US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - US Airways Asks DOT for Six DCA Slots To Service Pensacola, Savannah and Mobile

Time to attack Delta for once:

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/021220/dcf034_1.html

Press Release Source: US Airways

US Airways Asks DOT for Six Reagan National Slots To Service Pensacola, Savannah and Mobile
Friday December 20, 3:56 pm ET
Company to Operate 50-Seat Regional Jets on the Routes

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- US Airways has filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation asking that six slot exemptions be allocated to US Airways to immediately begin daily nonstop service between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and the cities of Pensacola, Fla., Mobile, Ala., and Savannah, Ga.

"As evidenced by this application, we remain firmly committed to D.C. Metro area travelers. With this service, US Airways would provide the only nonstop service from the entire Metro area to Mobile and Pensacola, linking these communities in the eastern United States to the nation's capital," said B. Ben Baldanza, US Airways senior vice president of marketing and planning. "By adding nonstop flights to each of these cities, we will greatly expand the breadth and scope of our service at Reagan National."

US Airways proposes to operate one roundtrip flight each day using 50-seat regional jet aircraft, which are recognized as one of the quietest and popular regional aircraft in the industry.

PROPOSED FLIGHT SCHEDULE

Routing Depart Arrive
Reagan National-Mobile 2:30 p.m. 4 p.m.
Mobile-Reagan National 4:30 p.m. 7:45 p.m.

Reagan National-Pensacola 7:30 p.m. 8:59 p.m.
Pensacola-Reagan National 6 a.m. 9:15 a.m.

Reagan National-Savannah 9 a.m. 10:50 a.m.
Savannah-Reagan National 11:30 a.m. 1:15 p.m.


With the flights to Washington, US Airways would provide customers convenient connections to 21 additional markets from Mobile, 19 from Pensacola, and 22 from Savannah.

US Airways currently operates 165 daily nonstop flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and employs approximately 2,500 employees in the Baltimore/Washington Metropolitan Region, with service at Reagan National, Dulles and BWI. In addition, US Airways' corporate headquarters is in Arlington, Va., one mile from Reagan National Airport.

In Mobile, US Airways operates three daily nonstop roundtrip flights to Charlotte, N.C., and in Pensacola, US Airways operates three daily roundtrip flights to Charlotte and four US Airways Express roundtrip flights to Tampa, operated by Mesa Airlines. In Savannah, US Airways operates five roundtrip flights to Charlotte, with one of the flights operated by US Airways Express carrier Piedmont Airlines.


Source: US Airways

It would be a good counter against DL, but US has to first get the slots. DOT has already said they prefer the slots go to low-fare carriers, new entrants or carriers with less than 20 slots currently. US doesn't fit under any of those criterion.

US's only hope is to sway the DOT by serving smaller markets that have no service to DCA at all.

My bets are on Airtran. They've been dying to get into the DCA market. The six slots would allow them 3 daily R/T's to ATL.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ConnFlyer:
It would be a good counter against DL, but US has to first get the slots. DOT has already said they prefer the slots go to low-fare carriers, new entrants or carriers with less than 20 slots currently. US doesn't fit under any of those criterion.</font>

This is true.

Dont underestimate the sympathy for US post-9/11 and the damage that was done from DCA being closed so long.

The slots SHOULD go elsewhere, but if noone else is asking for them...

Great, now I can get to Mayberry, Green Acres and Pixley non stop!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by hscottm:
Dont underestimate the sympathy for US post-9/11 and the damage that was done from DCA being closed so long.</font>

Of course, it didn't work for US' application for the DCA-SFO slot.

Maybe they can try for Pascagoula, Mississippi too. This way Trent Lott will have a non stop to DC!

don't they cannabalize the CLT hub by putting more pax through DCA from these cities?

You still need to get to CLT as a hub to most of the rest of the US though

IMO, USAir is re-positioning itself on the East Coast for 1.) future East/West expansion, via United codeshare. 2.) Carribean travel as already witnessed by the recent additions. No clue on Europe...

The big IF is if United can pull it together and protect the West? I for one believe that USAir will get it together and survive.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by CLTFlyer:
Of course, it didn't work for US' application for the DCA-SFO slot. </font>

Good point, but not only were they asking for slots, they were asking for exemptions for the mileage rules. THOSE slot exemptions REALLY REALLY are intended for the smaller carriers.

I suspect, if nothing else, US will get these slots because they are small towns AND it will show they are adding service to such when overall the industry is shrinking service. I havent kept track, but I can only assume DCA has lost flights just like every other major airport. This would bring some back. Gotta make money from landing fees!