Slot Transaction, E-190 Sale, Crew Base Closures, & Realignment Designed to Shop the Company for Sal

[RowUnderDCA]

Gate swaps at DCA a preview of slot swaps?

http://www.mwaa.com/_/file/_/pr2009_12_10.pdf

Looks like AirCanada and Frontier are moving to A, and DL/NW are squeezing into 8 gates in B (maybe they'll use a CO gate occasionally).

But that takes some traffic out of the middle peir in B.

But it also moves AC all the way to A and doesn't move CO closer to UA.

Has DL already reduced DCA flying?

 

[USA320Pilot]

The Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority has authorized DCA gate changes with Frontier and Air Canada moving from Terminal B to Terminal A (Banjo Concourse). This will free up gates for US Airways' DCA expansion in Terminal B, once the Slot Transaction is approved by the federal government.

See diagrams:

Click here.

Click here.

It is my understanding the Slot Transaction cannot be completed until 91 days after federal government approval, therefore, the deal cannot be consummated sooner than March 20, 2010 and counting, which is almost 50 days past the previously announced Phase 1 date of February 1, 2010.

In addition, the February Pilot/FA lines of time/schedules have moved almost all Shuttle flying from LGA & BOS to PHL & DCA. There will be virtually no Shuttle Crews based in BOS in February and of course the LGA crew base will be closed. PHL E-190 crews will fly LGA-BOS flights in February and DCA A320 crews will fly virtually all BOS-DCA and LGA-DCA Shuttle flights.

It appears an era has ended with no Shuttle flying based in LGA and BOS and DCA flying all A320 Shuttle flying in February and probably beyond with the BOS crew base closing on May 2, 2010.

Regards,

USA320Pilot

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

If PHX is no longer profitable.

How long until it is just another dot on the route map?

Like....ummm PIT?

 

[ClueByFour]

If PIT made money it would still be a hub and I dont see any airline running to PIT and adding flights, get over it all ready PIT is dead and wont be Mecca anytime soon.

I am going to really luv it when the chuckleheads running CLT have to let Southwest in. Because at that point, you will be able to clock the future of the US hub with an egg timer.

The media in Pittsburgh is roughly as smart as Jerry Orr. In other words, collective morons. Albeit for different reasons.

 

[Dog Wonder]

Like....ummm PIT?

Exactly.

You got one. Good job.

 

[nycbusdriver]

I am going to really luv it when the chuckleheads running CLT have to let Southwest in. Because at that point, you will be able to clock the future of the US hub with an egg timer.

You mean like they ran USAirways out of PHL a few years back when Siegel said they were coming to kill us? Those particular eggs are a bit overcooked by now, don't you think?

 

[700UW]

I am going to really luv it when the chuckleheads running CLT have to let Southwest in.

Southwest can come to CLT anytime, who's the knucklehead now?
They are all ready in RDU, hasnt hurt US yet.

 

[Travelpro72]

US would survive in CLT when WN comes into town but would hurt a lot. I think the effect of WN coming into CLT will most certainly be more painful to US than WN in PHL. US holds it's own in PHL due to the size of Philadelphia and the surrounding area. I'm not so sure CLT can say the same. US CANNOT compete with WN in a throw down in the southeast as there are no powerhouse cities if you will like the northeast. The ONLY reason you witnessed a pulldown of WN in PHL on some routes was business plain and simple. WN redeployed their a/c on routes they though to be more lucritive. Ya see WN has a management team that is slick, SMART and three steps ahead. I don't think we can say the same for US. Always late to the party and dropping the ball is a better description of US. Let's just say the locals of CLT and it's surrounding area would give US the finger and wrap their arms around WN. Don't think so? Yeah ok.

 

[700UW]

You all seem to forget, CLT is a transfer hub, its O&D is low if I remember correctly, Jim aka Boeing Boy do you have the numbers showing transfers vs O&D traffic in CLT?

 

[Travelpro72]

CLT O&D isn't just a little lower than PHL but a lot. That said, even though CLT may be classified as a "transfer hub" for US any entrance of WN in the CLT market will have more of an effect than WN did in PHL. Not as many people to go around. While CLT may not have a huge O&D market it surely would put a dent in US flights to cities in Florida, BWI and other known WN startup cities. I guess at the end of the day all we can do is wait and see. Hell I'm sure thats what US management is doing.

 

[BoeingBoy]

They are all ready in RDU, hasnt hurt US yet.

Yeah, those bankruptcies didn't hurt US a bit. The employees - that's a different story...

CLT may be mostly connecting passengers, but it's the highest yield hub that US has. Anything that brings those yields down pinches US where it hurts - in the pocketbook.

Jim

 

[autofixer]

Anything that brings those yields down pinches US where it hurts - in the pocketbook.

Jim
[/quote]
Which means it is going to happen.

 

[BoeingBoy]

Which means it is going to happen.

As much as some deny it, I think gate space is the issue for WN. There's not a gate in CLT that isn't used at least a few times a day. That wouldn't fit in with WN's normal operation. Once the international terminal opens it will free up gates on D-con - that will be the test of how much WN is interested in serving CLT.

Jim

 

[zethya]

You all seem to forget, CLT is a transfer hub, its O&D is low if I remember correctly, Jim aka Boeing Boy do you have the numbers showing transfers vs O&D traffic in CLT?
-- and others

A major reason CLT has high yields is their fees (Landing/Parking) are significantly lower than any other major airport - in many cases, 5x lower. It will be interesting to see how that changes in the future as a result of the economy (i.e., existing local subsidies) and major new construction. Here are the O&D figures for 3 US cities:

PHL O&D: 18M
CLT O&D: 8.3M
PIT O&D: 7.5M

Approximately 72% of CLT's Domestic traffic is Connecting. Someone recently made the statement (Kirby or Parker) that the company expected CLT-GIG to be in excess of 95+% connecting - which seems reasonably accurate considering there is only 1 DOT reported passenger daily each way between CLT and GIG. Anyone know how many outbound passengers originated in PHL on these first flights?

PHL has an airport cachment of 7+M, which is one reason why long haul international flights, such as TLV - should do well from there for the long term, particularly if US pricing is more competitively appealing than EWR or JFK based airlines.

 

[BoeingBoy]

A major reason CLT has high yields is their fees (Landing/Parking) are significantly lower than any other major airport - in many cases, 5x lower.

No, the yields are due to high O&D fares. Yield is just fare paid divided by miles flown. Fare levels are due primarily to how much low cost competitiion there is, and only very remotely related to costs of operation at an airport. If yield was related to the cost of operating at the airport, PHL would have an average yield higher than CLT - the fees at PHL are 4X CLT's - but PHL has lower yields than CLT.

Jim