Your memory is excellent. Siegel lobbied for the size increase on commuter slots so that MDA, flying the E170, could use commuter slots at DCA. I've seen nothing that says how many of US' slots are commuter slots (either those previously controlled or those acquired in the slot swap) but 27% of slots at DCA overall are commuter slots restricted to aircraft having 70 or fewer seats.
It remains to be seen. Part of the approval requires the divesting carrier (DL at DCA) to make gate/ramp/counter space available to those getting the divested slots if the airport is unable to arrange gates/ramp/counter space. So while DL may not need all the gates/etc at DCA, they may have to make it available to B6 as the acquiring carrier.
I don't think there's a distinction in LGA so DL can use the new slots any way they want. At DCA, where the distinction exists, B6 would not bid $40 million on commuter slots it couldn't use so at least those 8 pairs are mainline slots. With the size planes that US is using on the new routes they could be either - while commuter slots have a maximum seat limit, mainline slots don't have a minimum seat limit (although using an RJ for a mainline slot is a real waste, I certainly wouldn't doubt that US would do it since keeping mainline at the minimum fleet count seems to be of importance).
indeed... and if the goal is for US to hold onto assets that could be used in a future asset swap or merger, then it doesn't really matter. A DCA hub with a much higher percentage of mainline jets would be very attractive to any number of carriers. It would be nice to see the slots used now but US' slot portfolio will figure into future industry consolidation.
agree... but if you take out the regional carrier slots (what Republic has), then US' combined w/ anyone else doesn't look so bad... if the RJs really are a dying breed, then those slots could be drawn down - or more likely someone will argue to the Feds that the the economics of small jets don't work, the slots need to be reclassified to include 76/90 passenger jets and then you have a gradual size increase over a period of time - and the slots do become more valuable.
I do recall something like that.... so effectively they are US slots... but could be sold....
Almost exactly right. Republic offered exit financing in exchange for buying the 170's and slots. In the end, because Republic and Air Wisconsin got a better price on the LCC stock than the other outside investors, US declined to accept Republic's exit financing (Air Wisconsin had given DIP financing so that money had changed hands and been spent making it impossible to keep them from getting LCC stock upon exit from bankruptcy).
I have not argued that US could engage in any merger or asset acquisition retaining all of its current DCA slot portfolio plus what it might acquire from another carrier.
