SOUTHWEST Adding BIG at PIT! Who didn't know that

[Jimmy Neutron]

While it's a great thing for SWA to build up PIT.....I think too much SWA might also be a bad thing for PIT. Isn't it possible that too many flights from SWA will cause other Legacy carriers to further retreat from PIT because of the competition. PIT could be left with only short haul flights on SWA kind of like Long Islands' ISP airport is. You have to be careful for what you wish for? JMO

No one is saying this will be good for the remaining employees on PIT, the way Tempe operates is ...Oh my...more LCC competition in PIT...guess we will have to cut more and run......

It's just too bad Doug and Co. have no vision whatsoever....

 

[Whatnow?]

No one is saying this will be good for the remaining employees on PIT, the way Tempe operates is ...Oh my...more LCC competition in PIT...guess we will have to cut more and run......

It's just too bad Doug and Co. have no vision whatsoever....

Well honestly, I think DP is waiting for that scenario to happen....I'm just wondering if the OTHER Legacy carriers will start retreating too if the O/D is supposedly that bad there?

 

[Travelpro72]

How much time do we think will pass before Usairways pulls a few of the PIT-PHL flights? Will Usairways still feel they have a need for the current schedule between the two? Southwest flies the route so it MUST be a money loser for US. Hmmmmm

 

[ClueByFour]

Could it be all of the new "cash cow" applicants are adding to the ranks of the FF program? I've noticed a lot of entry level FF's on the manifest for F/C. I know that they can use a portion of the free miles towards Preferred status.

Part of the problem with "cash cowing" is this: one cannot use a portion of the BoA miles towards status. That is a myth. They dump you 25k miles. You could upgrade a flight or two with those, but they do not count towards status.

It used to be (and may still be) that if one spends $25k/year on the card that you got something like 10k or 15k "status" miles in your account. That's probably not any of the "cash cow" applicants.

 

[DLFlyer31]

That being said, Parker and Kirby had an excellent opportunity to build PIT back into a successful market it once was.

Later,
Eye

And what makes you believe this? The only time PIT was ever successful was back during an era when US/Allegheny could charge sky high fares and faced little competition. That era is OVER and with it died small hubs like PIT that relied heavily on charging astronomical fares to passengers connecting from small markets. Not to mention PIT's stagnant to shrinking economy and population certainly don't give much hope for building a future hub.

It's nothing personal....lots of other cities have been hit with the same cuts STL, RDU, BNA, DAY, etc. However, this belief that PIT can be turned into a money-making mega hub is simply a delusional fantasy.

 

[Doc]

They are replacing US1's on a one-for-one basis? I doubt it.

Now you know how many upgrades I used to sell...If not it used to be 8 - 20 a day an just for the record I always took care of CP's ...but now my biggest competitor is the kiosk and the web site Silvers and golds are coming out of the woodwork in droves and can't wait to be CP's.
I ask them and the one constant in all of them is they need to fly more on U. Oh and one more thing I am noticing that allot of FF's are requesting to have their dividends number put in their record..........

I used to be can you put my UA number in. This tells me they are trying to get more status on U instead of UA. I believe this is a direct result in our upgrade policy.

 

[US1YFARE]

Now you know how many upgrades I used to sell...If not it used to be 8 - 20 a day an just for the record I always took care of CP's ...but now my biggest competitor is the kiosk and the web site Silvers and golds are coming out of the woodwork in droves and can't wait to be CP's.
I ask them and the one constant in all of them is they need to fly more on U. Oh and one more thing I am noticing that allot of FF's are requesting to have their dividends number put in their record..........

I used to be can you put my UA number in. This tells me they are trying to get more status on U instead of UA. I believe this is a direct result in our upgrade policy.

Yes, Silver and Golds are coming out of the woodwork because they have GIVEN AWAY that status. Do you know how people are Silver and have flown 1 transcon a year or Gold and were actually given Gold status last year for FREE????? Those people like the upgrade policy because the US1's are leaving. Until I stopped flying US this year, I would be the only US1 or one of 2 on many flights in the past that were difficult for a US1 to upgrade on. That tells you something. Even the FA's are seeing the depleting number of US1's. I know that there are still many 757 flights (8 seats) where I could buy the ticket for travel today and still upgrade. Those flights used to be impossible to upgrade on.

Do you know how many people have told me that they are a US1 and then you see their boarding pass and they are a silver? People love to tell stories. For example, these people you are talking to say they can't wait to be CP's....it would take a HUGE increase in travel for a Silver to make CP. I highly doubt it is a situation where US is the second carrier that they have status on and they are diverting all of their business to US to get CP status. The reason I say this is pick any other airline where they may have CP-equivalent status and no one, I repeat, NO ONE, will say that US's product is even remotely competitive or that their treatment of their most frequent flyers is even close to being competitive.

 

[avion]

there is also the issue with US and the city about international expansion that US wants. the city does not need more flights to florida and las vegas. US also is negotiating for more gate in PHL. the problem is that PHL promised the world to WN during the last US BK. the city sees more PR and CASH with US . WN can go for 100 flights per day and not make a dent with US and Tempe knows that the traffic has always been there and if anything it just siphers more customers from BWI. going back to topic Nov 17 WN cuts out west coast service from PHL aganist US...hmmm.. ... going back to PIT.. Nov 17 they cut out direct service PITPHLPVD because of lack of interest of the traveling public.. US used to operate 737 PVDPIT when it was a hub and now operates 3x per day on 50 seaters and making money with the downsized schedule. WN tried to start direct service PITPVD it didnt work and there is not enough traffice PITPVD for a 737. my friends at WN who have said to please stay anonoymous that mangement has said to them that the 737 is too large an equipment for most flights that US operated in PIT but for PR sakes will attempt to make it work without taking too much traffic from CLE. im not a big fan of CEO Parker but he said publically that downsizing PIT does not leave the city without others to pick up th slack. Oh btw speaking of picking up the slack Airtran finally discontinues service in Nov BOSPHL.. what took them so long. its okay. DL will bring in 3x per day 50 seaters to conquer the mighty US PHL. when will it end.

 

[mga707]

PIT could be left with only short haul flights on SWA kind of like Long Islands' ISP airport is. You have to be careful for what you wish for? JMO

WN only flies two real short-haul segments from PIT: PHL and BWI. Their other current nonstop routes are longer: MDW, MCO, TPA, LAS, and PHX. They do not fly PIT-CLE/CMH/DTW/BUF, nor will they ever, IMHO. Any routes they add will be medium hauls or longer.
Likewise, the only short-haul they fly from ISP is to BWI. ISP-MDW/Florida cities/Vegas are not short haul.

 

[kao]

It's nothing personal....lots of other cities have been hit with the same cuts STL, RDU, BNA, DAY, etc. However, this belief that PIT can be turned into a money-making mega hub is simply a delusional fantasy.

please dont forget lil CLE

 

[avion]

finally someone who knows what they are talking about.. we now need to get rid of all those so called AVIATION EXPERTS in the news media and that total ass guy from NBC who has no clue what its like to work for an airline but can give the public the work advice in the world.. i still remember the NBC guy you know that idiiot is it Greenberg.. Gringerberger.. whatever and they actually covered on MSNBC the retiring of the last WN 737 200 at the LUV hanger and there were employess in pajamers and he said oh what a great day.. well all i could say was.. OK YOU FOLKS IN THOSES PAJAMAE GO TO SLEEP AND WHEN YOU WAKE UP YOU WILL NOW HAVE A LIFE
ii

 

[ClueByFour]

there is also the issue with US and the city about international expansion that US wants. the city does not need more flights to florida and las vegas. US also is negotiating for more gate in PHL. the problem is that PHL promised the world to WN during the last US BK. the city sees more PR and CASH with US . WN can go for 100 flights per day and not make a dent with US and Tempe knows that the traffic has always been there and if anything it just siphers more customers from BWI. going back to topic Nov 17 WN cuts out west coast service from PHL aganist US...hmmm.. ... going back to PIT.. Nov 17 they cut out direct service PITPHLPVD because of lack of interest of the traveling public.. US used to operate 737 PVDPIT when it was a hub and now operates 3x per day on 50 seaters and making money with the downsized schedule. WN tried to start direct service PITPVD it didnt work and there is not enough traffice PITPVD for a 737.

A case for mandatory drug testing.

WN never flew from PIT-PVD.

my friends at WN who have said to please stay anonoymous that mangement has said to them that the 737 is too large an equipment for most flights that US operated in PIT but for PR sakes will attempt to make it work without taking too much traffic from CLE."

Wrong again. PIT already has more flights/day from WN than CLE has, despite the fact that CLE has been a station longer. What Southwest is more interested in doing is skimming the cream from US at PIT (which they have already apparently done) and recapturing much of the leakage from PIT and CLE to Aitran at CAK.

My friends at WN (who are the bosses of your friends at WN) got a good chuckle out of your theory, though.

 

[avion]

HUUHHHH READ AGAIN ... I said DIRECT service NOT NONSTOP SERVICE... in the airline biz DIRECT means point A to B you can have up to 50000 stops till you get to your destatination... NONSTOP MEANS NONSTOP ... NO STOPS.. Yes WN currently does not operate NONSTOP SERVICE BETWEEN PITPVD it Operates DIRECT SERVICE from PITPVD that will end on NOV 17...

 

[avion]

LOL... tell your yeah ok everything is okay... hmm...... too bad Herbie is leaving ... say good bye to managemnet through alcholol... now sober people are now in charge and guess what they want their money... the employees... customers... stockholder thing is going to be gone and yes its going to come. Colleen is out and others are going. they are going when the time is right.. WAIT... you heard it now its not a secret in the business.... and this comes from WN folks... ohhhh it cant be
go

 

[ClueByFour]

HUUHHHH READ AGAIN ... I said DIRECT service NOT NONSTOP SERVICE... in the airline biz DIRECT means point A to B you can have up to 50000 stops till you get to your destatination... NONSTOP MEANS NONSTOP ... NO STOPS.. Yes WN currently does not operate NONSTOP SERVICE BETWEEN PITPVD it Operates DIRECT SERVICE from PITPVD that will end on NOV 17...

And you think that removal of one-stop service means that WN "can't hack it at PIT?"

Again, a case for mandatory drug testing.