UAL dropping FLL and PBI

[FA Mikey]

United Airlines on Wednesday disclosed that it plans to halt flights to airports in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach where it has maintained a small but steady presence for decades.

Pressed by an unprecedented rise in fuel costs, United is cutting flight capacity. A spokeman for United said the Chicago-based carrier plans to consolidate its South Florida flying at Miami International Airport.

At Miami UAL's fall schedule was showing only 2xE70 to IAD, and 2XE70 to ORD beginning in September.

story here

 

[FA Mikey]

The only good news in this is that AUL is now saying it will continue to fly its five daily flights from Miami International Airport to Chicago, Denver and Washington Dulles.

United was once the second-largest at MIA after American Airlines, with whom it competed on flights to Latin America, stretching as far as Brazil and Argentina.

At its peak in 1993, United had 45 daily flights from Miami. It reduced and finally eliminated its Latin American flights in 2003 and 2004, resulting in the transfer or loss of more than 1,000 jobs.

 

[AIRBORN1]

The only good news in this is that AUL is now saying it will continue to fly its five daily flights from Miami International Airport to Chicago, Denver and Washington Dulles.

United was once the second-largest at MIA after American Airlines, with whom it competed on flights to Latin America, stretching as far as Brazil and Argentina.

At its peak in 1993, United had 45 daily flights from Miami. It reduced and finally eliminated its Latin American flights in 2003 and 2004, resulting in the transfer or loss of more than 1,000 jobs.

Yes--- good news.. Perhaps maybe at a later date something big is going to happen with UAL in Miami again.
Its been closed before and reopened... TAm is coming on board star alliance and United is eyeing more
Brazil with TAM as two other low cost carriers are beefing new service in Brazil.. American Airlines, seems to be making
good money in miami and United still has the rights to the new Star Alliance terminal in Miami . So things could really heat if United Merges with a particular carrier or LF buys a stake or owns United in a few years. The european carriers are going to own USA carriers if this tread keeps coming with oil . LF is out looking to buy now. BMI is one carrier... Miami could
really be south america for United again one day as they do still hold many rights to routes to central and south america.
It seems to be the place where airlines are doing well.

More on this topic later once united gets through the mess.... Remember in Nov Miami will be a320 again...
The balls keep changing every day and it looks like South america is where the money is now.. Brazil makes it's own oil now.
LOL

 

[super80fa]

It is an easy drive from PBI and FLL to MIA. I've driven it many times. Actually this might be a good thing for United. They may be able to get higher fares from customers since they will have more people competing for fewer seats. People who have a lot of miles in UA's program (can't remember the name) will make the drive to MIA.

 

[deltaflyboy]

It is an easy drive from PBI and FLL to MIA. I've driven it many times. Actually this might be a good thing for United. They may be able to get higher fares from customers since they will have more people competing for fewer seats. People who have a lot of miles in UA's program (can't remember the name) will make the drive to MIA.

Folks who normally fly out of PBI on United will not be making the drive to to MIA, hell, they dont even like to make the drive to FLL...The folks with alot of UA miles will still be flying out of PBI using the current Star member US or the newest member CO...United feels the same way or we would be seeing a major increase in the number of flights at MIA to handle all the PBI and FLL traffic...

 

[trvlr64]

It is an easy drive from PBI and FLL to MIA. I've driven it many times. Actually this might be a good thing for United. They may be able to get higher fares from customers since they will have more people competing for fewer seats. People who have a lot of miles in UA's program (can't remember the name) will make the drive to MIA.

Highly unlikely. I can fly US and AC and use my UA ff# to gain miles. I think this is a stupid move on UA's part, especially dropping FLL. But they can route people onto US and eventually CO once they start codesharing.

And Deltaflyboy is correct. If UA really wanted to increase it's MIA presence they wouldn't have pulled the bigger jets out. Why would I want to drive to MIA even from FLL to fly on a regional jet? I'll stick with US in FLL thank you.

Dumb move UA.

 

[TechBoy]

Dumb move UA.

I don't think that it's dumb to eliminate your most unprofitable routes.

 

[trvlr64]

I don't think that it's dumb to eliminate your most unprofitable routes.

Do we know that they were unprofitable? Was any information posted about this?

 

[TechBoy]

Do we know that they were unprofitable? Was any information posted about this?

I suppose that it is possible that United is dropping profitable routes and keeping unprofitable ones. But I don't think that even Tilton is that dumb.

 

[trvlr64]

I suppose that it is possible that United is dropping profitable routes and keeping unprofitable ones. But I don't think that even Tilton is that dumb.

Typical answer from someone who doesn't know the answer or won't post a link where is says UA is loosing $$$ on these routes.

My "speculation" is that UA is going to rely on US and eventually CO to route their passengers to FLL & PBI. US has a bigger presence in FLL and probably PBI than UA does, so UA might as well use the codeshares to get their passengers to those cities.

 

[TechBoy]

Typical answer from someone who doesn't know the answer or won't post a link where is says UA is loosing $$$ on these routes.

My "speculation" is that UA is going to rely on US and eventually CO to route their passengers to FLL & PBI. US has a bigger presence in FLL and probably PBI than UA does, so UA might as well use the codeshares to get their passengers to those cities.

Typical answer from someone who has not even thought the issue through.

UA does not publish individual route profitability figures, so only the bean counters in Chicago know the answer for sure. But at a time when UA is losing money overall and the company has indicated that its strongest routes are international, it seems implausible to me that flights to low yield destinations like FLL and PBI are profitable. The fact that the flights are being eliminated would back that up. The fact that they can codeshare on other carriers is not particularly relevant (unless there is a revenue sharing agreement a la LH, which is not the case here).

If you choose to believe that these routes are money makers for UA, I won't try to dissuade you further.

 

[UAL_TECH]

Typical answer from someone who doesn't know the answer or won't post a link where is says UA is loosing $$$ on these routes.

My "speculation" is that UA is going to rely on US and eventually CO to route their passengers to FLL & PBI. US has a bigger presence in FLL and probably PBI than UA does, so UA might as well use the codeshares to get their passengers to those cities.

Let loose of your anger Luke.

B) xUT

 

[UAL_TECH]

Typical answer from someone who doesn't know the answer or won't post a link where is says UA is loosing $$$ on these routes.

My "speculation" is that UA is going to rely on US and eventually CO to route their passengers to FLL & PBI. US has a bigger presence in FLL and probably PBI than UA does, so UA might as well use the codeshares to get their passengers to those cities.

So, tell us our grate won, what do your oracles tell you.
JMHO,
UA is 'dumping' these routes just to inconvenience you, oh great and self centered imbecile...

(For the MODS) If you are going to allow the inflammatory posts from 'trvlr64' without retribution, than 'all' should be given the same latitude!

Clearly he was disrespectful and being an A$$!

JMHO,
B) xUT

 

[SegmentKing]

FLL has always been a marginal, at best, market for UA. I remember when UA had only a SINGLE DAILY 727 flight to ORD, and in the winter it varied between 727/757s with 2 to 3 flights a day.

Once TED was pushed out, they started up DEN and IAD to *compete* with the LCCs - I believe it was 1993 the last time FLL had service to IAD, and NEVER had it to DEN. Spirit ran DEN/FLL along side F9 prior to UA entering the market, and it didn't even work for Spirit... yet somehow UA thought they could do it, or they were just trying to annoy Frontier.

So I can understand the DEN/FLL and IAD/FLL flights being dropped, but could be that ORD/FLL was cut due to the high costs of the airport? I mean, having a signatory gate (F6) and all that counter space is NOT cheap.

Now that TED's been aborted, I'm not surprised that UA is handing over the FLL traffic to OALs... they had to cut somewhere from the system. May as well been a marginal market with little to no loyalty.

And for the poster that claimed UA FF's will just drive to Miami, yer on crack. The mentality of So Fla is "I don't cross the bridge", let alone the county line.

 

[LD3]

Typical answer from someone who doesn't know the answer or won't post a link where is says UA is loosing $$$ on these routes.

My "speculation" is that UA is going to rely on US and eventually CO to route their passengers to FLL & PBI. US has a bigger presence in FLL and probably PBI than UA does, so UA might as well use the codeshares to get their passengers to those cities.

How is the revenue split on a codeshare flight?