were rude and short with the passengers from what I noticed, and it wasn't a bad weather day or holiday either.

 

[PHL]

I assume that at some point AA will come over to "D" as well if US is supposed to be getting all of A-east at some point.

I don't know how that would really benefit US since the AA gates are not international capable.

 

[wings396]

I would think that the AA gates could be used for overflow since many of the A-west gates are used for domestic flights at this time. I can't understand why US puts as many domestic flights all the way at the far end of A-west to begin with. Lots of passengers huffing and puffing as they run out there from their inbound flights in B, C, and way over in F. It's a long haul even after the shuttle bus drops them off at A-1.

 

[usairways85]

They will not be gaining 6 gates. This was discussed in another post, or earlier in this one. They are leaving 4 gates behind in "D", and the addition to "E" will add 6 new gates. As far as I know, AirTran will be staying in "E", using 2 gates there. Delta will be moving to "D", and UA & CO will remain there. I assume that at some point AA will come over to "D" as well if US is supposed to be getting all of A-east at some point.

WN has access to 9 gates currently. However in looking at the PHL arrivals website it appears they are using only 6, however this site has been known to be inaccurate.

Assuming no more gates in E will be eliminated by the construction, WN will gain 7 gates in E and give up 4 in D for a total of 12 gates. At that time NW will have already moved to D giving them potentially 2 more gates for a total of 14. Also at that time there will be 4 vacant gates in D that AirTran can potentially move to giving WN a total of 16 gates.

However, the fact that they seem to be underutilizing their current gates (for their standards) I am skeptical that they will end up with all 16 gates, especially if they are indeed only using 6 gates currently. Unless the website is wrong or the 3 they are not using are under some sort of construction.

 

[nycbusdriver]

I don't know how that would really benefit US since the AA gates are not international capable.

True. But since they are in the international terminal, modifications to those gates could be easily completed to give them access to the lower concourse and immigrations. It could probably be done in a month or two in most cities. PHL? Maybe a year!

 

[PHL]

WN has access to 9 gates currently. However in looking at the PHL arrivals website it appears they are using only 6, however this site has been known to be inaccurate.

Assuming no more gates in E will be eliminated by the construction, WN will gain 7 gates in E and give up 4 in D for a total of 12 gates. At that time NW will have already moved to D giving them potentially 2 more gates for a total of 14. Also at that time there will be 4 vacant gates in D that AirTran can potentially move to giving WN a total of 16 gates.

However, the fact that they seem to be underutilizing their current gates (for their standards) I am skeptical that they will end up with all 16 gates, especially if they are indeed only using 6 gates currently. Unless the website is wrong or the 3 they are not using are under some sort of construction.

Here's how I see it shaking out:
WN appears to be using only 3 gates in D now (D1-D3).

You won't see D4, D10, D12, D14, D16, D15 noted anywhere on the PHL arrivals/departures boards, and this makes perfect sense if the DL move is happening in a week or two. They would need at least 5 gates or 6 to match their 4 in A + 2 in E. CO might move from D6/D8 to D4/D6, giving a contiguous block to DL - D8/D10/D12/D14/D16/D15. Then Air Tran can move back to D1-D3 and WN would have all of E, which now has 9 gates and, I think, 14 after the completion (one of those 9 will be lost/absorbed into the 6 new ones, I think).


The future of D looks to be:
D1-3 - AirTran
D4,D6 - CO
D5 - AC
D8/D10/D12/D14/D16/D15 - DL
D7/D9/D11/D13 - UA

And E would be totally a WN town.

 

[phllax]

Highly doubt CO would leave D6 & 8 as they share a common seating area, and the agents go back and forth between the 2 podiums very frequently with their current staffing levels. They can make PA announcements from one gate for either. In addition, I believe that CO owns their own jetways, as they are a different color than the rest.

Also keep in mind that NW had 3 gates in E until recently.

 

[phillyrules]

I would think that the AA gates could be used for overflow since many of the A-west gates are used for domestic flights at this time. I can't understand why US puts as many domestic flights all the way at the far end of A-west to begin with. Lots of passengers huffing and puffing as they run out there from their inbound flights in B, C, and way over in F. It's a long haul even after the shuttle bus drops them off at A-1.

We share A11 with AA in the summer and that is linked to customs..also i think they plan to use A east in the morning for a caribbean departure expansion..several arrivals dont need customs such as Aruba and Bermuda

 

[usairways85]

Here's how I see it shaking out:
WN appears to be using only 3 gates in D now (D1-D3).

You won't see D4, D10, D12, D14, D16, D15 noted anywhere on the PHL arrivals/departures boards, and this makes perfect sense if the DL move is happening in a week or two. They would need at least 5 gates or 6 to match their 4 in A + 2 in E. CO might move from D6/D8 to D4/D6, giving a contiguous block to DL - D8/D10/D12/D14/D16/D15. Then Air Tran can move back to D1-D3 and WN would have all of E, which now has 9 gates and, I think, 14 after the completion (one of those 9 will be lost/absorbed into the 6 new ones, I think).


The future of D looks to be:
D1-3 - AirTran
D4,D6 - CO
D5 - AC
D8/D10/D12/D14/D16/D15 - DL
D7/D9/D11/D13 - UA

And E would be totally a WN town.

I did see WN isn't using D4, but it also looks like they are not using E1 and E5 (old DL gates) . Which don't appear to be at the end of E where they would be affected by the construction, unless they renumbered gates.

One thing about CO's area is that it is very crowded, people typically overflow into the main corridor. I do not know how D4, D6 fare in comparison.

D10, 12, 14, 15, 16 are definitely all the new DL gates the tarmac lines were renumbered for their aircraft. D8 is contigent on a CO move. I think 5 gates will be enough for DL especially since at least half their operation are RJ's.

Regardless what happens I seem to remember that most airlines (other than US) have a clause that states they must use a gate for at least 5 departures/day. Although it is not like airlines are jumping to start new service or cities so few airlines will come in to use vacant gates. PHL let FL hang on to 4 gates for 10-12 flights a day for months.

I just think that it will take one crazy build up to go from using 6 gates a day to 14-16.