US/Delta Slot and Facility Swap at LGA

[ebwgs]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/US-Airways-A...ml?x=0&.v=1

 

[UPNAWAY]

On the surface seem like a good deal.
42 Mainline DCA slots, Toyko & Sao Paulo for express flying.
No mainline reductions at LGA.

 

[bigbusboy]

The wording for Tokyo seems a bit vague (sometime after 2012), also contingent on the economy. I think they're intentionally being non-committal because of the PEK debacle and we have no viable aircraft for the route. Once they do obtain aircraft with longer range capabilities, I'll bet the service will start sooner. My thinking is it will be from the east coast rather than PHX....more of a market.

 

[Travelpro72]

The AboutUS letter says that Tokyo will be flown with Airbus 330-200 aircraft from the PHX hub.

 

[NoMoreKoolAid]

Seems like good news. But having two separate terminals in LGA will be fun for our pax. :huh:

 

[Travelpro72]

Good point. How exactly do you get from the marine terminal to terminal D? Wouldn't a bus have to cross a runway? I'm not that familiar with LGA. Hmmmmmm

 

[Glucose Intolerant]

The AboutUS letter says that Tokyo will be flown with Airbus 330-200 aircraft from the PHX hub.

sure it will......blah blah blah......in 2012.....blah blah blah......... we decided to postpone NRT until 2013......blah blah blah....... In 2014 LCC postponed NRT again to utilize the state of the art E190-900 with stand up "seating" blah blah blah.........


The airlines also will swap gates at LaGuardia between the Marine Air Terminal and US Airways' Terminal C to consolidate all Delta operations -- including the Delta Shuttle -- into an expanded main terminal facility with 11 additional gates for Delta customers.

Sounds like DAL scored.

 

[nycbusdriver]

Interesting article. It implies the terminal swap which was talked about in the closed rumor thread last week. The article states that the USAirways mainline flights will be operated from terminal D, which is now the single-concourse terminal used by DL/NW. (Looks like the rumor actually came true, oh-ye-of-little-faith. The timing was about 10 days off, but never say never about rumors mongered here.)

US Airways will retain a significant presence at LGA. The reduction in flying necessitated by the transfer of LGA slots will be accomplished through reductions in US Airways Express flying. The airline does not plan to make any changes to mainline flight levels...

Yeah, right. In less than a year, 2/3 of the D gates will be Dash8s and RJs. The Shuttles will be E190s and express E170s. The largest airplane LCC will operate out of LGA will still be the occasional A321. Did we get the Marine Air Terminal in case Sully comes back to fly?

 

[JayBrian]

Does USAirways have the spare gate capacity at DCA to handle the new flying?

 

[back2CLT]

Makes sense. Reduces non-profitable Express flying at LGA while, keeping the Shuttle. Is the Marine Terminal easier access for O/D passengers?

It bumps up DCA, which is mucher higher yeild than LGA, which is a good thing.

And it gets CLT-Sao Paulo in 2010, which is good for Charlotte.

 

[RowUnderDCA]

If Terminal D is the Delta Terminal, isn't it big enough to accomodate the shuttle and all of US's remaining LGA operations? Why split them? Is there another shoe to drop? Couldn't United and Continental and Air Canada fit in 'Terminal D" with US's remaining non-shuttle LGA ops?

 

[Non Rev]

So US gives up 125 slots @ LGA gains 45 @ DCA + Toyko and Sao Paulo. Seems like we gave up more that we got? Is Tokyo and Sao Paulo worth that much?

 

[HPDriver]

So US gives up 125 slots @ LGA gains 45 @ DCA + Toyko and Sao Paulo. Seems like we gave up more that we got? Is Tokyo and Sao Paulo worth that much?

Doug and Kirby think it will down the road.

They're figuring to bring in a nice haul with DCA alone. From Kirby's webcast:

"Today’s economic environment continues to challenge our industry and our airline but we are taking decisive action like the one announced today to return US Airways to profitability. Our focus on DC is just one step towards that goal and once complete will contribute more than $75 million to our bottom line."

 

[surfnfly]

My guess is that all the new flights out of DCA will be express E175s flown by republic, so no gain for us really and piedmont gets screwed in LGA.

 

[nycbusdriver]

If Terminal D is the Delta Terminal, isn't it big enough to accomodate the shuttle and all of US's remaining LGA operations? Why split them? Is there another shoe to drop? Couldn't United and Continental and Air Canada fit in 'Terminal D" with US's remaining non-shuttle LGA ops?

Terminal D is miniscule compared to Terminal C (where we have both concourses now.) Having the Shuttle there would be difficult since the Shuttle takes up four gates under normal conditions. Maybe it's doable, but I doubt it. There certainly isn't room for UA, CO and AC, together or individually.

So US gives up 125 slots @ LGA gains 45 @ DCA + Toyko and Sao Paulo. Seems like we gave up more that we got? Is Tokyo and Sao Paulo worth that much?

DCA is much higher yield than LGA, and the competition is much more constrained. Besides, DCA is controlled by Congress and LGA is controlled by the Port Authority of NY and NJ. Congress moves at breakneck speed by comparison, and is easier to work with.