DOT approves slot swap!

[Pi brat]

When LGA closed ALOT of people lost their jobs, FAs and Pilots (if they didn't quit or retire) got displaced to other bases.

Its really sad because we lost some really good people!

At least from several years back until the last time I was through there, LGA was a really well run station.

 

[WorldTraveler]

While it seems fashionable to bash US in NYC, the reality is that they could not compete against the onslaught of low fare carriers that cropped up esp. in the NYC-Florida market in the early 2000s.... and took advantage of the network carrier BKs to jump into the market.
When you take out the transcon markets - where AA and UA have long had the biggest share and the corporate contracts - and Florida, US is left with a relative handful of markets that weren't enough to build a market.
In contrast, DL retained a position as the only network carrier at both JFK and LGA to most of the Florida markets, has a presence in the transcons, and has been slowly building a presence in other markets.
It is a given that DL will use the slot deal and its larger presence at LGA to expand into key other airline dominated markets such as DFW, IAH, and MIA and potentially DEN where it does not currently fly as well as increase its position within the US - the part that is coming from US.
US will likely do the same thing at DCA in adding service where it has not previously been able to provide a full complement of service.
.
The deal is about concentrating service among the network carriers - DL and US gains at the expense of others - using the low fare carriers - who may or may not offer much lower fares - to help keep the larger network carriers in check.
When you consider that markets like MIA, DFW, and IAH already have average fares far higher than on the east coast where low fare carriers have been able to develop a presence, the DOT is not concerned with which network carrier has a presence.

 

[nycbusdriver]

DCA or LGA ?

LGA.

And it will belong to Delta.

 

[nycbusdriver]

Japan is not a part of the deal because there is now Open Skies which includes a gradual increase in slots at NRT, making it unnecessary for US to ^buy^ its way into the market.

But US has to still ^buy^ its way into airplanes that can do the job, and that's not happening until the Kettle mentality goes bye-bye. IOW, when Tempe no longer controls the airline and Dallas does.

They also should fly AM and PM to MCO, FLL,, RSW...

as well as going after LGA_ORD...

the typical CLT and BOS shuttle.

it's managment folks, and I'm glad they have you all believing.. the market of close to 16 Million folks doesn't cut it.

what a joke, team tempe.

But they can't make money against those other carriers serving those routes, regardless of the fact that our employee costs are well below every other one of those would-be competitors.

What does that spell?

M-I-S-M-A-N-A-G-E-M-E-N-T

 

[VAflyGal]

My link

This is great to see. the DOT essentially approved their May 2011 filing. US will have to divest 8 slot pairs in DCA while DL will have to divest 16 slot pairs in LGA

Right. How much of this do you think will go to Mainline? <_<

 

[VAflyGal]

I just meant that while I would bet most of the new flying will be express, but there will be more mainline gate, ramp, admin, tower, etc. Not everything revolves around pilots and FA's.

I disagree. Who runs the city at 35 A in DCA?
This is a Republic and Air Wisconsin dream come true.

 

[dash8roa]

US Can't make money in LGA because they run a POS operation.
Nobody wants to bounce there way to ALB or SYR or BUF on a Dash...

get real...

If US bought More E190's and flew to those cities, even with less frequency they would be fine.

They also should fly AM and PM to MCO, FLL,, RSW...

as well as going after LGA_ORD...

the typical CLT and BOS shuttle.

it's managment folks, and I'm glad they have you all believing.. the market of close to 16 Million folks doesn't cut it.

what a joke, team tempe.

They wasted those slots with dash flights that carried so few passengers and their reliability is poor.How much longer will the company submit passengers to the poor product of the dash-8? They are over the hill and parts are dwindling for the dash-8-100's.Many are nearing the cycle limit and I don't see corporate spending big bucks extending their lives.They will someday have to drop those small stations that can only support the 100's in favor of larger aircraft and more profitable cities.
Every other carrier wants lga slots and yet US cannot make money with them,guess those 9 lga-phl flights just don't cut it.As the song goes,"if I can make it here.(new york),I'll make it anywhere" does not apply to US.

 

[FlyUs]

They wasted those slots with dash flights that carried so few passengers and their reliability is poor.How much longer will the company submit passengers to the poor product of the dash-8? They are over the hill and parts are dwindling for the dash-8-100's.Many are nearing the cycle limit and I don't see corporate spending big bucks extending their lives.They will someday have to drop those small stations that can only support the 100's in favor of larger aircraft and more profitable cities.
Every other carrier wants lga slots and yet US cannot make money with them,guess those 9 lga-phl flights just don't cut it.As the song goes,"if I can make it here.(new york),I'll make it anywhere" does not apply to US.

LOL. So true

 

[robbedagain]

they should have gotten those DASH-8-Q400s but there most likely is no hope for that

 

[Travelpro72]

they should have gotten those DASH-8-Q400s but there most likely is no hope for that

Nope....Scope! The way it stands USAPA allows for Republic/Mesa to fly something like 80'ish seaters while our inhouse carriers cannot. Do I get it? NOPE! ! !

 

[Beancounter]

Glad to hear it. Seems like a win, win situation. Good financially and should be good for DCA pilots.

 

[dash8roa]

Nope....Scope! The way it stands USAPA allows for Republic/Mesa to fly something like 80'ish seaters while our inhouse carriers cannot. Do I get it? NOPE! ! !
[/quote

Why not drop the seat count to 68?If the scope arrangement changes,add the two seats.

 

[Pi brat]

Nope....Scope! The way it stands USAPA allows for Republic/Mesa to fly something like 80'ish seaters while our inhouse carriers cannot. Do I get it? NOPE! ! !

That scope language was written way before USAPA came around. Would you be willing to relax ANYTHING in your contract right now?

I wish we worked for a company that respected it's employees and we could work with issues like this instead of holding them over each others head. I wish all Express flying was wholly owned, and the Q400 seems like it would be a great plane for us. But.............

I think Doug wants to buy them anyway, and that will continue to be a problem for our wholly owned.

 

[Travelpro72]

Hey, I'm not suggesting anyone give up anything right now. I understand it was ALPA (the pilots) that allowed that and not USAPA. The Q400 would be a great fit with US.

Back to the topic.... I can't wait to see how much of this flying increase goes to mainline and how much goes to Republic and their soon to be dual class "regional" jets.

 

[N924PS]

Hey, I'm not suggesting anyone give up anything right now. I understand it was ALPA (the pilots) that allowed that and not USAPA. The Q400 would be a great fit with US.

Back to the topic.... I can't wait to see how much of this flying increase goes to mainline and how much goes to Republic and their soon to be dual class "regional" jets.

You mean the Airbus "regional jets" RP ordered? Yeah, should be interesting to see how much more mainline flying they can shift away to RP.