US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Fortress hub stupidity

So I'm pricing a trip from PIT-ORF, with my final destination being Corolla, NC in early August. Since LUV won't be in ORF until later this year (he-he), I hit the US website.

PIT-ORF prices at $183. CAK (2 hour drive for me) - ORF prices at $151. YNG (Youngstown, OH--10 minute longer drive than PIT for me) -- ORF is at $151. Each one of these connects to the same set of flights that cost the lazy PIT traveller the extra $30. One would think it should be the other way around, no?

But it gets better. LBE-ORF (Latrobe, PA) comes in at $191, as does FKL (Franklin, PA)--so they (US) even try to put the screws to the fortress-feeder airports.

After seeing this, I jumped over to check Airtran (out of principal at this point), but they are coming in at a whopping $263 or so.

Yeah, I know why fortress hub holders can get away with this crap, but it seems like even Airtran has not helped PIT that much (beyond direct flights to MDW, LGA, and PHL). Times like these make me want to get LUV into PIT (for the SW-effect, not to fly 'em). It's also one of the few things that I envy about CLE.

Pitflyer, how about a CAK McDonalds meet on or about 8-Aug? Or PIT, for that matter, since I'll apparently be having a layover http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif.

(let's see what Orbitz has to say...)

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Saving the world, one clue at a time.

The prices direct out of hubs vs. pass-throughs are naturally higher, because there is more of a let's say 'wealthy' business travel base. The same holds true for CLT in the southeast for US, and for ATL for DL. This has been this way for like, forever, and is one reason why DL has their Revenue Protection Financial Storm Troopers searching for people booking 'hidden cities'.

BTW, $30 isn't all that much. Often you'll find differentials in the $00s for cases like these.

Also, AirTran has helped one key route: ATL-PIT. This used to be $900-plus spot fare, with no B class at all. Now, it's a third of that or less, with a B-class 3 daya advance. It's also helped me here in MYR. MYR-ATL used to be over $1,000 on that rotten ASA OR USAirways, but now, I too have a B fare available - usually about $280 R/T.

And finally, if you don't think AirTran whacks the knees of the majors, just go over to the DL board and see how DL is now trying to whack AirTran back!!!




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"You can never have too much Reverb."

As surfrider posted, that's nothing. Just off the top of my head, here are the roundtrips I have taken recently:

CLE-PIT-IAH: $110 R/T. PIT-IAH: $280 R/T.
CMH-PIT-PHX: $200 R/T. PIT-PHX: $350 R/T. And it turns out my CMH-PIT portion was cancelled so I only flew PIT-PHX. Of course, I found this out after I was halfway to CMH, so I had to turn around and drive back. Nice day trip to Ohio for nothing!

Tips for others: BTW, I've found that a lot of airlines unofficially consider CAK and YNG as 'alternatives' for CLE and offer the same Southwest-match or other discount fares out of there. YNG is only an hour from Pittsburgh so if you can get a convenient feeder time you can get a cheap fare w/o too long a drive.

As per AirTran, they've discounted fares heavily on non-stop routes (ATL, LGA, and MDW/CHI). I fly to LGA often and ATL a few times a year and it really has made a difference. My business trips to LGA used to cost $300+, while leisure trips were around $150. Now I pay about half that. I'm a good little fortress flyer and sometimes fly AirTran, however. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif Three R/Ts == free *upgradeable* ticket (this is a new change that I really like -- you can upgrade their free tickets 48 hours in advance for $40 each way) is not a bad deal.

But this is a USAirways forum so I'll stop talking about AirTran.

CAK prices out $100s of dollars cheaper then CLE, especially when searching for a same-day return. Some examples of tickets I've purchased from CAK:

CAK-DTW-MEM-DTW-CAK: $270
vs.
CLE-DTW-MEM-DTW-CLE: $980

CAK-CVG-ATL-CVG-CAK: $170
vs.
CLE-ATL-CLE: $800

CAK-PIT-SDF-PIT-CAK: $159
vs.
CLE-SDF-CLE: $915

Trust me, the list goes on.

I know such pricing seems silly, but considering all the prices you quoted are under $200 R/T, I really have no pity for you. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Trying living here in CLT ...

...just got bit this morning for $832.50 for PIT to ORF. Travel is the end of next week with a Sat night stay.

I started playing around with tickets to ATL on Airtrans and then up to ORF with US. It worked out to about $450 but the more I thought about it the less I felt like doing it.

May and June have been brutal!

I have done the CLE drive to get to the west coast. It's not too bad most of the time (except winter!) I've also stayed by the CLE airport overnight to make an early morning flight.

What is really depressing is when the journey starts in CLE and brings you to PIT, then on to the west coast. It's not bad going, but you really have to grit your teeth while you're waiting at PIT for a flight to CLE to get your car to drive back to PIT (and passing PIT's airport on drive home)

The company I work for gets pretty significant discounts with Untied and I have to do what I can to fly US...even if it means driving to CLE.

Pitflyer, I've never tried YNG. Convenient airport? How's the flights, it looks like most of them are Beechcraft turbos?

Take care and have a happy 4th!

I guess all of pitflyer's posts complaining about having to travel to CAK or CMH for decent fares are begining to show merit! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

[This message has been edited by chexfan (edited 06-26-2001).]

YNG is a VERY small regional airport. I think it's only serviced by NW and CO, maybe United???? One of them just backed out a few months/year ago. There are probably less than 10 commercial flights a day departing from YNG. I don't even think there is a restaurant there.

It's on Rte 193, north of Youngstown and easily accessible from Rte 11 and Rte 422. Technically, I believe it's in Vienna.

It's a shame, it's only 20 minutes from me, but I prefer to take the hour drive to PIT or CLE. I've never had good luck getting fares out of YNG - when looking on travelocity.com, the fares show up, but when I go to book they are always sold out.

Pitflyer--
RE: Airtran to MDW/LGA/ATL--I've done MDWx3 since it started, LGAx2 (with 2 and 1 being personal trips, respectively). It's a nice offering, especially if you are not hitting the northern Chicago 'burbs. I like to throw them some business now and then just to keep 'em in town.

HomeToPit-- If you would prefer to do the fare-roadtrip routine on the other end, you could do PIT-PHF (next Thursday, return following Monday) for $306 on Airtran (PHF=Newport News=35 miles or so from ORF).

YNG is a tiny little airport, as has been mentioned. So far as I know, all the flights are small turbos, and I've only ever seen like a 6 am and a 7pm flight. I've done it once (the early riser) and the flight was full. YNG is easy for me, but I can hit my driver over the turnpike in my neighbor's yard. Exit 3 is about the 10th hole.

Chexfan--
Pitflyer has been correct for awhile, however for me personally the situation has changed--before this year, my employer's policy was pretty liberal about who/what/where you fly. Now its something along the lines of "we have found fare $x to wherever. Do what you want, so long as it comes in under $x." Since I enjoy the benefits of a "major" FF program, I've joined the masses headed up the turnpike.

Don't get me wrong, despite this thread, I'm still a fond US flyer. It just irritates me to no end that even in this time of a questionable merger outcome that they still seem to dare to be stupid and piss off the loyal (hostage?) O&D market here in the 'Burgh.

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Saving the world, one clue at a time.

Going to CLE, CAK, CMH, YNG has been known to us pit<space>flyers for a while now. However, I found it interesting that the PA Dept Of Aviation did not list 'CAK' as an alternative airport for PIT. I made sure they updated that. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I've had one trip YNG-PIT-somewhere, but the YNG-PIT section was cancelled so I ended up just flying out of PIT. USAirways only flies Beechcraft 19seaters out of there to PIT. Similar setup to MGW, LBE and all the other itty bitty airports in the area, except YNG does have competing service from CO and NW.

I've had many flights booked X-PIT-Y where X-PIT was delayed or cancelled, and several times where PIT-Y was delayed and/or cancelled. In those latter instances I had to take a taxi to my own home so I could fly out the next day to fetch my car.

BTW, CLT has GSO (or is that GSP? I always forget) so you guys got an option too.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Originally posted by pitflyer:

BTW, CLT has GSO (or is that GSP? I always forget) so you guys got an option too.</font>

Actually, GSO, GSP, and CAE are all about *roughly* the same, give or take 15 minutes ... but GSO is usually the best bet for low fares ...

Still, like I said, all the fares quoted were under $200, including out of PIT directly ... it's *impossible* to find anything for under that here in CLT (except sometimes to Florida ...).

Didn't check actual availability, but Dream Maps shows CLT to ATL,BNA,MOB,STL,CVG,CMH,& RIC all under $200.