Reducing US's Problems in the Northeast

[Old PSA]

US East has retreated into it's Fortress Northeast home. But the other airlines continue to pick away at US turf. So what can be done to reverse the tide. One of the problems (and there are many) is the saturation of Northeast airspace. US's competition continues to add flights and open new cities in the Northeast. Each flight further exacerbates a overloaded ATC system. The FAA is 30 years behind and has nothing on the horizon to catch up with. We have several manufacturers in the USA that make state of the art air traffic control equipment that is sold world wide. Except in the USA where the FAA is still inventing the wheel the government way. So, it's only going to get worse in the years to come. If you think we have ATC delays now, wait a couple of years. The only real question is when the government will step in and try to rectify the problem. But the government solution will probably be worse than the problem.

I believe US should use whatever clot in may have less to push the FAA to put BOS, EWR, PHL, JFK, BWI, MDW on a slot system immediately. The number of slots at these airports, LGA and ORD should be reduced to a level that the ATC system and the airports can easily handle allowing for weather problems. Put incentives and penalties to force the airlines to move to larger aircraft.

US could reduce it's PHL operation by 25% just by substituting 1 mainline for 2 express. A 25% reduction in PHL would give the operation a chance of actually working. Use the RJs to overfly the hubs not to them. This is just one area where a little imagination and daring could have big benefits. We certain know it's not working now and throwing money, people and managing directors at it isn't going to fix it. Think of all the opportunities US could exploit with the right leadership.

 

[nycbusdriver]

The solution you suggest in your last paragraph is untenable because of the situation you speak of in your first paragraph, over which USAirways has no control. If US were to replace 2 RJs with 1 mainline flight in PHL to reduce congestion, SWA (or somebody else) would simply backfill with additional flights to make up the difference. One of the things that is constraining USAirways' competition in PHL is the very congestion we wrangle with every day.

Unless the air transportation system in this country goes back to a regulated environment (unlikely,) the system you see is the system you get. Even if the ATC system were to take advantage of the improvements you mention and magically overnight add 20% more capacity, the airlines would the very next day fill that in with 25% more flights.

Thank Alfred Kahn for his "vision" of deregulation. You absolutely get what you pay for. Cheap tickets, lousy service, lengthy delays. They go hand-in-hand-in-hand as long as deregulation is the name of the game.

 

[ussnark]

Thank Alfred Kahn for his "vision" of deregulation. You absolutely get what you pay for. Cheap tickets, lousy service, lengthy delays. They go hand-in-hand-in-hand as long as deregulation is the name of the game.

I really hate to bring this up because it is so malleable.

Deregulation only affected government welfare for airlines.

Deregulation had nothing to do with the fact that corporations, under the guise of "deregulation", attempted, and did, break the pay structure of number of seats, etc. ALPA let the corporations operate relatively inefficient aircraft (RJs) to replace already paid for 737s and DC-9s. Why? Because the corporations could work great rebate/cash back deals with leasers of new equipment.

Many of those government sponsored subsidies are going away next year. 2008 certainly could be an interesting year.

US seems to need 100+ pax aircraft with good range, like a 737-200 with 9 cent per mile seat cost vs an RJ at 27 cents per mile seat cost. What would you like to do?

 

[Henderfuzz]

The only way you will ever see an improvement in the ATC system is to privatize it.
Than some real money can be put into it. If we keep waitng on our government to fix it we will still be waiting 20 years from now.

 

[sharktooth]

The only way you will ever see an improvement in the ATC system is to privatize it.
Than some real money can be put into it. If we keep waitng on our government to fix it we will still be waiting 20 years from now.

Government is not the problem.

Think about it.

Would you be angered would a government program cost 10% in waste, yet we give contracts to corporations including at least a 10% profit. Same amount of money to gain the same amount of services. The loss is accountability, the government can do it in-house, the private corporation has all sorts of blocks to accountability.

Actually, it is worse than that. Most private, no-bid contracts assume a 40 to 50% profit.

 

[PA18]

Use the RJs to overfly the hubs not to them.

Actually, they should have some of the larger aircraft overfly the hubs, between some of the larger northeast cities (BOS, NYC, etc.) and the more popular destinations (like Florida). Even some of the medium-sized markets (BDL, PVD, MHT, BUF, PWM) could sustain non-stops to the warm weather destinations, at least seasonally (with the exception of MCO, which is a year-round full-flight destination, as is SJU, due to the large population of Puerto Rican descent in the northeast).

They would put fewer cycles on aircraft, burn less fuel (overflying PHL at altitude rather than waiting in line to de-ice with three engines running), thereby lowering seat-mile costs, and save the cost of processing lost passengers and bags at the over-saturated hubs.

And yes, there are way too many RJ's. The airlines claim that the business flyer wants more frequency (and what they don't say is that airline management wants to outsource more jobs); but as a travel writer asked recently in McPaper, wouldn't the business traveler prefer to have three flights a day on bigger airplanes that operated on time, than six flights a day on RJ's that gum up the hubs and put the entire airline behind schedule?

 

[Itestwell]

Actually, they should have some of the larger aircraft overfly the hubs, between some of the larger northeast cities (BOS, NYC, etc.) and the more popular destinations (like Florida). Even some of the medium-sized markets (BDL, PVD, MHT, BUF, PWM) could sustain non-stops to the warm weather destinations, at least seasonally (with the exception of MCO, which is a year-round full-flight destination, as is SJU, due to the large population of Puerto Rican descent in the northeast).

They would put fewer cycles on aircraft, burn less fuel (overflying PHL at altitude rather than waiting in line to de-ice with three engines running), thereby lowering seat-mile costs, and save the cost of processing lost passengers and bags at the over-saturated hubs.

And yes, there are way too many RJ's. The airlines claim that the business flyer wants more frequency (and what they don't say is that airline management wants to outsource more jobs); but as a travel writer asked recently in McPaper, wouldn't the business traveler prefer to have three flights a day on bigger airplanes that operated on time, than six flights a day on RJ's that gum up the hubs and put the entire airline behind schedule?

Overflying the hubs to low yielding destinations would be instant money losers. Sounds great, but I am sure there is a pretty good reason why BOS/LGA-Florida nonstops are gone, and I am pretty sure it is not to anger the masses. You think that mgmt enjoys having to send everyone thru the hell that is PHL in the summer? Sure, people will bring up the "at what cost" to send these pax thru PHL, but I am afraid its not gonna change until they decide to re HUB PIT. ( )

Agree there are too many RJ's, and mgmt has stated that they agree... many times... Contracts with carriers prohibit them from reducing the RJ number by any great magnitude. Between a rock and a hard place. Sux. :blink:

 

[mbmbbost]

Overflying the hubs to low yielding destinations would be instant money losers. Sounds great, but I am sure there is a pretty good reason why BOS/LGA-Florida nonstops are gone, and I am pretty sure it is not to anger the masses.... :blink:

I search for BOS/FLL fares a lot. The airlines with nonstops are getting a significant premium much of the time. I used to make the trip every other week on US, but I'm happy to hand over some extra money to jet Blue nowadays for a much better travel experience. My last several flights on US were bad experiences at least 50% of the time.

 

[Travelpro72]

Usairways pulling out of some of our northeast to leisure destinations is simply our way of hiding. How about competing and running your competition out. We have the lowest wages in the biz and are touting ourselves as being a "LCC". Well it's all total BS. You hear out there that nobody wants to compete against Northwest or American will run the competition right out of there. Oh yeah and Delta will throw 10 flights a day on a city pair to compete. Why is Usairways ALWAYS not sometimes but ALWAYS the follower? We hide. Even out west America West "held their own" but never really competes DIRECTLY with southwest. They will have some flights but not run them out. Never could and NEVER will. We have no clue how to compete. NEVER have and again NEVER will it seems. Run everyone through Philthy. Who cares if it works or not just stick with what you know.

 

[Itestwell]

Usairways pulling out of some of our northeast to leisure destinations is simply our way of hiding. How about competing and running your competition out. We have the lowest wages in the biz and are touting ourselves as being a "LCC". Well it's all total BS. You hear out there that nobody wants to compete against Northwest or American will run the competition right out of there. Oh yeah and Delta will throw 10 flights a day on a city pair to compete. Why is Usairways ALWAYS not sometimes but ALWAYS the follower? We hide. Even out west America West "held their own" but never really competes DIRECTLY with southwest. They will have some flights but not run them out. Never could and NEVER will. We have no clue how to compete. NEVER have and again NEVER will it seems. Run everyone through Philthy. Who cares if it works or not just stick with what you know.

Hiding from what? Chasing low yielding leisure traffic is in our best interest? Planes can be better allocated elsewhere instead of matching jetblues $89 bos-tpa fares. What is confusing you? BOS/LGA- florida, ( as well as the PIT hub), are not coming back. I realize/agree 100% that AWA mgmt has driven our product and operation into the ground in the last 2 years, but do you honestly think they would not operate profitable, revenue generating flights if they made sense?

You should take your own advice...(stick with what you know....) :blink:

 

[BoeingBoy]

Planes can be better allocated elsewhere instead of matching jetblues $89 bos-tpa fares.

Funny - B6 got an average of $146 for BOS-TPA in the 1st quarter......

Maybe you should take your own advice.

(stick with what you know....) :blink:

 

[Chipmunk]

We don't have Real Leadership -

so this place will continue to circle the bowl lower and lower until the plug is finally pulled and it goes down the drain of airline history forever

 

[Travelpro72]

Hiding from what? Chasing low yielding leisure traffic is in our best interest? Planes can be better allocated elsewhere instead of matching jetblues $89 bos-tpa fares. What is confusing you? BOS/LGA- florida, ( as well as the PIT hub), are not coming back. I realize/agree 100% that AWA mgmt has driven our product and operation into the ground in the last 2 years, but do you honestly think they would not operate profitable, revenue generating flights if they made sense?

You should take your own advice...(stick with what you know....) :blink:

I don't think you are one bit smarter. Your a moron. BLOCK me please so you don't have to talk to me. For Gods sake your weird.

 

[PA18]

I search for BOS/FLL fares a lot. The airlines with nonstops are getting a significant premium much of the time. I used to make the trip every other week on US, but I'm happy to hand over some extra money to jet Blue nowadays for a much better travel experience. My last several flights on US were bad experiences at least 50% of the time.

And I would be willing to bet that those flights are nearly full every day -- especially in the winter.

The only way US can sucker people into flying through PHL to and from Florida is by offering a cheaper fare than the non-stops. So not only are their seat-mile costs higher to get the Griswolds to Walley World (two airplanes, two crews, three ground stations, tons of fuel burned in and out of PHL -- and that's if the Griswolds and their bags actually make it to MCO), the company is also getting a lower yield than the non-stops.

You would think that people who have flown through PHL once would have learned (the "Fool me once..." theory). Ah, but the lure of that cheap internet fare is a powerful thing...

 

[Travels2mch]

You would think that people who have flown through PHL once would have learned (the "Fool me once..." theory). Ah, but the lure of that cheap internet fare is a powerful thing...

Interestingly enough, last night I'm on the phone w/my cousin in PBI as she's searching online to come home to PIT for Christmas. I guess she could be considered a Ma Kettle since she only does 3-4 trips a year. We ruled out FF already so onto paid. Checked Travelocity, Orbitz, etc., she'd be willing to pay more to US for nonstop, but there are none so all is fair game. Cheapest flight was through PHL...she said no way, never again through PHL, been there done that (brought tears to my eyes....she's learning). Next cheapest is DL....sold!!