US Airways Group, Inc. Reports January Traffic

700UW

Corn Field
Nov 11, 2003
37,637
19,488
NC
Press Release Source: US Airways Group, Inc.

US Airways Group, Inc. Reports January Traffic
Monday February 6, 8:00 am ET

TEMPE, Ariz., Feb. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- US Airways Group, Inc. (NYSE: LCC - News) today reported traffic statistics for the month of January 2006. For America West operated flights, revenue passenger miles (RPMs) for the month were a record 1.9 billion, up 2.5 percent from January 2005. Capacity was 2.5 billion available seat miles (ASMs), up 0.5 percent from January 2005. The passenger load factor for January was a record 75.8 percent versus 74.3 percent in January 2005.

Press Release
 
From Release:

"Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing Scott Kirby said, "Our year-over-year revenue performance continues to produce strong results, with mainline unit revenues estimated to be up in excess of 15 percent for both our west and east networks. When combined with increasingly strong Express unit revenue performance, our estimated combined system (west, east and Express networks) revenue per available seat mile during January 2006 increased over 20 percent from January 2005.""

Is this accurate? How does it compare to the industry?
 
From Release:

"Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing Scott Kirby said, "Our year-over-year revenue performance continues to produce strong results, with mainline unit revenues estimated to be up in excess of 15 percent for both our west and east networks. When combined with increasingly strong Express unit revenue performance, our estimated combined system (west, east and Express networks) revenue per available seat mile during January 2006 increased over 20 percent from January 2005.""

Is this accurate? How does it compare to the industry?

Yes, they've been experiencing fantastic yield and RASM increases. That's what you get when you (and others) drastically slash capacity. The East side is performing a bit better than the West side, due to the added bonus of Independence Air going away. (And the East side started reporting the terrific numbers a month or two before the merger, so Tempe can't take all the credit.)

The whole industry is obviously also helped by the capacity cuts, but US is outperforming them by far. Continental, for example, only reported a 5% increase in RASM for January.

And notice that even with the huge capacity cuts and the increase in domestic load factor, international load factor for East went down. I wonder if that has to do with them starting half a dozen new international routes (CLT-GUA daily, FLL-MBJ daily, BOS-PUJ Saturday, PIT-MBJ Saturday...) and never bothering to issue one lousy press release telling anyone about them. Nah, that couldn't be it. :rolleyes:
 
Here is what CO said in their press release:

"For the month of January 2006, consolidated passenger revenue per available seat mile (RASM) is estimated to have increased between 4.5 and 5.5 percent compared to January 2005, while mainline passenger RASM is estimated to have increased between 3.0 and 4.0 percent compared to January 2005."

So US is way ahead of the industry, keep up the good work, from a loyal flyer!!!! :up:
 
Yes, they've been experiencing fantastic yield and RASM increases. That's what you get when you (and others) drastically slash capacity. The East side is performing a bit better than the West side, due to the added bonus of Independence Air going away. (And the East side started reporting the terrific numbers a month or two before the merger, so Tempe can't take all the credit.)

The whole industry is obviously also helped by the capacity cuts, but US is outperforming them by far. Continental, for example, only reported a 5% increase in RASM for January.

Not to rain on everyone's parade, but part of the reason East's RASM improvements year-over-year look so good is the fact that last year's numbers were horrendous due to the bankruptcy, the Christmas meltdown, and the very distinct possibility that US would not survive.

During Q1 of 2005, US Airways' mainline RASM was down 7.8% (yields were down even more at 11.5%) and Express RASM was down nearly 21%. As a comparison, Continental's January 2005 RASM was up about 4% and 1Q05 passenger RASM was up 4.3%. Continental was up about 5% for January 2006.

To put it into perspective, Continental's RASM is up 9.2% over 2004. Assuming an 18% increase for US mainline in January 2006 and using the Q1 numbers for January 2005, US would be up 8.8% over 2004. The good news is that US is getting back to parity with its peers; the bad news is that the great-looking year-over-year improvements look so good because 2005 was so awful.
 
Not to rain on everyone's parade, but part of the reason East's RASM improvements year-over-year look so good is the fact that last year's numbers were horrendous due to the bankruptcy, the Christmas meltdown, and the very distinct possibility that US would not survive.

During Q1 of 2005, US Airways' mainline RASM was down 7.8% (yields were down even more at 11.5%) and Express RASM was down nearly 21%. As a comparison, Continental's January 2005 RASM was up about 4% and 1Q05 passenger RASM was up 4.3%. Continental was up about 5% for January 2006.

To put it into perspective, Continental's RASM is up 9.2% over 2004. Assuming an 18% increase for US mainline in January 2006 and using the Q1 numbers for January 2005, US would be up 8.8% over 2004. The good news is that US is getting back to parity with its peers; the bad news is that the great-looking year-over-year improvements look so good because 2005 was so awful.
so then why rain?
 
I still have Kool-Aide left over from RoachFEST. How much do you want?

When you wait 36 minutes to be Marshalled into a gate in PHL as I did last Friday Eve then US still has operational problems and this is with the brand new Capo de tutti capo from Tempe in charge.

So let's not break out the Perrier Joet just yet. I think the store brand Asti is more appropriate.


It's funny how negative people seems to attract more negative experiences. But I always look at my glass half full! If you had to wait 36 minutes to be marshalled in, look at the silver lining...you got excess block!
 
Why not? The truth is the truth. I was always tought to :look inside the numbers". Now that someone has pointed out the truth he or she is negative.
SFB only posts negative on US message boards. Could this be because he/she works for Delta? :down:
 
You don't follow along well do you? I don't earn extra block. I'm a freaking customer ya mental midget. That's 36 minutes I have to fornicate around at 11:30 at night with an hour and twenty minute drive to go afterwards. If you pull your head out of your assets you'd do well to remember that this "Negative Customer" helps pay your salary.

This customer has spent more time and his own money to boost morale of the US East employess then ANY former US Airways executive ever did. So don't lecture me on being positive. Ya think I helped start FFOCUS because I'm negative?

You want me to follow the new management blindly? not happening! They hung 600 people in Nuremburg after WWII for just following blindly.
What about the time you have to "fornicate around"? because of A.T.C. Crew, customers, plane we are all ready to go expect the FAA makes you hold. I know this is apple and oranges. But A.T.C. delays are of greater quantity. It is the general public view that A.T.C delays are the way it is and are acceptable. I guess you can't fight city hall but you sure can fight USAirway
 
SFB only posts negative on US message boards. Could this be because he/she works for Delta? :down:

No, I do not work for Delta. Yes, I'm a he. No, I don't think Delta has it all worked out yet, but I do think Grinstein is more interested in saving the company than his own paycheck or a golden parachute. No, I don't work for Southwest, but I do think they have a darned good idea of how an airline ought to be run. I do understand how to read a balance sheet and a P&L in order to get a good idea of where the business is going.

It's all well and good to say US is "outperforming" everyone, but the reality is that you need to factor in how last year's numbers looked to get a more accurate read on things. As I said before, it is good that US's RASM growth is getting back to parity with its peers.
 
John John don't get me started on an anti government rant OK?

FAA and ATC issues are out of US's control just like the weather. I try to focus on only the things that US has 100% control of as those are the only ones that can easily be addressed. The wait in PHL was under US's span of control so therefore I B*tched.
And when passengers B*tched about ATC I say the same thing “FAA and ATC issues are out of US's control just like the weather. I try to focus on only the things that US has 100% control of as those are the only ones that can easily be addressed.â€￾