US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - UA Starts DEN-PIT

United to Offer Nonstop Denver-Pittsburgh Service
Wednesday July 21, 4:21 pm ET

CHICAGO, July 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- United Airlines (OTC Bulletin Board: UALAQ - News) today announced it will offer two new daily nonstop roundtrip flights between Denver (DEN) and Pittsburgh (PIT), beginning Oct. 4, 2004. Flights open for sale on Thursday, July 22, 2004.

United plans to operate its new Denver-Pittsburgh route using Boeing 737s, with 120 seats including eight First Class and 46 Economy Plus seats. United's schedule for the service will offer convenient times for the business traveler and provide connection opportunities to United's global route network. The flights from Denver depart at 10:10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and flights from Pittsburgh depart at 9:00 a.m. and 5:45 p.m.


Is US cutting this route also?

United to Offer Nonstop Denver-Pittsburgh Service
Wednesday July 21, 4:21 pm ET

CHICAGO, July 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- United Airlines (OTC Bulletin Board: UALAQ - News) today announced it will offer two new daily nonstop roundtrip flights between Denver (DEN) and Pittsburgh (PIT), beginning Oct. 4, 2004. Flights open for sale on Thursday, July 22, 2004.

United plans to operate its new Denver-Pittsburgh route using Boeing 737s, with 120 seats including eight First Class and 46 Economy Plus seats. United's schedule for the service will offer convenient times for the business traveler and provide connection opportunities to United's global route network. The flights from Denver depart at 10:10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and flights from Pittsburgh depart at 9:00 a.m. and 5:45 p.m.


Is US cutting this route also?

HIGHLY DOUBT IT! I was talking to a UA service director in PIT and she had said that DEN-PIT had been in the works for quite some time. UA is also thinking about adding flights to the west coast. However, the airport MUST work with them on their costs. For example, UA parks RON a/c on C 55 57 every night. The airport authority charges them almost 5,500 just to park it there, which is why they tow them over in the AM to their own gates.

I'd be surprised to see LAX/ORD/SFO/DEN/IAD get cut because you are feeding your partner's hub. However, I wouldn't be so sure about SEA/SAN/PHX because of the limited connection opportunities there.

If USAir did cut PHX, HP would certainly fill the void. SEA? Alaska maybe? SAN maybe Southwest if they do enter.. Any cities in particular did she mention? At this time, with the US cutback's, i most certainly think PIT would be negotiable with any airline.


Yay my 100th post!

If USAir did cut PHX, HP would certainly fill the void. SEA? Alaska maybe? SAN maybe Southwest if they do enter.. Any cities in particular did she mention? At this time, with the US cutback's, i most certainly think PIT would be negotiable with any airline.

If US cuts transcons out of PIT, would there really be enough O&D traffic there to support other airlines' flights to the West Coast? Seems unlikely to me as such a large portion of PIT passengers are simply connecting from another US or Express flight.

I don't know why some people here seem to make it seem like Pittsburgh is a ghost town, but with 646 O&D pax a day to Los Angeles, 865 to Las Vegas, 517 to Denver, 320 to San Diego, 591 to San Francisco, and 390 to Seattle, it seems that a couple of non-stops daily could easily be supported to most of these destinations (except possibly Seattle and San Diego , which you'd have to throw in some connecting opportunites to make sense).

Source: 3Q 2004 Consumer Air Report

I'm a bit sketchy on details, sorry, but I read a somewhere recently (last month or two, maybe even pointed out on FT) that said O&D traffic at PIT is actually up notably. I know most counts of traffic have generally slowly steadily climbed since bottoming out after Sept 11, but this is more significant than that trend, it seems.

UA serving DEN sounds like a good addition to me. I think other large west coast cities might warrant service should US cut them, but I wouldn't think US would be cutting LAX or SFO or such. UA presumably already has codeshare access to those flights, so one could piece together a UA connecting itinerary with those anyway assuming decent timing. US is cutting flights based upon their profitability as they've said, and somehow I don't suspect those transcons are unprofitable, but then I don't really know.

I'm a bit sketchy on details, sorry, but I read a somewhere recently (last month or two, maybe even pointed out on FT) that said O&D traffic at PIT is actually up notably. I know most counts of traffic have generally slowly steadily climbed since bottoming out after Sept 11, but this is more significant than that trend, it seems.

This has been discussed on here and in the PIT newspaper before, and some of the factors mentioned are:

(1) Cleveland not being the draw that it used to be - there used to be well documented cases of even the Mayor driving to CLE to fly places. With the CLE service declines and other reasons, price differentials gone. The weekend travel section used to show prices from PIT and CLE. Finally after some letters they realized it was pointless because PIT was usually cheaper.

(2) Collapsing some of the smallish airports has led more O&D to the bigger cities, e.g. Latrobe has closed (about an hour from PIT).

I forget who found it, but someone did some digging and found 'PIT BASED O&D' a few years back that included how many PIT'ers were driving to other cities like CLE and CAK for cheap flights. It was a substantial number compared to the actual PIT airport O&D. I am guessing point (1) above just removed some of the mystery.

One thing people talk about with arrival of LCCs is that it expands the flying market by making it accessible to people who might not otherwise fly. Sure you hate it when you have to watch them try to check in a dog at the counter, but it helps make the market attractive to other airlines for adding service.



UA serving DEN sounds like a good addition to me. I think other large west coast cities might warrant service should US cut them, but I wouldn't think US would be cutting LAX or SFO or such. UA presumably already has codeshare access to those flights, so one could piece together a UA connecting itinerary with those anyway assuming decent timing. US is cutting flights based upon their profitability as they've said, and somehow I don't suspect those transcons are unprofitable, but then I don't really know.

I would assume that the transcons are losing money at the prices US has to match from ATA, HP, etc. $200 R/T?

I am REALLY psyched about the DEN flights. It could really take the edge off of expected service reductions to the west coast. We all know we are going to at least lose frequency, if not routes altogether. DEN is a nice airport and reliable if you arent checking bags ;-) also from there are good connections to everywhere. Kinda what PIT used to be like.

I am still surprised that Frontier isnt thinking more about PIT as an east coast 'hub'. DEN and PIT would be a nice combo. Two cities within a 90 minute flight of 90% of the population. Neither too close to the coast, and not central.

I am still surprised that Frontier isnt thinking more about PIT as an east coast 'hub'. DEN and PIT would be a nice combo. Two cities within a 90 minute flight of 90% of the population. Neither too close to the coast, and not central.

I completely concur. I do think F9 would look to PIT as a good location for expansion. That is why I believe US & UA are now overserving this route -- to protect both *A's interests here.

It was interesting how quickly UA's route addition followed US's PIT service reduction notice.

From what I understand, it costs $10 approx in tax to move a passenger through PIT. While it costs $2 approx to move a passenger through CLT. This is airport tax (paying for that beautiful PIT Airport). This is a major reason why US is moving out and a reason IMHO that no LCC is going to Hub in PIT.

It won't be $10 per person forever (which is due to the airport debt which is due to a combination of USAirways and ACAA being unable to predict the future of air travel). The debt will be paid down and I expect that the cost will be $5 per person in under two years from what I can see. Still not Charlotte but the same as your typical larger airport.

That's not what's stopping LCCs, there's just not enough market to build a hub. Maybe a few flights here and there, but that's all I expect and recent additions by Northwest, United, Midwest Express and others lead me to believe this is a good thing (tm) for everyone except the USAirways employees, too bad for them.

It won't be $10 per person forever (which is due to the airport debt which is due to a combination of USAirways and ACAA being unable to predict the future of air travel). The debt will be paid down and I expect that the cost will be $5 per person in under two years from what I can see. Still not Charlotte but the same as your typical larger airport.

That's not what's stopping LCCs, there's just not enough market to build a hub. Maybe a few flights here and there, but that's all I expect and recent additions by Northwest, United, Midwest Express and others lead me to believe this is a good thing (tm) for everyone except the USAirways employees, too bad for them.

just wanted to remind everyone that the 'tax' was about $5 per person before 9/11. All the reductions since have caused the tax to go up (its based wholly on other revenues and those have gone down).

For those not from PIT, the state congress just approved a plan to legalize slots gambling in various places around the state. a big chunk of money ($150M?) has been earmarked for PIT debt reduction. last time i checked, that was about 20%. Thats the 'paying down' pitflyer mentioned above.