Is time running out on DCA, LGA or BOS

[safety stud]

It is ironic that PIT, with the new terminal bought and partialy paid for by the hardworking employee's of USAir in their many years of work has destroyed an icon of the city. Since 1939, some form of this airline has existed in this town. In a heartbeat by a so-called leader of the revolution for airline consolidation, PIT closes. He states that the city was marginally profitable. He said that just 5 weeks ago, and now announces they have already lost over 40 million this year. He says that airlines like SW make the city a target for unprofitablity.

How can this be when they pay their employee's so much more than LCC? Like BWI, we gave it to SW. Like all of the West Coast after PSA, we gave it to SW. Like Piedmont with the Florida Shuttle, we gave it away. Why do you suppose, the only thing this airline knows how to do is give things that make you money away? Is it the intellect of the Directors? or lack there of? Is it the fact you have a president in charge of and airline that doesn't know how to operate a large entity such as LCC? Is it the middle management that comes right out of school with NO experience?

Watch over the next few months how DP says...."Well folks BOS is remaining marginally profitable yet our long term projections seem a little off, we might have to look to other alternatives." And then what?... LGA... DCA... Remember, you can operate the shuttle out of any base it doesn't have to be just those cities. So that covers the "Small" bases... The "East-Small' bases... So then you are left with what...PHX, PHL, CLT... Seems as though someone is setting us up for very little anti-trust problems with another merger. This time with NO overlap...

Question is who's next... And what's next?

Just my opinion...

 

[missthe727]

My guess is that BOS is next. We are being set up for another merger, probably w/ UAL. We will keep DCA as they have IAD as a base. LGA will stay for now due to the Shuttle but will eventually be gone...just my opinion.

 

[Travelpro72]

I'd strongly suggest those that believe that BOS, DCA or LGA can't close simply due to the shuttle or business volume THINK AGAIN. This company is so capable of making ANY city look profitable OR unprofitable. In the big scheme of things I personally don't see how the company can justify keeping those three bases. It seriously needs streamlined. If the West can run LAS with crews from PHX what would EVER prevent the company from consolidating the Northeast bases? Definitely seems possible to me. Oh well, I guess we'll see.

 

[wings396]

With LGA and DCA being slot controlled, I wouldn't expect a "PIT Style" reduction to take place at either of those cities. US has had a decent size operation in BOS for years, and I would expect it to survive given that it has made it this far.

 

[safety stud]

With LGA and DCA being slot controlled, I wouldn't expect a "PIT Style" reduction to take place at either of those cities. US has had a decent size operation in BOS for years, and I would expect it to survive given that it has made it this far.

Slots yes, Mainline flying?, the slots can be filled by RJ's...

 

[SKY HIGH]

My guess is that BOS is next. We are being set up for another merger, probably w/ UAL. We will keep DCA as they have IAD as a base. LGA will stay for now due to the Shuttle but will eventually be gone...just my opinion.

sky high states: If your theory is correct, why would they close BOSTON? It's a United base. So is: http://www.unitedafa.org/councils/default.asp

Local Councils
Council 5
**********New York Council 7
London Council 8
Chicago
Council 9
Denver Council 10
Seattle Council 11
San Francisco
Council 12
Los Angeles Council 14
Honolulu Council 20
Frankfurt
Council 21
*******Washington, D.C. Council 25
Las Vegas Council 26
Hong Kong
Council 27
*******Boston Council 38
Narita Council 38

Wouldnt they just integrate the THREE UAL/LCC CREW BASES??????????

only stating opinions

 

[Travelpro72]

Made it THIS far? Seriously? This company could prove ANYthing to be "marginal" or NOT profitable at all. It still doesn't make sense to me to have all those bases boom, boom, boom up the northeast coast. They'd cut the bathrooms off the plane if they could to save a penny. Consolidate and shrink is this company's game.

 

[ALCARLOS]

How can this be when they pay their employee's so much more than LCC?

The pay scale is higher, but the USAirways workers are older and further up the scale.

 

[bigbusdrvr]

It is ironic that PIT, with the new terminal bought and partialy paid for by the hardworking employee's of USAir in their many years of work has destroyed an icon of the city. Since 1939, some form of this airline has existed in this town. In a heartbeat by a so-called leader of the revolution for airline consolidation, PIT closes. He states that the city was marginally profitable. He said that just 5 weeks ago, and now announces they have already lost over 40 million this year. He says that airlines like SW make the city a target for unprofitablity.

How can this be when they pay their employee's so much more than LCC? Like BWI, we gave it to SW. Like all of the West Coast after PSA, we gave it to SW. Like Piedmont with the Florida Shuttle, we gave it away. Why do you suppose, the only thing this airline knows how to do is give things that make you money away? Is it the intellect of the Directors? or lack there of? Is it the fact you have a president in charge of and airline that doesn't know how to operate a large entity such as LCC? Is it the middle management that comes right out of school with NO experience?

Watch over the next few months how DP says...."Well folks BOS is remaining marginally profitable yet our long term projections seem a little off, we might have to look to other alternatives." And then what?... LGA... DCA... Remember, you can operate the shuttle out of any base it doesn't have to be just those cities. So that covers the "Small" bases... The "East-Small' bases... So then you are left with what...PHX, PHL, CLT... Seems as though someone is setting us up for very little anti-trust problems with another merger. This time with NO overlap...

Question is who's next... And what's next?

Just my opinion...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Closing pit has been a long time coming.....good riddence....Thank the mayor, follow him to cleveland for your discount fare!!!!

 

[EMBFA]

Exactly, if it was so "about a United merger", why would they close crew bases in three cities where the merger partner has existing ones? Antitrust? The government couldn't care less if we operated our three hubs from a single crew base in Guam. It's about market presence and overlap, not where an employee begins thier workday. Anyhow, UAL's operations in New York and Boston are completely different than ours. Thier Dulles operation is more similar to PHL than DCA.

And again, it never ceases to amaze me how people don't get the difference between a crew base and a hub. They are not neccessarily dependent on each other. Flight Attendants in particular seem to think the whole operation and business plan revolves around F/As.

As for Pittsburgh there's no "heartbeat" about it. PIT has been continually downsized through three administrations of management. In fact this mgmt has probably cut the least because there wasn't that much left anyway. PIT has not "closed". Somewhere like Toledo- that's closed. US Airways still has a presence there, in fact the biggest presence there is, larger than any other airline. The upcoming pulldown of flights is not as major or noticable as what had already been pulled down. The closure of the crew base affects no one or nothing other than crews.

To anyone not emotionally vested in thier ability to start trips in thier hometown (something the majority of US crews lost long ago), it's all a little far reaching. I'll probably be read as being mean, but honestly.... "if PIT can close" - a city that has an unprofitable, mainly sentimental focus city with 20 flights a day- could such backwater towns as New York City, Washington DC, and Boston? If you're talking crew bases, sure, any crew base can be closed without effect on the operation. But why the company would want to pay for expensive hotel rooms every night for Shuttle originators, or not have standby crews for arguably the most important and valuable part of the airline? Now if you're talking market presence/importance/potential, it's a joke to even talk about Pittsburgh in the same breath. But why let any of that interfere with some good old fashioned fear-mongering/misery-spreading?

 

[safety stud]

Flight Attendants in particular seem to think the whole operation and business plan revolves around F/As.

Actually, we do...
Maybe not as much as pilots, but yes we do...
It's the flight crews that get you from point A to B.
It's the flight crews that are now land locked on the other side of the Appilacian Mtns. that will cause a problem this winter when we get another "Noooor Easteeeer" Brrr.
On an operational standpoint, this wasn't a smart move. Pit very rarely closed. No complete loss of operations. Unlike PHL, LGA, BOS, DCA.
Can you run an airline out of just one base...
oh yea, I forgot....
We got PHX...

Just my opinion...

 

[EMBFA]

Well of course you're right. Pittsburgh never ever ever had any delays, and you live there, and the terminal is gorgeous, so it should regain hub status in today's industry climate. All of the above will make up for any of it's falults. You'll have to forgive me, I don't know much about this industry.

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

Does anybody know LCC's presence in CLE?

Would PIT service soon approximate that level?

 

[FlyUs]

Boston and DCA have approximately 70 mainline flights a day each, with many RON ac. About half as many as PHL, which has about 140 mainline flights a day. Don't know about DCA but hotels in Boston are very expensive. Probably cheaper to keep a base than to overnight all those crews. LGA on the other hand is primarily an express station. Parker mentioned in a recent crew meeting that NY isn't going to grow and isn't a huge money maker. If they do close another base LGA would probably go next.

 

[kao]

With LGA and DCA being slot controlled, I wouldn't expect a "PIT Style" reduction to take place at either of those cities. US has had a decent size operation in BOS for years, and I would expect it to survive given that it has made it this far.

I am hearing BOS is also one of the stations overstaffed....anyone? It is funny as no one west of the Mississippi knows that other cities are furloughing....I mentioned it to a few and they were surprised....and as a co worker stated to me tonight--it almost seems as if our union could care less. I think they might be in a situation where there is nothing that can be done about it....the contract protects one classification and not the others....sad...and it has been admitted they screwed up...everyday I learn something new about this contract I have unfortunately fallen under...true there is good but most is awful. And I can not understand how even a bankruptcy could "force" an employee to agree to it....oh well....sorry to ramble and not trying to stir anything up....just really starting to see all we have actually "given up" because the way I see it now with all these LOA's ect....now we all have truly given up alot....cant count pay cuz it was never there for my fellow co workers to give up and the company knew this.....