airplanegod

^^^^

Yep, UA dehubbing CLE not only hurt CLE, it also hurt CAK, if not more.

rtalk25

I think it's to placate CAK and maybe some that flew CAK-DEN-West, but I agree it won't last. I think CAK will close. I also think there is possiblity that ATL as a focus/hub will downsize and with it CAK-ATL and several other ATL routes will disappear.

If I was a betting man, I'd bet on HOU and AUS getting a lot more domestic routes in the next two years possibly at ATL's expense, maybe even AUS over HOU where WN can be exclusive (and not have to share nonstop traffic demand with UA as with Houston, or DL as with Atlanta). This latest extension was significant for AUS.

For CLE, maybe that will be CLE-HOU and CLE-AUS being added, but I don't see WN showing significant interest in NE Ohio otherwise.

expert7700

I think CAK-LAS will do well--two of the flights from CAK have regularly continued on to Vegas and had many thru passengers.

Flying from CAK is amazing as I can park the car in their lot and practially read the nametags off the WN ticket counter employees. The total time it takes us to pull into airport property, get thru security and get to the Southwest gates is 5 minutes.

buckeyefanflyer

Actually AirTran flew CAK-LAS for a brief time in 2007.

buckeyefanflyer

I think in light of these cutbacks the CAK Airport people should pull all their
advertisements in the CLE market A Better Place to Fly as not any reason to
drive down there. Sure parking is close and so are Rental Cars but with all the new carriers out of CLE and lower fares and the walk to the gate is not that far it; fine by me.

awval999

Honestly, CAK is a cancer to CLE. Once UA pulled their hub, you saw competition come into CLE, and Southwest is just joining the others.

CLE is more central to the metro area than CAK. There is no reason for them to be at CAK when they can be at CLE.

mherdeg

I may be looking wrong, but I don't see nonstop CAK-BOS on the schedule after 10 September. This seems a bit earlier than the November date we saw for most CAK cuts.

There is very, very little mainline service from Cleveland area to Boston area — UA is regional jets, B6 is regional jets, WN is mainline, NK (!) is mainline.

Bummer to see someone leaving the market. I gotta wonder whether FL would have cut this route if the carriers had stayed separate. (I don't understand the economics there, so for all I know FL wouldn't still be solvent?.)

rtalk25

JetBlue's CLE-BOS is fare competitive. One can buy an $87 one-way ticket after Labor Day. Since it will be used by mainly business passenger after Labor Day, there is no need for such a big plane, like an Airbus 320, and all those middle seats

NK offers the route seasonally, but I'm surprised that NK will run the CLE-BOS route all the way to early November as seasonal. It's ACY-BOS route, also seasonal, ends right at Labor Day end, although many from NJ just drive up to BOS area if flying is too expensive.

I think FL would have cut CAK-BOS route, but maybe would have stuck on CAK-LGA as that was 2x daily. There is still no low fare carrier between CLE and NYC. Although United does often offer UA specials between CLE and EWR, i.e. fly out Fri/Sat return Mon/Tuesday for $168 r/t.

flyallegheny

Slightly off topic: July issue of Hemispheres shows United's CAK-EWR as a new flight. (Doesn't appear on the UA schedule yet, as far as I can tell.) This indicates UA's utter abandonment of CLE, but also that it sees some value in CAK.

buckeyefanflyer

UA CAK-EWR in the November schedule. Not sure how this has anything to do with CLE. UA still has more flights out of CLE outside of the hubs. They seem to be hanging in despite a lot of new competition.

tcroke

I know your post about WN @ PIT was months ago but I just noticed it. I think PIT expansion is very likely but not before 2018. May be minor expansion sooner. In 2018 bonds on PIT will be paid off which will lead to lower landing fees/ gate leases. Most existing airline leases expire giving WN some choice about location. At that time WN begins delivery on 150 large capacity 737s which will lead to great increase in seats per slot at slotted and limited space airports. This will probably open up slots for LGA-PIT if WN grows PIT station to resemble BWI operation which I believe is being considered by WN management. Ground crew members at PIT have actually said to me that after 2018, they expect to have non-stops from PIT to "every airport" on the WN system. That, of course has to be an exaggeration but it certainly makes it appear that something big is under consideration. Last but not least, space at PIT is almost unlimited.

This thread was originally about CAK. Remember, WN is now focused on expansion at HOU and DAL. I will be very surprised if, no matter what happens at PIT, that WN doesn't initiate CAK-BWI and CAK-MDW. Right now WN has fewer aircraft than would be needed for all the routes they would like to be using. Watch for service at CAK come back but more in line with typical WN route patterns than what were Airtran customary route patterns.