Us Airways Previews Pittsburgh Fall Schedule

[ClueByFour]

WN was at BNA before AA pulled the plug on the hub there. While WN entered RDU after the egress of AA in 1994, you'll note that neither airport serves as a hub for another carrier as folks have envisioned for PIT. AirTran has not hubbed at BNA or RDU; Jetblue hasn't; ATA hasn't; America West hasn't. Nothing's holding them back...

I certainly don't recall (in this thread) intimating that another carrier would hub PIT; in fact, I'm sure it won't happen.

I could see an LCC running 200+ flights/day, once/if US is beaten back.

The RDU/BNA situation is far better than having a hub. You get the top markets with good frequency at a reasonable price point. Absent GoFares, this won't happen in PIT.

But hey, all these places have O&D that make you laugh. I take it that you don't own any LUV then (since you chuckle at their market choices).

It's clear what US is trying to do at PIT--maintain enough of a presence to try to keep LCCs out of the market while keeping what I'll call NoFares (the ones that nobody really wants to buy unless they absolutely have to). With the coming debt reduction and service reduction from US, this strategy will fail. If US does implement GoFares, it might succeed.

 

[blueoceans]

With SW already serving Columbus, Phildelphia and especially Cleveland, it seems like adding PIT service would not be at the top of their list.

 

[ClueByFour]

UA to run 2x/day DEN-PIT starting 4-Oct.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040721/cgw070_1.html

 

[Hope777]

So it looks like PIT-DEN service will be eliminated.

 

[gso2pit]

So it looks like PIT-DEN service will be eliminated.

not likely.

I had spoken to a UA service director in PIT and she had said DEN-PIT had been in the works for a good while...ACAA must have done some SERIOUS a** kissing in order to get them to finally do it. LAX/SFO will follow depending on how the airport helps UA out on costs and ultimately more gates.

I wouldn't expect to see IAD/SFO/LAX/DEN/ORD get cut because of the plentiful connection options and the fact you are feeding your partner's hub. However, trans-con service to SAN SEA PHX may be questionable because you aren't necessarily feeding anything.

It may make sense for US to drop down to 1x320 SEA and UA start their own SEA service from PIT. UA flys to PDX ANC YVR and if I remember correctly still flys UAX to a few cities in Eastern Washington and Northern Oregon.

 

[Walmartgreeter]

I could see an LCC running 200+ flights/day, once/if US is beaten back.

Clue (or anybody else). I do not understand how any carrier can have a large presence in PIT without a change in the head charge per pax....isn't that the problem now, somewhere around 9 bucks per person? As I understand it, and I might be wrong, the fewer the number of flights....the larger the head tax. At this point I really don't understand how the airport could stay solvent with a complete pullout by U...much less how the remaining airlines could pick up the tab. Can Southwest or Airtran come in with 200 flights and afford the cost of doing business at PIT? U asked PIT and the surrounding area to bend over backwards to somehow lower that cost...they did not. Now U leaves and the airport probably ends up defaulting on the loans anyway. It just does not seem as simple to me as "someone else" just ramping up a large operation in PIT without the same changes U wanted. Thanks in advance everyone for your replys. Greeter.

 

[ClueByFour]

I fly someone from A to B via PIT. I have to pay PIT the head charge (in whatever forms). Someone else flying someone to A to B via somewhere else does not have to pay the "high" (which, with the PFC reallocation and slot bonds is going to come down) cost of operations at PIT.

A point to point operation, OTOH, is only flying folks to and from PIT. They, along with everybody else flying to PIT has to eat the charge, however, since the playing field is level it's simply added to the fare for everyone.

PIT won't see 400+ flights again from an airline again, because the local traffic won't handle it. However, with the debt coming down, the existing O&D at PIT will support a substantial operation, and an operation with low fares (the kind that stimulate traffic as opposed to driving it away) has the potential to attract more than token service to the major's hubs.

US asked for a billion dollar terminal, got a billion dollar terminal, and used Chapter 11 to weasel out of it. They wanted the entire state of PA to hike taxes on hotels and rental cars. This would have hampered the ability of businesses and attractions in PA to get business. Not reducing the debt in the way US wanted it done was absolutely the right thing to do, especially in light of the fact that US may be gone in the short/medium term anyway, thus sticking the ACAA with the debt and wasting Commonwealth tax revenue. By at least trying to plan ahead, the ACAA is trying to position itself to garner the maximum amount of feasible service possible as US pulls back.

Of course, then there is the fact that PIT has had monopoly hub fares for years, which is bad for the business guy, bad for the leisure traveler, bad for local attractions (because it's expensive to get to PIT) and so forth. Ask the folks in RDU and BNA and BWI and so forth if they miss their fortress hub.....

 

[USFlyer]

So it looks like PIT-DEN service will be eliminated.

I think this is aimed more at preventing Frontier from getting in that market. Plus, if UA is seeing a lot of US to UA connections in DEN all coming from PIT, it makes sense for UA to add its own flights. I would expect US to do the same if the conditions justified it.

 

[Hope777]

I still think PIT-DEN will be eliminated. How many people originate in PIT to DEN? With PIT becoming a Focus City rather then a Hub, you will not be feeding flights. I would expect to keep DEN thru the winter for ski season, but come April '05, expect DEN to be gone from PIT.

 

[richb624]

Question about regional economics:

Which situation most benefits Pittsburgh's regional economy.

US Airways' almost monopoly hub- 10 million annual total enplanements and only 3.0 million O-D enplanements, high OD fares to/from PIT.

or

A possible future with a heavy presence by LUV, ATA, Airtran, Frontier with 6 million total enplanements and 5 million O-D's.

 

[WorldTraveler]

Don’t rule out the possibility of a legacy carrier expanding its presence in PIT. AA and DL seem to have plenty of RJs they can drop wherever they want while NW has their ever present roving hub that can pop up just about anywhere within 500 miles of DTW or MSP.

 

[Walmartgreeter]

A possible future with a heavy presence by LUV, ATA, Airtran, Frontier with 6 million total enplanements and 5 million O-D's.

I just don't see a 2M increase in O and Ds. Pit has a failing economy and an aging population. You might see an increase just because people are leaving Greeter

 

[mweiss]

Which situation most benefits Pittsburgh's regional economy.

If only the answer were easy. For example, an airline hubbing in PIT will typically have more than the basic ground crew. They'll have maintenance as well, and often res and management functions at that location.

On the other hand, lower average fares should stimulate commerce and bring more business to the city.

So, is the loss of the airline hub staff more or less than the gain of commerce?

That's a rhetorical question, because nobody knows the answer. There are far too many variables to be able to cite other cities as conclusive examples.

 

[ktflyhome]

Recently, there was a news blip on one of the networks regarding the best and worst cities to live in if you are single. Pittsburgh was rated one of the worst in the states.

 

[funguy2]

I just don't see a 2M increase in O and Ds. Pit has a failing economy and an aging population. You might see an increase just because people are leaving Greeter

I disagree...

While I don't know if the traffic can grow by 66%, I do see a marked increase in pax O&D PIT Pax... Here is why...

1. LCC's will enter PIT at some level. Southwest has brought it's "Southwest Effect" to cities with less than 10 flights/day (i.e. ALB, BUF, ORF). Also, I see AirTran and JetBlue in PIT, as they both have a hundred airplanes to fly somewhere.

2. US Airways pullback of small regional markets combined with the "Southwest Effect" will draw pax to PIT, instead of away... Here's an example... US Airways drops Altoona and Johnstown... PIT now has $49ow fares to JFK on JetBlue and more $99ow fares on AirTran to Florida... Now, not only to folks from PIT fly more (and from PIT), but more folks from Altoona and Johnstown and Wheeling and Clarksburg use PIT.