US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Can We Save BWI?

Greetings to all my Fellow Flyers. Whether you are a BWI flyer or not perhaps you can lend your suggestions and insight. Being Gold Preferred with US I have a vested interest in the scheduling in and out of BWI. US is increasingly cutting back on its flight choices out of BWI. Not everyone who flys out of BWI is using (or even wants to use) SW. Are there other fustrated US/BWI flyers out there? Is there anything we can do??

allpoints

I doubt there is much you can do. US's decisions regarding BWI are based solely on asset allocation. While BWI is keeping it's transcon flights, the vast majority of US's flights will go to/from CLT, PIT and PHL. BWI is essentially being "de-hubbed". The good thing about BWI is SW's presense so you will likely keep lower fares than DCA or IAD will ever see. The bad thing is you are loosing some of your point to point flights...

You should really be looking to your local politicians. If they had their community interests in mind, they probably already have gone down this road.

On the other hand, they've probably also woooed SW over the years to bring in 'competition' to BWI.

I get sad every time I look at that long, old US Airways counter, with the logos stripped off the back wall... truly a shame.

For those of us who are fortunate to live between the three airports in the region, the option, more and more, is DCA. It really does serve as a mini-hub, with good enough point-to-point availability that it does the job -- granted, not as well as BWI used to, but in the absence of better numbers and the seeming lack of interest from Annapolis, I think this might be it.

follow the money BWIFlyer. if US can move the metal to DCA, PHL or PIT and make more money, that what they'll do. sadly, US cannot compete with WN and their pricing, so staying at BWI makes no business sense. they've got to focus on their strengths.

Allpoints, BWI means nothing to US anymore, except revenue losses. Remember, US AIR management was on the golf course when "Herb and Friends" came courting the state of Maryland, and opened Baltimore's eyes to the world of Southwest. It's one of a laundry list of moves that have long-term US flyers scratching their heads.

It took 9 years to do it, but you can count "BWI and US Airways" as history.

There is 757 service to LAX and SFO once per day, and a seasonal 1X per day to SEA. They are there mainly because 7-5's can no longer use DCA, and the A319's and 320's are being used to expand the Caribbean service. The BWI flights are an attempt to lure a few flyers from the DC 'burbs along with the few that will use the service from BWI. If the bet pays off, it'll stay a while. If not, say bye-bye.

It's a "wait and see" game about the US-EX service too.

I love this airline. I always ended up connecting to most destinations anyway, at least in the last 4 years since mainline gave way to GhettoJet. But as long as there is service to CLT, PIT, or PHL, I'll still fly them.

Just don't put any stock in their return to BWI.

BWI is history for USAIR. It was fun while it lasted. Regardless, even if there's non-stop service from DCA, I'll choose a connection from BWI since it's still a much more civilized airport than DCA will ever be! Plus, who wants to fight rush hour traffic into or out of the city when the BW Parkway is so much easier?!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by romadaro:
I'll choose a connection from BWI since it's still a much more civilized airport than DCA will ever be! Plus, who wants to fight rush hour traffic into or out of the city when the BW Parkway is so much easier?!</font>


BWI more civilized than DCA? Are they giving away free crack in Silver Spring? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Granted, BWI is more accessible from Baltimore (duh!) and DC's northern suburbs, but for those who live in No. Va. or DC, DCA is very easy to get to (direct Metro, etc.).

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by geo1004:

BWI more civilized than DCA? Are they giving away free crack in Silver Spring? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif
</font>

I thought that's why Crystal City was right next to DCA?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by pitflyer:
I thought that's why Crystal City was right next to DCA?

</font>

Now THAT is one of the funniest things I've read here in a LONG time :-)

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by duxfan:
follow the money BWIFlyer. if US can move the metal to DCA, PHL or PIT and make more money, that what they'll do. sadly, US cannot compete with WN and their pricing, so staying at BWI makes no business sense. they've got to focus on their strengths.</font>

Sad but true--Unfortunately I am either stuck with BWI or I will need a new airline. I live in Belair MD--36 miles north of BWI or 70 miles south of PHL (and the higher fares). DCA is south--70 miles of hellish traffic for an AM departure, so I guess I will just connect. My segs this year will be outrageous--70 so far this year.
I only wish they would ease up on some of the express cuts at BWI.

I've always thought the BWI trans-cons a bit odd. That is, if BWI, why not LGA or BOS? Also, I think I missed a chapter: why can't 757's use DCA? I (thinking) could swear I've seen them there.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by shinbal:
There is 757 service to LAX and SFO once per day, and a seasonal 1X per day to SEA. They are there mainly because 7-5's can no longer use DCA, and the A319's and 320's are being used to expand the Caribbean service.</font>

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ATC:
why can't 757's use DCA? I (thinking) could swear I've seen them there. </font>


They were. That 'size' plane was eliminated for all airlines from DCA post-9/11. The DOT has just announced they will be allowed to return.

Maybe the gov't will make an allowance for US to operate a transcon or two since DCA is a big part of the pie for US. Just wishful thinking!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by BWI2MCO97:
Maybe the gov't will make an allowance for US to operate a transcon or two since DCA is a big part of the pie for US. Just wishful thinking!</font>

i'm afraid it would take an act of congress to allow that exemption from the "perimeter" rule. John McCain got it for HP to operate DCA-PHX, but i doubt US has spread much money around out west. they'll continue to run the trans-con flights from BWI until WN starts some, then they'll slink away again...

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by duxfan:
...exemption from the "perimeter" rule. </font>

Frontier flies to DEN and Alaska flies to SEA from DCA. They, too, received exemptions.

A bit of topic, but interesting nonetheless. Washington's Channel 4 (WRC-TV) illustrated a story this morning about BWI becoming the first airport to see the new federal security guards with some old footage.

Their camera crews must not have been up Baltimore-way in a while: Their exterior shots of the apron had a United 727 in the old livery and USAir DC-9s and 737s.

Even more classic was their footage of the ticket counters. Besides a massive TWA desk, they caught a glimpse of another long-goner: Ozark.

Geo-

Living in the far northeastern end of Silver Spring, BWI and DCA are equal distance from my home at 17 miles. However, I can shoot straight up the BW Parkway to I-195 and be at BWI in 30 minutes, while I have to drive to Metro (which takes 20 minutes alone)or drive through the city or take the Beltway to the GW Parkway in order to get to DCA. Whether I take Metro or drive to DCA, it's an hour. From my perspective, BWI is a much easier commute and much easier to get in or out of, particularly at rush hour.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by romadaro:
From my perspective, BWI is a much easier commute and much easier to get in or out of, particularly at rush hour.</font>

I like the four block walk to the Metro and then one stop later to DCA (from Old Town Alex.). My current record is off the US Shuttle and to my front door in 14 minutes.

Certainly DCA is closer for me and BWI is closer/easier for you. Heck, in rush hour, it could take me 1.5 hours to get to Silver Spring! Oddly, most of my transcons tend to be out of BWI to take advantage of sale fares.

geo,

You forgot to add http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/tongue.gif ! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by geo1004:
Frontier flies to DEN and Alaska flies to SEA from DCA. They, too, received exemptions.

</font>

you are correct, i forgot about those two.

Any thought of BWI making a comeback was done away with this week for me. I was on flight 1444 to PHL at 7:50 am boarding out of gate D20. At 7:40, they asked us all to move down to D46 for boarding, an Express gate. Seems the plane was parked overnight and they couldn't get a machinist to tow the plane to the gate. We all walked down to the Express area where they took us out of the newly abandoned gate D46 (all signs of US' presence there was gone), across the tarmac, and up the portable stairways, you know, Presidential style!

The agent who told me about the tow problems also said they had just been informed of more cuts, to take effect in August. This is in addition to the BOS flights we already know about.

Sadly, it seems that the end is near for anything other than hub flights sooner rather than later.