Hub Future With A Merged Airline.
- Thread starter LD3
- Start date
LD3 said:
FWIW --- CLT was attractive to UA and is now attractive to HP because it is a great gateway to FL, and the only viable competitor to DL's ATL powerhouse. The use of CLT as a Carribean gateway is a bonus. CLT was originally set up as a good "in-out" hub to the hinterland in the area.
I think CLT is less valuable than it was -- increasingly, FL destinations are served direct rathar than having to connect (see the expansion at MCO, FLL, and TPA), the hinterland is being flooded by DL RJ service to any piece of concrete around CLT. Same is true for Carribean service. Having said all that, CLTmay be less valuable than it was, but it is still valuable, so I would expect it to stay. (It's also a growing O&D)
I know less about the sitaution at LAS. However, it is a very strong (leisure) O&D, and HP has shown it can survive next to WN there, so I don't see why there would be a need to give it up.
I'm not sure that PHL's situation is a given. With all its operational problems, I could see an attempt to restructure as much of the connecting traffic to west of the Mississippi to go through LAS or PHX (or CLT) rather than PHL, leaving PHL focused on international connections. It will be interesting to see how they knit it all together --- if it happens.
RowUnderDCA
Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 6, 2002
- Messages
- 2,123
- Reaction score
- 1
I 'd also suspect that PHL's current role is more in doubt than CLTs. Perhaps both will remain the same, but I think it's more likely that CLT will be the less changed.
Smartest Loser
Senior
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2003
- Messages
- 313
- Reaction score
- 0
I agree..CLT & PHL for sure...PIT looks even worst.
I hope HP can come to PHL and clean up that mess. PIT is like the 3 person on a date. Who knows..??
SL
I hope HP can come to PHL and clean up that mess. PIT is like the 3 person on a date. Who knows..??
SL
RowUnderDCA
Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 6, 2002
- Messages
- 2,123
- Reaction score
- 1
Hey, I have no idea, but I wouldn't be surprised that there will be "stunning" and not to pleasant announcements about what goes and what stays in the U system. We know that aircraft and slots are potentially on the chopping block. What else might be?
USA320Pilot
Veteran
- Joined
- May 18, 2003
- Messages
- 8,175
- Reaction score
- 1,539
I do not believe any of the hubs will see much of a cut back at all. In fact, most of US Airways' changes such as reservations/training facility consolidation, maintenance, increased FLL flying, other increased international flying, and the PIT pull down is all part of the pre-merger restructuring.
So has been US Airways' orderly aircraft reduction, which will reduce US Airways mainline fleet by 46 aircraft (10 A319s and 36 B737s) and the likely transfer of 25 EMB-170s currently flying and 3 waiting delivery to Republic. That's a total of 74 aircraft leaving US Airways Group's inventory, although the EMB-170s would remain in the network.
I suspect if anything is reduced further it will be PIT probably with the November schedule change. Moreover, there could be more aircraft rightsizing and I understand America West could lose aircraft too, probably B737s, but most of the heavy restructuring has already been announced.
Finally, there will be growth in the Midwest, to Hawaii, more to Europe, and I believe a Midwest hub created. In my opinion, the hub could be in ORD or DEN if United fails and if United gets through this week without a "shock" event then STL or DEN with Frontier are options.
In regard to pilot staffing, the airline is extremely short with Check Airman flying as first officers, flights cancelled due to under staffing, and all VLA's cancelled. Pilots on VLA were recently sent a certified letter telling them they had to return to work by June 1 or resign.
We should know more about all of this very soon.
Regards,
USA320Pilot
So has been US Airways' orderly aircraft reduction, which will reduce US Airways mainline fleet by 46 aircraft (10 A319s and 36 B737s) and the likely transfer of 25 EMB-170s currently flying and 3 waiting delivery to Republic. That's a total of 74 aircraft leaving US Airways Group's inventory, although the EMB-170s would remain in the network.
I suspect if anything is reduced further it will be PIT probably with the November schedule change. Moreover, there could be more aircraft rightsizing and I understand America West could lose aircraft too, probably B737s, but most of the heavy restructuring has already been announced.
Finally, there will be growth in the Midwest, to Hawaii, more to Europe, and I believe a Midwest hub created. In my opinion, the hub could be in ORD or DEN if United fails and if United gets through this week without a "shock" event then STL or DEN with Frontier are options.
In regard to pilot staffing, the airline is extremely short with Check Airman flying as first officers, flights cancelled due to under staffing, and all VLA's cancelled. Pilots on VLA were recently sent a certified letter telling them they had to return to work by June 1 or resign.
We should know more about all of this very soon.
Regards,
USA320Pilot
I think FLL will get LAX/SFO (they have been rumored but I haven't see anything confirmed), DCA will lose some slots, and PHL/CLT will lose some excess departures. PIT will continue to shrink, but there will be additional service to 'spokes' that only one airline serves. I think routes like PHL-PDX will be added and points in the midwest that are only served by one carrier will be see service from the 'other' carrier.
Well, I would imagine that LAS would see some cuts but would still survive as a hub. The LAS hub really only has one or two large connecting banks, and these are late in the evening supporting evening westbound traffic from the East Coast and red-eye eastbound traffic in reverse. AWA's LAS-IAH flight arrives at the sleepy hour of 3:35 AM, for example.
I can see PIT losing most of its mainline service aside from the hubs and selected frequencies to the focus cities. The caveat here is that this leaves the airline with quite a bit of regional capacity to try to shift over to PHL and/or CLT. I'd imagine that PHL and CLT would see some minor cuts (in the neighborhood of 10%), as would PHX.
There's not much in the way of mainline service at the "focus cities" of DCA, LGA, and BOS to trim away. BOS is down to 34 non-Shuttle mainline departures; this pretty much covers service to the hubs and PIT, along with one daily departure to each of FLL, BDA, and SJU. The situation at LGA is similar, with fewer than a half-dozen daily non-Shuttle non-PHL/CLT/PIT mainline flights. I suppose certain flights could be trimmed at DCA, especially if the airline is leasing slots for those flights.
I can see PIT losing most of its mainline service aside from the hubs and selected frequencies to the focus cities. The caveat here is that this leaves the airline with quite a bit of regional capacity to try to shift over to PHL and/or CLT. I'd imagine that PHL and CLT would see some minor cuts (in the neighborhood of 10%), as would PHX.
There's not much in the way of mainline service at the "focus cities" of DCA, LGA, and BOS to trim away. BOS is down to 34 non-Shuttle mainline departures; this pretty much covers service to the hubs and PIT, along with one daily departure to each of FLL, BDA, and SJU. The situation at LGA is similar, with fewer than a half-dozen daily non-Shuttle non-PHL/CLT/PIT mainline flights. I suppose certain flights could be trimmed at DCA, especially if the airline is leasing slots for those flights.
