I am probably completely wrong about this but perhaps checking the ticket prices on this route might provide some answers. If the flights are going out full on the 737, maybe they are trying to raise the ticket price by shrinking the availability of seats. Certainly I do not know all of the factors involved in the these decisions, but I often hear about full 737 flights being changed to RJs and wonder if the whole limited supply vs demand thing is part of the reason.

Honestly though, I would be more apt to believe it had something to do with CAL being a bit short of 737s.

I suspect that with the shortage of 737's, that the switch to all RJ's DCA - CLE will mean that you will see less connecting options (at cheaper fares) through CLE. CO will likely try to hold the RJ seats for point-to-point DCA/CLE travelers - which is more profitable.

It could be that a large number of the DCA-CLE passengers on the 735 were connecting - so eliminating them - makes the 50 seat RJ profitable. At one time the connections through CLE were coming up cheaper, but now the best connections are through IAH or EWR.

CO is also beefing up DCA-IAH. Previously most were 735's, now most are 73G and even a couple of the daily flights DCA-IAH are coming up now with 738. (loving it).

Plus I am seeing a little scale back to BWI. Now some 735's and 733's are showing up. Previoulsy mostly 738s, 739s, and 757. Used to have 757 BWI-CLE.

Flew IAH-BWI on a 735 the other day, completely full - needed to remove some people as late arrivers showed up. Only 6F with 2FAM, left only 4F revenue seats - luckily though I got one on a higher fare code coming from GRU. CO really does need those extra 12 coach seats on the 735.

You bring up a great point. FlyI and US Scairways really bottomed out the prices on flights from DCA and IAD when they entered the market. This spring I was getting $150 flights for my day trips to DC when they used to be $600 or more.

All the PHL-CLE and PHL-EWR (non-rail) are JuniorJet(tm) flights. Some of the PHL-IAH are too I believe.

MisterNice

Cheap fares
 

I'll say. Last year in April, fare from Cle-DCA was >$600. This year, my last two flights were $89 (CO) and $ 128 (US). That is a BIG difference

Only one IAH-PHL flight (so far) is an ERJ, and it's the last flight of the day in each direction. Amazingly, CLE-PHL still has one 737 in each direction.

I am VERY surprised about the 767 talk.

CO doesn't exactly have anywhere good to pull one from.

In addition, CO's 737 fleet utilization is not so great, I am surprised they won't keep at least one at times that will support it.

Of course, Once DL liquidates, CO will be able to get their hands on some nice shiney 738's and nicer 764s.

I too think Co is trying to avoid selling connectors through CLE and looking for point-to-point.

If the all COEX experiment works at CLE maybe CO will by FYI :D

The largest fleet of RJs gets even bigger! :eek: