US Airways Plans Service to Belize From Charlotte

ARLINGTON, Va., May 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- US Airways today filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for route authority to serve the popular Caribbean destination of Belize from its Charlotte hub.

The airline is seeking approval to begin service in November 2002, using new state-of-the-art Airbus A319 aircraft, offering seating for 120 passengers with 12 seats in First Class and 108 seats in Coach Class. Up to four flights weekly will operate between Charlotte and Belize, situated on the east coast of Central America.

"The addition of Belize strengthens further US Airways' Caribbean network, and increases the number of jet destinations in the Caribbean that we serve from Charlotte to 13, offering convenient connections through this important hub," said Douglas Leo, vice president of international. "Belize is an attractive and popular destination with a strong tourism infrastructure."

Belize, bordered by Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the west and south, is at the heart of the Caribbean basin, with a barrier reef 185 miles long -- the longest in the Western Hemisphere. Belize, with an English- speaking population of 200,000, is rated among the world's top destinations for scuba-diving.

In a separate filing last week, US Airways applied to the DOT for route authority to serve Providenciales, in the Turks and Caicos Islands, from Charlotte with four flights weekly, also starting in November.

Additionally, US Airways has announced that it will introduce new weekly service between Philadelphia and the Caribbean island of St. Kitts, starting Dec. 7, 2002, subject to foreign government approval.

With St. Kitts, Providenciales and Belize, US Airways will offer jet service to 19 destinations in the Caribbean. Additional Caribbean points are served byUS Airways Express carriers.

US Airways currently serves the following Caribbean destinations: Antigua, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Cancun, Cozumel, Freeport, Grand Cayman, Montego Bay, Nassau, San Juan, Santo Domingo, St. Croix, St. Lucia, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. US Airways Express also serves North Eleuthera, Governors Harbour, Marsh Harbour and Treasure Cay from Florida.

SOURCE: US Airways

Keep em' coming!

I have a couple questions if anyone knows, how long is this flight? Will it be considered the caribbean for mileage redemption?

I think this is a cool destination, and I know it isn't very expensive once you are there, a few of my friends have been.

Chris

It's about 1400 miles and would likely be considered a Caribbean destination as far as awards and upgrades go.

One of my co-workers is from Belize, and when I told her about this, she wasn't too thrilled. She says that Belize really can't handle any more tourists. The government there is fairly anti-growth, and doesn't want to build any more hotels, so as to protect the environment. The reefs there are also being "loved to death" from all the people that go there to see them, not unlike the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. In other words, she told me: more tourists + no new hotels = higher hotel prices!

Rumors are flying that San Jose, CR, Panama City, Panama, and Caracas are next.

USAir doesn't realize that there is a western half of the United States, but they have been able to discover Belize.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by TTT103:
USAir doesn't realize that there is a western half of the United States, but they have been able to discover Belize.</font>

Not exactly. US recognizes there is a western half to the country, they just don't have a hub (or the feed) to expand services there. Carribean operations have been very profitable for US so the addition of Belize comes as no surprise.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by TTT103:
USAir doesn't realize that there is a western half of the United States, but they have been able to discover Belize.</font>

My take on things:

Why ferry passengers from Hartford, CT to Sacramento for $199 when you could ferry passengers from Hartford to Aruba or Belize for $550?

It is a near-sighted stragegy, but at this point, US's vision must concentrate on survival.

[This message has been edited by ITRADE (edited 05-07-2002).]

I'll grant you that USAir has the best east coast network; however, it is difficult to be loyal to USAir when you have to fly to Salt Lake, Boise, etc.

USAir also seems to constantly be on the verge of financial difficulty even with my paying $700+/- to fly from PHL to CLT.

You can't very well defend USAir for their business sense given their current financial state. If you remember, a year ago United was going to gobble them up.

Maybe they need another bailout from British Airways.

What happened to the announcement that USAir was going to start flying into Portland, OR?

I guess that's enough sarcasm from me. I haven't been a big USAir fan lately given the continual cuts. At one point I use to fly out of my way to fly USAir, but no more.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by TTT103:
I'll grant you that USAir has the best east coast network; however, it is difficult to be loyal to USAir when you have to fly to Salt Lake, Boise, etc. </font>

An airline doesn't have to serve every destination to be successful. It's difficult for those of us in the Southeast to use Alaska to get anywhere, but that doesn't mean they can't be successful ...

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by TTT103:
I'll grant you that USAir has the best east coast network; however, it is difficult to be loyal to USAir when you have to fly to Salt Lake, Boise, etc.

USAir also seems to constantly be on the verge of financial difficulty even with my paying $700+/- to fly from PHL to CLT.

You can't very well defend USAir for their business sense given their current financial state. If you remember, a year ago United was going to gobble them up.

Maybe they need another bailout from British Airways.

What happened to the announcement that USAir was going to start flying into Portland, OR?

I guess that's enough sarcasm from me. I haven't been a big USAir fan lately given the continual cuts. At one point I use to fly out of my way to fly USAir, but no more. </font>


Those are the words I love to hear as a rep, IMHO, it's people like you who should be writing letters or something to tell upper management this is why their planes are only 70 percent full. Regarding expansion in the western USA, I believe most of the union contracts prevent US from using contract support for ramp/customer service, whereas the caribbean does not.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Beckles:
An airline doesn't have to serve every destination to be successful. It's difficult for those of us in the Southeast to use Alaska to get anywhere, but that doesn't mean they can't be successful ...</font>


The problem is they are not successful financially. Granted, the unions are not helping matters, but look at the financial turnaround an airline like Continental made.

BTW, thanks for your support, BWI2MCO97.