Is reducing PHL really necessary if US and DL merge?

[flyguy121]

I keep reading how many here believe that PHL will need to be reduced because of proximity to JFK. This doesn't make sense to me...NYC and PHL do not draw from the same passenger pool, the only exception possibly being travelers needing access to more international destinations. Does anyone else agree? Why do I keep hearing that operations at PHL would be dramatically reduced in a merger? Even the International flying out of Philly is heavily utlized as well as profitable.

 

[usairways85]

I completely aggree. JFK and PHL do not draw from the same pool and JFK mainly draws from O&D(with the exception of the additional connection flts by Freedom recently) where PHL draws both from connections and O&D.
Also for all those people that will say PHL has horrible delays and all sorts of problems, well JFK isn't much better. They have old terminals, an airport that is extremely packed during the evening rush, and face many of the winter/summer storms that PHL does. If i am not mistaken i just saw that the most delayed flt was a comair flt from JFK.

 

[ClueByFour]

JFK can take those kinds of delays because DL is really not trying to connect a ton of traffic there, particularly on the international sectors. Think more "focus city."

PHL, on the other hand, absolutely requires the connecting traffic to work. So when the operation goes to pot (eg, most of the time), it's a mess.

 

[rjh]

I completely aggree. JFK and PHL do not draw from the same pool and JFK mainly draws from O&D(with the exception of the additional connection flts by Freedom recently) where PHL draws both from connections and O&D.
Also for all those people that will say PHL has horrible delays and all sorts of problems, well JFK isn't much better. They have old terminals, an airport that is extremely packed during the evening rush, and face many of the winter/summer storms that PHL does. If i am not mistaken i just saw that the most delayed flt was a comair flt from JFK.

JFK often has departure delays, but on an average week, they do not have as many ground delay programs as PHL or EWR. It's typical to see GDP or ground stop going to PHL or EWR 5-6 days out of the week (on average), and JFK on average about 3-4 days of the week. Of course when the weather goes down, all the airports are affected. .but PHL, EWR, and LGA tend to have GDP's even when the weather is fine.

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

I keep reading how many here believe that PHL will need to be reduced because of proximity to JFK. This doesn't make sense to me...NYC and PHL do not draw from the same passenger pool, the only exception possibly being travelers needing access to more international destinations. Does anyone else agree? Why do I keep hearing that operations at PHL would be dramatically reduced in a merger? Even the International flying out of Philly is heavily utlized as well as profitable.

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flyguy,

A VALID question !

But put yourself in Parkers shoes.
(I'm NOT sticking up, for him)

In PHL, he's got a GIANT malignant TUMOR, that is INCURABLE.
If he can pull the takeover off(which for US is a GOOD deal), he simply shifts, and in some cases combines his International flying out of JFK.
PHL, I suspect will be used for O+D traffic Only.

PHL can still work,IF not overtaxed (because of It's many Non employee faults)
If you're(say) a loyal International US passenger, and live in(say) southern Jersey, western Philly, you've got 3 choices.

1. BIT-CH, then go into JFK
2. Leave US, and switch to CO
3. SHOOT YOURSELF

Again, If Parker pulls this off, he wont be losing any sleep over disgruntled PHL Int. passengers !

NH/BB's

 

[usairways85]

So if JFK doesn't receive as many GDP's as PHL currently does but still receives some, and the new US/DL shifts a lot of PHL's connecting flts to JFK...JFK will end up just as bad as PHL is now. Especially with the fact that JFK is has limited gate space and old terminals

 

[FM2436]

I keep reading how many here believe that PHL will need to be reduced because of proximity to JFK. This doesn't make sense to me...NYC and PHL do not draw from the same passenger pool, the only exception possibly being travelers needing access to more international destinations. Does anyone else agree? Why do I keep hearing that operations at PHL would be dramatically reduced in a merger? Even the International flying out of Philly is heavily utlized as well as profitable.

Isn't JFK a FAA slot controlled airport? If JFK were to become a northeast major hub for the "new" Delta, then the Secretary for the Department of Transportation would need to magically pull about 400 new slots out of her hat. Jet Blue may not like that.

 

[LGA Fleet Service]

Also for all those people that will say PHL has horrible delays and all sorts of problems, well JFK isn't much better. They have old terminals, an airport that is extremely packed during the evening rush, and face many of the winter/summer storms that PHL does.

Yeah, but a raindrop on the windshield at Kennedy doesn't trigger the ground delay program.

I was at Kennedy for ten years before I went to LGA and it's a different animal.Sure it's crowded during the evening rush, considering the sheer number of international airlines there it's a given.But the rest of the day it is a virtual ghost town.

And that Comair flight you mention, where does the equipment for that flight come from before it gets to JFK?

Isn't JFK a FAA slot controlled airport? If JFK were to become a northeast major hub for the "new" Delta, then the Secretary for the Department of Transportation would need to magically pull about 400 new slots out of her hat. Jet Blue may not like that.

Only during the peak International departure hours.

Who cares what jetblue may or may not like?

 

[whodoiworkfor]

PHL is not fixable, this has been proven time and time again. This merger solves that problem by allowing US/Delta to severly reduce the size of the "tumor" that is PHL.

 

[groundcontrol]

PHL is not fixable, this has been proven time and time again. This merger solves that problem by allowing US/Delta to severly reduce the size of the "tumor" that is PHL.

and perhaps open some expansion for Southwest

 

[Travelpro72]

The PHL airport needs help whether there is a merger or not. It's a D U M P no other word for it. NOT a good hub regardless of the O&D. Go after the O&D and stop subjecting everyone to that place that doesn't need to be there. It was NEVER intended to be a hub of it's size. A large presence is fine but what USAirways tries to continually do will never work. JFK isn't much better but that is ONLY during the evening push when all the int'l flights are going. Besides that the airport isn't that busy in comparrison.

 

[zethya]

Parker will go where the least competition exists for international flights - PHL AND Parker will have lot's more leverage with PHL authorities than he will ever get at JFK. The majority of "tumor" problems at PHL are caused by US Airways employees - NOT the airport. The International Terminal at PHL is far superior to anything at JFK. Those are the reasons Parker will move most of DLs services to PHL - not because some people hate it, but because he, as the CEO of the airline, wants to make money and PHL has proven to be the place to do it! As far as PIT is concerned, after a DL merger (if it happens) PIT becomes even less valuable than today - look for a 50-60% reduction in US/DL services and a buildup of CVG. Obviously downsizing PIT further may be positive in the long run because WN/B6 will likely pick up their services. CLT is an unknown - but money talks and CLT has it. It's inconceivable that Georgia politicians would ever approve a merger without some caveat that ATL be preserved. Further there really is no comparison between CLT and ATL airports. ATL is truly an intercontinental facility. In the unlikely event the regulators do not insist on significant downsizing of one or the other because of geographic proximity, CLT would probably become itself. plus a reliever airport for ATL. Parker, as in PHL, surely has/will have more influence over operations at CLT than ATL.
Here is a good analyst related article on this matter and an additional point on why PHL will likely prevail over JFK:
http://www.airportbusiness.com/article/art...n=4&id=8977