Thanks for catching all this, Blue! Usually Sunday morning is the time to find new schedules, but I didn't check very far this morning.
The new schedule brings MKE up to 93 flights per day, compared to 89 on 9/8.
In addition to the changes which Blue noted, and the addition of MKE-RSW which I posted earlier, the only other notable change is a 3rd MKE-GRB trip.
Originally Posted by
BlueHorseShoe2000
While looking to book a MKE-PHL flight in early December, I noticed that the route is all CRJ.
I'm kind of surprised to see this, although Philadelphia does drop off a lot over winter. I'd be very surprised if larger aircraft did not return next spring.
Originally Posted by
BlueHorseShoe2000
MKE-MSP gets an extra flight, for a total of six roundtrips each weekday. Equipment will be three E170s and three CRJ.
MKE-MSP is frequently packed these days, and the upsized aircraft makes sense. The addition of a 6th flight fills a gap in the schedule...a better morning flight for MSP-originating business traffic (7:25am in addition to the existing 5:55am flight) and the evening return MKE-MSP at 7:35pm fills the big gap between 3:55pm and 10:10pm. I'm not positive what makes this MKE-MSP service so successful, but it has been.
Originally Posted by
BlueHorseShoe2000
DFW is all E170. Several weeks ago it was amix of 717s and E170s.
That actually was already planned...the market is going all E-170 on 11/15.
Originally Posted by
BlueHorseShoe2000
4) The additional of the fourth flight to PIT has now been yanked. Equipment is two CRJs and 1 E170.
Today's two daily 170 round-trips between MKE and both CMH and PIT are largely to rotate aircraft and crews back to Republic bases in Columbus and Pittsburgh. Neither market really needs that lift, and the added flight from MKE to PIT at 9:30pm regularly goes out with fewer than 20 people onboard. With this new schedule there is only a single 170 trip to each CMH and PIT, and they will carry a lot less empty space in both markets.
Originally Posted by
BlueHorseShoe2000
There's enough slack in the 717 schedule to add another flight or two. Not saying anything will happen, but I could see Midwest adding another flight to DCA (they're chasing after another pair of slots) or perhaps a seasonal restoration of RSW service (February-April).
Actually the 717 schedule doesn't have slack...it's essentially unchanged from the 11/15 schedule they had already planned. The expansion comes from some better utilization on the CRJ and the 170 which allows the addition of MKE-RSW plus an additional MKE-MSP and MKE-GRB trip. As for DCA, what they are applying for is to obtain slots to continue the 5th MKE-DCA trip they added last May. They added it using leased slots from Delta which will expire in spring.
Originally Posted by
BlueHorseShoe2000
perhaps a seasonal restoration of RSW service (February-April).
Good instincts, Blue!!
