Scott Kirby's CLT Crew News Update - July 29

[US AIRWAYS FAN]

I doubt the runway at DCA is long enough for a fully loaded 757.....

Yes it has been done on a fully loaded 757 with HP 757 aircraft when it did run from DCA to PHX at one time. I was on it.

 

[CactUS4Ever]

I feel the company is doing the right thing looking to decrease the express flights out of LGA but in turn they need to increase mainline flying because Kirby said himself mainline is making money. Why doesnt he listen to himself???

 

[phllax]

I doubt the runway at DCA is long enough for a fully loaded 757.....

TWA ran the 757 between DCA-LAX when they had the service.

 

[USstew23]

For example, LGA-BUF has a combination of nine RJ/Dash 8 flights per day that are unprofitable. If the company replaced those 400 seats with 3 or 4 A319 flights then the market could become profitable with less takeoff and landing fees and with an improved operation. The same type of capacity/equipment mismatch problem exists in markets like LGA to ROC, SYR, PIT, RIC, ORF, etc.

However, with fee for service contracts in place at companies like Air Wisconsin, Trans States, and Colgan reducing Express capacity becomes more problematic because management has less flexibility to reduce Express capacity. One area that could be reduced is Piedmont and PSA, which are US Airways Group wholly owned operations that are not "fee for service" restricted.


With the Mainline Minimum Fleet Count governed by union contracts, the pending reduction of higher CASM RJ flying at both LGA and DCA, the pending reduced LGA facility expense/lack of vendor revenue, and increased Mainline DCA flying; maybe the pending deal could create an increase in LGA Mainline flying to cities inside the perimeter, which could make LGA profitable.

Regards,

USA320Pilot

P.S. It is my understanding the LGA Mainline Crew Base will remain in place and Mainline Flying will remain intact (who knows it might even grow).

The thing is that Trans States does not have a fee for departure contract anymore (they bascially operate their little PIT operation [3ish airplanes on a good day] as "at risk". Also I know that at least some of Colgan's operation is "at risk" or EAS as well (how much of either Colgan does I do not know, but I don't think they really do any fee for departure for US anymore). The biggest fee for departure carriers operating at LGA are Chautauqua (Republic) and Air Wisconsin. On the WO side I think it's pretty much just Piedmont with maybe some token PSA every now and then.

 

[john john]

I bet Southwest will (love) the slots in LGA and kick some more USAirways butt

 

[john john]

: "For example, LGA-BUF has a combination of nine RJ/Dash 8 flights per day that are unprofitable. However, with fee for service contracts in place at companies like Air Wisconsin, Trans States, and Colgan reducing Express capacity becomes more problematic because management has less flexibility to reduce Express capacity. One area that could be reduced is Piedmont and PSA, which are US Airways Group wholly owned operations that are not "fee for service" restricted.

Management spent a lot of time and effort convincing labor that more express flying was the best thing for USAirways

 

[AirbusAVE]

I bet Southwest will (love) the slots in LGA and kick some more USAirways butt

How's WN doing in PHL?

I think LCC would be rather happy to have WN + Delta + Continenal + American + Jetblue fight it out. Why fight it out when you can jack up prices in Philadelphia, DCA, and Charlotte?


Speaking of DCA. Will DCA ever get hub status?

 

[rvolkcpa]

I bet Southwest will (love) the slots in LGA and kick some more USAirways butt

I think any major would fear a larger SW presence at LGA.

 

[hp_fa]

I doubt the runway at DCA is long enough for a fully loaded 757.....

Yeah, I worked fully loaded DCA-PHX flights on the 757. The only part of "fully loaded" that I don't know about is whether it carried any mail or other freight, but we did fly with full passenger loads.

Someone in Ops or a bean counter might have better information, but I think that the A-320 or A-319 is more economical to operate to the point that it provides better net revenue performance by the time that all the fuel, landing fees, the extra FA and other stuff is figured into the equation. I suspect that a less than full 757 (say 170 passengers) is less desirable that a full Airbus and by having less seats for sale the revenue can be enhanced on the seats actually that are for sale.

 

[ISP]

Management spent a lot of time and effort convincing labor that more express flying was the best thing for USAirways

JetBlue seems to make JFK-SYR/BUF/ROC/PWM/BTV profitable on mainline equipment.

And I think the perimiter rule, while dumb, is being blamed for the LGA failure a bit too much. Transcons are money losers. The Airtran's, JetBlue's, Southwest's don't make their money on transcon's - they make it on short hauls, NE pt to pt, etc.

 

[CaptBud330]

I flew the 727 LGA-BDA and it was always full. Can't imagine why we ever gave that up.

 

[VAflyGal]

Fogive me, I'm out here cleaning up passenger vomit today and haven't seen the webcast, but did anything meaningful come from the yapping? Any solutions proposed to this sad sad four year loss?
Please park some of those regionals and bring back some mainline. For the love, already.

 

[Furloughd4now]

Furloughd4now,

I quickly typed notes from a Webcast and I'm not very good at dictation. If I could listen and type at the same time I could use better grammer; however, in many instances I directly quoted Scott. I tried to quote Scott and type, which is not easy to do. Have you ever tried to do this?

All you need to do is show some initiative and go to theHub.com or Wings.com to listen to the Webcast. But, since you do not seem to know how to do this here are the links. Click here for the Wings presentation and click here for the presentation on theHub.com.

Maybe after you listen to the Webcast your self then maybe you will not make smart-aleck comments like "This strikes me as being YOUR interpretation of a meeting, not anything actual."

Finally, people are concerned about LGA because of the potential job loss at Piedmont and the Mainline. LGA is a close knit group where Pilots, Flight Attendants, CSAs, FSAs, Mechanics and others are friends on a first name basis. Every person there is concerned about the NYCCT, which makes it important to get information out ASAP.

Regards,

USA320Pilot

Again, you are pontificating on something most, if not all employees, should already be aware of a meeting that was recorded on the 29th of July. Yes, I have done dictation, I was a secy during the typewriter years and a parent ;-)

In addition, I AM A LGA EMPLOYEE, so I KNOW first hand what is going on. I have been, and still am, very concerned with the future of a base that has been closing for well over 7 years now.

I still think we are thinking so backwards and if we just take back some of RJ legs and give it back to mainline, we'd do ok.

Your original post again is contradictory, whereas one paragragh it states its not doing well; and yet another, it is, or maybe its me, having a blond moment. h34r:

Thanks for the update.

In terms of the "Big Announcement" .... was that it? It hardly qualifies as a big announcement because nothing concrete came of it. Nothing was said that the LGA employees don't already know. If they grow DCA, kicking out LGA that means displacements and perhaps furloughs. I KNOW I will be part of both.

PS. If SWA wins the Frontier bid, they will have another slot at LGA .... to go to Denver with.... stay tuned kids and have a nice weekend.

With all this crappy weather here in NYC, please fly safe!

 

[Richard]

Just a friendly reminder--discuss the content of the posts, but DO NOT comment on the actual poster.....

 

[usa1]

Didn't a lot of our LGA slots go to Republic somehow? Back in BK didn't they give us cash for them? Maybe Southwest is going to bid for Frontier and Republic?