Pit-lgw Traffic Vanished

[Rob]

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/80/airport_data_...onal_Routes.pdf

According to the CAA numbers, CLT-LGW and PHL-LGW June numbers were pretty much unchanged from last year. US was obviously unsuccessful at routing PIT international traffic through PHL. PIT's 10,000 pax must have been splintered into 20 other hubs; I can't find any obvious single beneficiary.

Any hints from PIT people on where the pax went?

 

[hharotz]

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/80/airport_data_...onal_Routes.pdf

According to the CAA numbers, CLT-LGW and PHL-LGW June numbers were pretty much unchanged from last year.  US was obviously unsuccessful at routing PIT international traffic through PHL.  PIT's 10,000 pax must have been splintered into 20 other hubs; I can't find any obvious single beneficiary.

Any hints from PIT people on where the pax went?

[post="286793"][/post]​

They went to other carriers....why subject one's self to PHL if you don't have to? Even if they do want to stay on US, CLT is pretty out of the way for a connection to LGW from PIT.

Besides, the existing flights to LGW from PHL/CLT have always been full anyways that's why the numbers are pretty much unchanged...it's not like they were running at 60% capacity and the reduction of PIT service meant the flights were going to fill up. These flights are 90-100% LF most days, and were also that full before the elimination of PIT-LGW.

IMO, if PIT travellers have to make a connection to get to London many are going to prefer to fly a carrier who offers service to LHR. Other than that it's all about price baby...they are now flying PIT-DTW/EWR/CLE/CVG/YYZ/IAD/ORD-LHR/LGW on whoever is cheapeast...ain't no reason to be loyal to US's subpar TransAt product when there are plenty of connecting options out there.

 

[coolflyingfool]

If the loads are in the 90% range, why doesn't US add a flight. The a/c from the PIT run could do it, or was that used to add the new international service? Just my thoughts..................

 

[hharotz]

If the loads are in the 90% range, why doesn't US add a flight.  The a/c from the PIT run could do it, or was that used to add the new international service?  Just my thoughts..................

[post="286798"][/post]​

Lack of aircraft primarily. 767s are now redeployed to VCE/BCN/2nd PHL-FRA.

Adding Intl service would make sense and would probably make the company money. That alone guarantees it will never happen.

If we stand a chance in hell of making money, it will be with our routes to Europe and the Carribean. Instead we keep throwing 757s booked to 12 on PHL-MHT/PVD to compete with WN on $29 fares.

 

[BoeingBoy]

While not addressing the international traffic directly, the traffic increases that other airlines are seeing at PIT are impressive:

For June 05 compared to June 04
United up 65.5%
Northwest up 29%
Continental up 25%

Article

Jim

 

[hharotz]

Overall, passenger traffic fell 20.8 percent in June compared to the same month last year, the Allegheny County Airport Authority said.

...

A total of 1,025,191 people traveled through the airport in June 2005, which means US Airways accounted for 59.2 percent of the passengers and all other airlines totaled 40.7 percent.

:blink:

Are the figures reported in the article for PIT originating enplanements or do they include connecting pax as well?

If the numbers don't include connecting pax then it looks to me as if US is just reducing its market share in a market which is unable to support a full-service hub. People from the surrounding areas of PIT who are forced to make a connection will flock to airports like CAK/CLE/etc.. and connect in the major hubs since they cant fly nonstop from PIT anyways...

 

[BoeingBoy]

I assume it's total enplanements & deplanements - that's based on WN's traffic numbers being too high (about 2200 per day) for their 10-11 departures/day to handle, so it must be departing and arriving traffic. Of course, most of the other airline's traffic is probably O&D since they don't hub in PIT (though they could be getting some connections from our feed).

I would assume that UAL (thru IAD), NWA (thru DTW), & CAL (thru CLE/EWR) are picking up most of the European traffic. DAL's increase wasn't given, so they could be picking up some thru CVG/ATL.

Jim

 

[PHL]

How did the CO nonstop CLE-LGW compare before/after PIT-LGW was nixed? It's not hard for people in the PIT region to make the drive over to CLE rather than hop on a connection to it, or EWR, or any other airline hub.

 

[ClueByFour]

If we stand a chance in hell of making money, it will be with our routes to Europe and the Carribean. Instead we keep throwing 757s booked to 12 on PHL-MHT/PVD to compete with WN on $29 fares.

[post="286800"][/post]​

I've maintained for some time that US would have been well served to get some ETOPS 757s going for the destinations in Europe that are reachable from PHL. I called for BOS-LON well before AA went there, and PHL-DUB/SNN and PHL-GLA could probably take a 752 in the off-season.

CO has used this tactic with a great degree of success.

 

[eolesen]

I called for BOS-LON well before AA went there

[post="286891"][/post]​

My October 1991 timetable shows AA108 BOS-LHR... did you call for BOS-LON back in 1990?

 

[Light Years]

US served BOS-FRA in the 90's, I can't remember if they served London or not.

 

[NAPAUS]

You know enough of PIT>>>its dead in the water - start concentrating on the future of US..not the past!! GEZZZZ let it rest in peace!

If the loads are in the 90% range, why doesn't US add a flight. The a/c from the PIT run could do it, or was that used to add the new international service? Just my thoughts..................

[post="286798"][/post]​

 

[USA320Pilot]

In between bankruptcy 1 and 2 US Airways evaluated flying long-thin transatlantic B757 flights and concluded it would be more economical to use B767-200s if they could be obtained from the used aircraft market "on the cheap", according to Dave Siegel.

Regards,

USA320Pilot

 

[EyeInTheSky]

If Doug Parker has a brain (and I've heard he has ) then he should put some more int'l traffic back in PIT & CLT. It's quite clear to all of us that PHL is not up to the challenge and our customers hate the place thus avoiding like the plague and going on other carriers.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

You know enough of PIT>>>its dead in the water - start concentrating on the future of US..not the past!! GEZZZZ let it rest in peace!

[post="287030"][/post]​

Gee, the other day we taxi and sat on the PHL runway 45 minutes IN GOOD WEATHER-- love that fuel burn baby. So, PIT is a high-cost airport, aye? Taxi time in PIT is about 5-8 minutes. I'd love to run the numbers now with fuel at all time highs, bet it cost much more in PHL these days. Living in the past, no, just getting real.