sassamanlaw

As of May 1st Colgan is scrapping its 4x daily flights on the ABE-PIT route. Jeez, back in the day this used to be 4x a day mainline. Even if the flights were F-100s it still beats Express. But now nuthin.

phillygold

Wow, what a shame. Up until 5-6 years ago, ABE was my favorite airport. Easy to reach, plentiful close parking, manageable security lines, a quick hop to PIT on an F-100 or 737, then a connection anywhere in the country.
In short order PIT was de-hubbed, the schedules out of ABE were cut back and fares were raised to a level where it made more sense to fly out of PHL.
With the elimination of PIT, will US have any operations at ABE besides the overpriced, often delayed ABE-PHL route?

wr_schwab

Source?

The usairways.bomb is still showing those flights on the schedule at least through the end of October.

amartin1979

ROC-PIT is also gone as of June.

abeflyer

Check this Morning Call link: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-...,4781742.story

Well, besides the PHL flights that are already overpriced, that leaves the three CLT flights.

Seems like only a few years ago that they had all the same PHL flights, 4-5 full 737's to PIT (with competitive fares to PHL to the west coast), the CLT flights, a full 737 to MCO, three flights to BOS and three to DCA. What a cutback in five years for ABE and US.

I wonder if anyone at US has the historical data to look and see what they "could" pull out of that airport if they tried with competitive fares? The old Allegheny, like Wal-Mart, found that those non-sexy small towns give great profits if operated correctly. But then that would mean someone wants to grow the airline and not cut it to profitability and its ultimate demise when it loses the necessary bulk to compete.

2005-125,000 miles 2006-105,000 miles 2007-2,000

Miles burned with *A in 2007- 400,000 miles

aztimm

NW has had some good fares to ABE via DTW, which I've used many times. From what I remember, these are on DC-9's, sometimes doing a triangular DTW-ABE-MDT-DTW or DTW-MDT-ABE-DTW route.

abeflyer

Some good news for ABE, though is that DL is beginning ABE-BOS service in July.

Now if I could get DL to fly ABE-JFK with a Dash-8 once a day to connect with the Europe flights, I'd be gone from US forever.

LoganFlyer

This stinks. When I need to be in Philly, I like to do BOS-PIT-ABE to avoid PHL entirely. Good news about DL starting ABE-BOS, is CO cutting it? They fly that route a couple of times a day on Beechcraft 1900s. And I believe NW used to do DC-9s out of ABE, but it's now all CRJs/SF3s.

wr_schwab

I called US since I'm scheduled to fly ABE-PIT as part of an award ticket in Oct.

Currently they have no information on this service being discontinued. The res agent did put me on hold while she went to check with other departments. Whoever she did speak two didn't know anything about it either.

She did say that if the article is correct with the May 1st date they should get information in the next day or two about the service cancellation.

BoeingBoy

Colgan is starting PIT to Parkersburg, Clarkesburg, and Morgantown on May 1. That may be related to them stopping the PIT-ABE service.

Jim

bankingconsultant

Wow, PIT to Morgantown? Guess there must be a sizable contingent of Mountaineers who'd rather spend time in the airport than enjoy a usually nice drive on I-79. And to think that it's been at least two years or so since they got rid of the shortest flight in the system, my segment-padding PIT-CAK route!

PSU Mudder

I think it may be an EAS route.

BoeingBoy

I wondered about that but was too lazy to do a search to find out. If one or more of the WV cities are EAS it would explain why Colgan would move the flying there.

Jim

PSU Mudder

I sort of assume that most routes from PIT to podunk are EAS, because otherwise US would have moved the primary service to PHL, like they did with SCE.

likestheaction

You say this as if ABE-PHL is the only route into PHL that is delayed. It cannot be said enough, PHL is the worst airport hub in the world, and will be the undoing of USAir. Avoid it at all costs.