US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Airtran to leave GSO

http://www.news-record.com/news/now/airtran072304.htm

There go the roach fares out of GSO. I wonder what all those CLT folks who are driving up to GSO are going to do now?

http://www.news-record.com/news/now/airtran072304.htm

There go the roach fares out of GSO. I wonder what all those CLT folks who are driving up to GSO are going to do now?

Why would the fares go up if FlyI is coming in there next week?

Why would the fares go up if FlyI is coming in there next week?
Allow me to restate that. There go the roach fares where I fly to. :D

An AirTran employee said CLT may be on their route map by the end of the year. Hmm

An AirTran employee said CLT may be on their route map by the end of the year.

I would be somewhat surprised if AirTran reentered a market they've already exited before ...

I would be somewhat surprised if AirTran reentered a market they've already exited before ...

Don't be too shocked. Many airlines have done this in the past. Including US Airways. They may see CLT as a place where they can gain a foot hold now that WN is to the north batteling them with their fares and now AirTran coming in from the south. The LCC's know that US Airways is bleeing. US Airways has about all the gates at CLT so it will be difficult for them to do much of anything there. Unless the airport itself tried to force US Airways into giving up some of their gates that they don't use so much. But I don't see that happening. CLT loves their airline.

I hope this roachfest meeing helps US Airways with some new ideas where they can cut costs and save money. I really hope they can turn it around. There is still time, but that time is running out quickly.

I was talking to a US Airways employee in reservations yesterday. She is a former TWA agent. She was telling me that they had a vote going on whether to take another pay cut or not. Alot of them were saying NO. The agent told me if they don't take the cut it will be some what like TWA again. She said instead of not taking the cut. They will take an even bigger one. No job period. She told me she voted yes of course. She wants to keep her job and does not want to go through this again. She said it is going to be a very close vote. She said as of right now in her reservations center is was at 50/50. But that is only one center of course.

T

Unless the airport itself tried to force US Airways into giving up some of their gates that they don't use so much.

US doesn't have any gates to give up in Charlotte, while Charlotte's total number of flights may be down a bit from it's hey day, that's mostly due to the cut of early and late banks of flights and they still need all the gates they've got to handle their mid-day banks of flights.

Fact of the matter is while US in general is on the ropes, not much has changed vis-a-vis their position in Charlotte that would make me think AirTran could be any more successful there than they were before, and in fact with ATA serving Charlotte now, if anything it would seem a less attractive opportunity since they wouldn't even have the advantage of being the only low fare game in town.

US Airways has about all the gates at CLT so it will be difficult for them to do much of anything there. Unless the airport itself tried to force US Airways into giving up some of their gates that they don't use so much. But I don't see that happening. CLT loves their airline. T

While US has a lot of gates at CLT, it doesn't have 'em all, plus with the expansions to the A & D Concourses, there are plenty of gates for other airlines to use. It's how ATA was able to come in - and how other carriers got extra gates (for example, United). The airport is in that weird position of being supportive of the hub airline, yet, having to do what it can to try to attract competition.

The City's population enjoys having more air access than a City of its size normally would - but we don't like the higher fares. So, it's a love-hate relationship.

I knew that when I moved from CLT to GSO last year (to avoid having to drive to GSO to fly back to CLT each Monday), air fares would jump at GSO and go down to CLT. It's all my fault.

The GSO paper this am noted that more folks fly on Delta out of GSO than US Airways. I most have missed this in the past, because I thought the opposite was true. The good news for us in GSO is that RDU enjoys some of the best fares in the SE.

Allow me to restate that. There go the roach fares where I fly to. :D

Once flyi gets their airbuses in, then Florida markets, LAS and SFO come into play... and those are my markets. Until then, it might have to be RDU and its 3 1/2 hour drive for me. :(

I would be somewhat surprised if AirTran reentered a market they've already exited before ...

How many times have they served Toledo? At least twice, maybe thrice...

http://www.news-record.com/news/now/airtran072304.htm

There go the roach fares out of GSO. I wonder what all those CLT folks who are driving up to GSO are going to do now?

Totally unrelated side question... why must the local newspaper refer to its airport as PTI? Its GSO, )@#^it!!! I know that the airport authority calls it "Piedmont Triad International Airport", but bogarting the three-letter code from an obscure Australian airport (http://www.world-airport-codes.com/australia/port-douglas-5946.html) is not acceptable. Sheesh. Having grown up in Thomasville, NC, we always referred to the airport as either "Greensboro" or "GSO"; never as "PTI".

Guess its kind of like people referring to DEN as "DIA"... though at least in that case, there is no airport already coded as DIA.

FlyI refers to the GSO airport as PTI also.

FlyI has another 12 months of existence, max

FlyI refers to the GSO airport as PTI also.

many people refer to it as PTI, since it is more representative of the area. The airport serves Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem. People often say Greensboro for short. They tried to change the IATA code from GSO to something different, but were unable to change it.

that's a shame about Air Tran leaving, good thing there is flyI, although it wont help with fares to Atlanta.

Totally unrelated side question... why must the local newspaper refer to its airport as PTI? Its GSO, )@#^it!!! I know that the airport authority calls it "Piedmont Triad International Airport", but bogarting the three-letter code from an obscure Australian airport (http://www.world-airport-codes.com/australia/port-douglas-5946.html) is not acceptable. Sheesh. Having grown up in Thomasville, NC, we always referred to the airport as either "Greensboro" or "GSO"; never as "PTI".

Guess its kind of like people referring to DEN as "DIA"... though at least in that case, there is no airport already coded as DIA.

If you think that's bad, at least PTI makes a modicum of sense. One of the NYC channels (NBC 4 I think) uses the airport "codes" of LAG, JFK and NWK on their traffic maps. Heck, let's use KEN for Kennedy while we're at it, making it zero for three. :mad:

How many times have they served Toledo? At least twice, maybe thrice...

The reentry to Toledo involved a Travel Bank ... I don't see that happening in Charlotte.

any ideas on why they're pulling out of GSO? Is it just low pax numbers, or low profits on the routes? I wonder if this will cause DL to use larger equipment or add frequency. Im sure it will raise fares:(

anyone know how loads are on the Air Tran flights?

Thanks

many people refer to it as PTI, since it is more representative of the area. The airport serves Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem. People often say Greensboro for short. They tried to change the IATA code from GSO to something different, but were unable to change it.

that's a shame about Air Tran leaving, good thing there is flyI, although it wont help with fares to Atlanta.
I think the stated reason in the article was the lack of business fares out of GSO and their inability to attract business flyers

Totally unrelated side question... why must the local newspaper refer to its airport as PTI? Its GSO, )@#^it!!! I know that the airport authority calls it "Piedmont Triad International Airport", but bogarting the three-letter code from an obscure Australian airport (http://www.world-airport-codes.com/australia/port-douglas-5946.html) is not acceptable. Sheesh. Having grown up in Thomasville, NC, we always referred to the airport as either "Greensboro" or "GSO"; never as "PTI".

Guess its kind of like people referring to DEN as "DIA"... though at least in that case, there is no airport already coded as DIA.


This makes sense. Only airline types and FTers (like us) really know GSO, but to the regional community there, the airport is known as PTI. This is especially important since many of the regional communities all pitch in plenty of tax monies from their coffers to support this airport facility. To call it GSO would be a slap in the face of those communities.

Similar situation in Harrisburg PA --- airport code is, of course, MDT. Local press and locals call it HIA. (H'burg Intl A/P).

I would be somewhat surprised if AirTran reentered a market they've already exited before ...

Beckles -- I'm surprised to read this from you. You're an astute FTer!

Methinks this might be a particularly wise time for AirTran to move back to town. Let's face it: US is in intensive care no matter how you look at it and their product (worn out & grimy planes on mainline, reduced F on 757s, RJs and E70s replacing real planes nearly everywhere, markedly worse performance and reliability of late, etc, etc) is only getting worse.

If I'm a competitor, I'm starting to lick my chops. Many of us agree that US has lost a lot of our loyalty over the past 24 months. If AirTran can swing a tiny fraction of old US types like us over to their camp with mainline jets or better schedules or easier upgrades or whatever, they've got a good market. And, assume the worst: if US fails in the next 1 to 3 years (collapses), AirTran has established itself as a carrier in the marketplace already.

I'm not saying this is a no-brainer, but it deserves more than a casual brush off. US is not the competitor it once was --- even in CLT.

And, FWIW, US has entered/exited/entered/exited so many markets it makes one's head spin. Who can say San Antonio? Who can say Portland OR? And remember the first time US opened MEX? That lasted practically no time before they pulled out. Now, of course, they're back. I think PI pulled in and out of Augusta GA three complete times before replacing service with PI Express. :cool:

I think the stated reason in the article was the lack of business fares out of GSO and their inability to attract business flyers


Airtran is known for pulling out of markets in which they don't make a profit. GSO has not had great luck with LCCs. Continental lite tried to hub there. Their failure though is probably not proof that it is a bad LCC market since continental lite was badly managed and guaranteed to fail anyways. In the past GSO has been rumored to be high on the SW radar screen, but lately their is more talk about richmond and pittsburgh.

Any word on SWA and GSO? I didnt know they were that serious about GSO, where did you hear that? That would be great for GSO to stop losing pax to RDU.

Any word on SWA and GSO? I didnt know they were that serious about GSO, where did you hear that? That would be great for GSO to stop losing pax to RDU.


Most of the talk about where SW is going is just rumor mill talk on boards like this one. The reality, is that SW is very secretive about their new city intentions, and where they are headed is probably only known by a couple people. However, GSO used to be a source of very heavy speculation, but it gets a lot less talk now.