Who wants a merger with US?

[WorldTraveler]

E is absolutely right that the US has moved very slow to expand mass transit but there are examples of where it works - and Dallas is to be commended for doing as much as they have in a city that sprawls and sprawls.....
but whether an airport has a mass transit connection isn't really a function of whether the airport works or not or is even well run. Since airport funds cannot be used for off airport projects, mass transit links to airports have to work based on the financials for the off-airport part of the transit system.
And it is absolutely true that passengers choose mass transit at many airports - including people of decent means - because they save money, can leave their car at their home where it is presumably more secure, and they are generally far closer to the ticket counters and check-in areas when arriving by mass transit than from many long-term and employee parking lots.

 

[700UW]

Charlotte is the number 2 banking Center in the US and number 3 in the world.

 

[BoeingBoy]

Based only on the size of banks with headquarters located in CLT, not the amount of banking activity in CLT. One could say that Wilmington, DE, is the business center of the U.S. based on the number and size of companies incorporated there...

Jim

 

[robbedagain]

DL i believe is using commuter jets vs US airbus equipment. that could be or will be the advantage that US will have over DL on LGA-CLT run

 

[700UW]

Number of Headquarters includes Family Dollar in Matthews, NC, which is in Mecklenburg County, but does not include Lowe's, which is located in Iredell County or Domtar which is located in York County.

Seven of the 500 companies are headquartered in Mecklenburg County. This ranks Charlotte ninth nationally in number of Fortune 500 companies headquartered within the county. These headquarters represent more than $188.4 billion in revenue for 2010. Lowe’s, which is headquartered in nearby Mooresville, increases the Charlotte area headquarters’ revenue to $237.2 billion. More importantly, 273 of the Fortune 500 companies have made a commitment to the city by placing one or more of their facilities within the county. This report lists a key representative of each of the Fortune companies that has a facility here.

Fortune 500 Info for Charlotte Metro Area

 

[AAviator]

And PHL -- the largest metro market in the US with only one airport.

And CLT -- a growing city with a population that is actually larger than ATL (though the metro region is smaller).

And sizable N/S east coast market share, which AA lacks.

US is also bigger fleet-wise than British Airways, Air France, etc. -- it's not a mom and pop carrier that has no value.

Not sure why I'm responding to this, but I'll bet according to the census bureau, PHL doesn't make the top 15 in average household income..

And saying US is larger than BA fleet wise is really pointless. Afterall, Skywest operates way more aircraft than LCC. 🙄

 

[Pi brat]

You seem to be a little on the arrogant side,

A little?

 

[WorldTraveler]

Based only on the size of banks with headquarters located in CLT, not the amount of banking activity in CLT. One could say that Wilmington, DE, is the business center of the U.S. based on the number and size of companies incorporated there...

Jim

well said, Jim.
I'm not sure why we're discussing the merits of Charlotte as a viable business destination... there seem to be these types of discussions on and off about one city or another but it rarely can be directed to the hub or the viability of the airline.
STL, CVG, PIT... have all lost air service and had a number of companies headquartered there - and for the most part still do... and while some companies such as Chiquita left CVG citing the lack of nonstop flights, they obviously couldn't buy enough seats to make it worth DL's while to maintain existing service. IN the meantime, Kroger, GE Jet Engines and more are still in CVG....
.
CLT IS a viable city... the question is whether the hub US operates and US itself are what AA needs. For the most part, the answer to that question doesn't and won't reflect negatively or positively on CLT.

 

[737823]

Charlotte is a decent business city to visit occasionally but I couldn't imagine raising a family there. At the end of the day it's still the south and doesn't have the same opportunities available in Boston, New York or Los Angeles.

Josh

 

[WorldTraveler]

The US is big enough that hopefully everyone can find a place to live that they like - and airline employees with their vast networks, even more so.
It doesn't change the fact that CLT is a very viable city - and will continue to have good air transportation regardless of whether they succeed at acquriing AA or not.

 

[eolesen]

Charlotte is a decent business city to visit occasionally but I couldn't imagine raising a family there.
At the end of the day it's still the south and doesn't have the same opportunities available in Boston, New York or Los Angeles.

Spoken like a narrow-minded bigot who has probably never experienced life outside of a brownstone.

Personally, I'd never consider raising a family within 100 miles of NYC, based on the first hand experience of having lived there, as opposed to having just visited there a few times. How anyone can afford to actually live there these days is beyond me. Give me 10 acres in Flagstaff AZ, Kerrville TX, or Savoy IL, and I'd be perfectly happy.

The only real opportunities I miss about the Northeast is the ability to find good fold-over pizza.

 

[700UW]

I grew up on Long Island, NY, 20 minutes from the city.

My son was born in Charlotte and I am raising him North of the city in the Lake Norman area, great schools, good culture and a decent standard of living, I would not go back if you paid me.

And I lived in NY for 21 years.

 

[FWAAA]

Charlotte is a decent business city to visit occasionally but I couldn't imagine raising a family there. At the end of the day it's still the south and doesn't have the same opportunities available in Boston, New York or Los Angeles.

And you wonder why people don't like you? You recently asked in a post what you should do differently around here.

Answer: Don't post stupid crap like you did above. The discussion is about CLT's viability as a large airport hub, especially if US and AA combine. Bigotted nonsense about "the south" and your opinion that the region is inferior to your centers of the universe doesn't address the topic. Should CLT remain a huge connecting hub if US and AA combine?

 

[eolesen]

Should CLT remain a huge connecting hub if US and AA combine?

Thanks for clarifying. I'd lost track along the way.

Short answer: No.

Long answer: No metro area of less than 2.5-3M people requires the level of air service CLT has, and that includes both DEN and SLC. Arguably, DEN and SLC work marginally better because of geography and far lower population densities in the Rockies.

If you need to drive 60-70% connecting traffic thru a hub to make it work, it is fatally flawed. That's what killed STL, CVG, PIT, RDU, BNA, and appears to slowly be killing off what remains at MEM & CLE.

 

[AAviator]

Thanks for clarifying. I'd lost track along the way.

Short answer: No.

Long answer: No metro area of less than 2.5-3M people requires the level of air service CLT has, and that includes both DEN and SLC. Arguably, DEN and SLC work marginally better because of geography and far lower population densities in the Rockies.

If you need to drive 60-70% connecting traffic thru a hub to make it work, it is fatally flawed. That's what killed STL, CVG, PIT, RDU, BNA, and appears to slowly be killing off what remains at MEM & CLE.

Thats gonna leave a mark

Mike Boyd agrees with you.. Or should I say you agree with him.

BTW, LCC just hired him to help argue their case for a AA + LCC merger. Are they rounding up the hired guns to silence them or to build a case?