PHL hub status

Word is that PHL might loose hub statis? CLT is promised to be OK.

And just whom did this "Word" come from? I'm willing to bet that PHL is every bit as safe as a Hub as CLT is, perhaps even more. Have you really been following any of the discussions about the merger and the role that PHL may play with service to the Pacific? Are all of the flights that feed the Int'l service in PHL going to be moved over to JFK with all of it's restrictions?
 
there was an article thru www.justplanenews.com that indicated that phl is poised to handle growth esp in the intl markets given that jfk is slot controlled and pretty well maxed out. phl wont go anywhere

PHL will remain a hub but might lose some international flights to JFK. It seems PHL is at its limit regarding the number of landings and departures it can handle and lately there have been quite a few ATC delays which result in inbound aircraft being held at airports along the east coast. I was held for over an hour on an express flight and missed my international connection upon arriving in PHL. There is room at JFK for a few more wide body international flights.
 
AA doesnt have the slots at JFK for those flights and US' has more flights to Europe than AA.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
The PHL hub isn't going anywhere. I remember reading somewhere that PHL is the largest metro market with only one airport, and it's a major international destination. JFK could not possibly handle the feed that PHL does.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
PHL will remain a hub but might lose some international flights to JFK. It seems PHL is at its limit regarding the number of landings and departures it can handle and lately there have been quite a few ATC delays which result in inbound aircraft being held at airports along the east coast. I was held for over an hour on an express flight and missed my international connection upon arriving in PHL. There is room at JFK for a few more wide body international flights.
phl will more than likely add more intl flights as they can handle it.. as for the delays 9 out of 10 times its bec of atc and its bec they sit btwn dc and ny airspaces. jfk is slot controlled and phl is not.
 
JFK is slot controlled only during peak international departure times,late afternoon - early evening hours.

The rest of the day is wide open.I don't know how many more times that needs to be stated.

AA has the ability to juggle some things at JFK should there be an opportunity,this idea AA is painted into a corner at JFK with regard to slots is incorrect.

Both airports will more than likely see growth they can support.JFK is O&D centric, PHL is not.
 
JFK is slot controlled only during peak international departure times,late afternoon - early evening hours.

The rest of the day is wide open.I don't know how many more times that needs to be stated.

AA has the ability to juggle some things at JFK should there be an opportunity,this idea AA is painted into a corner at JFK with regard to slots is incorrect.

Both airports will more than likely see growth they can support.JFK is O&D centric, PHL is not.

Good point, they can juggle some domestic slots to add a few for international flights as the New York has the largest O&D market in the country. A quote from www.federalregister.gov "Until recently, most operations at JFK took place during relatively pronounced arrival and departure banks corresponding to the operating windows of transatlantic flights. The FAA had limited the number of arrivals and departures at JFK during the peak afternoon demand period through the implementation of the High Density Rule (HDR). "
PHL has 2 runways capable of handling international flights and JFK has 4.
 
AA doesnt have the slots at JFK for those flights and US' has more flights to Europe than AA.

The bolded part is false. AA has been stockpiling primetime JFK departure slots, using them for domestic flights, in anticipation of lowering its costs. AA now has lower costs, and will likely begin new international flights from JFK.

JFK is slot controlled only during peak international departure times,late afternoon - early evening hours.

The rest of the day is wide open.I don't know how many more times that needs to be stated.

AA has the ability to juggle some things at JFK should there be an opportunity,this idea AA is painted into a corner at JFK with regard to slots is incorrect.

Both airports will more than likely see growth they can support.JFK is O&D centric, PHL is not.

Correct. Right now, AA has more than two dozen domestic departures from JFK between about 3 pm and 9 pm, not counting flights to SFO and LAX, and those slots have been stockpiled for the time when AA lowered its costs, and that time is now.

Good point, they can juggle some domestic slots to add a few for international flights as the New York has the largest O&D market in the country. A quote from www.federalregister.gov "Until recently, most operations at JFK took place during relatively pronounced arrival and departure banks corresponding to the operating windows of transatlantic flights. The FAA had limited the number of arrivals and departures at JFK during the peak afternoon demand period through the implementation of the High Density Rule (HDR). "
PHL has 2 runways capable of handling international flights and JFK has 4.

Correct. Nine of the current JFK primetime departure slots held by AA came from a trade with jetBlue, which has more primetime JFK slots than it needs. In addition to AA, both B6 and DL have also been stockpiling JFK primetime departure slots to prevent others from using them.

New AA will probably use a few of the primetime slots for new frequencies to LAX and SFO, once the new A321Ts are flying (with only 102 seats), but there will still be about 20 slots between about 3 pm and 9 pm which AA could use for new European flights.

New AA has more than enough JFK slots right now to vastly expand its international schedule, and if it finds it needs more, jetBlue can probably be convinced to sell even more to AA.

As to PHL, it's a huge metro area and I assume that new AA will continue to fly to various European cities from PHL, as well as from CLT. Both CLT and PHL may see some schedule adjustments, but IMO, both will continue as large, vibrant hubs.
 
Media and GAO speculation regarding US Airways' PHL, CLT, & PHX hubs are misguided and the authors do not understand how the AA-US merger has been built; as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each city listed.

The relationship between PHX & LAX and PHL & JFK are similar. PHX and PHL operate as hub and spoke operation and LAX and JFK as O&D operation. PHL and PHX provide hubs and LAX and JFK provide non-stop service in high density, high yield markets. PHX & PHL permit US airways to operate service in long, thin markets that otherwise would not make economic sense without connecting traffic.

As far as CLT & MIA -- CLT is the only southeast hub competitor to ATL and provides omni directional service versus MIA which is located on the coast line and focuses on O&D & Latin/South American traffic.

Furthermore, the combined operation between the two companies in their present markets is what will increase the combined business entities revenue by an estimated $1 billion per year.

One change I do see that is authorized by the pilot's MOU and APA Green Book is upgauging of CRJ-900 and EMB-190 aircraft with more EMB-190s flown on the mainline. In fact, the MOU provides an increase above the minimum block hour scope protections in the East and West pilot contracts and minimum block hour protections provided for AA's pilots for Group II (narrowbody aircraft) and above. Therefore, any EMB-190 aircraft added to the fleet would be growth aircraft with the first 10 flown by US Airways pilots and then the next orders flown on a 2:1 ratio with the majority of the EMB-190s operated by AA's pilots.

In my opinion, this permits US Airways' management to continue its fleet modernization program strategy to upgauge the size of aircraft, lower CASM, and to cost effectively increase ASMs by insourcing current Eagle and Express flying post corporate combination for the New American Airlines.

I believe all of these topics point to an increase of PHL ASMs.

USA320Pilot
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
AA's operation at JFK and LAX are both about 65% local/35% connecting which is very similar to DL's percentage at JFK and US at DCA. Each of those is less local than B6 at JFK which is about 80% local or DL at LGA. US at PHL is about 40% local but US at DCA is about 65% local - the same percentage as AA at JFK and LAX. UA at EWR is comparable to US at PHL.

JFK and LAX for AA are just as much hubs as DCA is for US.

As such, taking slots that currently are used to feed existing longhaul flights in order to add new longhaul flights that would likely be even less local market focused is not likely.

Given that B6's slot portfolio is similar in size to DL's domestic portfolio at JFK, it is not likely that B6 would give up assets in its hometown airport.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person