New Destination Started - Cedar City, Utah (CDC)

[ringmaruf]

Air Midwest began service as America West Express / US Airways Express to Cedar City, Utah (CDC) two days ago, adding a new destination to the US Airways network. They're operating 2x daily Beech 1900D flights CDC-SLC and 1x daily Beech 1900D flight CDC-LAS.

To get the aircraft to LAS, they've also started another new route with 1x daily service LAS-HII (Lake Havasu City, AZ), to complement their PHX-HII service.

The wizards in Tempe decided not to spend 5 minutes and issue a press release to welcome this new city to the US network.

They had previously only been ignoring the new East routes, but now they've decided to ignore West routes as well. Quite the bang up job they're doing over there--new routes since the merger that haven't got a press release include LGA-LWB, CLT-GUA, BOS-ALB, BOS-PUJ, FLL-MBJ, PIT-MBJ, PIT-BGM/ELM/ITH/SCE (which have already failed, think it could've been because no one knew they existed?), seasonal PHL-EWN/FAY/OAJ. US has already began codesharing with Air One, and applied for a big codeshare with Star Alliance partner TAP Air Portugal, neither of which got a press release.

 

[DLFlyer31]

This new city is a prime example of the problems with the EAS (Essential Air Service) program. CDC is an EAS city and has been served for years with service to SLC. The flights carried a Delta code and allowed for connections at DL's SLC hub.

When the route came up for a re-bid, Mesa undercut Skywest and won the grant. However, since Mesa's Air Midwest doesn't codeshare with Delta, they instead added the USAirways codeshare. The only problem is that 2 of the 3 flights are still flying to a DELTA hub where there are NO meaningful connections for USAirways.

So, the folks at CDC went from having 3 daily flights to a hub where they could connect to nearly 100 cities....to having 1 flight to LAS where they can connect and 2 flights that pretty much connect to nothing. The SLC flights will have to survive almost entirely on local traffic.

 

[jimcfs]

Sounds like the situation we have here at BLF/BKW. Our EAS goes to IAD (via Colgan) under USEx flag. Too bad there are few connections except to UA (and forget any decent US award options).

Perhaps the SLC flights are like ours and have some O&D traffic instead of connects?

 

[ringmaruf]

When the route came up for a re-bid, Mesa undercut Skywest

...by almost half, it wasn't just saving a few dollars.

So, the folks at CDC went from having 3 daily flights to a hub where they could connect to nearly 100 cities....to having 1 flight to LAS where they can connect and 2 flights that pretty much connect to nothing. The SLC flights will have to survive almost entirely on local traffic.

Actually, the Air Midwest proposal that the DOT selected was for flights to PHX and LAS, where there would have plenty of connectivity. The communities involved objected, however, saying that they wanted SLC and not PHX, since local traffic on that route is very important to them. So they're getting just what they wanted.

There are *plenty* of stupid EAS routes, several in the US system. This doesn't appear to be one of them.

Sounds like the situation we have here at BLF/BKW.

Yeah, except CCY issued a press release when BLF/BKW were added to the network.

(I'm not kidding.)

 

[BoeingBoy]

In 3Q05, SkyWest carried an average of about 30 passengers/day each way between CDC & SLC. Wonder how it'll do with the new arrangement?

Jim

 

[FCYTravis]

In 3Q05, SkyWest carried an average of about 30 passengers/day each way between CDC & SLC. Wonder how it'll do with the new arrangement?

I believe they were flying three round-trips a day on 30-seat Brasilias. That equals a 33 percent average load factor - not too hot. No wonder SkyWest wanted such a big subsidy.

 

[JS]

In 3Q05, SkyWest carried an average of about 30 passengers/day each way between CDC & SLC. Wonder how it'll do with the new arrangement?

Jim

It will probably be the same as MHK, SLN, GBD, HYS, DDC and GCK in Kansas. Those flights go to MCI, which is not a US hub but is a reasonably good place to continue to another destination (if not O&D).

Both SLC and MCI have low-fare competition, which means that often it is cheaper to buy two tickets, one to the B1900 destination and another one to your final destination. There are several routes operated by Air Midwest that aren't codeshared with anyone (sold directly by Mesa, such as JBR-ELD-DFW) in which case two tickets is necessary anyway.

 

[ringmaruf]

It will probably be the same as MHK, SLN, GBD, HYS, DDC and GCK in Kansas. Those flights go to MCI, which is not a US hub but is a reasonably good place to continue to another destination (if not O&D).

MCI is actually a pretty good place for US conx as well, much better than SLC, where there's only PHX and LAS to connect to, and the UA flights aren't an option yet since these flights are technically only HPX and not USX, though they will be eventually, and that'll add ORD, DEN, LAX, SFO.

At MCI, there are online connections to CLT, PHL, DCA, PHX on US, to ORD, DEN on UA using the US codeshare, and Air Midwest also codeshares with Midwest Airlines at MCI, which can get you to BOS, FLL, MKE, LGA, MCO, PIT, SAT, SAN, SFO, TPA. That really takes care of most major destinations between the three carriers.

But you're correct about the interline connecting abilities at SLC being a helpful addition to the O&D traffic on the route, especially since Mesa is pricing the local fares reasonably.