US/Delta Slot and Facility Swap at LGA

[WCT]

Art, with all do respect, what does that have to do with the potential that US has now gained in DCA? I think this is a good move for US. Why the doubt and all negative b.s. Let it be. Can't anyone say something good about this motion toward the future of US Air! GEEZ!

 

[KTM300]

On the other hand, I do agree that this might be a pre emptive move to set up a merger, and I also agree that the potential dance partner may be AA.......but time will tell..

My BEST to you all...

The only consistent thing that Parker and Kirby say is "consolidation." so I tend to agree with Art's statement about a pre emptive move... The difference I see is not with AA but with our Star Alliance partner across the river!

Which ever way it goes down, as is most often the case, be damned to the employees and a big payoff for the hot tub but buddies in Tempe

 

[Art at ISP]

WCT,

I wish there was something good I could say, but what good from DCA? The perimeter rule is likely to stay, there is no room to expand, and what added cities from DCA could benefit which don't already exist?

It's more about capitulation--DCA is a consolation prize.

My issue has never been with the fine employees at US--it has always been with the lack of leadership and vision at the top--and their lack of integrity and honesty when dealing with employees and customers.

 

[WCT]

My issue has never been with the fine employees at US--it has always been with the lack of leadership and vision at the top--and their lack of integrity and honesty when dealing with employees and customers.

Do you Really know the fine employees at HP?

 

[back2CLT]

WCT,

I wish there was something good I could say, but what good from DCA? The perimeter rule is likely to stay, there is no room to expand, and what added cities from DCA could benefit which don't already exist?

It's more about capitulation--DCA is a consolation prize.

Pick any city that serves both DCA and LGA and try to book a trip for a tomorrow departure. There is a significantly higher revenue per mile at on flights to DCA, and as US locks up an ever greater share of that market, it will only rise, where-as there is still too much framentation at LGA to really affect pricing there.

It's the fares, stupid.

Niether LGA or DCA, will ever be an international gateway or MAJOR hub, so why not focus on the place that has better fares, less competion, more leniancy in the perimiter rule, and is better position for connections. Throw in growing governement, and there is far more upside to DCA over the next several years.

 

[Art at ISP]

As a matter of fact, I do. I have had dealings with many in the executive offices, and have gotten to know some of the front line people in LAS and PHX over the first two years since the merger. To be frank there are good and bad on both ends.

I won't get into my experiences with management, or being lied to my face by VP and above levels when visiting Tempe on my own dime two or three times, as that would take this too far off topic. If you would like to know more about that, feel free to PM or email me at [email protected]. All I can say is I have devoted significant time and money to work with US Airways management since 2002, and from 2006 on it was all down hill.

Back to the topic at hand, time will tell how it shakes out, but I do NOT think CO will be the partner--unless it's east to one carrier and west to another.....AA is the most likely choice. B6 can survive fine on their own, in my opinion.

Oh and I heard from a friend that senior management held a few town halls yesterday in LGA, and they were read the riot act by mainline employees there......good for them!

 

[bigbusboy]

Why is everyone out to bash the PHX base? ALL of YOU, should be HAPPY to have an WEST PRESENSE!!!
There is a lot of potential, that obviously is not being tapped out here.

It's not my intention to bash the PHX base. It's just that there are bigger markets out there with larger O/D numbers than PHX. Didn't AWA try NRT with a few 747s back in the early '90s? Actually, NRT, I don't think, is a good move for US from any of our hubs. That city already has non-stop service from almost every major USA city. Another point is in DP's statement, he said Sao Poalo has the second largest Japenese population outside of Tokyo. If he's starting service there from CLT, why not connect NRT as a one-stop in CLT? There is potential for PHX-LHR and FRA with *A feed from both ends. Also, LAS has potential as a huge vacation destination for Europeans (esp. the Brits). Yes I know *A could feed our NRT on both ends too, but UA already has that market covered pretty well and soon CO too.

 

[MarkMyWords]

Something that I don't think was discussed:

Way back when US started building our presence in DCA, didn't we enter a deal with NW to LEASE slots until 2010-2012? If memory serves me correctly, we entered a huge lease deal with NW as they reduced their operation in DCAand pulled their assets to DTW and MSP. If these leases are about to expire, that could be the offset in slots that you see in the DCA for LGA deal. We would then retain the leased slots and aquire the additional.

I am sure others on here may remember the details of the slot leases with NW, but with the merger between NW and DL, there may have been some pressure applied. Art, I l ike your theory on pre-planned merger issues. Sounds very sound.

 

[WCT]

As a matter of fact, I do. I have had dealings with many in the executive offices, and have gotten to know some of the front line people in LAS and PHX over the first two years since the merger. To be frank there are good and bad on both ends.

I won't get into my experiences with management, or being lied to my face by VP and above levels when visiting Tempe on my own dime two or three times, as that would take this too far off topic. If you would like to know more about that, feel free to PM or email me at [email protected]. All I can say is I have devoted significant time and money to work with US Airways management since 2002, and from 2006 on it was all down hill.

Back to the topic at hand, time will tell how it shakes out, but I do NOT think CO will be the partner--unless it's east to one carrier and west to another.....AA is the most likely choice. B6 can survive fine on their own, in my opinion.

Oh and I heard from a friend that senior management held a few town halls yesterday in LGA, and they were read the riot act by mainline employees there......good for them!

Art, Thank You.

 

[N903AW]

Didn't AWA try NRT with a few 747s back in the early '90s? Actually, NRT, I don't think, is a good move for US from any of our hubs.

Actually, No. America West applied for route authority to Tokyo Narita and was denied. Instead, we were awarded authority to fly, as an extension of our PHX-HNL service, on to Nagoya (NGO). The 747-200s that we had I don't believe had the range to fly nonstop from Phoenix to Japan, but if we had been awarded Narita we had several brand new Boeing 747-400s on order from Boeing.

As part of our emergence from bankruptcy in 1994, the Nagoya authority was sold to Northwest Airlines and the order for the Boeing 747-400s was canceled.

Now from a personal observation about O/D traffic between Phoenix and Tokyo. Pre-merger, America West had a codeshare agreement from PHX and Vegas via San Francisco and Los Angeles with Northwest to Tokyo. During that time, our early AM departure from SFO and LAX, which were both operated with Boeing 757 equipment, were usually completely full. Almost the entire complement of passengers onboard were inbound connections from the Northwest Airlines NRT flight. Working that flight was a breeze because almost all of the passengers were asleep from jet lag from their transpacific inbound! I do believe that there will be a demand for nonstop service from Phoenix to Tokyo. Not only from Phoenix, but from connecting cities as well. Keep in mind that we will be able to provide Star Alliance connections from NRT to the rest of Asia with our *A partnership with ANA.

 

[us0004us]

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/business/20...__airports.html



Airline analyst Hunter Keay, of Stifel Nicolaus Capital Markets, said in a client note that the slot exchanges were "a positive for the entire industry." The airlines involved "are focusing on building on an existing core presence in key cities in response to aggressive actions by low-cost carriers," he said.

For example, low-fare carrier Southwest Airlines Co. is beginning new service at LaGuardia and Boston.

If Southwest is successful in its bid today to buy bankrupt Frontier Airlines, it will gain slots at Washington Reagan, which represents a "potential threat" to US Airways and Delta, Keay wrote.

Southwest could "theoretically" offer competing service on the Washington-New York-Boston
shuttle route.

 

[WhatBag?]

LGA has been underused for years, but how is this good for the Tristate area? Delta will now be the dominate carrier at 2/3's of the NYC airports. Something just smells fishy in this plan and it ain't Flushing Bay.

 

[RowUnderDCA]

Delta to Create LaGuardia Hub After Deal With US Air


http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/i...a-hub-deal-air/

Per the article:

The airlines are submitting the transactions for approval to the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration, and for review by the Department of Justice.

Does anybody think that the regulatory agencies will be looking for capacity improvements (larger aircraft- fewer frequencies) and improved gate utilization (Does Delta really need to use more gates than in the current LCC terminal?)?

 

[curious1]

If Delta decides which gates they are going to get at LGA, why doesn't US tell Delta which gates it wants at DCA? US says that they requested more gates from DCA airport and are awaiting a response. They should just take 3 NWA gates and then move UA to terminal one. All of US will be consolidated in the last 2 terminals.

 

[phllax]

It will be interesting to see how long US keeps the new DCA service before cutting it. I think we all know that DL will keep the LGA service they inherit.