What Will The East Coast Look Like

[700UW]

AWA does not have spare planes, they are also returning planes to the lessors.

From Boeing Boy:

guess this is about as close to "facts" as we can get in relation to fleet plans (at this specific point in time - subject to change of course). Keep in mind that earlier this month, AWA forecast their fleet remaining at 143 planes going forward. From the AWA proxie filed today:

"The combined airline is expected to operate a mainline fleet of 361 planes (supported by approximately 239 regional jets and approximately 57 turboprops that provide passenger feed into the mainline system), down from a total of 417 mainline aircraft operated by the two airlines as of March 31, 2005. US Airways Group has removed an additional 13 aircraft from its fleet through May 31, 2005 and projects removing an additional 35 aircraft by the end of 2006. The combined airline is also expected to take delivery by the end of February 2006 of seven Airbus A320 family aircraft previously ordered by America West Airlines, Inc. Airbus has also agreed to reconfirm 30 narrow body A320-family aircraft deliveries and reschedule those deliveries from the 2006 to 2008 period to the 2009 to 2010 period. To rationalize international flying, the merged company anticipates working with Airbus to begin transitioning to an all-Airbus widebody fleet of A350 aircraft in 2011."

"In anticipation of the merger, US Airways Group has negotiated a reduction to its existing fleet so that the fleet of the combined company suits the expected route network and so that the introduction of new aircraft will be timed to coincide with the expiration of existing aircraft leases. We believe that we will also be able to reschedule the combined fleet to better match aircraft size with consumer demand. For example, in some markets that US Airways Group currently serves with a Boeing 737 aircraft, we expect to replace that service with a 90-seat regional jet that is currently operated in the America West Holdings system. In addition, we expect to place America West Holdings new aircraft into service on flights out of current US Airways Group hubs."

 

[gso-crew]

Makes you wonder if another airline will enter the picture, bringing more aircraft into the equation. ..... Northwest, Frontier or Air Canada come to mind and lets not forget Alaska.

 

[BoeingBoy]

Some more info on PIT changes...

More flights being cut
A US Airways affiliate carrier is eliminating four daily nonstop flights to Atlanta as of Aug. 3, meaning Pittsburgh travelers will have to connect at other airports to get to that city. By October, US Airways will be down to 211 daily flights, including elimination of nonstop flights to Seattle, San Diego, three flights to Manchester, N.H., one to Nashville, Tenn., one to Portland, Me., and one to Cancun.

Business news briefs: 7/7/05

Jim

 

[ringmaruf]

Some more info on PIT changes...

More flights being cut
A US Airways affiliate carrier is eliminating four daily nonstop flights to Atlanta as of Aug. 3, meaning Pittsburgh travelers will have to connect at other airports to get to that city. By October, US Airways will be down to 211 daily flights, including elimination of nonstop flights to Seattle, San Diego, three flights to Manchester, N.H., one to Nashville, Tenn., one to Portland, Me., and one to Cancun.

Business news briefs: 7/7/05

Jim

[post="280561"][/post]​

The CUN flight will be back in November, it's one of the regular seasonal Sep/Oct cuts to the Caribbean.

 

[ringmaruf]

Noticed some other things while perusing the schedule changes. Haven't had a chance to really go through PHL/CLT yet, just the focus cities.

Looks like we're dropping BOS-GSO on 9/16. US was on that route first, doing quite well, with up to 4x ERJ. Then DL started service with 2x ERJ, and guess who's running for the hills.

BOS-IND also decreases to 3x ERJ from 4x. Again, we were there first and doing nicely, then NW showed up and we let them capture our pax. I'm sure we'll be dropping the route altogether before long...it's so much easier than fighting back and being competitive.

 

[gso-crew]

Looks like we're dropping BOS-GSO on 9/16. US was on that route first, doing quite well, with up to 4x ERJ. Then DL started service with 2x ERJ, and guess who's running for the hills.

[post="280585"][/post]​

Piedmont Triad International Traffic Rises (GSO)

Delta Air Lines has grown its leading position in the Triad. Through May, Delta's traffic reached 217,223 passengers, up 5 percent compared to the same period last year.

US Airways got 144,489 passengers in the first five months of the year, down 4 percent from last year.

 

[Rob]

Since US "permanently" leases 10 gates in PIT, my assumption has always been that the ultimate PIT operation would fit into the 10 gates.

About 80-100 flights? That is approximately what UAL reduced CLE to (about 80 flights, later settling in the 60s) when they pulled the plug in the mid-80's. UAL's goal was to capture only the most profitable part of the O&D market; they never defended a CLE market and were easily chased by anybody who wanted to try (US, in some cases). I assume that is US's plan for PIT: fly from PIT to the hubs plus any other route only so long as it is significantly profitable on minimal advertising and no investment.

To look for anything more is not supportable by fiscal realities. The future may be different, but I wouldn't plan on it.

 

[burghlaw1]

Some more info on PIT changes...

More flights being cut
A US Airways affiliate carrier is eliminating four daily nonstop flights to Atlanta as of Aug. 3, meaning Pittsburgh travelers will have to connect at other airports to get to that city. By October, US Airways will be down to 211 daily flights, including elimination of nonstop flights to Seattle, San Diego, three flights to Manchester, N.H., one to Nashville, Tenn., one to Portland, Me., and one to Cancun.

Business news briefs: 7/7/05

Jim

[post="280561"][/post]​

The newspaper article is a little misleading. It doesn't mean that Pittsburgh passengers will have to connect. It means that they will have to fly Delta or Airtran.

 

[USA320Pilot]

If my memory serves me correctly US Airways signed long-term leases for 10 mainline and 10 commuter gates in PIT, which could be consolidated on the "B" concourse without the 5 gates on the end.

Without doing the research, I believe the ACAA has asked the bankruptcy court to force US Airways to affirm the 20 gates, but there has not been a ruling on the motion nor agreement between US Airways and the ACAA.

Regards,

USA320Pilot

 

[trvlr64]

Rumor has it that PIT is reopening the end of the B concourse and more of US Express is moving there and WN is taking a couple more gates in the A concourse.

WN has already started overflow on gate A5 which is labeled USAIRWAYS.

 

[orville]

WN does no overflow at A5...they park a RON A/C there after it deplanes at A1 or A3. Opening of B concourse is for Express while they do some concrete slab replacement on A concourse.

 

[Rob]

US320Pilot, 20 gates total? Thanks for the correction. It will make a difference.

 

[orville]

:down: Just an update.............it appears that WN will take over A5/7 and A9 at PIT sometime in October

 

[ringmaruf]

US320Pilot, 20 gates total? Thanks for the correction. It will make a difference.

[post="280866"][/post]​

Nope, you were right the first time, 10 gates total.

See http://www.usairways.com/about/press_2004/nw_04_0105.htm.

 

[twambassador]

Intresting article about US/WN and HP/WN competition.

I have always been a believer that Southwest isn't everything to everyone. airlines and airline employees are scared to death of Southwest. I never understood that. Southwest Airline's strategy can only work for Southwest, and no other airline should try to emulate it, because it's a loosing proposition. NOT because Southwest is better, but because Southwest serve a narrow market niche and Legacy carriers will loose because they will try to compete in that same niche. Please, I hope everyone realises that if the airline industry turns into Southwest airlines, 3/4 of the markets would NOT be served. It's that 3/4 that Legacy carriers have to concentrate on to make a profit and subsist with WN. Ex. US will make a profit on GSO-PIT for example, while the MCO-PIT market share would go to WN and US would make a profit on a smaller market share (IE MCO-PHL-MDT) I guess what I'm trying to say is, let WN serve the major population centers with higher capacity, while US would concentrate on small and medium cities that WN will NEVER serve because it would be contrary to their business model. HP for instance lets WN have LAX-PHX, but where HP makes money is LAX-PHX-DSM, an example of lower capacity on LAX-PHX market, yet profitable at the same time. Southwest could dump 30 flights a day between PHL and MIA. A passenger in Miami that wants to go to PWM would not fly on WN no matter how many flights they have. That's where US setps in. I think if US competes with WN like HP does, there is nothing to prevent this merger from prospering.