mlb might be in usairways's future
- Thread starter etops1
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SegmentKing
Veteran
But that Piedmont Punch was fantastic!
Regarding Melbourne, the only thing international about it is a few Florida Coastal flights to Treasure Cay & the occasional Vintage Jets & Props Beech King Air to Marsh Harbour.
It sure is sad to see such a beautiful airport so under-utilized. It is scary to walk into their lobby and see 40 positions and only 8 used by Delta.
Regarding Melbourne, the only thing international about it is a few Florida Coastal flights to Treasure Cay & the occasional Vintage Jets & Props Beech King Air to Marsh Harbour.
It sure is sad to see such a beautiful airport so under-utilized. It is scary to walk into their lobby and see 40 positions and only 8 used by Delta.
Furloughedagain
Senior
I went to college in Melbourne. At the time the airport was served by USAir/ USAir Express to CLT and MCO, Continental to Newark, Delta / Delta Connection to ATL, MCO, MIA. Trans-World Express flew Jetstreams in there, but I can't remember from where...
Place was hopping for a few years there!
As for the "international" designation. As most of you know that designation applies to any airport which offers customs and immigration.
Some 'international' airports do not have any airline service to speak of, but are used heavily by general aviation as a port-of-entry.
My little home-town airport of Rogers, Arkansas is "International" for that very reason.
Place was hopping for a few years there!
As for the "international" designation. As most of you know that designation applies to any airport which offers customs and immigration.
Some 'international' airports do not have any airline service to speak of, but are used heavily by general aviation as a port-of-entry.
My little home-town airport of Rogers, Arkansas is "International" for that very reason.
hula-flyguy
Veteran
- Nov 9, 2005
- 910
- 47
Yes, I was employed with USAir at the time. We GAVE CA to SWA. They were ready to retreat, but we beat them to the punch. As for the PI punch, not sure what you meant by that. I'm saying that the company I worked for at the time, USAir, purchased 2 airlines, and ran them into the ground. Remember Airmotive? Profit? sell it...for a dollar to the city...remember?
Although MLB may call itself a International airport, it is not. It is a "Landing Rights" airport, where Customs can be brought in. It takes an act of Congress to become an international airport, and there is around 15 of them. If that. They are listed in the AIM. BOS, BRG, MIA, SFO Pango Pango in Somoa come to mind. HNL too.
ringmaruf
Veteran
They left MLB on September 4, 1997, in one of the (all too frequent) huge cutbacks of service by US. On 9/4/97, US ended all service to MLB, DAB, ABQ, AUS, SAT, and ended mainline service to CVG, BGR, ISP, SWF. Nothing like shrinking to profitability...
I just wonder if Tempe realizes they're discussing with an airport in Florida and not Australia.
ringmaruf, Its seems you have an axe to grind with Tempe. Maybe its with the west side of the US. We appreciate your business but why all the biting comments. On another thread you made a comment about blaming easties for posting a loss. Whats the deal? Have they not returned your emails of fon calls? Just wondering. MamaThey left MLB on September 4, 1997, in one of the (all too frequent) huge cutbacks of service by US. On 9/4/97, US ended all service to MLB, DAB, ABQ, AUS, SAT, and ended mainline service to CVG, BGR, ISP, SWF. Nothing like shrinking to profitability...
I just wonder if Tempe realizes they're discussing with an airport in Florida and not Australia.
ringmaruf
Veteran
I have no particular axe to grind with Tempe. What I do have a problem with is incompetence, and so far Tempe has shown me, and many others, no indication that it knows what it's doing. Most worryingly, and probably why I'm as hard on them as I am, is that they're managing to completely screw up things that should come second-nature to any halfway-competent company, the simplest of things, like answering e-mails, or issuing press releases for new service.
And, yes, CCY made more than their share of outrageous mistakes. And I was/am just as hard on them; in fact, just using my post in this thread, which you use as evidence that I've an axe to grind with Tempe, I also criticize CCY for the 1997 cuts, criticism that's a good deal stronger than my comment in the thread against Tempe. I find that my criticism of CCY is often ignored and not recognized, since everyone criticizes CCY and it just blends in; when I or a few others dare to criticize Tempe, however, we are noticed, since criticizing Tempe isn't the popular and friendly thing to do, and we are then labeled as having an axe to grind.
And (you haven't made this comment, but someone likely will), I'm really, really sick of people saying that CCY screwed up during the US/PS/PI mergers, and that Tempe is just making many of the same mistakes during the US/HP merger, and that somehow makes it alright and acceptable. No, it doesn't. Two wrongs doesn't make a right, and it sure as hell won't create a successful airline. If anything, the second people making the mistakes should be held even more accountable, because they know exactly what went wrong the first time, and they should know exactly what mistakes need to be avoided. (Additionally, it certainly doesn't make any sense; I'm sure that well under half of the current US/East workforce was hired by Allegheny or pre-1987 USAir, and even those line employees that were certainly had nothing to do with how the mergers were implemented, so this entire concept of "Easties" somehow "getting what they deserve" or "getting a taste of their own medicine" remains mystifying to me.)
My worst criticism of Tempe has been the lack of response to fon calls and emails. I feel if someone takes the time from their life to send a complaint, suggestion, comment or kudos, the least any company can do is respond in a timely manner. I think this is one area where resources were not properly allocated and it shows. Im hoping they start to rectify this. It makes me very uncomfortable because I breathe customer service and there are only so many excuses you can give. I was not involved in any of the other mergers so I cant comment on what happened there. Many of us joined this board when the merger was announced or after the merger(myself included) and have really tried to educate ourselves on the history of the company in which we are now included. CCY and its cronies that tried to dismantle this company are the villains of yesterday. I have read many posts about the horrific decisions of the past managment team. I really hope that Dougs group had the brains to research what went wrong with the other mergers and try to prevent repeating the same mistakes. If they did not, I am scared. I wish nothing but the best for all the employees of this company and together with our customers creating an airline we can be proud of and you will be proud to fly.
Let us know as we continue deeper into this merger if your opinion of this management team changes. Regards.
Let us know as we continue deeper into this merger if your opinion of this management team changes. Regards.
How is it that SWA was ready to retreat when they were the ones that imposed $19 fares to begin with?
Their strategy is to operate flights at a loss, initially, then wait it out until the competition disappears. The majors can't sustain those types of losses over any meaningful period of time so it just becomes a waiting game...
So I guess you could say we "gave" CA to SWA, but the fact is that SWA just does it cheaper and charges less...
BoeingBoy
Veteran
- Nov 9, 2003
- 16,512
- 5,865
- Banned
- #26
Back to MLB.....
The 2Q05 data shows that MLB originates an average of 394 passengers a day to markets with at least 10 passengers a day. Markets with less that 10 per day average are not shown, so the number would presumably be somewhat higher but there's no way of knowing how much.
Of those 394, 302 are going to NYC (152), DC (54), PHL (20), PVD (20), ROC (16), SYR (14), PIT (14), and ORF (12). If we could get half of those, connecting thru CLT, that'd be 151 per day - enough for 4 flights/day on 50-seaters with a 75% average LF. Plus it'd increase the LF on the outbound flights from CLT. Delta carried all those passengers.
[Edit: Delta carried the vast majority - NW had a very small % to MSP & PIT - under 5%]
Yields, based on the average 2Q05 fares, are between 12.17 cents (PVD) and 32.05 cents (DC).
Since DAB was mentioned, 769 passengers a day on average originated there - again only counting markets that average at least 10 passengers per day. Of these, 465 per day are going to East coast markets where CLT would make a good connecting point (mostly the same markets as MLB). Average yields are between 12.79 cents and 33.90 cents. Delta carried all those passengers except those going to NYC, where they split the market with Continental.
[Edit: CO also carried a very small % to ORF and the West coast - also under 5%]
Jim
The 2Q05 data shows that MLB originates an average of 394 passengers a day to markets with at least 10 passengers a day. Markets with less that 10 per day average are not shown, so the number would presumably be somewhat higher but there's no way of knowing how much.
Of those 394, 302 are going to NYC (152), DC (54), PHL (20), PVD (20), ROC (16), SYR (14), PIT (14), and ORF (12). If we could get half of those, connecting thru CLT, that'd be 151 per day - enough for 4 flights/day on 50-seaters with a 75% average LF. Plus it'd increase the LF on the outbound flights from CLT. Delta carried all those passengers.
[Edit: Delta carried the vast majority - NW had a very small % to MSP & PIT - under 5%]
Yields, based on the average 2Q05 fares, are between 12.17 cents (PVD) and 32.05 cents (DC).
Since DAB was mentioned, 769 passengers a day on average originated there - again only counting markets that average at least 10 passengers per day. Of these, 465 per day are going to East coast markets where CLT would make a good connecting point (mostly the same markets as MLB). Average yields are between 12.79 cents and 33.90 cents. Delta carried all those passengers except those going to NYC, where they split the market with Continental.
[Edit: CO also carried a very small % to ORF and the West coast - also under 5%]
Jim
ringmaruf
Veteran
My only comment would be that DL would have higher yields on DCA-MLB than US, and a higher market share than you'd expect, since DL offers a nonstop. That said, I think that both MLB and DAB make great sense to expand into. I'd also take a good look at markets we recently left like PFN, VPS and markets we left not so recently like MTH, AFP. APF is probably the only one of them that can only support one carrier, and they've got DL right now, so that's plenty, but who knows if DL will stick around there in their bankruptcy. Lord knows DL stole enough of US's markets during our two bankruptcies. MTH can support one carrier I think, and it currently has none, and I do recall reading that they're also offering a bunch of incentives, marketing money, waived landing fees to any airline that'll fly there. I think we could fly maybe 1x CLT-MTH, 2x FLL-MTH, with the short segments on the latter route, that wouldn't even tie up a single CRJ for a whole day.
The other place I think US should add nonstop Florida lift is not PHL, and certainly not LGA, but rather DCA. I know, it's got the big markets--MCO, TPA, FLL, PBI, RSW, JAX. And US does own those markets, they might be the last big Florida routes left in the system that US still dominates and hasn't ceded to another airline. In the last year or two, US successfully chased DL off of those routes, which is a huge accomplishment for US given its recent history in Florida, and DL's (completely opposite) recent history there. But those markets are also the low-yielding ones. US might not have the customers to fight AA on DCA-MIA (though I really think 1x or 2x will work after US moves into the new Star teminal, given all the connectivity at DCA). And there isn't room for two carriers on DCA-MLB. But that leaves several markets ripe for the taking by US. DCA-TLH would be a *great* market for 2x or 3x daily RJs, loads of government traffic there. DCA-PNS could easily support 3x E70 or 2x 319. DCA-SRQ might be a little lower yielding because of AirTran offering conx service, but 1x 319 sounds great for it. There were questions as to whether the E70 could handle either CLT-EYW or DCA-EYW, but if it can, those routes would be a cash cow, letting people make a single conx to get to EYW instead of once at the hub then again onto an Express plane in Florida, like almost all the other airlines offer. (DL offers a CR7 on ATL-EYW, but ATL is way more inconvenient than CLT or DCA, and the CR7 can't hold a candle to the E70, though it's painful to note that even lowly ASA beats out Republic in my book. And say you throw 1x RJ on DCA-GNV, and then you get to take out ads (remember them?) in DCA, talking about offering service to 10! or more different Florida markets, you want to get from anywhere in Washington to Florida, think US, they offer the most choices. The problem, obviously, is the slots. But I think they can be found. Most markets at DCA only have 3x frequencies, and those can't be cut. But a few have more, primarily the Florida ones, which really don't need extra frequency for business. Cut MCO from 6x to 5x and upgrade the 737s to 757, end result no change in lift and a freed up slot. Cut TPA from 5x to 4x, upguage the equipment, same result. There's two, not a ton, but not bad. But you can maybe do the same thing at say HSV, go from 4x CRJ to 3x E70. RDU could go from 6x to 5x and upgrade a few CRJs to E70s. The point is, the slots are there if US wants them. Also, US leases about 20 slots from NW right now (10 roundtrips), and NW just cut several markets at DCA, so I'd assume they've got an extra few pairs available for lease for US to add markets and/or frequencies.
There's even a free pair of slots available right now. Spirit returned slots that they were using on DCA-MYR. (That's no less than THREE different occasions in the last four years where Spirit has bitched, whined, screamed, cried, and thrown a fit about not having DCA slots, were given some slots by the DOT, used them briefly, and then returned them deciding they couldn't make money in the market. In the meantime, they've tied up the valuable slots sitting unused for months. AirTran does the same thing. Spirit was given a pair of slots to use for either MLB/MYR and a pair of slots to be used for either FLL/PBI/RSW. They returned them, after failing on DCA-MLB and DCA-FLL. Yes, they couldn't make DCA-FLL work, the airline with the focus city at FLL. The DOT then gave them four more slots, both for DCA-FLL to try that market again. Then the DOT gave them two slots for DTW service. Then two two slots to give DCA-MYR another whirl, which they're again returning. As for AirTran, they were given four slots for some combo of DCA-FLL/PBI/RSW. They then asked for and received an exemption to delay beginning service by a *year*. They eventually started DCA-FLL and DCA-RSW. Then they moved the DCA-FLL to DCA-PBI. Then they asked the DOT to stop the DCA-PBI service for the summer because it was the slow season, but to keep the slots. The DOT finally said enough was enough. Again, how can FL not make markets like DCA-PBI/FLL work?
The slots can only be used to small hubs (read: small airports, the word hubs is misleading) or smaller. But that's often misleading, and a number of larger airports (in Florida, for example) will qualify. And these slots are supposed to be used to introduce low fares and provide new service at underserved markets. Yet they were awarded repeatedly for the underserved small high-fare markets of DCA-FLL/PBI/RSW. Oh, finally, with these particular slots, the DOT is not allowed to penalize US for having the most slots or give FL/NK a boost for not having many. And yet, look at the markets that keep getting them, and look at the airlines that keep getting them over and over, despite a documented history of breaking the rules and not utilizing the slots when they have them. Good thing the DOT doesn't play favorites. Not.
Anyway, all that being said, I do think US has a shot at these slots. They haven't submitted their application yet, but they've confirmed they're applying, along with Comair and (surprise) AirTran. Comair already said they're applying for CRJ service on DCA-SAV. A nice market with no daily service, to be sure, but they'll never get it with that few seats, since FL will be offering mainline, at least. I expect FL to apply for something like DCA-PBI yet again, a market that can't possibly be called small, underserved, or high-fare. That leaves US. If US does what it always does, and applies with a CRJ to ILM or someplace, they're going to lose. But if they apply with a *mainline* plane to somewhere that doesn't currently have DCA service, their advantage will be so great that the DOT will have no choice but to select them. That 319 to PNS sounds like an absolute winner, I can't see how it could do poorly, especially when operated with free slots. But I'm still expecting them to apply with the CRJ to ILM.
(Finally, I'd also get back into the outstation-to-Florida market, just from the higher yielding outstations that have no LCC competition. And only the ones that can fill a mainline plane, because the high-cost, low-fare 50-seat RJ model from MCO/TPA/FLL to every tiny little airport on the planet has clearly been proven a big failure for both FlyI and especially DL, who adds and drops those routes so fast it'd make your head spin. I'm talking former US Florida nonstop markets like ABE, MDT, HPN, GSO, RIC. Add a few new ones like SWF, AVP, TYS. It's too late to get back what we had in IND, CMH, ISP, BWI, BDL, CLE, EWR, RDU, BUF, ALB, so don't waste time and energy trying. (I think many of those markets would work with a single FLL roundtrip if that's ever built up again as a connecting hub, but certainly never anything to MCO/TPA.) This is the one part of my suggestions that has no chance at all of happening, though, simply because there aren't any planes around to be adding long northeast-Florida stage lengths on that tie up a plane for half the day. Or at least build back up the Saturday nonstops, they reannounced a ton of them about three years ago, but they've been slowly getting cancelled again a few at a time. I know there are fewer aircraft sitting around unused on Saturday since there are fewer aircraft total, but I'm sure they can find a better use for them than they're doing now. And RJs are alright for Saturday Florida service, since it's just to increase utilization.
The other place I think US should add nonstop Florida lift is not PHL, and certainly not LGA, but rather DCA. I know, it's got the big markets--MCO, TPA, FLL, PBI, RSW, JAX. And US does own those markets, they might be the last big Florida routes left in the system that US still dominates and hasn't ceded to another airline. In the last year or two, US successfully chased DL off of those routes, which is a huge accomplishment for US given its recent history in Florida, and DL's (completely opposite) recent history there. But those markets are also the low-yielding ones. US might not have the customers to fight AA on DCA-MIA (though I really think 1x or 2x will work after US moves into the new Star teminal, given all the connectivity at DCA). And there isn't room for two carriers on DCA-MLB. But that leaves several markets ripe for the taking by US. DCA-TLH would be a *great* market for 2x or 3x daily RJs, loads of government traffic there. DCA-PNS could easily support 3x E70 or 2x 319. DCA-SRQ might be a little lower yielding because of AirTran offering conx service, but 1x 319 sounds great for it. There were questions as to whether the E70 could handle either CLT-EYW or DCA-EYW, but if it can, those routes would be a cash cow, letting people make a single conx to get to EYW instead of once at the hub then again onto an Express plane in Florida, like almost all the other airlines offer. (DL offers a CR7 on ATL-EYW, but ATL is way more inconvenient than CLT or DCA, and the CR7 can't hold a candle to the E70, though it's painful to note that even lowly ASA beats out Republic in my book. And say you throw 1x RJ on DCA-GNV, and then you get to take out ads (remember them?) in DCA, talking about offering service to 10! or more different Florida markets, you want to get from anywhere in Washington to Florida, think US, they offer the most choices. The problem, obviously, is the slots. But I think they can be found. Most markets at DCA only have 3x frequencies, and those can't be cut. But a few have more, primarily the Florida ones, which really don't need extra frequency for business. Cut MCO from 6x to 5x and upgrade the 737s to 757, end result no change in lift and a freed up slot. Cut TPA from 5x to 4x, upguage the equipment, same result. There's two, not a ton, but not bad. But you can maybe do the same thing at say HSV, go from 4x CRJ to 3x E70. RDU could go from 6x to 5x and upgrade a few CRJs to E70s. The point is, the slots are there if US wants them. Also, US leases about 20 slots from NW right now (10 roundtrips), and NW just cut several markets at DCA, so I'd assume they've got an extra few pairs available for lease for US to add markets and/or frequencies.
There's even a free pair of slots available right now. Spirit returned slots that they were using on DCA-MYR. (That's no less than THREE different occasions in the last four years where Spirit has bitched, whined, screamed, cried, and thrown a fit about not having DCA slots, were given some slots by the DOT, used them briefly, and then returned them deciding they couldn't make money in the market. In the meantime, they've tied up the valuable slots sitting unused for months. AirTran does the same thing. Spirit was given a pair of slots to use for either MLB/MYR and a pair of slots to be used for either FLL/PBI/RSW. They returned them, after failing on DCA-MLB and DCA-FLL. Yes, they couldn't make DCA-FLL work, the airline with the focus city at FLL. The DOT then gave them four more slots, both for DCA-FLL to try that market again. Then the DOT gave them two slots for DTW service. Then two two slots to give DCA-MYR another whirl, which they're again returning. As for AirTran, they were given four slots for some combo of DCA-FLL/PBI/RSW. They then asked for and received an exemption to delay beginning service by a *year*. They eventually started DCA-FLL and DCA-RSW. Then they moved the DCA-FLL to DCA-PBI. Then they asked the DOT to stop the DCA-PBI service for the summer because it was the slow season, but to keep the slots. The DOT finally said enough was enough. Again, how can FL not make markets like DCA-PBI/FLL work?
The slots can only be used to small hubs (read: small airports, the word hubs is misleading) or smaller. But that's often misleading, and a number of larger airports (in Florida, for example) will qualify. And these slots are supposed to be used to introduce low fares and provide new service at underserved markets. Yet they were awarded repeatedly for the underserved small high-fare markets of DCA-FLL/PBI/RSW. Oh, finally, with these particular slots, the DOT is not allowed to penalize US for having the most slots or give FL/NK a boost for not having many. And yet, look at the markets that keep getting them, and look at the airlines that keep getting them over and over, despite a documented history of breaking the rules and not utilizing the slots when they have them. Good thing the DOT doesn't play favorites. Not.
Anyway, all that being said, I do think US has a shot at these slots. They haven't submitted their application yet, but they've confirmed they're applying, along with Comair and (surprise) AirTran. Comair already said they're applying for CRJ service on DCA-SAV. A nice market with no daily service, to be sure, but they'll never get it with that few seats, since FL will be offering mainline, at least. I expect FL to apply for something like DCA-PBI yet again, a market that can't possibly be called small, underserved, or high-fare. That leaves US. If US does what it always does, and applies with a CRJ to ILM or someplace, they're going to lose. But if they apply with a *mainline* plane to somewhere that doesn't currently have DCA service, their advantage will be so great that the DOT will have no choice but to select them. That 319 to PNS sounds like an absolute winner, I can't see how it could do poorly, especially when operated with free slots. But I'm still expecting them to apply with the CRJ to ILM.
(Finally, I'd also get back into the outstation-to-Florida market, just from the higher yielding outstations that have no LCC competition. And only the ones that can fill a mainline plane, because the high-cost, low-fare 50-seat RJ model from MCO/TPA/FLL to every tiny little airport on the planet has clearly been proven a big failure for both FlyI and especially DL, who adds and drops those routes so fast it'd make your head spin. I'm talking former US Florida nonstop markets like ABE, MDT, HPN, GSO, RIC. Add a few new ones like SWF, AVP, TYS. It's too late to get back what we had in IND, CMH, ISP, BWI, BDL, CLE, EWR, RDU, BUF, ALB, so don't waste time and energy trying. (I think many of those markets would work with a single FLL roundtrip if that's ever built up again as a connecting hub, but certainly never anything to MCO/TPA.) This is the one part of my suggestions that has no chance at all of happening, though, simply because there aren't any planes around to be adding long northeast-Florida stage lengths on that tie up a plane for half the day. Or at least build back up the Saturday nonstops, they reannounced a ton of them about three years ago, but they've been slowly getting cancelled again a few at a time. I know there are fewer aircraft sitting around unused on Saturday since there are fewer aircraft total, but I'm sure they can find a better use for them than they're doing now. And RJs are alright for Saturday Florida service, since it's just to increase utilization.
FCYTravis
Senior
Which raises the "Air Carrier Association of America" (Spirit, AirTran and Frontier) whining about the HP/US beyond-perimeter slots to Phoenix and Las Vegas to the height of disingenuity.
ringmaruf
Veteran
Of course. But you expect them to be big hypocrites, and you read their documents with the appropriate slant. The truly scandalous thing I think is how the DOT plays along with their little games and often blatantly violates statute in showing certain airlines patent favoratism, very often at significant detriment not merely to the big, bad, evil legacy airlines, but to the consumer.
As for the DCA-LAS/PHX slots, I actually couldn't be happier with the ACAA's filing. I believed (and still do believe) that US is not permitted by law to keep those slots. (I think that's silly, but that's how I understand it, and that there's not even much of a question about it.) It was clear that who was determined to be the surviving carrier was the basis for who got to keep what slot exemptions (oh, everywhere in this post and the last where I've said "slots", I've meant "slot exemptions" and just been too lazy to type. Slots are indeed transferable and rather liquid [cf.: US mortgaging its future to Republic and endangering its market-leading position at the two most important business airports in the country, all for 30 pieces of silver and to wash its hands of the EMB division employees], but they're almost never issued any longer; what are issued are "slot exemptions", which, as their name implies, allows one to operate your flight with an exemption to the rule that requires you to have an actual slot.
Where was I? Oh, yes. Anyway, I believe that US could've successfully argued to the DOT that US bought HP, or that HP bought US, whichever it found more convenient, for the purposes of slots and other purposes (of which I can't think of any at the moment, but I'm sure there are some). Had the combined company argued that HP bought US, then they would've been able to keep the DCA-LAS/PHX slot exemptions, but they'd have lost US's slot exemptions. Now at DCA, US only has literally a handful of slot exemptions, they mostly use real slots, for precisely the reason that the DOT just refuses to approve any US applications for slot exemptions, whatever the circumstances. At LGA, though, where the DOT has almost no discretion with regards to who qualifies for slot exemptions, US (all or nearly all Express) operated literally scores of slot exemptions. While DCA beyond-perimeter exemptions are indeed wonderful, I don't think that anyone could successfully argue that US should have tried to keep them instead of the LGA slots. (And it would've been mighty difficult for even the gifted liars working for US to convince the DOT et al that HP bought US at DCA, but US bought HP at LGA.)
So this is basically all ACAA needed to say, to say that US needed to make up its mind. But they didn't. They filed this long, rambling, completely amateur (reminded me of a Tempe press release
) document that US promptly took apart very methodically and piece by piece in its response. Surprisingly, no other airlines commented, probably because they wrongly assumed that ACAA was making good arguments. Had ACAA done nothing, I think by now someone like AA would've complained about the slot exemptions, and they wouldn't have messed it up, and US wouldn't stand nearly as good a chance at keeping any, let alone all, of its beyond-perimeter exemptions. ACAA even made the fatal rhetorical mistake of making several hypocritical arguments which sounded half-decent in a populist sort of way, until you realized that they'd been filing briefs saying exactly the opposite thing as recently as the week before, when their needs required they take the other position. US absolutely killed them on that, and if there are any legitimate points in ACAA's motion, they're long forgotten by the end of US's response. ACAA then filed a response to US's response where it just basically regurgitated what it had already said, not well done at all. I was really shocked, they usually hire better attorneys and pretend to actually present law in their motions, rather than just whining about how US has all the slots.The outcome, of course, is still not at all sure. While the ACAA's motion was the best possible thing US could've hoped for, the DOT could still decide the case against US for other reasons the ACAA did not decide to argue, or just because it doesn't like US and wants to give the slots to its buddies at AirTran and Spirit, where they'll be an underused and wasted perishable resource.
SegmentKing
Veteran
They're looking at CLT-EYW.. there is a tremendous amount of local traffic on the route, and fares are normally $400 roundtrip plus taxes, so $200 each way for a 1.5 hour flight isn't bad yield!
I would be thrilled to see Piedmont pick up 15 Dash 8s from the desert and throw them in FLL, PBI, and TPA. There are so many routes available out there JUST for local traffic that we could make a pretty penny on!
I would be thrilled to see Piedmont pick up 15 Dash 8s from the desert and throw them in FLL, PBI, and TPA. There are so many routes available out there JUST for local traffic that we could make a pretty penny on!
