US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - US Airways to Resume Seasonal Pittsburgh-LGW flights!

See link below for details:
http://www.postgazette.com/breaking/20031209londonp6.asp

Good news for PIT!

The official press release:

http://www.usairways.com/about/press/nw_03_1209.htm

US AIRWAYS TO RESUME PITTSBURGH-LONDON SERVICE FOR SUMMER 2004

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 9, 2003 -- US Airways announced today that it will reinstate nonstop seasonal service between Pittsburgh and London’s Gatwick Airport beginning May 1, 2004.

The flights will operate daily through Oct. 29, 2004, using Boeing 767 aircraft. Flights will depart Pittsburgh at 5:50 p.m., and will arrive in London at 6 a.m., the following morning. Return flights will depart London at 11:55 a.m., and will arrive in Pittsburgh at 3:25 p.m. Customers will be able to begin purchasing tickets on these flights on Dec. 10, 2003.

In a meeting on Dec. 5, 2003, Allegheny County Chief Executive-elect Dan Onorato asked US Airways to evaluate the viability of resuming the route for next year.

"We had looked at utilizing the aircraft for other seasonal flying, but have concluded that in conjunction with the commitment to fly our existing schedule at Pittsburgh through next October, Pittsburgh-London Gatwick service is a viable alternative. We know that the service is used by business and leisure travelers alike, and hope this is good news for the local community," said US Airways Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs Chris Chiames. "Meanwhile, we look forward to working with Mr. Onorato to explore alternatives for a long-term solution that reduces costs at Pittsburgh International Airport, following our productive meeting with him last week."

From Pittsburgh, US Airways operates international flights to four destinations, with daily nonstop service to Frankfurt and San Juan, Puerto Rico; weekend nonstop service to Cancun; and seasonal weekend nonstop service to Montego Bay.

US Airways is the nation's seventh-largest airline, serving nearly 200 communities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. US Airways, US Airways Shuttle, and the US Airways Express carriers operate over 3,300 flights per day. For more information on US Airways schedules and fares, visit usairways.com.

Reporters needing additional information should contact US Airways Corporate Affairs at (703) 872-5100.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by A320 EOW:
Good news for PIT!

The official press release:

[URL=http://www.usairways.com/about/press/nw_03_1209.htm]

From Pittsburgh, US Airways operates international flights to four destinations, with daily nonstop service to Frankfurt and San Juan, Puerto Rico; weekend nonstop service to Cancun; and seasonal weekend nonstop service to Montego Bay.
</font>

Apparently, someone in Crystal City has gotten advance notice of Puerto Rican indepedence....

LOL

What's next, nonstop international service to Cleveland?

According to the state department website about internatonal air taxes:

U.S. Possessions and Territories such as Puerto Rico, U. S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa and Guam are considered internationa1 points outside the U.S. This tax applies when traveling from other U.S. points to these destinations.

THANK GOD! HOPEFULLY THIS IS A SIGN THAT US WILL STAY IN PIT!!

What it's really a sign of is that they don't know which end is up. Suspending international route authority, especially to London, is unusual (even Continental found a way to keep it in Cleveland with smaller aircraft), but the first basic pillar of marketing is consistency (like a predictable number of rows in the front of a 757). These guys make policy by the hour. Next casualty: the RJ strategy. Between Southwest and AirTran pressuring on fares, and offering full size aircraft, the concept is now DOA.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by rd7242:
According to the state department website about internatonal air taxes:

U.S. Possessions and Territories such as Puerto Rico, U. S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa and Guam are considered internationa1 points outside the U.S.</font>

Also, you still have to go through customs when you return from these places.

Partially untrue---if you arrive from Puerto Rico, you arrive on a domestic flight. The only difference is importation of agriculture from the island.

Theoretically, if US was to rebuild PIT back up to a decent level of service (say 75%-80% of pre-9/11 service), how many international flights could US realistically fly?

My guess with equipment in parenthesis:

Europe

Currently flown
-FRA(333)
-LGW(767/332)-seasonal now, my guess is that it will return year round

Realilistic
-CDG(767/332)-once flown
-MUC(343 on LH)-LH was looking at the route before CLT won out

If you really stretch belief.....
WAW(767/332)-large Polish population in PIT, plus Star Alliance feed

North America

Currently flown
-YOW
-YUL
-YYZ
-SJU
-CUN-weekend service
-MBJ-seasonally weekend

Realilistic
NAS(319)-maybe weekend service?
HAV(319)-If the embargo ever ends?
STT(319)-maybe weekend service?

If you stretch belief
YVR(319)-If US got a better deal money wise codesharing with AC than UA to Asian destinations, maybe, but highly unlikely
MEX(319)-as a tag to CUN service?

Asia

If you really, really, really stretch belief
NRT-maybe if someone at Crystal City was on crack

GSP Flyer,

Some nice thoughts, but I don't see the HAV embargo ending anytime soon. In a perfect world, it would be nice to have the following int'l service from PIT:

-LGW year round
-FRA
-CDG(2x to PHL is a bad idea because PHL sucks when it comes to weather)
-CUN becomes daily service
-Maybe WAW,ZRH, or DUS(recently abandoned by UA)
-yyz,yul,yow, and yvr
-take 2-3 carribean flights away from PHL and move them TO PIT. My suggestion would be STX,SDQ, MEX

sfeinberg- In response:

1. I agree PIT-CDG makes more sense than a 2nd PHL-CDG.
2. ZRH and DUS would be better served through PHL than PIT. MUC is a better fit due to the LH hub there.
3. I think WAW might work from PIT because it has a huge Polish population. If you doubt me, next time you walk through PIT, look through the local phone book, it's chock full of Polish names. In addition, US would become the only American carrier serving WAW(LOT flies to ORD,JFK, and EWR).
4. CUN year round is good, I think an additional tag on to MEX might work.