US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - PHL Advertising

I can't believe it, they have FINALLY started advertising in the PHL area. Billboards have started going up and for the first time I saw a TV ad during Friends. It was a little dumb--but THANK GOD, they finally are advertising to let people know that they offer low fares to the same places WN goes. Maybe they are going to turn this airline around.

Gotta love the guy speed reading the fine print at the end of the radio ads. :)

It is nice to see US ads in prime time on the Philly TV Stations, but they may be too narrow in their scope. What did I find when I opened my mailbox today 85 miles north of Philly, but a direct mail piece from Southwest inviting me to join their Rapid Rewards program where I get a free flight after only two round trips. US has the Gofares for Philly, but Southwest is reaching beyond it and attempting to get us ABE folks to drive on by and go to Philly. Even though they are upgrading ABE-PHL service to E170, US forgot about the fares. A recent check for a future trip to PHX, showed Gofares a reasonable $198 if out of PHL, but just under $1,000 if I take the 11 minute flight from ABE to PHL to connect to the GoFare flight. Charge a reasonable premium for the convenience of avoiding PHL, but $800 isn't reasonable and just reineforces the image of price gouging that the ads are trying to change. I didn't check, but I assume the ABE fare structure is the same in Harrisburg and Wilkes Barre as ABE. I guess they want to have empty E170's from ABE. US fights PHL and loses the region. No amount of advertising will overcome being shortsighted or being too narrow in their advertising

It is nice to see US ads in prime time on the Philly TV Stations, but they may be too narrow in their scope. What did I find when I opened my mailbox today 85 miles north of Philly, but a direct mail piece from Southwest inviting me to join their Rapid Rewards program where I get a free flight after only two round trips. US has the Gofares for Philly, but Southwest is reaching beyond it and attempting to get us ABE folks to drive on by and go to Philly. Even though they are upgrading ABE-PHL service to E170, US forgot about the fares. A recent check for a future trip to PHX, showed Gofares a reasonable $198 if out of PHL, but just under $1,000 if I take the 11 minute flight from ABE to PHL to connect to the GoFare flight. Charge a reasonable premium for the convenience of avoiding PHL, but $800 isn't reasonable and just reineforces the image of price gouging that the ads are trying to change. I didn't check, but I assume the ABE fare structure is the same in Harrisburg and Wilkes Barre as ABE. I guess they want to have empty E170's from ABE. US fights PHL and loses the region. No amount of advertising will overcome being shortsighted or being too narrow in their advertising

Do they have that fare listed? What is it?

You're right, over a $1000 for that routing is a disgrace but US is fighting Southwest in PHL. If you have to drive to PHL to take a Southwest flight to PHX, why is it not reasonable for US to assume you would do the same? Comparing Southwest ex-PHL fares to US ex-ABE fares is not comparing apples to apples!

While I can appreciate the logic of advertising in the region and reducing fares throughout, the immediate enemy is Southwest, in Philadelphia and with the limited resources US has left, I don't think they can afford to be more widespread in their media blitz and price reductions.

Just my $0.02 :D

i saw part of an ad for us airways 2 nights ago in San Jose, Was pretty impressed!!!

I've been seeing the yellow ads on the sides of SEPTA buses for the last couple of days. What would be really cool is seeing one of the buses completely wrapped in the yellow GoFare advertising, like what other companies have done with their products.

I didn't check, but I assume the ABE fare structure is the same in Harrisburg and Wilkes Barre as ABE. I guess they want to have empty E170's from ABE. US fights PHL and loses the region. No amount of advertising will overcome being shortsighted or being too narrow in their advertising

Yes...flights from AVP-LAX are still $400-$500. So now the flying population of Northeastern PA will be driving 2 hours to PHL in droves to fly WN as well as US, instead of flying out of their home airport on US.

The idea that PHL stands alone does not reflect the reality of Eastern PA. ABE is in the Philly media market for a reason. The suburbs of Philly blend right into the Lehigh Valley. Ditto as to the western suburbs and the Harrisburg area.

If you get a customer to bypass ABE to get lower fares iin PHL, you might get some of them to stay with US, but after feeling price gouged, I think a majority will try Southwest. Fly twice get a free ticket is their offer. Once lost, a customer is lost forever. That just does not make good business sense. I just don't understand why they are not rationalizing the fare in the entire region. I am not saying match PHL fares, just make it reasonable. Surprise, if they did, they might actually gain in the secondary airports customers from DL or NW as the become the first LCC in the secondary airports.

The idea that PHL stands alone does not reflect the reality of Eastern PA. ABE is in the Philly media market for a reason. The suburbs of Philly blend right into the Lehigh Valley. Ditto as to the western suburbs and the Harrisburg area.

If you get a customer to bypass ABE to get lower fares iin PHL, you might get some of them to stay with US, but after feeling price gouged, I think a majority will try Southwest. Fly twice get a free ticket is their offer. Once lost, a customer is lost forever. That just does not make good business sense. I just don't understand why they are not rationalizing the fare in the entire region. I am not saying match PHL fares, just make it reasonable. Surprise, if they did, they might actually gain in the secondary airports customers from DL or NW as the become the first LCC in the secondary airports.

I agree completely. Good logic and reasoning. You're right... bottom line is, once you lose a customer - he/she is gone. Maybe forever.

Point well taken :)

I assume the ABE fare structure is the same in Harrisburg and Wilkes Barre as ABE. I guess they want to have empty E170's from ABE. US fights PHL and loses the region. No amount of advertising will overcome being shortsighted or being too narrow in their advertising


I fly into MDT usually once a month and have found that the fare structure is much better than into ABE (I usually price out MDT, ABE, PHL and BWI). US lowered fares out of MDT last year, largely becuase many people in Central PA were driving to BWI for their flights...on WN. MDT has a decent, but small, airport. The new 12-gate all jet terminal is set to open in late summer and they are in negotiations with a couple of LCC's to start service when the new terminal opens. I would suspect fares will drop more if that happens. With all of the LCCs opening in PHL, I would suspect that they will bypass ABE since it is only 55 miles away. MDT is an 80+ mile drive from BWI.

Now if I could just figure out how to get US to switch from the Dash-8 planes to the EMB-170s between PHL and MDT I would be set!