Pittsburgh airport officials, airlines hold talks

[chipmunn]

[P][A href=http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/s_94437.html][FONT face=Times New Roman size=3]http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/s_94437.html[/FONT][/A][/P]
[P][FONT face=Times New Roman size=3]Pittsburgh Tribune Review said some airlines have expressed interest, but none are willing to launch a battle in Pittsburgh with US Airways. [/FONT][/P]
[P][FONT face=Times New Roman size=3]We have tried to talk with the other airlines, extending offers to them, talking about coming here, George said. The problem is, these airlines say US Airways still is in existence and appears to be turning into a stronger carrier. George confirmed the authority has spoken with Southwest Airlines, the most successful discount carrier in the nation and among the most profitable. Southwest is keeping an eye on Pittsburgh International and US Airways'' presence, but it has no plans to move in. [/FONT][/P]
[P][FONT face=Times New Roman size=3]Chip[/FONT][/P]

 

[AP Tech]

Great thinking on Allegheny County's part. Then I will have a good excuse to pull up stakes and move. I feel sorry for the car dealer where I buy my vehicles, the grocery store and numerous other business's in the county where I spend the majority of my salary. What we need is more low cost carriers where the average employee is part time and makes a little over minimum wage, they really have a way of boosting the local economy. Keep thinking like this and Allegheny County will thrive!!!

 

[usfliboi]

Amazing that you feel that way !! The very reason pit is even on the map ( in a airport kinda way ) is usairways....Hope you enjoy your trip on america west...and their ff benefits

 

[ITRADE]

[P]Kinda humorous that you compare PIT to PHL. [/P]
[P]What are the populations of the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas, respectively?[/P]

 

[trvlr64]

[blockquote]
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On 10/3/2002 2:41:09 PM usfliboi wrote:

Amazing that you feel that way !! The very reason pit is even on the map ( in a airport kinda way ) is usairways....Hope you enjoy your trip on america west...and their ff benefits
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[/blockquote]

CORRECT !! The airport was built to keep U in PIT. But it hindered the ability to attract other dominate carriers because our former, now dead, county commissioner was only concerned about keeping U happy. We even went as far as naming the landside terminal after this bozo.

And I'm just testing out the competition to see how they compare. No harm in that, or I would not be a member in the United or American frequent flyer programs either.

 

[trvlr64]

[blockquote]
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On 10/3/2002 1:35:12 PM A&P Tech wrote:

Great thinking on Allegheny County's part. Then I will have a good excuse to pull up stakes and move. I feel sorry for the car dealer where I buy my vehicles, the grocery store and numerous other business's in the county where I spend the majority of my salary. What we need is more low cost carriers where the average employee is part time and makes a little over minimum wage, they really have a way of boosting the local economy. Keep thinking like this and Allegheny County will thrive!!!
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[/blockquote]

OH PLEASE !! This city and county died a long time ago. IT NEEDS more airline service. The monopoly that USAirways has here is horrible. PHL thrives with it's other airlines servicing that airport, now PIT needs that chance too. I am happy about the entrance of America West. Vanguard and Airtran didn't have enough destinations that validated me flying them for business let alone vacation.

If more airlines served PIT better then the city and county would see an increase in revenue.

With the MDA startup I guess PIT will be the RJ hub for USAirways. OOOHH how exciting!

Personally, this US1, who's already flown 106 segments this year, is going to fly America West for my weekly trips to DFW and PHX next month just to see how good this competitor will be.

Here's the story why PIT and the area are not thriving...

http://www.pittsburghlive.com:8000/x/tribu...ws/s_94041.html

So bring in some new blood, and hope that the other airlines can help make PIT a better airport. U surely hasn't helped. (did you read the line that the airport was built just to keep U in PIT?)

 

[jj]

I remember at one time TWA had a pretty good size hub in there in the late 70 s early 80s.Can two airlines support themselves hub wise in PIT?

 

[DCAflyer]

JJ said:

I remember at one time TWA had a pretty good size hub in there in the late 70 s early 80s.Can two airlines support themselves hub wise in PIT?


DCAflyer replies:

I am at a loss as to why anyone would think another airline would make PIT a hub.

 

[ITRADE]

[blockquote]
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On 10/3/2002 4:18:50 PM trvlr64 wrote:


The population of PHL is 3.7 million and the population of PIT is 2 million (this includes the 5 surrounding counties that make up the city area for both cities).


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[/blockquote]

Don't know what your source is, but the metro PHL area has at least 6 million people. PIT has about 2.3 million. We're talking double here.

 

[ClueByFour]

[blockquote]
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On 10/3/2002 4:08:16 PM DCAflyer wrote:


I am at a loss as to why anyone would think another airline would make PIT a hub.
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[/blockquote]

Nobody would.

However, you would see vastly increased service from everybody else (CO, NW, DL, AA, UA, HP) and maybe an appearance buy LUV. I'd gladly settle for access like this with a reasonable fare structure (especially in light of the fact that US is going to drop to 150 mainline flights/day--is that really a hub?).

PIT has an extremely captive fare structure. US knows this, and jacks up the prices. Like it was not enough to blow 10 billion dollars on a new terminal and try to blow another quarter billion on a hanger. In return, we get........

Captive Hub Fares.

I like flying on US. I don't like the price I pay to fly on US.

 

[KCFlyer]

[P]
[BLOCKQUOTE][BR]----------------[BR]On 10/3/2002 1:35:12 PM A&P Tech wrote:
[P]Great thinking on Allegheny County's part.  Then I will have a good excuse to pull up stakes and move.  I feel sorry for the car dealer where I buy my vehicles, the grocery store and numerous other business's in the county where I spend the majority of my salary.  What we need is more low cost carriers where the average employee is part time and makes a little over minimum wage, they really have a way of boosting the local economy.  Keep thinking like this and Allegheny County will thrive!!![/P]----------------[/BLOCKQUOTE]
[P]How are car dealers in Dallas, Houston, Baltimore and Phoenix doing these days? Are the grocery stores there hurting?[/P]

 

[trvlr64]

[blockquote]
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On 10/3/2002 4:25:11 PM ITRADE wrote:

[blockquote]

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On 10/3/2002 4:18:50 PM trvlr64 wrote:



The population of PHL is 3.7 million and the population of PIT is 2 million (this includes the 5 surrounding counties that make up the city area for both cities).



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[/blockquote]


Don't know what your source is, but the metro PHL area has at least 6 million people. PIT has about 2.3 million. We're talking double here.
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[/blockquote]


I just got the information off the PA.GOV website for the 5 counties that surround the PIT and PHL airports.

 

[trvlr64]

[blockquote]
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On 10/3/2002 2:55:01 PM ITRADE wrote:

Kinda humorous that you compare PIT to PHL. [/P]

What are the populations of the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas, respectively?[/P]
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[/blockquote]


I'm not comparing PIT to PHL. What I am saying is that the PHL airport has more airlines servicing it than the PIT airport does. There are more departures of US,AA,DL,CO and NW out of PHL than there are out of PIT. If there was atleast a secondary carrier that serviced PIT better, we might have more options for our travel needs. The key here is MORE options with MORE service, we don't necessarily need another airline to use PIT as a hub, just increased service.

The population of the PHL area is 3.7 million and the PIT area is 2 million (this includes the 5 surrounding counties in each cities area).

And yes during the 70/80's TWA was the dominate carrier at the old Greater Pittsburgh Airport.

Don't get me wrong, I've spent a lot of $$$ and time on USAirways over the years. I fly U weekly/daily. But there is a captured mentality here. Whenever another carrier tries to enter the PIT market, they don't last long. WHY?

U doesn't want to give any portion of PIT away to competition. Finally our new county commissioners are realizing this. Remember when the Philadelphia commissioners blasted U last year for being the dominate carrier at PHL? It's that same thing happening here finally. That's all.

 

[usfliboi]

Pit cant compare to philly as far as local passengers boarded and thats the bottom line!!! Phl has a much much hight lpb factor than pit ever dreamed of .... this is why u dont and wont see another airline coming in to make a major hub...

 

[trvlr64]

YOO HOO....I never said MAJOR HUB, I want INCREASED service from the existing airlines. No one ever spoke of adding another dominate carrier.