Psa Files For Bigger Birds

[ITRADE]

PSA/US filed an application with DOT on Wednesday to fly bigger aircraft.

In their application, PSA states that it has possession of 26 DO328s and 7 CRJ-200s. PSA further states that it intends to be rid of all 26 DO-328s by the end of 2004 and will be operating exclusively as a RJ carrier. The carrier has plans to acquire 42 additional CRJ-200s and 20 70-seat CRJ-701s during 2004. 9 more CRJ-200s will come in 2005.

PSA reported a net profit of $11MM for the first 9 months of 2003.

 

[USFlyer]

CRJ-701? What the heck is this? Is this a CRJ-900 in disguise or truly a variant of the CRJ-700? I saw a brand new shiny PSA CRJ-200 today in PHL ... nice to see a wholly owned with these birds for a change.

 

[ITRADE]

CRJ-701? What the heck is this? Is this a CRJ-900 in disguise or truly a variant of the CRJ-700? I saw a brand new shiny PSA CRJ-200 today in PHL ... nice to see a wholly owned with these birds for a change.

According to PSA, they're 70 seat RJs. They don't sound like a -900.

 

[Light Years]

Why, oh why, cant we just get Embraer 170s (the superior product), put them at MAA and leave it at that.

Mainline suffered for years the high costs of having virtually every 100 seat aircraft on the matket. Why are we now purchasing, for our our own subsidiaries, two planes with the same capacity serving the same function?

More insulting is the fact that the 85 EMB170s at MAA would not provide a job for every mainline furloughee if they chose to go, but PSA is growing, hiring, from a state of 26 to about 70 aircraft?

So US Airways will be hiring flight attendants off the street to staff shiny new 70 seat jets at PSA, while its own furloughees might not get offered a position at MAA? Thats bull@#$%! The pay scales are similar, why are the US Airways flight attendants being shafted again, with no jets for jobs or even preferential hiring (like the pilots) for NEW, ADDITIONAL, US AIRWAYS GROUP AIRCRAFT! No new flight attendants should be hired at any US Airways Group owned airline until the thousands of furloughees are offered jobs. Period.

PITbull, what do think of this? Perhaps this is a matter that should be "on the table" if they have the nerve to approach the AFA for a single concession.

 

[ITRADE]

Why, oh why, cant we just get Embraer 170s (the superior product), put them at MAA and leave it at that.

Probably a function of when they could get the aircraft delivered.

There may have also been a little bit of concern as to whether or not the EMB was going to be delivered on time since it was an unproven aircraft. In contrast, the CRJ 700 was on the market and was demonstrated to fly well.

 

[Bluestreak]

I think the 701 is a 700 in two class configuration. I am not sure though.

 

[ITRADE]

I think the 701 is a 700 in two class configuration. I am not sure though.

Donno if that was going to be the case or not. Sure hope that it would be. It would certainly be a marketing advantage.

 

[Light Years]

If the CRJs are in two class and the EMBs are not... what a mess. The US Airways Express product will now range from 19 seat props with no lav or FA to large seventy seat jets with first class cabins, talk about brand confusion and inconsistency... poor marketing choices again and again.

I'm still appalled that these 70 seat jets will be put at PSA to be staffed by people off the street while Airways has 5000 flight attendants furloughed that will not be covered by MAA's 85 aircraft. What a slap in the face- again. :angry:

 

[ITRADE]

If the CRJs are in two class and the EMBs are not... what a mess. The US Airways Express product will now range from 19 seat props with no lav or FA to large seventy seat jets with first class cabins, talk about brand confusion and inconsistency... poor marketing choices again and again.

I'm still appalled that these 70 seat jets will be put at PSA to be staffed by people off the street while Airways has 5000 flight attendants furloughed that will not be covered by MAA's 85 aircraft. What a slap in the face- again. :angry:

That is curious. Did AFA attempt to do a J4J section in their contract proposals?

 

[Light Years]

Unfortunatly no, not that I know of. Only MAA which is still to materialize and will not cover very much. 85 small jets (wnenever they arrive) dont put much of a dent in the 5000 and growing list of furloughees.

 

[ITRADE]

Unfortunatly no, not that I know of. Only MAA which is still to materialize and will not cover very much. 85 small jets (wnenever they arrive) dont put much of a dent in the 5000 and growing list of furloughees.

I know, but I was thinking that some is better than none.

OTOH, what is the staffing for a RJ? My guess is 5 FAs per 50 seat aircraft and 10 FAs for 70 seat aircraft. So with 51 CRJ 200s, and 20 CRJ 700s, they could have employed 450 FAs.

 

[sfb]

To quote Bombardier's marketing material from their website:

The Bombardier CRJ700 Series 701 cabin provides comfortable four-abreast or dual class with 3 abreast business class seating for 64 to 70 passengers and the Series 705 cabin provides comfortable dual class with 3 abreast business class seating for 75 passengers. Relative to the Bombardier CRJ200 , the windows in the Bombardier CRJ700 Series have been raised four inches (10.16 cm) to add more natural lighting. By lowering the floor by one inch (2.5 cm) the Bombardier CRJ700 Series gives passengers more head and shoulder room than any other competitive aircraft on the market today.

If you look at the specifications, the 705 is the same length as the 900; note that there is no option for single-class seating in the 705 since that would be the 900... I imagine that the 705 is sold like the 440 -- the operator agrees to equip the aircraft with a maximum number of seats (and would have to pay Bombardier an additional fee to "upgrade" to the higher seating capacity).

 

[Cloud Watcher]

Who really cares?

 

[Flying Titan]

I think the 701 is a 700 in two class configuration. I am not sure though.

It's my understanding that both the 70-seat CRJs and the EMB 170s will be configured in a one-class configuration with pitch that is supposedly similar to the current Shuttle seating.

 

[flyin2low]

"So US Airways will be hiring flight attendants off the street to staff shiny new 70 seat jets at PSA, while its own furloughees might not get offered a position at MAA? Thats bull@#$%! The pay scales are similar, why are the US Airways flight attendants being shafted again, with no jets for jobs or even preferential hiring (like the pilots) for NEW, ADDITIONAL, US AIRWAYS GROUP AIRCRAFT! No new flight attendants should be hired at any US Airways Group owned airline until the thousands of furloughees are offered jobs. Period."

So what's stopping you from applying? :blink: