US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - More Carribbean: Grenda, St. Kitts & Nevis

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010907/dcf031_1.html

Both from PHL, beginning in 2002 if they get govt approval.

Holy Cow!

US is REALLY taking over the Carribean - perhaps more so than AA from Miami.

Where are the majority of the pax on the PHL originating flights coming from? International connections? Transcon connections? NE residents?

It would seem that the customers in our cities West of the Mississippi, however, would be better suited to connect in CLT when possible, just because it's a more direct routing. Does this mean they might just as well fly AA to Miami and then onward when CLT is not serving their destination? Perhaps US should increase the CLT - Carribean flights to attract more of these transcon pax?

Just thinking out loud.....

First, the US carrib expansion is a good thing, though not really a business travellers route. I guess they figure that an AA monopoly is profitable for the second one in as well, and all hauls are longer than most existing routes. Interesting way to imporove their business-side flight metrics.

Here here on no overloading the already overloaded PHL! These should be spread out to CLT and PIT, I'm for PIT just the airport and customs/immagration standpoint. CLT still has bumps to smooth out... OK I'll admit it, I just like PIT, especially now that there are places to pick up sushi and seaweed salad (apologies to the no-longer-missed PHL-based Caviar Assouline).

I think the main reason why PHL is getting the bulk of this new Caribbean service, and not PIT or CLT, is the O/D traffic PHL has. Most flights to the Caribbean are early to mid-morning departures, so connecting traffic would be light and must come in during the morning bank of flights, which is mostly from other NE and close-in Midwest cities (and the West Coast redeyes, though I doubt PHL would be their primary gateway to the Caribbean). A good draw from the local area takes care of the rest.

And while these are not necessarily "business" flights, they are definitely high-yield... have you ever price a PHL-SJU flight around December 20?...