US Airways to Apply for China Service

[PHL]

Dollars to donuts Airbus will cut a deal for the delayed A350s to give some A340-xxx models to fill the gap of the production delay. Any of them will make the range from PHL, with the shortest range model (-300) having a max passenger published range of 7400nm and the longest range (-500) going 9000nm. Take your pick.

 

[PHLfa88]

I agree. This has been the traditional USAirways play, and it hasn't worked yet. The infrastructure needs to be in place before even applying. Without the airplanes to do the job, USAirways' flights to China are just a pipe dream, and the DOT will see it that way, too.
Yes. Stranger things have happened. Although this contradicts my answer above, I am approaching this as a totally separate aspect. The DOT does indeed try to balance these awards among competing carriers, and since USAirways has no Far East service, they are ripe for an award such as this (assuming they already have their other ducks in a row...which they clearly do not.)
Yes. In fact, I question whether the feed in ATL would have as much of a need for China service as even yet another flight to China from a U.S. northeast gateway.
I doubt that USAirways would try to operate this service from PHX, and even less likely from LAS. My post was merely a cynical dig at how the USAirways HQ, both Crystal City and now Tempe, seem to think: small-time operators with delusions of grandeur. We have the biggest fleet of the littlest airplanes, but we think we have crediblity for China service.
I agree. I wish the Tempe crowd would get their act together and begin a credible plan to make international expansion a reality. We love to announce all these great, new European cities, and then send some little old 757's into rehab(oops!) refit to provide the service. What a joke.

Athens would be better served by an airplane that could realistically do the job, but we're going to try it with the 767. We tried Rome (which is closer) using the same airplane, and seat/cargo were blocked on a daily basis. If USAirways wanted to add credibility to their China application, an Airbus 340 (or 777, or 747...very unlikely) would be arriving at the paint shop right now be painted in USAirways livery to serve Athens in the spring. Then we could show the DOT that we HAVE the airplane for China, just give us the route.

Umm..We Were Not The First And Will Not Be The Last Airline To Send A 757 Over the Pond..Let's See.. AA-CO...NW Starting..

 

[BuffaloJoe]

Umm..We Were Not The First And Will Not Be The Last Airline To Send A 757 Over the Pond..Let's See.. AA-CO...NW Starting..

Luthansa sends an A319 across the pond, Swiss Air flies a 737-800 across.

 

[PHLfa88]

Luthansa sends an A319 across the pond, Swiss Air flies a 737-800 across.

 

[Harry Callahan]

I can't believe you're still here.

 

[Revolutions]

You could use an A330 to China, they would have to tear out some seats and do a special configuration. However, tearing out seats and possibly losing the potential of extra revenue would drive the slave ship designers in Tempe crazy. What really scares me would be to see the cheap ghetto catering that US would do to the PRC. I doubt any body in Tempe has been further west than hawaii. Someone from US East must have pointed it out on a map to them

 

[FA Mikey]

Given only one or two months to start the service, and not having an AC ready and available to begin the service. It will be a no brainer for the board to pass over the usairways application.

 

[2clippedwings]

Hmmmm.... do you think this PR just happened to get released today to shift the focus away from DP situation? There's no mention of where they plan on flying the route from, PHL or PHX? Sounds like the PR machine is at work.

I wondered the same thing. Ever see the movie, "Wag the Dog" ?

 

[nycbusdriver]

Umm..We Were Not The First And Will Not Be The Last Airline To Send A 757 Over the Pond..Let's See.. AA-CO...NW Starting..

I never said we were the first.

We just do it more than anyone else (as a percentage of transoceanic flying.)

AA - CO - NW fly most of their flights with airplanes that the manufacturer designed to do the job, i.e. widebody, long range aircraft. They do a little "fill in" here and there with 757's.

USAirways, on the other hand, hasn't added another REAL transoceanic airframe to its fleet in years. It merely adds cities and rehabs 757's. Pathetic.

Can you even see the difference? If not, try taking your blinders off (if you can find them.)

 

[BuffaloJoe]

I never said we were the first.

We just do it more than anyone else (as a percentage of transoceanic flying.)

AA - CO - NW fly most of their flights with airplanes that the manufacturer designed to do the job, i.e. widebody, long range aircraft. They do a little "fill in" here and there with 757's.

USAirways, on the other hand, hasn't added another REAL transoceanic airframe to its fleet in years. It merely adds cities and rehabs 757's. Pathetic.

Can you even see the difference? If not, try taking your blinders off (if you can find them.)

Why not send some A319's across? LH does it.

 

[smoot4208]

My guess is that US will lease or buy some A340-500s for the China Route. That way they will have the distance needed to start other routes to Asia.

 

[Sthrnboy]

You could use an A330 to China, they would have to tear out some seats and do a special configuration. However, tearing out seats and possibly losing the potential of extra revenue would drive the slave ship designers in Tempe crazy. What really scares me would be to see the cheap ghetto catering that US would do to the PRC. I doubt any body in Tempe has been further west than hawaii. Someone from US East must have pointed it out on a map to them

Actually America West Airlines use to serve Japan in our 747 Guess that's not WEST of Hawaii, but I'm not sure. :down:

Unless you count some of the first countries west of the international date line?

 

[BuffaloJoe]

Actually America West Airlines use to serve Japan in our 747 Guess that's not WEST of Hawaii, but I'm not sure. :down:

Unless you count some of the first countries west of the international date line?

Isn't Japan cosidered part of the Far East?

 

[usflyguy]

h34r: i saw 3 a380's at the hanger in clt. i think they are being fitted with business select seats B)

 

[BoeingBoy]

i think they are being fitted with business select seats B)

3 or 4 rows?

Jim