Flying Away / It's Time To Stop Counting On Us Air

[EyeInTheSky]

Doesn't matter. WN won't pay the outrageous fees to PIT when so many Burghers have shown willingness to drive to Cleveland to get on their flights. WN may eventually see the numbers work as USAirways pulls out, but watch for two- or three- leg service to the west coast. Transatlantic non-stops? Dream on. For a while I thought USAirways would keep PIT-FRA with maybe a stop in BOS, but I guess not.

As far as the Post-Gazette article, the editor is right. USAirways is a loser airline. I knew it in 1979 when I sent an application to every airline in the country EXCEPT USAir. Then that nitwit Colodny had to go an buy my job. I should have done then what I did in 1979...sent an application to every other airline in the country and got the h*** out of this zoo.

What the editor failed to say, though, is that Pittsburgh is a loser "city," too. For decades USAir and PIT were a match made in heaven: each feeding the other's outsized, but midplaced, ego. No now it's time for divorce. So what.

[post="169875"][/post]​

Gee you're a real neat guy. I think Ed bought Piedmont just to p*ss you off. Don't like working for this loser airline? Quit! Sounds like we would be better off without your kind of 'tude.

 

[E-TRONS]

Now we know what's wrong with you :huh: Seriously, I was born on the other side of this state. I am totally embarrassed by that fact. The PHL area has the rudest people on the planet, bar none. New Yorkers are prom queens compared to the brash "Yo Philly" attitude. I'll take the rustheads over the rudeheads anyday. That being said, I'd rather be eaten by a wolf and sh*t off a cliff than move back to that dump on the other side of the state.

[post="169912"][/post]​

Thanks for the laugh......wolf and cliff !!!

 

[EyeInTheSky]

Conversely if I've heard it once I've heard it 10 times from PIT based F/A's "We don't get paid until the door closes", but NEVER from other crew bases. The point I was and continue to make is that PIT is different from PHL or CLT in attitude. You read it in the posts here. You can tell the posters origins in many cases just in the manner in which they write.

[post="169918"][/post]​

PineyBob, I know there are nice areas around PHL. Having lived there once too many I just have a bad taste in my mouth for their brand of living. Whatever that means.

As for PIT based FAs, you know not everyone that's based here lives here. And I've flown enough and never heard that. Are you saying you aren't served until the door is closed with PIT fas? I am confused here.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

Thanks for the laugh......wolf and cliff !!!

[post="169922"][/post]​

ETRONS glad you appreciate my sick brand of humor.

 

[SKY HIGH]

PITbull remarks:See ya Chief...don't let the door kick you in the...
Let the truth be told!
Let freedom ring....I love this paper.

Sky High remarks: And WHO made remarks about WEARING BOWS IN THEIR HAIR in the SOUTHERN BASE? Isnt that remark being alittle hypocritical?

 

[EyeInTheSky]

PITbull remarks:See ya Chief...don't let the door kick you in the...
Let the truth be told!
Let freedom ring....I love this paper.

Sky High remarks: And WHO made remarks about WEARING BOWS IN THEIR HAIR in the SOUTHERN BASE? Isnt that remark being alittle hypocritical?

[post="169939"][/post]​

I thought the "bow thing" was an accurate observation regarding a Southern base. Go in the crew room down there, it's like a Jon Benet-Shirley Temple pagent with all those bows.

 

[air chief]

I didn't grow up in PHL. I grew up in a town of 250 people. Then & now. The big social event was the "Saints & Sinners" softball game where the church played the bar one Saturday in the summer. You need not tell me about PHL I had season tickets to the Eagles in the 700 level of Vet Stadium (Ah if the beer was only as cold as the hot dogs) and decorum prohibits describing the activities there. If you're looking for a defender of PHL you'll need to look elsewhere.

At least the Eagles have cheerleaders.. a diversion if the Eagles are having a stinky game. When the Steelers are stinkn up the joint..only other entertainment is watching Coach Cowher spitting and swearing . That is one positive about this region....I had never seen 2500 fans at a high school football game till I came down here..friday/saturdays around here rocks during football season.

 

[whlinder]

If American can support a flight from Raleigh-Durham to London, why can't Pittsburgh support a flight to Frankfurt?

[post="169861"][/post]​

You tell me why. Why did US cut it their PIT-FRA flight? Perhaps its not making money?

If AA couldn't make RDU-LON work they wouldn't fly it.

 

[WorldTraveler]

PIT is more than large enough to have frequent service to a number of key destinations - in reality, probably the same set of markets that US proposes serving after Nov. They will have to lower fares or they will leave themselves ripe for an LCC to move into those markets (they may anyway).
The reason why other airlines unit costs (per passenger) are going down in PIT is because they have incurred no additional costs. There are different ways that airports are managed but it is not necessarily a given that all of the other carriers will have to incur increased costs because of US' pulldown. If other carriers have long-term leases (which most do) their costs are relatively locked in; it is the airport authority that "eats" the decreased revenue. In reality, public entities very rarely default on their obligations - in the worst case the state could agree to pay part of the debt service costs as part of a development grant until the airport can develop a new business plan. PIT will gain enough air service in time but other carriers will not need or pay for the number of gates that were built for US.

As for international service, it is very possible that PIT would be a good candidate for PrivatAir or some other long-range business class product to a European hub like FRA if only operated a couple times per year. Further, don't forget that there are still a number of hubs around PIT that do have international service and carriers at those hubs will aggressively big to gain that business - meaning Bayer etc may not have the nonstop service they once had but will probably pay less for it. At that point, those companies will likely have to choose to pay relatively high fares for nonstop fairly personalized service or to settle for lower quality connecting service at much lower rates. The PIT market is probably not likely to be able to support both. A few exclusive execs might be able to justify private jets.

As for why AA can make RDULON work, remember that LON is a much more restrictive market than Germany, and thus fares are higher.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

As for international service, it is very possible that PIT would be a good candidate for PrivatAir or some other long-range business class product to a European hub like FRA if only operated a couple times per year. Further, don't forget that there are still a number of hubs around PIT that do have international service and carriers at those hubs will aggressively big to gain that business - meaning Bayer etc may not have the nonstop service they once had but will probably pay less for it. At that point, those companies will likely have to choose to pay relatively high fares for nonstop fairly personalized service or to settle for lower quality connecting service at much lower rates. The PIT market is probably not likely to be able to support both. A few exclusive execs might be able to justify private jets.

As for why AA can make RDULON work, remember that LON is a much more restrictive market than Germany, and thus fares are higher.

[post="170051"][/post]​

BINGO! I think Lufthansa's little business venture is perfect for the PIT market. I totally expect this to happen whether US survives or not.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

That is one positive about this region....I had never seen 2500 fans at a high school football game till I came down here..friday/saturdays around here rocks during football season.

[post="170029"][/post]​

Joe Montana, Jim Kelly, Joe Namath, Johnny Unitas, Dan Marino, LaVar Arrington, Ty Law, Mike Ditka, just to name a few. All good reasons to go to Friday night High School games around the "burgh".

 

[OldGuyinPA]

SWA won't have to pay those fees.

PIT will entice them to come with free rent, low landing fees, and many other freebies. Just look at BWI...then PHL...You can count on it.....How long before they do CLT...

 

[firstamendment]

This thread is a waste of space. Why bother trying to form an opinion with all the frustration and anger. ANYTHING that is said that does not sing praises to the PIT residences AND US employeess will p*ss them off regardless, so just leave them the hell along.

All I have to say is the following employees empathize with the employees and residence of PIT:

BWI, SYR, DAY, LAX, SFO, SAN, IND, CMH, GSO, FLORIDA, the entire former PSA cities gone, the thousands of commuters who were uprooted and smuggly told "you said you were willing to relocate when you got this job" or smuggly, "Well, you choose to commute" and the 20000 employees furloughed.

Hell, we all knew US Airways was a looser then. Welcome 7000 'burghers to the REALITY CLUB.

PIT WILL survive. We will all survive, but please stop the attacks.

 

[WestCoastGuy]

FirstAmendment is correct...you will survive. One thing this company knows how to do is close shop and run. But life goes on. I learned a long time ago to never depend on USair to do the "right" thing. Just roll with the punches until this ride ends.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

I keep hearing this term "loser airline" back in 1979, 1989. Hell you all had the chance to leave back then, why didn't you? Stop being so Junior High here. Cripe.