VX out of PHL - fall flights gone
Apr 29, 2014, 1:24 pm
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,404
VX may have some other sales to fill up these seats before the service ends. I remember getting some great prices from WN on their PHL transcons right before the service ended.
Apr 29, 2014, 7:19 pm
#33
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,120
Under Parker's leadership, US (and now AA) is a fearsome competitor at PHL. Every "low fare" competitor who starts service ultimately pulls out. It's probably a combination of US's tactics and the dynamics of the PHL market. I knew VX would fail, given the fuel cost involved in running transcons (aka, if WN couldn't make short/medium haul from PHL work, there was no way VX was going to make long haul work).
I guess the next question is when JetBlue will abandon the PHL-BOS market. Spirit has also started some odd-ball routes from PHL (like PHL-DFW) that would seem to have failure written all over them (who in their right mind would want to compete against two AA hubs?), but perhaps Spirit's model is so different that they can hang on. I wouldn't bet on it, though; I've seen plenty of cheap US fares between PHL and DFW, so I can't imagine Spirit is making money on that route (nobody would fly Spirit if given a reasonable alternative).
I guess the next question is when JetBlue will abandon the PHL-BOS market. Spirit has also started some odd-ball routes from PHL (like PHL-DFW) that would seem to have failure written all over them (who in their right mind would want to compete against two AA hubs?), but perhaps Spirit's model is so different that they can hang on. I wouldn't bet on it, though; I've seen plenty of cheap US fares between PHL and DFW, so I can't imagine Spirit is making money on that route (nobody would fly Spirit if given a reasonable alternative).
But you're right that fares are being matched even now on usairways.com. I checked for May 7, just 8 days away, and usairways.com is selling $74 fares on multiple flights. Oddly, when I go to americanairlines.com (likely used by DFW pax more), and check the same flights, it's sold for much more!
$74 usairways.com Coach, Flight 1731 Operated by US Airways
$289 americanairlines.com Choice, Flight 1731 Operated by US Airways
I do wonder once it's truly just AA, if pricing will be like US or AA on the route.
It appears then pre-merger VX's interest was on LAX-PHL then and on LAX point of sale, and this of course, the route started before US and AA had merged.
It got UA and DL off the route, and expected LA point of sale, because US is considered a budget carrier, kind of like a lesser known regarded carrier out West. But with the merger, now it's AA, which has a huge network and name.
Last edited by rtalk25; Apr 29, 2014 at 9:09 pm
Apr 30, 2014, 2:23 am
#34
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 90
May 18, 2014, 10:32 pm
#35
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 28
I'm so disappointed by this. I HATE US with a passion and refuse to fly them after numerous awful experiences. Fell in love with VX about 6 months into their service out of PHL and have used them from PHL to LAX ever since. I once got a flight nonstop from PHL to LAX for under $260. Now I'll be lucky to get that for double with US having the monopoly again.
May 19, 2014, 7:02 am
#36
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,120
I'm so disappointed by this. I HATE US with a passion and refuse to fly them after numerous awful experiences. Fell in love with VX about 6 months into their service out of PHL and have used them from PHL to LAX ever since. I once got a flight nonstop from PHL to LAX for under $260. Now I'll be lucky to get that for double with US having the monopoly again.
May 23, 2014, 12:19 pm
#38
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: SAN
Programs: AA Gold, Bonvoy Gold, DL Gold
Posts: 1,197
Well AA is merging with US so that leaves DL, UA, or WN. WN flew this years ago.
Jun 12, 2014, 2:04 pm
#39
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Gold (prev. Ex Plat for 10 years); DL Plat; UA Gold; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,338
Aug 8, 2014, 7:47 pm
#40
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: PHL
Programs: AA
Posts: 342
Not to beat a dead horse, but I really hope VX starts PHL from LAX and SFO when they get new planes next year. I have to say, for SFO FFs, it's pretty sad that VX doesn't fly to the fifth largest city in the country.
Aug 10, 2014, 8:03 pm
#42
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 1,309
No
If it were profitable and something they wanted to keep, they'd keep it. Period.
Aug 10, 2014, 8:30 pm
#43
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: PHL
Programs: AA
Posts: 342
I don't know if JetBlue's PHL flights are profitable either, but PHL is a major market for travel from BOS, so JetBlue flies it anyway. Having the network connectivity is important for FFs. I think the same logic applies here for VX. PHL is the fifth largest city and sixth largest metropolitan area in the U.S. That's a pretty big hole in the network, IMO.
Aug 10, 2014, 9:13 pm
#44
Join Date: May 2009
Location: PHL
Posts: 2,842
PHL-LAX/SFO is a strange market.
This now leaves WN, F9, DL, UA, and VX that have all tried PHL-LAX and eventually cancelled it.
Last edited by nova08; Aug 11, 2014 at 11:46 am
Aug 11, 2014, 11:07 am
#45
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: LAX
Posts: 556
It doesn't necessarily mean it wasn't profitable. Just that up against their other routes and their upcoming DAL/DCA routes they thought there are routes that would provide more profit.
PHL-LAX/SFO is a strange market.
This now leaves WN, DL, UA, and VX that have all tried PHL-LAX and eventually cancelled it.
PHL-LAX/SFO is a strange market.
This now leaves WN, DL, UA, and VX that have all tried PHL-LAX and eventually cancelled it.
