Phl Takes Back 2 Gates
- Thread starter delldude
- Start date
How much do you want to bet that they start flying to ALB, BUF, ORF, CMH, CLE, AUS, SAT, etc.?
Actually, it's been my belief that Southwest will enter PIT in 2005, probably with flights to PHL, BWI, MDW, MCO, and TPA initially, with second and third waves adding service to PVD, MHT, BDL, RDU, PHX, LAS, FLL, PBI, etc. This (in my view) explains where they'll get the gates to offer service between PHL and PIT.
Actually, it's been my belief that Southwest will enter PIT in 2005, probably with flights to PHL, BWI, MDW, MCO, and TPA initially, with second and third waves adding service to PVD, MHT, BDL, RDU, PHX, LAS, FLL, PBI, etc. This (in my view) explains where they'll get the gates to offer service between PHL and PIT.
ringmaruf
Veteran
Those are the 2 D gates that were previously getting the MidAtlantic flights. With MidAtlantic moved over to F, I guess US didn't need the gates in D anymore. (If US wanted the gates, it would schedule flights out of them, and would still have them.)
Should further enhance the Southwest experience, operating out of 2 terminals that aren't connected airside.
Oh, and as for PIT? PIT could do this *right now* to *40 GATES*. But they aren't, because of a little secret...Nobody wants them. Just don't tell Kent George that, his head might explode.
Should further enhance the Southwest experience, operating out of 2 terminals that aren't connected airside.
Oh, and as for PIT? PIT could do this *right now* to *40 GATES*. But they aren't, because of a little secret...Nobody wants them. Just don't tell Kent George that, his head might explode.
Even casual industry watchers know US Airways Group (otc: UAIRQ - news - people ) has in recent weeks taken its second trip to bankruptcy court. In a local sign of failure's ripples, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that US Airways missed its regular August gate-rental payment to the City of Brotherly Love's airport. Officials will transfer two underused gates from the carrier to another airline, likely its rival, discounter Southwest Airlines (nyse: LUV - news - people ). More...
ringmaruf said:
Sort of like the convenience of a connection from Terminal F to A-East or A-West, right? My guess is that the airport wouldn't have bothered to take the gates away from US unless somebody wanted them. I'd imagine that WN would either bus passengers between the concourses or they've gotten the airport to agree to move ahead on consolidating the checkpoints for D & E. The city had planned to add more gates to Concourse E but I wouldn't be surprised if they were waiting to see what happens to US before spending the money to do that.
No one is ever going to take 40 gates at PIT. And it's crazy that US is continuing to lease those gates month-to-month! It's a waste of money for a company that claims it will face liquidation in five months, especially with daily departures dropping to 229 in 6 weeks and perhaps one-third of those being props out of the E gates. I don't know if they're trying to keep another airline from grabbing PIT gates, but it's not like month-to-month leases at a higher rate will prevent that.
Someone's going to want gates at PIT -- just not the number that were built for US. One or more of the arms of the X will probably be walled-off at some point.
ringmaruf
Veteran
No, I'd guess that WN is *not* going to bus pax between D & E. Since they've probably only got a small amount of connecting traffic at PHL, they'll just make connecting pax who are switching terminals reclear security. (And yes, before someone says otherwise, WN does indeed publish and sell connections via PHL. PVD-PHL-FLL, RDU-PHL-MHT...) When connecting to US Airways Express in PHL, you don't need to go landside and reclear security. (Although, for example, I do realize that US does not usually run a bus to its two extra gates in DCA. US does attempt to schedule flights at those gates with mostly O&D traffic, minimizing the inconvenience to connecting pax.)
The long-term plan is to consolidate D-E checkin (like what was done with B-C) and make E airside with the rest of the airport, but the way things move in PHL, it'll take years.
The long-term plan is to consolidate D-E checkin (like what was done with B-C) and make E airside with the rest of the airport, but the way things move in PHL, it'll take years.
jimntx
Veteran
Technically, there's already precedent for WN to have a passenger clear security twice. A friend who flies WN frequently told me that there is just such a situation at HOU now. One of the concourses that WN uses does not connect to the others inside security. It will at a later date when current construction is completed, but not now. Passengers connecting in HOU who arrive or depart on that terminal have to clear security a second time in HOU.
ITRADE
Veteran
Same is true if you were connecting in MCI.
ringmaruf
Veteran
I'm not saying it's going to be difficult for WN to operate out of the 2 terminals. Lots of airlines do it at lots of airports--US to a small extent at DCA, I believe DL at BOS, WN as already mentioned at HOU/MCI. It's still a big pain in the butt for the connecting passenger. And PHL has such friendly TSA people!
40 min? Heck, most of us don't like connecting on US in the same terminal in PHL with only 40 minutes.
I doubt it. DL and NW are the only other tenants in E. (AF and YX use DL gates; TZ moved to A to accomodate WN in the first place.) There isn't enough space anywhere else for DL or NW. Also, DL and NW both have airport clubs which would presumably be difficult/expensive to move.
732guy said:
40 min? Heck, most of us don't like connecting on US in the same terminal in PHL with only 40 minutes.
BoeingBoy said:
I doubt it. DL and NW are the only other tenants in E. (AF and YX use DL gates; TZ moved to A to accomodate WN in the first place.) There isn't enough space anywhere else for DL or NW. Also, DL and NW both have airport clubs which would presumably be difficult/expensive to move.
WNjetdoc
Veteran
- Aug 20, 2002
- 532
- 0
Rob said:
Actually what they did was build a temporary connecting walkway that was outside of security. That way passengers that had to go from B to C would just walk across without the hassles of security.
Now the situation in PHL is a bit different of course but it will be worked out, so as to "enhance the SWA experience".
