DCA Hub

[ggiby]

the san dca i believe is only a weekend only non stop as for phx i thought there is just 1 or 2 nonstops a day? also it was interesting to note that on www.justplanenews.com an article said something that meger may have to give up some slots at clt? i thought clt is not a slot controlled airport like dca and lga

Its a daily flight.... every each and every day.... 7 days a week.

 

[traderjake]

Lawmakers press U.S. regulators on America-US Airways deal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Over 100 members of Congress have asked U.S. regulators to allow American Airlines (AAMRQ.PK) and US Airways Group (LCC.N) to keep all their airport slots at Reagan National Airport outside Washington D.C. if the companies' planned merger is approved.

Representatives Mike Michaud, a Maine Democrat; John Duncan, a Tennessee Republican; and 104 bipartisan colleagues argued to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Attorney General Eric Holder that requiring divestiture of slots would mean fewer flights to smaller cities like Bangor and Portland, Maine.

"Other airlines lack the necessary connectivity out of Reagan National and would be more likely to transfer any divested slots to larger cities and more lucrative routes," the lawmakers wrote in the letter, which was dated May 28.

The companies have been lobbying the Transportation Department and Justice Department's Antitrust Division, both of which must approve the transaction, to allow the deal to advance with no asset sales.

US Airways, which has long coveted American, announced on February 14 that it planned to buy the struggling carrier for $11 billion.

Antitrust experts have said the Justice Department could request divestitures of some of US Airways' slots at Reagan National and a small number of other airports. Outside these hubs the carriers fly different routes for the most part.

Reagan National is used regularly by many members of Congress to fly to and from their home districts.

Michaud lives in East Millinocket, Maine, about 65 miles north of Bangor, which is served by direct US Airways flights from Reagan National.

If approved, the American-US Airways deal would be the third major U.S. airline merger since 2008.

 

[robbedagain]

i realize the san-dca flight is daily we had that diversion once and it was then only a wknd only at the time

 

[DCaf]

i realize the san-dca flight is daily we had that diversion once and it was then only a wknd only at the time

I think you're wrong on that robbed, but I wouldn't bet money that I'm right.

 

[robbedagain]

if im wrong then im wrong i do remember that it was a saturday one day when we had that plane divert into my station

 

[star power]

It looks like the DOJ will only recommend the divestiture of the overlapping routes between US and AA, which would appear to be 60+ flights system wide, of that it would appear 11+ flights at DCA and 2 gates spaces.

US Airways will use the 2 gate spaces for a joint connector walkway/moving sidewalks/courtesy vehicles, between B and C section, if approved by the metro airport commission.

A friend ask me if US/AA could develop a Air Mike concept, as a separate entity for the 60+ flights system wide and the 11+ flights at DCA, where the Air Mike concept would in-source the flying contracts at the 1st level, or at the 2nd level be receptive to investments into the new entity, with level 3 as a poison pill effect to dismantle the new entity. The poison pill effect would lease return the 11+ slot pairs back to the new American Airlines to be re-leased, pending new agreements.

I said, why not just develop a DCAir concept for all the commuter/regional flying system wide for the US/AA. with the 1st level flying in-source contracts, 2nd level investment opportunities and 3th level as a poison pill effect.

 

[USFlyer]

Is this coming from a published source, the rumor mill or your own personal conjecture? I just checked regulations.gov and saw no DOJ or DOT filing on the merger posted in the last 72 hours.

 

[star power]

I quest it would be a rumor from my friend. They do not like going through the TSA check points, to go between B to C or C to B, they said the connector would be great. As for their position on the DOJ, they said that the DOJ anti-trust division has always had the position that overlapping route need to be diversified, so if the DOJ position has change some, and lets PHX, DFW, ORD, CLT keep the 50+ flights and is only concern with DCA, Then my friend position is for the 11+ dca flights, then any thing after that is grandstanding a under chartered waters for the DOJ anti-trust division.

My position is DCAir concept and be done with it, The DOJ and DOT would be out of it.

 

[ggiby]

if im wrong then im wrong i do remember that it was a saturday one day when we had that plane divert into my station

It has been going back and forth from east metal to west metal..... maybe that is what you are looking at..... I am not even sure which metal has it now.... could be a combination of both?

 

[WorldTraveler]

there will be no decision about the connector until an official decision is made regarding divestitures which will be part of the merger approval documents.

 

[star power]

My friend put a question to me. To be on a softer side position, could you conjure up a scheme to entertain change to the DCA slot portfolio, like increase beyond perimeter slots, increase within perimeter slot competition, with out reducing services at the small community airports, and no increases in DCA slots. I said it could take awhile, but no. But I'll try.

We'll lets see.

Plus, Minus,

17 new beyond perimeter slots. Some air carriers would reduce their within perimeter slots portfolio.

27 new within perimeter slots, adjusted. Some air carriers would reduce service to large and medium size
communities. (Hubs, Focus, medium size cities)
2 new beyond perimeter air carriers. Only one small city could lose service, but that would be the air carrier
choice(not US/AA), not the DOT and/or the DOJ.
2 new within perimeter air carriers.

No slot increases.

DCA slot scheme could work, but it would need participation to be fair. The air carriers could bow out before phase 1, or before phase 2.

Beyond-Within-Small cities.

So its is possible, win-win-win and no sale/auction.

But I believe some air carriers want a sweetheart deal and DOT is looking at a sale/auction, lose-win-lose.

 

[jcw]

Refresh my memory what routes did DL/NW and UA/CO divest when they merged. I don't think there were any - so why would we require US/AA divest routes.

 

[jimntx]

We're not talking about divesting of routes, we're talking about divesting DCA landing slots and gates. Without divestiture, the US/AA combo will control something like 60% of all the landing slot pairs at DCA. The government tends to frown on that much of a monopoly at DCA. Note that is at DCA; so, don't start asking why UAL and CO didn't have to divest slots at EWR or DL/NW have to divest slots at ATL. We've already plowed that field several times over in this thread.

 

[nycbusdriver]

We're not talking about divesting of routes, we're talking about divesting DCA landing slots and gates. Without divestiture, the US/AA combo will control something like 60% of all the landing slot pairs at DCA. The government tends to frown on that much of a monopoly at DCA. Note that is at DCA; so, don't start asking why UAL and CO didn't have to divest slots at EWR or DL/NW have to divest slots at ATL. We've already plowed that field several times over in this thread.

Yes. In domestic operations, the government can't make an airline "divest" routes. The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 precludes that ever happening. The only aspects that are controlled by government are those airports with slot restrictions and perimeter restrictions. Indirect control pervades some airports where gates, ramp and terminal spaces are saturated with carriers that have exclusive leases.

Jimtx, you are beating your head against a wall trying to get people here to understand that. They will always insist on comparing apples to oranges locomotives.

 

[X-U]

Transfer YYZ and YUL slots to Porter Airlines in exchange for an equity position, then codeshare. 10 slots right there.