Competition Is Moving In!

[ref80]

[P][BR][A href=http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2002/2002-11-05-aircompete.htm]http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2002/2002-11-05-aircompete.htm[/A][/P]
[P]DLFlyer started the thread [FONT style=BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff66]US Better Get Those RJ's Fast[/FONT][FONT style=BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff] , this is a article confirming this.[/FONT][BR][BR][BR][/P]
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[AtlanticBeach]

US used to have 7AM and 7PM flights JAX-DCA. Now the only flight is at Noon. Even using flights through CLT, a one day trip will not be possible once the 10PM bank is eliminated in January.

DL has begun non-stops at 6 AM and 7 PM. These flights will probably pick-up the business customers that US claims to want, need and pamper.

Would someone please explain the logic of the US decisions to me?

 

[ref80]

USA Today never can get the true BIG PICTURE of anything. Probably meant this person flew into MKE and drove to Chicago. The rest of the story gives a accurate view of the dire situation US is succumbing to. The industry is circling US like vultures, picking at US gradually in the core markets US once dominated. Baldanza and crew better get off their butts and start fighting or it will be too little too late!

 

[KCFlyer]

[P]Instead of flying US Airways directly to Milwaukee recently, he flew Midwest Express to its Chicago hub, then drove to Milwaukee. The drive took about an hour, but he saved more than $400.[/P]
[P]Doncha just love USA Today? I honestly didn't know that Midwest Express opened a Chicago Hub and is now routing customers who want to go to Milwaukee thru this new hub. [/P]

 

[AOG-N-IT]

Wouldn't have The Competition KEEPS Moving In been a more accurate title for this thread?

As long as U keeps going with it's Collapsing Bag defensive strategy...a collapsed bag is all we are going to have in the end.

You can't generate Ridership by alienating people in the markets that we have served..by the shear fact that others are picking up on our absence or decrease in frequency..that makes the point very clear.

Victory does not spawn from retreat!!!

 

[iflyjetz]

[blockquote]
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On 11/5/2002 9:30:28 AM KCFlyer wrote:
Doncha just love USA Today? I honestly didn't know that Midwest Express opened a Chicago Hub and is now routing customers who want to go to Milwaukee thru this new hub. [/P]
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[/blockquote]

KCFlyer, Midwest Express doesn't serve Chicago. However, Milwaukee is one of their hubs. Looks like they got the two mixed up. As usual, sloppy journalism. Sloppy journalism is rampant everywhere, whether in print or media reporting. Too bad, really. You'd think that journalists would care about their credibility, or lack thereof.


DOH!

 

[W:EXCH:INVOL]

U fights back by adding an RJ to ERI!!

Oh, nevermind.


INVOL

 

[Hope777]

Dave, the RUN and HIDE defense isn't going to work! With the January flight reductions right around the corner, our competition is only going to add to their share of the market at our expense. Shrinking into profitablitiy does not work, ask Seth.

 

[UAL777flyer]

I think most of us realize by now that truth and accuracy in reporting no longer exists. It's all about sensationalism and selling the most newspapers. The Chicago Sun Times put out an article on UA last week that was laden with incorrect information and poor fact-checking. I sent them an email pointing out their errors. At least they had the decency to respond back, but they did not explain their lack of fact-checking.

That is why whenever I read anything in the newspapers or on network TV, I take it with a HUGE grain of salt. The most accurate reporting you will get in this industry are in the trade publications, like Aviation Week, Air Transport World, Aviation Daily, etc.

But back to the point of this thread, the pressure is only going to increase for US Airways. When a competitor smells weakness, they will look to capitalize on it. So long as US is stumbling with having to update their ATSB revenue outlook and deal with bankruptcy, competitors like Delta will take advantage if they can. That is because the creditor's committee and the bankruptcy judge are calling the shots. Siegel basically must get permission for any significant strategic decisions. That entails a huge waste of time that other airlines will take advantage of. That is why I'm hoping my employer can dodge the Ch.11 bullet. If we file for bankruptcy, other airlines will begin doing the same thing to us.

 

[JonC]

Hey man,

I'm sure, if nothing else, we'll have non-stop service from PHL to PIT. Maybe we can change our corporate identity to Allegheny airlines to represent our new key market. Oh, we did that before.

 

[TomBascom]

America West Reports Record October Traffic...

Our industry-leading load factors and our record October traffic are a result of tremendous customer response to our business friendly fare structure, said Scott Kirby, executive vice president, marketing and sales.

 

[tadjr]

Tom, unfortunately I think there are certain areas where US doesnt want to be the leader and this appears to be one area. I would think that you could defiinitely get some more business traffic on US if the fares were realigned. Steal some pax from the other guys and if they want to match to keep their people, at least they'd be hurting too. I wouldnt suggest pricing ala Airtran or Southwest on walkup business fares, but there has to be a comfortable middle. Now is the time to try something new since we are reinventing ourselves. I wouldnt do a big fanfare announcement and then have to retrench like some of our other brilliant marketing schemes, but do it a little at a time and see how it goes and if it appears to be increasing revenue, then go with it and promote the heck out of it.