Overall, PIT Traffic is Down

[Travelpro72]

Well from what I can see in LAS there isn't much in the way of activity for a large majority of the day. The evening is another story. I agree LAS has lots of traffic but how much is O&D there? What I meant earlier is that with all the people in the northeast the company should not try and filter as much traffic through PHL as it does. Capture the O&D market in PHL and "some" connecting traffic. If PHL has so much O&D the company should not need to rely on the airport to connect passengers. Leave that to PIT. Help fill some flights where the O&D alone couldn't in PIT while at the same time help reduce congestion in PHL.

 

[US1YFARE]

Now PIT is going to draw the CLE passengers away from the low WN fares in CLE

i wasn't referring to CLE...i was referring to southeastern ohio, like steubenville, and other nearby cities.

 

[fly with US]

I don't think PHL is the main connecting hub, except for Europe. I think CLT gets that title.

I was just comparing PHL and PIT, in which PHL is the main connecting hub.

I agree LAS has lots of traffic but how much is O&D there?

I wouldn't imagine much at all, but most people flying to LAS are actually flying to LAS. Most people flying to PIT will connect.

If PHL has so much O&D the company should not need to rely on the airport to connect passengers.

I think what they were trying to do was have the O&D passengers from PHL complement the connecting flights and to sometimes make them profitable.

 

[AstroLounge]

Well from what I can see in LAS there isn't much in the way of activity for a large majority of the day. The evening is another story. I agree LAS has lots of traffic but how much is O&D there? What I meant earlier is that with all the people in the northeast the company should not try and filter as much traffic through PHL as it does. Capture the O&D market in PHL and "some" connecting traffic. If PHL has so much O&D the company should not need to rely on the airport to connect passengers. Leave that to PIT. Help fill some flights where the O&D alone couldn't in PIT while at the same time help reduce congestion in PHL.

You've GOT it, the Majority of the Employees Got it, I've got it and ANY passenger that values their sanity KNOWS it. Management insisting PHL is the Motherlode= PRICELESS. Keep clicking your heels and believing PHL is the cure all and see how pax will continue to FLY US.

 

[Barbell]

Exactamundo!

And LAS is almost strictly O&D. Almost all pax go to LAS for LAS, and then they go home. There are a couple of very light connecting banks through during the day to help take some traffic out of PHX, and then the red eyes are scheduled as such that some Eastbound traffic connects through to get East in the morning by default. LAS is an entity in and of itself, which is why no airline has been successful using it as a true hub. HP saw its value for what it was and has successfully exploited it. It is absolutely nothing like PHX, PIT, PHL, or CLT.

 

[ClueByFour]

With sky high costs at PIT, was it possible to have rationalized fares at a hub?

At the time before US dehubbed it (which drove the cost per pax up) PIT's costs were roughly on par with PHL's.

With out a doubt there was, but hurting US was probably one of the main reasons WN chose PIT over other cities. PHL is another story though. Their goal was to kill US from the start. Fortunately, that never happened.

WN chooses overpriced and underserved markets. They indicated in print (you can google to find it) that they considered PIT to be underserved and overpriced (and that was before US was done dismantling the hub). It had nothing at all to do with hurting US.

PHL also had little to do with killing US, and everything to do with beating B6 to the punch.

US continues to encourage the behavior, just like it did at LAX, SFO, BWI, and so forth. Don't be shocked to see PIT-OAK/SJC or PIT-LAX on WN in the near to medium term--these markets remain overpriced and certainly underserved from PIT.

 

[insp89]

CluebyFour, Due to further erosion of Southwest's Fuel hedging advantage in 2006, and Usairway's continuing efforts to get itself in competitive shape, I don't think anyone will be "shocked"....
Common sense says Southwest will be forced to RAISE fares to stay profitable due to fuel hedge erosion...Happy New Year....

 

[Barbell]

Common sense says Southwest will be forced to RAISE fares to stay profitable due to fuel hedge erosion...Happy New Year....

Add to that statement that business runs in cycles. WN is currently in an "up" cycle (along w/ B6, FL, and to an extent AA, CO, and AK), while US is most arguably coming out of a "down" cycle ready to come out swinging: leaner and meaner than ever.

 

[Travelpro72]

The former US mgmt had a "We'll show you" attitude towards Pittsburgh when they began the pulldown of service. They showed Pittsburgh alright. They made it quite clear that other carriers were willing and able to offer quality service at a better price. They shot themselves in the foot and surely will never if ever admit to it. Pouring the majority of your traffic through PHL when it's famed for its O&D passengers has only harmed the company more so than leaving a bigger operation in PIT. The connections in PHL are most unnecessary since all that "O&D" is there. They could bring all the beltloaders, tugs and baggage carts they want along with all the pretty carpeting and paint that money can buy and PHL is still, well PHL.

 

[700UW]

WN has made a profit for over 30 years straight and pays dividends on its stock and to top it off their employees have the highest % of unionized employees and they are the highest paid in the industry.

They are doing something right.

 

[Travelpro72]

So many paint this doom and gloom for Southwest in the years to come. Sure there hedges may run out over time. To think that they have been so successfull all these years and not have an eye for what is down the road for them is silly. They may not have it as good in the future as they do currently but they obviously do something right. I doubt you'll see Southwest dying on the vine due to others restructuring and fuel hedges running out. They run an excellent business model and must give props when due. That isn't changing. We at US collectively need to try to be a leader and not a follower which we have been for many years.

 

[UWCactus]

WN has made a profit for over 30 years straight and pays dividends on its stock and to top it off their employees have the highest % of unionized employees and they are the highest paid in the industry.

They are doing something right.

Yes they are, the have rarely strayed from their original plan.

-No interlining of baggage (except now with code share)
-No advance seat assigments
-One a/c type, pilots interchangeable for all a/c types
-FA's interchangeable to all a/c typs
-Maintenance parts/inventory interchangeable
-No food service
-No audio visual programming
-No headset sales, inventory
-No first class/business class service.

Their best assetis that they stayed the same, except when they began to offer more point to point service. For most of the larger carriers, it was too late to turn back and try this business model. The only option for larger carriers such as US Airways is to keep costs as low as possible while offering more amenities to a customer. These costs are throughout the company, not just the Inflight/Airport product. Staffing at offices is minimal, positions are not generally exceeding the need, odering supplies is monitored tightly and open positions are hard to justify and maintain in the admin side.

US Airways has such a good chance to work if the employees put forth the effort to recognize that we really do have something here to keep the checks coming in.

 

[700UW]

Where have you been?

The employees of US/East have been doing that only to be pillaged and blamed for all the problems.

The US/East employee's concessions have kept this place in business.

20,000 less jobs and billions in concessions, only to see executives rewarded millions for failure.

 

[calibrator]

20,000 less jobs and billions in concessions, only to see executives rewarded millions for failure.

Truth is stranger than fiction

 

[US1YFARE]

Yes they are, the have rarely strayed from their original plan.

-No food service (US's food is terrible)
-No audio visual programming -No headset sales, inventory
-No first class/business class service.

US's food is terrible

US has no audio on short flights

US's headsets break very easily

US FC is terrible