Furloughedagain
Senior
Regarding US Airways potentially leaving the PIT airport.
Isnt Pittsburgh getting exactly what it wants? For literally years we have all heard the moaning and complaining from the residents of this city regarding the stratospherically high cost of flying out of the Greater Pittsburgh International Airport.
Time and again the newspaper and other media outlets, dismissed the benefits of being able to fly virtually anywhere in the country non-stop, and complained about spending a few extra dollars for the privilege. The mayor would not even support the hometown airline. Instead he drove to Cleveland to fly America''s favorite cattle-car airline.
Pittsburghers are quick to remark that Southwest would most certainly open a large PIT operation should US Airways close up shop and move away. Some seem to think they might even open a vast hub providing the citizens of the Burgh'' with an armada of $99 fares to cities throughout the land. After all, why wouldn''t they? Pittsburgh has a half-dozen stadiums and a tunnel which works...some of the time.
Dont buy into the hype folks. Pittsburgh is a hub BECAUSE of US Airways, not in spite of it. If US Airways were to leave tomorrow the Pittsburgh airport would be left a great white elephant in Findley township. You would have unrestricted access to the hubs of almost every other major airline -- Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Memphis, Cincinnati -- but you would not have the vast nonstop service that you enjoy today. Indeed even if Southwest were to come to Pittsburgh they would serve only a handful of cities. But Southwest isnt coming. They have no fear of US Airways -- if they thought they could make money in Pittsburgh they would have been here long ago.
Unfortunately the goose that laid the golden eggs and provided this region with thousands of jobs and valuable links to business centers throughout the country is on life support. The Pittsburgh airport is a beautiful facility, no question about it, the finest in the country, but it isn''t a hub without US Airways.
So the same city that builds Stadiums as if money grew on trees and who balked at the idea of building a maintenance facility to keep jobs in the community will finally get its wish. It will price itself out of the market and the largest employer in the area will leave -- taking all of its service and all of its employees with it.
Pittsburgh will be left with the hope that Southwest finds it convenient and profitable to start service to Baltimore and Nashville for $99 one-way. I''ll keep my fingers crossed for you.
Seems like a fair trade.
Furloughed US Airways Employee
Coraopolis, PA
Isnt Pittsburgh getting exactly what it wants? For literally years we have all heard the moaning and complaining from the residents of this city regarding the stratospherically high cost of flying out of the Greater Pittsburgh International Airport.
Time and again the newspaper and other media outlets, dismissed the benefits of being able to fly virtually anywhere in the country non-stop, and complained about spending a few extra dollars for the privilege. The mayor would not even support the hometown airline. Instead he drove to Cleveland to fly America''s favorite cattle-car airline.
Pittsburghers are quick to remark that Southwest would most certainly open a large PIT operation should US Airways close up shop and move away. Some seem to think they might even open a vast hub providing the citizens of the Burgh'' with an armada of $99 fares to cities throughout the land. After all, why wouldn''t they? Pittsburgh has a half-dozen stadiums and a tunnel which works...some of the time.
Dont buy into the hype folks. Pittsburgh is a hub BECAUSE of US Airways, not in spite of it. If US Airways were to leave tomorrow the Pittsburgh airport would be left a great white elephant in Findley township. You would have unrestricted access to the hubs of almost every other major airline -- Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Memphis, Cincinnati -- but you would not have the vast nonstop service that you enjoy today. Indeed even if Southwest were to come to Pittsburgh they would serve only a handful of cities. But Southwest isnt coming. They have no fear of US Airways -- if they thought they could make money in Pittsburgh they would have been here long ago.
Unfortunately the goose that laid the golden eggs and provided this region with thousands of jobs and valuable links to business centers throughout the country is on life support. The Pittsburgh airport is a beautiful facility, no question about it, the finest in the country, but it isn''t a hub without US Airways.
So the same city that builds Stadiums as if money grew on trees and who balked at the idea of building a maintenance facility to keep jobs in the community will finally get its wish. It will price itself out of the market and the largest employer in the area will leave -- taking all of its service and all of its employees with it.
Pittsburgh will be left with the hope that Southwest finds it convenient and profitable to start service to Baltimore and Nashville for $99 one-way. I''ll keep my fingers crossed for you.
Seems like a fair trade.
Furloughed US Airways Employee
Coraopolis, PA
