US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Does US Need PHL Transcons to West Coast Satellite Airports?

I saw that US is increasing the number of nonstops from PHL to LAX as part of its head-to-head competition with WN. My marketing knowledge is minimal, but I know flight patterns on the west coast and a very large % of travelers prefer the smaller satellite airports - SNA, LGB, and BUR in S Calif and OAK and SJC in N Calif.

I believe that US could win over a significant market share if they directed some of their increased scheduling to these airports. The airport I know best - SJC - has nonstops to BOS, JFK, EWR, IAD, BWI, and ATL that are highly successful. In fact, PHL is the largest city on the east coast to which there is not a nonstop and one of the very few hubs in the midwest and northeast for which there is no nonstop from SJC.

I suspect if I checked the schedules of the other satellite airports, I would find a similar pattern. Instead of the knee-jerk matching of WN's schedule, it seems as if a little creativity would go a long way.

US is very poorly known here on the west coast. Service to these satellite cities would open up a huge market, particular in light of the alliance with UA.

I'll second the SJC destination, I've flown it twice this year on UA. However with the UA Alliance, don't hold your breath for a US flight. US has a code share from ORD to SJC with UA.

I've also flown to SFO and driven to Sil Val. But with the demise of PIT I'm facing a connection one way or another......... :(

I think you're exactly right. But don't hold your breath.

They lose business from the very wealthy east bay area of San Francisco. Those folks will not go across to SFO and prefer to fly out of OAK. With UA, it's less than a three hour flight to ORD and then connect to east coast cities or they're off to Europe. US could pick up some of that traffic easily. I think most people rather take a transcon and connect to a shorter flight (better chance of meal, movie, get settled in, etc) than take a midcon to ORD and then another midcon to the east coast. And you avoid ORD in winter! I bet they'd make a bundle OAK to LGA and then make connections and access hourly shuttle service to BOS and DCA. I should work in Crystal City! :D

LGB is an underutilized SoCal airport (save for JetBlue), but I would think US would reinstate SNA service before they would attempt to institute service to LGB.

BUR is a wonderful, easy airport to fly into & out of. Most of the people I know who live in the San Fernando Valley only fly out of LAX when they can't get a nonstop out of BUR. Tons of homesick East Coast transplants live in the San Fernando Valley that I'm sure would love to see $168 BUR-PHL flights on US!

They lose business from the very wealthy east bay area of San Francisco. Those folks will not go across to SFO and prefer to fly out of OAK. With UA, it's less than a three hour flight to ORD and then connect to east coast cities or they're off to Europe. US could pick up some of that traffic easily. I think most people rather take a transcon and connect to a shorter flight (better chance of meal, movie, get settled in, etc) than take a midcon to ORD and then another midcon to the east coast. And you avoid ORD in winter! I bet they'd make a bundle OAK to LGA and then make connections and access hourly shuttle service to BOS and DCA. I should work in Crystal City! :D

You can't run transcons out of DCA or LGA, as they both have perimeter rules.

You can't run transcons out of DCA or LGA, as they both have perimeter rules.

Wasn't suggesting DCA as I know that from years of living there and taking the 15 min flight to BWI and then a transcon. Didn't realize the same for LGA. Hmmm... So, let's go OAK-PHL, which serves my needs quite well! ;)

You can't run transcons out of DCA or LGA, as they both have perimeter rules.

Except on Saturdays at LGA when the perimeter rule doesn't apply

I would love to see US back at SNA. I travel to Irvine once a month and have to fly to LAX. I need FC to get work done on the flight and am not willing to spend $400 to buy upgrades on UA. The drive from LAX to Irvine can take anywhere between 30 and 120 minutes.

I would give anything for either PHL-SNA or CLT-SNA. Unfortunately, the talk of another bankrupcy doesn't make it look like a possibility any time soon.

On another note, I would like to put in a plug for PDX. I have family out there.

US is very poorly known here on the west coast. Service to these satellite cities would open up a huge market, particular in light of the alliance with UA.

US is very well known to anyone familiar with the late PSA. US took a perfectly good regional airline, bought it, and then spit it out for lunch, which could happen to them fittingly if they can't get over their costs.

Thanks to US and their demise of PSA, SW was able to come into the California market and kick butt.

So, I don't think US is poorly known there. Many people know the story too well.

US is very well known to anyone familiar with the late PSA. US took a perfectly good regional airline, bought it, and then spit it out for lunch, which could happen to them fittingly if they can't get over their costs.

Thanks to US and their demise of PSA, SW was able to come into the California market and kick butt.

So, I don't think US is poorly known there. Many people know the story too well.

I share your feelings of bitterness over the PSA debacle - AA did the same thing to AirCal. But that was 18 years ago, and only the most knowledgeable travelers such as yourself even remember this story.

I think a good indication of what I am talking about is this - how many members of their FF program does US have on the west coast in general and how many in California, in proportion to the population? And even more significant, how many elite members? I personally do not have those numbers, but as a part-time travel consultant I can tell you that none of my west coast clients are elite members and almost none even have a US FF account.

Very few, I'm sure, although I have met a few West Coast-based Preferred's. And a majority of those are East Coast transplants like myself who came out West with a healthy balance of US miles in our accounts. I think US is gaining some recognition on the West Coast by UA fliers on codeshares, but I suspect most of these people are just applying miles accrued on US to their UA accounts.

On a slightly related topic: My student intern (born & raised in Southern CA) mentioned that her UA flight to MSY today was connecting through CLT. She had a blank look on her face when I told her that her flight was actually on US Airways metal. I then explained the codeshare to her. (Good thing, or she would have shown up at the UA terminal.) But she definitely understood when I told her to "just get off at the same terminal as Southwest."

Hmmm,

What an interesting way to combat SWA in PHL, BWI, PVD & BOS.

Could US make money flying non stop to the "offbeat" airports of CA mentioned here from the above cities?

I'm thinking you could if you had the advertising dollars. You would think that such a move would boost US Express's load factors as well. The key would be the simplified "Go Fares" and some kind of marketing gimic that would lend a revenue premium of some sort.

I think it could work. One thing for sure it would keep SWA on their toes. It's time for US to stop being the prey and become the predator. At least go down bloody and bruised from the fight instead of quitting on the stool.

LGB is an underutilized SoCal airport (save for JetBlue).

LGB is not underutilized, it is utilized to its fullest capacity (as allowed by local regulations).

There are numerous transcons that US should pick up (or reinstate). With the alleged phase out of the 737's (supposedly selling to FedEx) in favor of more Airbuses and EMB 170/190's, we can only hope that they will have equipment for trips like those.

But I believe they're busy making themselves an attractive Star Alliance carrier (to maintain their membership). The Carribean routes are among the most lucrative in the entire system. Far more so than head to head flights against SW to CA, so expect to see more Carrib frequenciees and perhaps even cities.

AA has the cash and the will to ensure that US does not get overly frisky in the Carribean, unfortunately.

So does this mean that US is going to stay in LAX-T1? Or is the move to T7/T8 still on?

Wait, I thought it was T6. Anyone know about this?

Last I heard the move was on an "indefinite hold," due to gate lease issues.