PIT commuters to PHL

[SKY HIGH]

Commuting sucks. Heads up to the schedule changes at Southwest: http://www.blogsouthwest.com/blog/schedules-extended-march-9-2012

Markets we will temporarily suspend that will return in February:

Albuquerque-Portland

Hartford-Las Vegas

Kansas City-Oakland


Markets we are exiting on a nonstop basis:

Birmingham-Louisville

Boise-Reno/Tahoe

Boise-Salt Lake City

Boise-Seattle/Tacoma

Jacksonville-Philadelphia

Kansas City-Seattle/Tacoma

Manchester-Las Vegas

Manchester-Philadelphia

****Philadelphia-Pittsburgh

Philadelphia-Providence

Spokane-Seattle/Tacoma

 

[PullUp]

Commuting sucks. Heads up to the schedule changes at Southwest: http://www.blogsouthwest.com/blog/schedules-extended-march-9-2012


Markets we are exiting on a nonstop basis:


****Philadelphia-Pittsburgh

looks like after Jan 6th, no more LUV commute.

 

[Travelpro72]

If you are single, currently rent and have no children ya might want to consider moving. Easier said than done but why self torture yourself?

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

looks like after Jan 6th, no more LUV commute.

Just went to the SWA site. Everything through MDW at least until March 9.

After that who knows.

Hello CLT!

Good luck.

 

[Travelpro72]

With southwest as a backup it was a huge deciding factor in many sticking it out in philly. With southwest gone I see a lot of pit commuters going to clt where their seniority is stronger. What does it matter if your seniority holds t/a in philly if you can't get there?

 

[N965VJ]

If you are single, currently rent and have no children ya might want to consider moving.

What, and miss out on knocking back IC Lights at the Colodny West pool?

 

[hp-csr-phx]

Maybe US will add larger equipment on the PHL-PIT flights and keep the fares reasonable.

 

[yvrusfa]

Well, SWA is running away from PHL, it appears. Parker said SWA wasn't having much success there and that LCC was really killing them, guess he was right! Bad for commuters, yes; but GOOD for the airline and PHL revenue capabilities.

Markets that Southwest will exit on a nonstop basis are:

Birmingham-Louisville
Boise-Reno/Tahoe
Boise-Salt Lake City
Boise-Seattle/Tacoma
Jacksonville-Philadelphia
Kansas City-Seattle/Tacoma
Manchester-Las Vegas
Manchester-Philadelphia
Philadelphia-Pittsburgh
Philadelphia-Providence
Spokane-Seattle/Tacoma

*Note how they appear to also be abandoning SEA on non stop basis as well? ALK's agressive strategy to protect territory is obviously paying dividends up here as well.

Anyhow, this is clearly a victory for USAirways over the supposedly invincible LUV!! LUV first tried to crush AWA at PHX after 9/11, and AWA mgmt. (read: Parker and Kirby) smartly came up with a pricing strategy to keep LUV at bay. It was a remarkable aviation story, never fully told. LCC owns PHL, SWA can't compete against them at all. They will be running flights through BWI or stopping them completely. Watch for DAL to (attempt at least) to crush them in ATL. I think buying AirTran might have just made things worse for them.

So, in PHL, it's no surprise that LUV's fortunes immediately went south once the US/AWA merger happened. We had the better hand -- US's huge hub operation. You may remember that LUV moved into PHL shortly before this purhase, figuring they could replace US when it died.

So now we have some more great fundamental news today, and yet, the stock (and all airlines) is down?? Whatever

Thought this subject was worth more of a shout out, beyond the commuter issue.
Anyway, let's keep it up US!! h34r:

 

[PullUp]

Maybe US will add larger equipment on the PHL-PIT flights and keep the fares reasonable.

Well, as far as reasonable fares go...charge what the market will bear.
Make some $$$.
As for bigger equipment? Most of LUV's PIT-PHL traffic was connecting anyway, so the traffic increase should be able to be absorbed with seats available now.
However, the PHL crews living in PIT are screwed, 'cause those seats were being filled with commuters...
It would be nice if Tempe used a formula of: Paying cusomers + 30 seats for commuters = aircraft size for the PIT-PHL commuters.
However, I'm planning that they do not and will not consider their workers' plight (they haven't before).
Southwest has been and continues to be the PIT-PHL commuter's best friend, carrying them back and forth and doing it with a smile.
I realize this is a win for LCC, but it is an "oh sh!t" moment for PITtsburghers.
Cheers.

 

[Pi brat]

Well, SWA is running away from PHL, it appears. Parker said SWA wasn't having much success there and that LCC was really killing them, guess he was right! Bad for commuters, yes; but GOOD for the airline and PHL revenue capabilities.

Markets that Southwest will exit on a nonstop basis are:

Birmingham-Louisville
Boise-Reno/Tahoe
Boise-Salt Lake City
Boise-Seattle/Tacoma
Jacksonville-Philadelphia
Kansas City-Seattle/Tacoma
Manchester-Las Vegas
Manchester-Philadelphia
Philadelphia-Pittsburgh
Philadelphia-Providence
Spokane-Seattle/Tacoma

*Note how they appear to also be abandoning SEA on non stop basis as well? ALK's agressive strategy to protect territory is obviously paying dividends up here as well.

Anyhow, this is clearly a victory for USAirways over the supposedly invincible LUV!! LUV first tried to crush AWA at PHX after 9/11, and AWA mgmt. (read: Parker and Kirby) smartly came up with a pricing strategy to keep LUV at bay. It was a remarkable aviation story, never fully told. LCC owns PHL, SWA can't compete against them at all. They will be running flights through BWI or stopping them completely. Watch for DAL to (attempt at least) to crush them in ATL. I think buying AirTran might have just made things worse for them.

So, in PHL, it's no surprise that LUV's fortunes immediately went south once the US/AWA merger happened. We had the better hand -- US's huge hub operation. You may remember that LUV moved into PHL shortly before this purhase, figuring they could replace US when it died.

So now we have some more great fundamental news today, and yet, the stock (and all airlines) is down?? Whatever

Thought this subject was worth more of a shout out, beyond the commuter issue.
Anyway, let's keep it up US!! h34r:

Yeah, AWA really showed them! What are they down to a couple of flights a day now out of PHX and LAS?

 

[Twicebaked]

Just went to the SWA site. Everything through MDW at least until March 9.

After that who knows.

Hello CLT!

Good luck.

Everything is FINE UNTIL Jan 9th thru Mar 9th when it starts going through MDW..
So, 5 months to go before everyone begins to panic.. lol

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

Yeah, AWA really showed them! What are they down to a couple of flights a day now out of PHX and LAS?

They withstood the onslaught better than the old U did.

Remember BWI, LAX, PIT... and maybe someday CLT?

Now that PIT has been cut off from PHL the most senior will be piling into CLT.

Hope there is enough room for everyone.

CLT senority will never be the same.

 

[Reed Richards]

If you are single, currently rent and have no children ya might want to consider moving. Easier said than done but why self torture yourself?

Yeah..move if you can. Whatever you do, don't try the PIT-CLT commute..it is absolutely terrible..almost unworkable. Better to stick it out going to PHL if you are not going to move.

RR

 

[Twicebaked]

Well, as far as reasonable fares go...charge what the market will bear.
Make some $$$.
As for bigger equipment? Most of LUV's PIT-PHL traffic was connecting anyway, so the traffic increase should be able to be absorbed with seats available now.
However, the PHL crews living in PIT are screwed, 'cause those seats were being filled with commuters...
It would be nice if Tempe used a formula of: Paying cusomers + 30 seats for commuters = aircraft size for the PIT-PHL commuters.
However, I'm planning that they do not and will not consider their workers' plight (they haven't before).
Southwest has been and continues to be the PIT-PHL commuter's best friend, carrying them back and forth and doing it with a smile.
I realize this is a win for LCC, but it is an "oh sh!t" moment for PITtsburghers.
Cheers.

Not completely true... I am a PIT commuter and use SWA ALOT!!! There is a HIGH percentage of local traffic. US could add some bigger planes and fill it with revenue passengers.

 

[westcoastflyer]

Wow, this is a loss of over 800 seats per day, in each direction. Hopefully, US will be smart and aggressive enough to regain and retain this market for good. They will need to make most or all of the flights mainline again, with the largest aircraft flying during times when BUSINESS travelers need to fly across the state. Hopefully, US will add quite a few seats back into the market, enabling commuters a fair shot at getting to and from PHL. Still, if you don't have at least a 35-year pin, it will be challenging to get a non-rev seat, or one of the jumpseats.