US Airways says load factor up, demand flat

[CaptBud330]

I''m just a pilot ....what do I know. But if the flights are full, why not raise the fares? Maybe Baldanza can answer that one. Also, I see Southeast airlines has started service from ABE to Florida cities with a 99% load factor. Hey Baldanza, we just lost more passengers that find it more convenient to use their local airport then drive to Philly. Lets get some management that can run an airline...but hey, what do I know, I just fly the darn things, right Dave?

 

[mbmbbost]

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On 7/4/2003 2:16:33 PM rvolkcpa wrote:
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The public wants to fly, but connecting thru PHL, PIT or CLT can take twice as long as a nonstop flight on another airline. It's time for US Airways to gradually restore some of the point-to-point flights that were cut, if management wants to retain existing customers and attract new ones.


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Amen. They need to throw some kind of bone out there, something positive to look forward to. Low fare type service is a lot easier to take if you're doing nonstops. We're not ever going to get the kind of service we used to enjoy.

 

[OldGuyinPA]

Code Share is B.S.

A customer calls both airlines. We quote X dollars for route. Unites quotes 1/2 of X for same route. Passenger buys ticket thru UA but flys on US. Makes sense doesn''t it. We''re doomed to fail. Dump the hubs and fly point to point. We don''t need code sharing or star alliance or regionals. Just ask SWA. The industry has changed. To bad they just don''t get it on the 8th floor at the Crystal Palace.

 

[AirplaneFan]

Bottom line is that U (and other cartel airlines) are desparately trying to cut supply in hopes of stimulating demand and higher prices. However, the LLC''s are continually putting extra supply back into the market. So in essence the cartel airlines continue to cede marketshare to the LLC''s. Every time they cut service its make every one of their remaining routes less profitable (oxymoronic statement). It does seem that the cartel airlines are all in a death spiral all hoping that the American economy goes back to the 1999 so they can get $2,000 prices again.

Song is a good idea, but the difference is that Delta is essentially using it as a defensive measure. Will Song be anything more than a Florida airline? If U had made MetroJet the BEST airline it could have been have been instead of giving it inadequate resources it might have had a better chance against SW.

 

[wings396]

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On 7/4/2003 3:18:33 PM CaptBud330 wrote:

I''m just a pilot ....what do I know. But if the flights are full, why not raise the fares? Maybe Baldanza can answer that one. Also, I see Southeast airlines has started service from ABE to Florida cities with a 99% load factor. Hey Baldanza, we just lost more passengers that find it more convenient to use their local airport then drive to Philly. Lets get some management that can run an airline...but hey, what do I know, I just fly the darn things, right Dave?

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Just a note on Southeast, They are going to start ABE-LAS service later this month. This will now make Southeast the NUMBER ONE airline at ABE. This is what is killing us. We have served ABE since 1967, and had been king of the hill until a year or two ago. Now a charter outfit has ousted us, and our Big Guns don''t care as long as we don''t feel the hurt in PHL. Why give up on these markets that were our bread and butter for decades? If this is the new game plan, we are all screwed.

 

[deelmakur]

"Song", just mentioned, is an excellent example of the problems the majors have coping with present day industry changes. Created by Delta, it''s a JetBlue clone, right down to the inflight satellite entertainment....only one difference. JetBlue has a $25 change fee, while Song maintains (same as DL mainline) theirs at$100. Whether you agree or disagree, this particular tariff is the most despised charge of its type. Seemingly unaware of the importance of that issue, they ignore customer feedback, miss the point, and field a product that, based on its parameters, can never be a first choice for a knowledgeable traveler. The people who run these companies must all have been switched at birth. They''re interchangeable.

 

[wings396]

Sad indeed. This is their approach to dealing with the competition. At one time I had been told that even if Southwest comes to town, we may not put up a fight for our once stronghold turf. It seems that as long as they don't put a dent in the PHL market, giving up ABE is OK. How many more stations are viewed with the same mentality? Too bad this company does not realize just how many people prefer the small convient airports over PHL. As you know there was MCO service that was full 6 days a week, and people drove in from the AVP&RDG areas as well as Western NJ and even the northern suburbs of PHL. As usual we could not make a profit, so just give it up instead of trying to make it work. Maybe it would now with all of the concessions in place. This company is to stupid to see a goldmine, even when they are standing on top of it. It is this way of operating that will cause us to fail and vanish. The big airports are great, but all of the smaller ones are what made us what we ONCE WERE. RJ's are not the savior of this company, but management thinks that they are.

 

[rvolkcpa]

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On 7/4/2003 11:02:43 PM wings396 wrote:

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Just a note on Southeast, They are going to start ABE-LAS service later this month. This will now make Southeast the NUMBER ONE airline at ABE. This is what is killing us. We have served ABE since 1967, and had been king of the hill until a year or two ago. Now a charter outfit has ousted us, and our Big Guns don''t care as long as we don''t feel the hurt in PHL. Why give up on these markets that were our bread and butter for decades? If this is the new game plan, we are all screwed.

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I just checked the Southeast website. The ABE-LAS flights will also serve Columbus OH. Service is only 2 days per week, but it would be possible for us to visit relatives in Indy by flying non-stop from ABE-Columbus and renting a car for the remainder of the trip.

I thought one of the purposes of all the wage concessions at US Airways was to enable the airline to compete with other carriers. It bothers me as a passenger to see US Airways turn the other way while Southeast grows at ABE. We have always received excellent treatment by US Airways employees at ABE, which is one reason why we prefer ABE over EWR. Fewer US Airways flights mean fewer employees. This is sad.

 

[rvolkcpa]

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On 7/5/2003 6:58:00 AM wings396 wrote:

Sad indeed. This is their approach to dealing with the competition. At one time I had been told that even if Southwest comes to town, we may not put up a fight for our once stronghold turf. It seems that as long as they don''t put a dent in the PHL market, giving up ABE is OK. How many more stations are viewed with the same mentality? Too bad this company does not realize just how many people prefer the small convient airports over PHL. As you know there was MCO service that was full 6 days a week, and people drove in from the AVP&RDG areas as well as Western NJ and even the northern suburbs of PHL. As usual we could not make a profit, so just give it up instead of trying to make it work. Maybe it would now with all of the concessions in place. This company is to stupid to see a goldmine, even when they are standing on top of it. It is this way of operating that will cause us to fail and vanish. The big airports are great, but all of the smaller ones are what made us what we ONCE WERE. RJ''s are not the savior of this company, but management thinks that they are.

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If Southwest comes to ABE, it would have to make a dent on both PHL and EWR. People in both markets would travel an hour to get access to Southwest. Any defections from EWR would impact CA and others far more than US, since US has gone from being #2 at EWR to having minimal presence.

We have friends from East Hanover, NJ (almost in Essex County) who now go to ABE for the Southeast service to FLL. They love ABE. How many more would migrate to ABE for Southwest service? My only fear is that the parking lots would become packed.

We prefer to give our business to US, but they should improve service to recapture some of the Southeast defections and head off inroads by others such as Airtran or Southwest.

 

[wings396]

Our wonderful management along with the so called marketing dept. think that if we keep our PHL fares in check with SWA, that the PHL people will not drive to ABE. Wrong they are, because people will drive to avoild the hassles of PHL and it''s ATC problems. They will see one day.

 

[DLFlyer31]

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On 7/5/2003 2:02:52 AM deelmakur wrote:

"Song", just mentioned, is an excellent example of the problems the majors have coping with present day industry changes. Created by Delta, it''s a JetBlue clone, right down to the inflight satellite entertainment....only one difference. JetBlue has a $25 change fee, while Song maintains (same as DL mainline) theirs at$100.
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Not true. The change fee for Song is the same as JBLU, $25. You are correct however that mainline DL is $100.

 

[deelmakur]

DL, the $25 match must have just happened. I belong to an association of several hundred regular commuters who travel all winter between the NYC area and Florida. As of just a few weeks ago, we were engaged in dialogue with the company about this, and they were resistant. Our exec director had been working with several aviation business writers, including people at the WSJ, in an attempt to get them to focus on this very thing. It appears to have gotten the company''s attention. My point was, they try to emulate the people who are hurting them without understanding where the rub with the customer is.