Pit Is Disappointing ?

[jimntx]

Maybe the unnamed county official expected the WN Effect (huge increase in O&D) to happen overnight. Given WN's success at everything else they do, it will happen. PIT doesn't yet know what the phrase "busy airport" is. WN will teach them.

 

[trvlr64]

. PIT doesn't yet know what the phrase "busy airport" is. WN will teach them.

[post="272537"][/post]​

Oh we know what a busy airport is, we just haven't had one for about 2 years here. I was in total shock the Monday after Mother's Day. The lines were out the doors and halfway down the entry area just like after 9/11. You should have heard the complaining that day. LOL

I was told it was a 2 fold effect. The Monday after Mother's Day always seems to be very busy and it was the first Monday for Southwest flights. It was actually nice to see the airport that busy again.

 

[firstamendment]

How predictable! ! LUV will tell you this is profitable and US will say it is not!! What's the surprise here?!! It gets a big DUH!!!

 

[wnbubbleboy]

How predictable! ! LUV will tell you this is profitable and US will say it is not!! What's the surprise here?!! It gets a big DUH!!!

[post="273076"][/post]​

The noun discussion has 2 meanings:

Meaning #1: an extended communication (often interactive) dealing with some particular topic
Synonyms: treatment, discourse


Meaning #2: an exchange of views on some topic
Synonyms: give-and-take, word


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[wnbubbleboy]

From the Pittsburgh Trib.


Southwest fourth-busiest airline in Pittsburgh debut

Southwest Airlines was the fourth busiest in terms of passenger traffic in its first month at Pittsburgh International Airport, airport officials said Tuesday.

The Dallas-based low-cost carrier (NYSE:LUV), which began service from Pittsburgh on May 4 with 10 daily flights, had a total of 57,260 passengers, accounting for six percent of the traffic at Pittsburgh's primary airport, according to the May Scheduled Airlines Traffic Report issued by the Allegheny County Airport Authority.

US Airways, despite cuts in service and a 39.4 percent fall off from last May, was still far and away the busiest airline in Pittsburgh, with 570,168 riders.

Delta (65,228) and United (60,931) were second and third, the airport authority said.

"The numbers show that the public has demonstrated a strong response to Southwest Airlines," said Allegheny County Airport Authority executive director Kent George. "The public's strong response to low fares and more choices is vital to the continued growth of our regional air traffic."

 

[WNjetdoc]

Good link there bubbleboy. Just like most every city we fly to, if we get the gate space we will be THE carrier there in short order.

We know how the U folks do not like to hear this, however they shouldn't take it personally, its business. From all the scuttlebutt I thought the combo of U and AWA will create the 6th largest airline, and a LCC at that....thus they will be the largest LCC in America. They will have costs in line with ours, a larger, better equipped fleet, an experienced and happy work group, they will be the cat's meow, the darling of the airline industry.

That said, they should be able to push that little airline from Texas back to Texas....being a new lean and mean airline and all, h34r: .

From the Pittsburgh Trib.
Southwest fourth-busiest airline in Pittsburgh debut

Southwest Airlines was the fourth busiest in terms of passenger traffic in its first month at Pittsburgh International Airport, airport officials said Tuesday.

The Dallas-based low-cost carrier (NYSE:LUV), which began service from Pittsburgh on May 4 with 10 daily flights, had a total of 57,260 passengers, accounting for six percent of the traffic at Pittsburgh's primary airport, according to the May Scheduled Airlines Traffic Report issued by the Allegheny County Airport Authority.

US Airways, despite cuts in service and a 39.4 percent fall off from last May, was still far and away the busiest airline in Pittsburgh, with 570,168 riders.

Delta (65,228) and United (60,931) were second and third, the airport authority said.

"The numbers show that the public has demonstrated a strong response to Southwest Airlines," said Allegheny County Airport Authority executive director Kent George. "The public's strong response to low fares and more choices is vital to the continued growth of our regional air traffic."

[post="277192"][/post]​

 

[sfb]

The Dallas-based low-cost carrier (NYSE:LUV), which began service from Pittsburgh on May 4 with 10 daily flights, had a total of 57,260 passengers, accounting for six percent of the traffic at Pittsburgh's primary airport, according to the May Scheduled Airlines Traffic Report issued by the Allegheny County Airport Authority.

If you do a little math, assuming all flights operated during the last 28 days of May, that's a total of 560 flights (280 departures, 280 arrivals). If all flights were serviced by 737-300 or -700 aircraft with 137 seats, you get 76,720 seats. Dividing the number of passengers carried by the seat count, WN's load factor to/from PIT in May was 75%.

Delta (65,228) and United (60,931) were second and third, the airport authority said.

It's pretty amazing that if Southwest had operated for all of May with a comparable load factor the first three days, they would have edged out United to be #3 in PIT during their first month of serving the market.

"The numbers show that the public has demonstrated a strong response to Southwest Airlines," said Allegheny County Airport Authority executive director Kent George. "The public's strong response to low fares and more choices is vital to the continued growth of our regional air traffic."

Yup, 75% load factors in PIT are definitely disappointing, I suppose. That's why they're adding another daily frequency to PHL, right?

 

[corl737]

... We know how the U folks do not like to hear this, however they shouldn't take it personally, its business....

[post="277204"][/post]​

I spent 4 nights in PIT during our first 10 days of service. Talking to local folks in the hotel lounge I found that our being there is definitely personal. Many people told me (paraphrasing the quotes, here!) "we're so glad Southwest is here. We love US Airways - they're our hometown carrier - but we're tired of being raped by the unreasonable fares and your being here just might stick it back to them."

In this case it is business ... and it is most definitely personal.

-- C

 

[Whatnow?]

I spent 4 nights in PIT during our first 10 days of service. Talking to local folks in the hotel lounge I found that our being there is definitely personal. Many people told me (paraphrasing the quotes, here!) "we're so glad Southwest is here. We love US Airways - they're our hometown carrier - but we're tired of being raped by the unreasonable fares and your being here just might stick it back to them."

In this case it is business ... and it is most definitely personal.

-- C

[post="277431"][/post]​

Hmmmm. when was the last time somebody checked those fares? Seems SWA is higher on a lot of those flights now.

 

[corl737]

Hmmmm. when was the last time somebody checked those fares? Seems SWA is higher on a lot of those flights now.

[post="277506"][/post]​

You're right! The other carriers have made remarkable adjustments to their fare structure after learning SWA was arriving. No one told me that they were switching their entire allegiance to SWA, only that thanks to SWA's presence US Airways was no longer able to gouge them so viciously. That's why its called the "Southwest Effect", not the "Southwest Takeover!"

If you'll check virtually every market SWA is not the lowest fare but rather the airline with the most predictable and most available seats at their lowest fares. What good is is to claim you're the lowest priced airline and only charge $39 on a route if only one seat is available at that price?

-- C

 

[firstamendment]

I flew from PIT to LAS on 5/22/05 on the nonstop.  Usually going into LAS on a Sunday is busy, but not full.  Flight had about 8 empty seats.  Flight was running late due to ATC in to LAS.  Not even the summer crowds yet.  I think PIT is doing well.  I asked the girl at the counter how the loads have been and she reflected that the 70-75% range is pretty accurate.  She said some flights are full and some have 50.

[post="272291"][/post]​

Do you really think she would say otherwise? Companies will tell you what thay want to hear.

 

[ClueByFour]

Hmmmm. when was the last time somebody checked those fares? Seems SWA is higher on a lot of those flights now.

[post="277506"][/post]​

The $1200-$1800 walkups to the west coast are gone.

The $700 walkup to PHL is gone.

The idea is not to be the lowest, it's to have predictable reasonable fares, particularly for those not flying to Disney three weeks out but say taking a business trip tomorrow.

Southwest "gets" this and has for some time. It's why they ate lunch in BWI, are picking up steam in PHL, and went to the #4 carrier in PIT with a 26 day month.

 

[WNjetdoc]

Can you say, open mouth, insert foot? .

As others have posted, its the Southwest effect, understand? We've never claimed to be THE low fare airline, we just have consistently low fares, in addition to driving down the fares when we start at a new airport. h34r:

Hmmmm. when was the last time somebody checked those fares? Seems SWA is higher on a lot of those flights now.

[post="277506"][/post]​

 

[Whatnow?]

Being the #4 carrier in PIT is nothing to boast about, there aren't that many mainline carriers there, isn't it going to a lot of commuters. And, isn't BWI losing traffic to PHL now for SWA? Sounds like they are eating their own lunch there. Same thing happened to US, got too many hubs too close together which will eventually start competition with yourself.

 

[lowfareair]

Being the #4 carrier in PIT is nothing to boast about, there aren't that many mainline carriers there, isn't it going to a lot of commuters. And, isn't BWI losing traffic to PHL now for SWA? Sounds like they are eating their own lunch there. Same thing happened to US, got too many hubs too close together which will eventually start competition with yourself.

[post="277585"][/post]​

I think Whatnow? is just scared that, based on those numbers, WN will be #2 in PIT after the Phifth Philly Phlight comes online. Or maybe that WN coach class has more legroom, leather seats, better free food on long haul flights, reasonable fares, and no RJs flying 1000 miles in PIT.