<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by HPTunco:
I did read that PIT can charge US 20% more on the lease after Jan 1st......don't think that they won't use this as leverage since the pendulum has swung back to PIT's advantage (SW coming to PHL).</font>
The problem is for them to make the same amount of money off US, even with the 20% "penalty" US would have to operate 83.3% of the schedule in 2004 as they do now ... I seriously doubt that will happen because of the 20% penalty.
US basically guaranteed PIT somewhere around $50 million in rent for 2004 and the airport rejected it ... even with the 20% "penalty", they're not going to get that much money out of US now ... either the lease will be renegotiated at a much lower rate or US is going to drastically cut service out of PIT (more than they already have) ... either way PIT is going to get less money out of US ...