bfunkjeep

I was just looking on-line and saw that Ft. Lauderdale gets 7 flights a day now and Miami gets 3 from US Airways coming from Philadelphia.

I would have thought it would be the exact reverse.

usairways85

No, it's always been this way. FLL is a pretty decent size operation for US especially when Metrojet was around. And even now with service to Bermuda. For some reason US has never had that many flights from PHL-MIA. I believe CLT-MIA has 5 or 6 flights though.

IADCAflyer

AA probably grabs most of the MIA passengers since it basically is one of their hubs.

mbmbbost

US doesn't like FLL, they had a big chunk of business there but have let JetBlue, Southwest and Delta have most of it. I'm still waiting to see if they'll bring back nonstops from BOS, if not (and it isn't looking like it) then I'll be trying Song. FLL is a much easier airport to deal with than MIA in my opinion, although it has got a lot busier in the last few years.

N674UW

US used to be the #2 carrier at FLL behind DL but theyve cut back there since 9/11...I think they are 4th or 5th now...

N674UW

PHL

Where do more cruises leave from? MIA or FLL?

irabk

MIA but most cruise lines will pick you up at either MIA or FLL for a MIA cruise.

MAH4546

Miami actually has more USAirways flights than Ft. Lauderdale, but that's because Miami also has USAirways Express.

Ft. Lauderdale International Airport is to Miami International Airport what LaGuardia is to JFK. FLL is the #1 domestic gateway in the Miami area, and has more frequencies to most of the major markets. In fact, starting in October, FLL will have 7 LAX flights (1 DL, 2 B6, 4 AA) compared to MIA's 6 (1 UA, 5 AA). Miami is the international gateway, Ft. Lauderdale the domestic gateway. Also at MIA, AA competes with USAirways too all three US hubs. At FLL, only airTran competes with FLL-PHL service.

Though you will see USAirways grow in Miami in the near future. Miami is a Star Alliance Interantional Hub and USAirways will play a key role in the new Star Alliance Terminal now under construction in Miami. It is an $856M terminal that is the first of it's kind: it will combine all alliance operations under one system. From check-in to loading the luggage to catering to gates, all 15 gates at the new terminal (all interantional, all can handle a loaded 747-400) will be shared by the Star carriers at Miami, which will turn Miami mainly into a US/Europe>>Latin America/Caribbean hub. USAirways may very well play a key role in the Caribbean part, even though this is AA's territory.

IADCAflyer

Well, US would dispute that Caribbean is solely AA's territory. From MIA - yes. From, elsewhere - no. IIRC US is easily the #2 carrier in the Carribean and is adding routes like there is no tomorrow.

usairways85

I doubt US will do any major expansion to the caribbean from MIA, it has been dominated by AA for years and US would face major competition from AA. However, if you think US will ultimately expand in MIA, i would like to see where.

As far as Star, MIA is the major gateway to Latin America and South America and with the new terminal will strengthen that gateway. However, in MIA no Star carrier offers a great deal of Caribbean destinations. So now with US entering Star and easily having the largest pressence in the Caribbean wouldn't this make PHL and CLT the major caribbean gateways for Star?

PineyBob

Competition??? When we hear that word at US we have only one answer! Run Away! RUN Away! RUN AWAY!

MAH4546

Outside of thier Caribbean hubs in Miami and Bermuda:

From New York City/JFK, American offers Caribbean service to:
San Juan, Port-Au-Prince, Santo Domingo, Santiago, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, La Romana, Port of Spain, Grand Cayman, St. Thomas, Aruba, Bridgetown, Kingston, Montego Bay, and Providenciales.

From Boston/BOS, American offers Caribbean service to:
San Juan, Port-Au-Prince, Santo Domingo, Grand Cayman, St. Thomas, Aruba, and Providenciales

From Ft. Lauderdale/FLL, American offers service to San Juan, Port-Au-Prince, and Santo Domingo (SDQ/PAP start 01Nov).

In addition, they serve San Juan from Caracas, Orlando, Tampa, Raleigh (seasonal), Dallas, O'Hare, St. Louis, Baltimore, Dulles, Newark, JFK, Philadelphia, Boston, Hartford, and Los Angeles (starts 19Dec).

Not in the "real" Caribbean, but they serve Belize City from Miami and Dallas. San Jose from Miami, Dallas, and JFK. Cancun from Miami, Dallas, St. Louis, O'Hare, JFK, and Boston. Bermuda from JFK, Boston, and soon if everything works out, Miami. The also serve the Bahamas from Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, and Tampa.

USAirways is the #2 carrier to the Caribbean, no doubt. They make huge money there, they will keep growing. However, American offers a much more extensive network not just from Miami and San Juan, but all over the Eastern seaboard, as well as the midwest and, soon, the West coast.

PHL and CLT will not decrase at the expense of MIA, but you will see USAirways add some MIA-Caribbean flights to feed some Star Alliance flights to Europe and Latin America. MIA also allows many more oppurtunites. For example, they could profitably serve La Romana daily, like AA, because there is a lot of O&D demand on that route. Also, a destination like Grand Cayman suddenly is not only a leisure route, but a major business route (MIA-GCM has a lot of business traffic thanks to banks). Charlotte and Philadelphia can only expand so far. Miami is the O&D and business traffic to the islands that takes that limit much higher.

We'll have to wait and see what happens. Any Star Alliance Caribbean growth at MIA will be faced by a big reaction from American Airlines, which is the main problem.

NeoOfTheCRS

So true!

Ocean1971

Who has a hub in Bermuda?