Point To Point Wish List

[TransatlanticFlyGuy]

Will the announcement that US is going to begin implementing much more point to point service from DCA/LGA/BOS and maybe some more cities here is my list of what i would like to see:

BOS-LAS/PHX/LAX/SFO/ORD/FLL/MCO/MIA/TPA/RSW/PBI/MSY/BNA/CMH/FRA/DUB/YYZ/YUL

LGA-LAS/LAX/SFO/SEA/PHX/FLL/MIA/MCO/PBI/RSW/SRQ/BNA

DCA-LAS/LAX/SFO/SJU

IAD-AUA/BGI/CUN/MBJ/SXM

BDL-SJU/LAS/LAX/SFO/FLL/PBI/TPA

ISP-TPA/FLL/MCO/PBI

MCO-MAN/LGW/FRA/ORF/IND/GSO/MHT

 

[Light Years]

Looks good to me... of course, sadly the LGA and DCA service to the west coast is out of the question due to the perimiter rule. Those would be fantastic high O&D routes to complement the current operations- why cant they make some exemptions for US?

Definitely BOS, LGA, DCA to ORD and the BOS stuff. I'm intrigued by the long haul out of BDL, that might be a great opportunity. Good list!

 

[700UW]

Don't count on any european expansion we don't have the widebodies to spare, we are barely making the flights we have now.

 

[tadjr]

I also think more stuff to SJU, not just from focus/hub cities would be a good move, even if its split like TPA-SJU 3X week/ MCO-SJU 4X week, BDL-SJU 4X week, PVD-SJU 3X week. Something along those lines.

 

[ITRADE]

The BOS list makes sense for the most part. I would drop ORD as that route is ruled by both AA and UA. The US code on UA flights covers that.

But, obviously, you need planes for all these flights. Many of them are transcons which will require one whole plane for 3 or 4 segments.

Heres a question: what is the current BOS gate situation. How many do they have and how is the utilization. From the last time I was there, they seemed to be spreading out the Express flights across a number of gates.

I wouldn't imagine more than 2x or 3x flights a day to any of these cities.

Obviously Europe would be 1x.

 

[usramperTPA]

I also think more stuff to SJU, not just from focus/hub cities would be a good move, even if its split like TPA-SJU 3X week/ MCO-SJU 4X week, BDL-SJU 4X week, PVD-SJU 3X week. Something along those lines.

Hey Tad,

didn't AA just recently cut back their SJU non-stops from TPA? I think it would be a great new non-stop for us in TPA. Not to mention the mail and freight we would move. When are the people in CCY gonna realize that we have one of the biggest Latino populations in the Southeastern U.S.?

 

[funguy2]

That is some wish list.

I would be excited to see some rational moves... Like LGA-BUF moved from 9x on DH8/ERJ to 4x on 319/ERJ-170 and then those slots opened up for some other new service (or previously served service) like LGA-MCO.

 

[ITRADE]

That is some wish list.

I would be excited to see some rational moves... Like LGA-BUF moved from 9x on DH8/ERJ to 4x on 319/ERJ-170 and then those slots opened up for some other new service (or previously served service) like LGA-MCO.

Interesting toughts....There seems to be a lot of cities that have x6 or x8 or x9 flights a day - SYR, BUF, ROC, ORF, and the like.

I get the feeling that this is owing to the business types who want to go when they want to go and money is not an issue.

 

[BoeingBoy]

ITRADE,

I hope money is not the issue. Those express flights (especially the RJ flights) probably cost 15-17 cents per seat mile to operate.

Jim

 

[funguy2]

Interesting toughts....There seems to be a lot of cities that have x6 or x8 or x9 flights a day - SYR, BUF, ROC, ORF, and the like.

I get the feeling that this is owing to the business types who want to go when they want to go and money is not an issue.

Yeah, you are probably right about rationale... But the reality is that jetBlue is proving that is not necessarily true. jetBlue draws some business traffic. I know that a few of the BUF based banks send their employees to Manahattan on jB via JFK fairly regularly. I think "business" traffic is more price sensitive than ever before, although not as price sensitive as the leisure passenger.

 

[DorkDriver]

Anyone know why we don't do LGA-MCI? Back in the 90's there were at least 3 daily rt's. How about CLT or PHL to SGF? Branson, MO is big destination for the older crowd.

 

[Ch. 12]

I think their rationale is that it's better to fly 37 seats half empty 6x a day rather than 120 seats half empty 3x a day. Why spoil 180 seats when you can get away with spoiling 111 or less? Though JB has done it, U's prices and restrictions aren't set in a manner that they cannot control peoples' choice schedules like JB can. The business traveller is not going to be routed to only a few flights a day.

I do think, though, that U is chewing up way too many slots with unprofitable regional routes. Rather than flying to podunk towns just b/c they would be the exclusive carrier, they should fly where the demand is. This is the thinking that U is unable to do and they will continue to be a glorified regional.

Funguy-

Your recommendation to fly LGA-MCO is what I have commented on in the past. Don't go back to markets like these b/c they worked 15 years ago. WN, JB, FL, NK, etc have long since taken away the chances for any HCC such as U to fly profitably up and down the east coast. It is a thing of the past and U needs to employ some forward thinking.

 

[usairways85]

Don't forget about perimeter rules in DCA and LGA. If US wasn't awarded the DCA-SJU slot just recently i doubt they will be able to add it anytime soon.

 

[funguy2]

Ch. 12. I understand your point about LGA-MCO... However, my point is that as long as there are hundreds of people per day traveling LGA-MCO, and less than 100 per day traveling LGA-ILM, for example (I am making up the numbers just to ball-park the order of magnitude), then the greatest potential for profit, assuming all else equal, is with MCO. Now, I know that all else is not equal. But I do assume the reduced RASM US Airways would be able to generate to MCO would be offset by the reduced CASM of operating a mainline sized aircraft.

I disagree with your notion of reducing frequency reduces demand. I think in some cases, that is true, but it is not universal. Midwest beat US Airways out of MCI-LGA/DCA with only a 2x or 3x pattern. Since then, TW/AA added LGA-MCI, and US Airways returned to DCA-MCI with CRJ's. LGA-BUF does not need an almost hourly DH8 shuttle... I think there is some room to reduce frequency... You could not reduce it to 2 daily A321's, but I would guess you could reduce it to 4-5 trips on mainline and ERJ-170's.

Example: US Airways June schedule BUF to LGA:
6:10am Dash-8
7:00am ERJ
8:40am Dash-8
10:45am Dash-8
12:15pm Dash-8
1:45pm Dash-8
3:50pm Dash-8
5:20pm ERJ
7:20pm Dash-8
8:00pm Dash-8

I think you could run the following:

7am 319
12noon ERJ-170
4pm 319
7pm ERJ-170

Will you lose a few pax who absolutely must leave at 9am? Maybe. But I also think many will switch to the 7am or 12noon trip. Will the 6am pax voluntarily switch to the 7am trip at the same price? Probably. Will US Airways be better of making better use of those 9 slots? I think so... Especially with a rational fare structure. And by the way, the seat difference is 359 today compared to 380 in my proposed schedule... a few more seats, all at lower CASM (this allowing fares to be lower).

I think it could work, but it means changing the way US Airways does business... But I bet there are lots of markets from DCA and LGA where this example could be accomplished, and when added all up, would be a net positive for the company.

I think that running 9 Dash-8/ERJ's against JBlue's 7 320's is a recipe for disaster... If US Airways flies a DH8, the CASM is probably around 16-18 cents... A US Airways 319 CASM is around 11.5cents... jetBlue's CASM is around 6.5cents... 4 319/ERJ-170 flights allows you to maintain the LGA-BUF market and presumably use the other slots to find something more lucrative, whatever that might be.

 

[B7E7]

1. I would take 20 RJ and base them within the State of Flordia.Let the main line jets pick up the passengers from one or two points and fly out to the hubs.Capture the market in Flordia with the RJ.

2. Move about 15 or so RJ into Texas and fly on top of Southwest. Go on the Attack. It"s not funny any anymore when USairways is after your throat and your heart. Give southwest a taste of thier own Blood. As southwest treats thier open injuries maybe they will know that the Employes of USAIRWAYS have felt the burning of thier own blood and are ready for a fight.Every passenger that USAirways takes from them at thier hub is a passenger that is not on southwest in another city. "FLY THE RJ FROM LOVE FIELD" From love field not DFW . We are trying to get the people off of southwest. From Love Field west to Phx.Las.Lax.Sfo.North to Ind.Ord. East to .Bos.Ric.Mco.Tpa in a RJ.(Remember the captured market in Flordia? Fly them on a Rj to love field and connect to the west coast)) This way the passenger is never on the plane for a long time.

3.USAirways must connect the central and mid west of the United States to the West Coast. Chicago and Dallas must connect to the west coast. Even non-rev"s don"t fly from the midwest/central to the east coast to fly to the west coast.. so why should a buisness flyer do that?

4.USAirways has many code shares flights with Mesa on the East Coast. Mesa is now flying with United Airlines.out of Denver and United is a code share partner with USAirways. USAirways should code share with MESA on America West Flight out of Phx.and Las, split the revenue and cost based on the passengers that book on USAirways This way when the mainline and RJ bring passsengers out of the Northeast and Flordia and Texas, they can go on to Las Vegas,or to California.Mesa flys from Phx/Las to Pdx. Boi and Sea. The fare into Boi is very high.USAirways needs to enter into a code share agreement with Alaska partner Horizon Airlines. Horizon covers the entire Pacifiic Northwest and if USAirways can have Horizon in the north and Mesa in the south , both sending passengers to
USAirways in Sea,Pdx SFO.LAX to Texas and onto the Northeast and to Flordia

5.What ever the route is that USAirways ends up flying they need to tell the marketing dept this is where we are going to go. Now you market and price these cities or your Fired.