Route updates for CLE

CLE-CRW went from ERJ to BE1 to gone, as of April 6, according to the latest schedule.
 
OK, we knew about AZO, ELM, ERI, and PIT. Now the rest of the Commutair Beech schedule has been posted:

CLE-Toledo and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre May 4th
CLE-Lansing Jun 1st
CLE-Flint and Saginaw Jul 6th
CLE-Ft Wayne and South Bend Aug 3rd


That's pretty much the whole schedule back.
 
Is this new CLE flying by Commutair in place of their mini-hub in ALB or in addition to it?
 
Cosmo, I asked the same question and didn't get an answer. I was able to find out that they ordered new Beeches about a year and a half ago. Can't swear to the quantity of aircraft, but I think it was 26.

So, they're not *necessarily* cutting ALB. Plus, the monthly increment in CLE makes it look like they're phasing in new aircraft rather than just reshuffling what they have.
 
Excellent news for CLE.

Since the old schedule is back, are their any more plans for new destinations? I could see Commutair moving into some of the towns in WV and PA that are dominated by US Airways. Could also try to enter into some small Canadian markets. Maybe EVV? I dont understand why CO cant serve EVV, should be a decent market for them.
 
Some time ago, Bethune said that 2003 was the year to rebuild CLE's feed and 2004 was the year to add mainline flights. CAL tends to do what Bethune says.
 
Great News for LAN FNT and MBS...

Will They be hiring anyone or will NW be doing all of their ticketing/ramp?

The reason why I ask is because I work at an airline in one of these airports, and I would really like to work for Continental.

Thank You!
 
Here in TOL they've contracted with NW to do all ground handling (talk about disappointing the CO furloughees still around), I would imagine it will be the same in other stations that both service.

Anyone have an idea if they will attempt to use this new service to hopefully grow the new markets into the 135s? The RJs have a draw that the 19-seaters simply can't match.

I just wonder how well CO can do in TOL, for instance. They are going up against a DL stronghold that has 9 daily RJ flights to CVG (3 CRJ 6 FRJ) and 3 daily RJs to ATL (2 CR7s and 1 CRJ). The other carriers all seem to have given up on matching Delta on frequency out of here...and thus have handed over 55-60% of the local market to them. If CO is going to make a dent (yes I know they are code-share partners...but must still compete)...they are going to have to look into additional frequency, flights to other hubs or cities, or RJs. Another disadvantage they will have...by the end of the year, they will be the only airline not offering covered boarding.
 
CO's competition from TOL isn't any other carrier, it's the Ohio Turnpike. From downtown Toledo you can be in the CLE parking lot in under 1:45. Call it 2:00 from Sylvania, and Perrysburg is only 1:30 or so. I predict this service will eventually fail for the same reasons that COEX did in 2001: inadequate frequency, lousy timing, general dislike of 1900's, and the highway proximity. The market needs to produce 35-40 daily PAX to be profitable. Granted, CO isn't maintaining a station here, but the ground service still has a cost.

Unless there is some other motivating factor, most folks will continue to drive to CLE as they do now. With 3 daily services the timing is bound to be lousy for half the pax connecting in the other 3 banks. Although the flight is only 30 minutes, the 1900 is still uncomfortable by modern standards, especially when flown down in the bumps at 6000 feet as will be done on this run. With the minimum 60 minutes required for check-in and security plus connection time in CLE you can drive faster in many cases.

Then again, you can make all the same arguments against the NW Airlink service to DTW, and it's up to 6 or 7 flights a day last I looked. I think CO could do well with 4 or 5 flights to improve the connections, with the aim of rebulding their presence in TOL. If successful look for ERJ service to EWR or IAH in a year or two.
 
Chicken T, I don't think CAL is looking for TOL-CLE business, they want the New York, London, Montreal, San Juan, Orlando, etc. passengers.
 
Are TOL customers really driving 2 hours to CLE, or are they driving 1 hour to DTW? All that nonstop NW service on real jets has to put CO at a real disadvantage.

I notice CO didn't bring back service to CAK as part of the CLE hub growth. Too bad. I really prefer flying out of the easy to use CAK....
 
Rob and 7.5,
I'm aware that they're selling the connections, not the TOL-CLE. My point was that many people won't deal with the BE19 and the connection time from TOL when it's faster to drive to CLE. Overall, I'd say that more prople drive to DTW than to CLE, but it happens in both cases. NW has some VERY high fares from DTW. It's a fortress hub and they know it, and it's also a royal pain in the a$$ with the enormous terminal and the "extra friendly" NW agents.

I wasn't implying that CLE is the first choice for TOL traffic, but simply that 3x daily BE19 service isn't what's needed if CO want's to be in TOL. What TOL desperately needs is nonstop service to the east coast. With US service as awful as it is to PIT anymore, I think CO could make a killing with 4 or 5 daily 135's to EWR. Service to points west is lacking as well, ORD is as far west as you can get from TOL. A lot of people are double connecting ORD-DFW or ORD-DEN to get to smaller west-coast markets that are nonstop from IAH. I'm not sure if the market would support it, but IAH is 900 miles. This is a stretch westbound in the winter for the regular 145, but within easy range for the 145XR. Forget Florida and the southeast, DL has that tied up with pretty much hourly service, and there's a rumor that we may see TOL-MCO this summer or fall.