Philly Inquirer On Usair And Rjs

US Airways embraces Embraer
Like other carriers looking to cut costs, the airline wants smaller planes. The imports fly daily from Philadelphia.
By Tom Belden
Inquirer Staff Writer

Regional jets made by Embraer, of Brazil, and its chief competitor, Bombardier Aerospace, of Canada, increasingly can be seen at Philadelphia International Airport, operated by US Airways Group Inc. and its US Airways Express commuter partners, and other airlines.

This summer, US Airways Express carriers were using regional jets on 27 routes out of its Philadelphia connecting-flight hub. Out of the 133 daily departures on the 27 routes, 70 of the flights were on the aircraft, spokesman David Castelveter said.

Airlines consider the jets good for routes such as Philadelphia to Boston, where Delta Express and American Eagle use them for the 70-minute flight. Continental uses them to ferry passengers to its international hub at Newark, and Delta flies one each day between Philadelphia and its New York JFK hub.

Between Philadelphia and Cleveland, all of the flights are on either US Airways Express or Continental regional jets. But US Airways Express also has them flying routes that take two hours and more, including Philadelphia to Birmingham, Ala., Milwaukee and St. Louis.

The 10 commuter airlines that operate as US Airways Express carriers now have 73 of the Embraer 145 jets and 23 Canadair jets, both of which have 50 seats.

US Airways, Philadelphia's dominant carrier, has plans to use regional jets far more widely. On some routes, the regional jets will replace slower turboprop planes that carry from 30 to 50 passengers. On other routes, they will replace larger Boeing 737 and Airbus 319 jets, which hold 120 to 126 people, he said.

While use of the regional jet planes will increase in Philadelphia, they will make up the whole fleet at MidAtlantic Airways, a new US Airways subsidiary based in Pittsburgh.

"One of the key components of our [post-bankruptcy] restructuring plan was significant [regional jet] growth," Castelveter said.

Airlines like the regional jets because they are cheaper to operate than full-size jetliners and can be used on routes that do not generate enough passengers to justify using the larger aircraft.

US Airways' contracts with the Air Line Pilots Association in the past limited the number of regional jets it could have in its fleet.

While it was operating under Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Court protection, from August 2002 until March 31, the airline signed a new agreement with the pilots that allowed it to set up the MidAtlantic Airways unit. In exchange, US Airways management agreed that all of the pilots for MidAtlantic and for two Express carriers that are wholly owned by US Airways come from the ranks of pilots laid off from the parent company.
 
Itrade,

Exactly. WN hasn't Rj'd because they haven't had to. As soon as it's clear there's money to be made, and turf defended, they could order a boatload of them. Then where's U gonna hide?

And I'll bet WN intergrates RJ's into the fleet much as PI intergrated RJ's (F28's)into the fleet. No fanfare, no muss, no howls of labor outrage.

There's a right way to do most things, and a wrong way. U invariably chooses the latter.
 
I believe the Regional Jet solution is an "quick, easy, over-reaction" by USAIRWAYS to the glut of over capacity with the airlines in the last 5 years...

That over capacity is now being corrected by flight schedule re-alignments by the airlines...I believe that in the next few years, with a cyclical economy, and demand on air travel projected to increase....USAIRWAYS may fall way behind of the 'Big Boys"....Seems to me you would need to almost fill every seat in a plane to profit on a 70 seat jet...With 3/4 of that filled with "discount" fare tickets, I don't think it will be easy to fill when competing...Hmmmm . Seems like we already did this as "Allegheny Airlines, which passenger's loving called "Agony Airlines"...

I believe Delta and United have announced bringing pilots back and adding service back, already....

I look for Southwest, Jetblue, Airtran and ATA to pick up the passengers that USAIRWAYS will leave behind....Not all with RJ's either...

Looking at the current situation, the "Express" flights seemed to be plagued by alot of Maintainence Delays, Maintenance Cancellations, Weather situations.....

2 USAIRWAYS Express planes have been lost in less than 6 months, in Charlotte and Martha's Vinywards.....

Seems to me our sights to turn around the airline would be to "Modernise" the airline with the "Airbuses"....Relax the Saturday nite stay restrictions to bring the "business" travellers back... do a better job with marketing... And, do more to improve the airline's image...

Just my opinion...
 
I heard a radio report this evening that Southwest IS looking at Small Jets. Did U honestly think that SWA would not compete with U? Did U think that U would be the only ones that would compete...since when did U ever compete (The same old arrogance I heard in 1988)? It is just a matter of time until U have no where else to run. How long do you think it will be until Jet Blue invades the Caribbean?

I run my business by remembering how U would do it...then I do the opposite. So far, so good! ;)
 
Its funny how easily people dismiss the talk about Southwest picking up RJs. When their CEO comes out an directy mentions that are looking at the possibility of considering RJs, they have probably already figured how how they are going to use them, where, what planes, and when they are going to start. The only real questions left are who they are getting them from and where they are going to go. Do they come in and save the 717 program or launch the Boeing/Russian RJ? Do they give Fairchild a needed launch customer for the 728 (now chinese owned)? Or do they go with the established RJ makers? Anyones guess.

So say Southwest goes for the RJs. This now brings them into a world of new markets they can't serve right now. If US doesn't have a solution and you see Southwest RJs landing in Rochester, Harrisburg and Toledo...game over. A lot of people will be looking for new jobs and starting at the very bottom of the pay scales again. However, judging by a lot of attitudes expressed here...it may be the humbling experience needed. Sometimes a middle aged person needs to have a 20 year old boss in shorts and a polo to get them in shape.
 
I think it would be a mistake for SWA to depart from their tried and true business plan: One fleet.

To this day, I believe PSA (the old one) would still be around and profitable if we hadn't started in with MD-80's and BAe 146 mix. I'm sure that really increased training and maintenance expenses.

Then, PSA "sorta" got into the inflight food business -- remember the fruit and yogurt or muffin deals? Next thing we knew: Our Smile Just Got Wider!

:blink:

I believe SWA is too smart and surely learned more than to follow US Airways lead into grief.

Some days I really miss the hot pants even. I miss perky other things too. ;)

Dea
 
Then, PSA "sorta" got into the inflight food business -- remember the fruit and yogurt or muffin deals? Next thing we knew: Our Smile Just Got Wider! .........

And some other parts too!
 
How truly "one fleet" is Southwest? I know that a 737-200, a 737-300, and 737-700 all are 737s, but aren't there differences in engines and parts? Is the pilot certification same for all 37s?
 
BTW, has anybody noticed that EVERY airline is going to RJs????????

All the major, full service carriers already have them.

Alaska has had them.

Frontier is adding them.

AirTran is adding them.

JetBlue has ordered them.

And now Southwest is seriously considering them.

So, to say that US is trailing the pack is complete bull####. US brought some on since about 1998. US could have had a lot more, but for the disagreement between ALPA and the management over them.

So now that everbody else is ordering them, people think its prudent to go the other direction and fly 737s that will be running 55% full. Please.
 
ITrade,

Out of all the airlines you listed, which have been consistantly profitable, quarter after quarter?

SWA is a unique operation. I fly on them fairly often and like their service and style. I've said before if SWA would go to assigned seating, something the business travelers very much like and want, they would rule the world. I don't know how much it would cost to set up assigned seating, maybe that's why they haven't done it as yet.

SWA doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is: No frills, friendly, safe transportation, point to point. Straight forward fares, easy to understand FF program and they keep their eyes on the prize.

Their uniforms are a reflection of the work they do: sensible, down to earth, get the job done!

The employees are friendly, efficient and seem quite happy to do their jobs with a minium of "turf wars" among themselves.

Frankly, I see the RJ's filling the skies, causing God-awful ATC tangles at the larger airports.

Since 9-11, the airline industry has forever changed. Believe me, I loved doing a full-on First Class service! I'd found my little slice of heaven and was very happy with it. I miss a lot of the folks I used to see on a regular basis. I don't where they went or if they're coming back. Maybe Ben B scared them off, maybe their employers are now using video conferencing or just can't justify paying the fares. Maybe they just don't want the hassles of TSA. These days, F/C seems to be full of over-sale folks.

I miss my job. I miss my "regulars". I miss serving on china and using glassware. But, that's the way it is now. Unlike my grey hair, I can't dye it, so I guess I'll get used to it or quit.

Dea :ph34r:
 
Hello, Itrade

The 200 is indeed a different beastie from its' bigger and younger siblings. Some different quals needed, as well as parts. The 300 and 400's; pretty much interchangeable. As U missed the opportunity to buy the 500's, and bought the accursed F100 instead, I have no experience with them or the 6's and 7's. Shouldn't be much of a stretch for the 300 thru 700 crews to interchange.

As for the ALPA/U disagreement, U could have all the RJ's they wanted, had they flown them as mainline a/c. The F28 payrates were still applicable, and ALPA would have been powerless to stop it. Wolf/Siegel went for the whole enchilada, which was to convert MUCH mainline personnel to express. It's coming.
 
Dea Certe said:
ITrade,

Out of all the airlines you listed, which have been consistantly profitable, quarter after quarter?
That's fine, but if all is well, and the addage "if it ain't broke, then don't fix it" is true, then why do all the "profitable" carriers feel the need to follow suit and add RJs to their fleets?
 
ITRADE said:
Dea Certe said:
ITrade,

Out of all the airlines you listed, which have been consistantly profitable, quarter after quarter?
That's fine, but if all is well, and the addage "if it ain't broke, then don't fix it" is true, then why do all the "profitable" carriers feel the need to follow suit and add RJs to their fleets?
ITRADE, ah the sweet manna of icreased revenue provided by a hub and spoke system. Pure and simple, adding RJ's at the LCC's is acknowledgement that the point to point model is not viable above a certain size. Now, they are going to try to compete with the mainlines at thier own game, with a much smaller non-intercontinental network, and equivilent IF NOT HIGHER costs. FRNT has already had to "rethink" it's RJ strategy. This is just another small sign that the industry will be MUCH differant than it is now, and it won't be todays superstars getting the glory. :shock: