Sadly, AA is the airline that sees the opportunity. 3 MD80 flights (with MRTC) replacing some Eagle service...

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/031030/dath043_1.html

I know it's cruel to tease, but AA must be taking market share from CO in the CLE-ORD market. And their yields must be high enough to justify the bigger aircraft. Is this a sign that CO's strategy of frequent COEX flights from CLE could be failing?

FWIW, here's something I compiled awhile ago... it shows departures ex-CLE for scheduled airlines. Numbers reflect the PEAK days of the week during this fall -- keep in mind that CO's schedule can drop by as much as 50% on Saturdays:

Air Canada
Toronto - 4 (DH1)

America West
Phoenix - 2 (A319, A320)

American
Chicago - 8 (5 ERJ, 3 MD80)
Dallas/Fort Worth - 5 (CR7)
Miami - 1 (MD-80)
NYC-LaGuardia - 5 (ERJ)

Delta
Atlanta - 8 (2 CRJ, 5 B732, MD88)
Cincinnati - 8 (2 FRJ, 3 CRJ, 3 B732)

Northwest
Detroit - 8 (2 SF3, 5 D9S, D95)
Minneapolis/St. Paul - 4 (3 D9S, D95)

Southwest
Balimore - 5 (3 733, 2 73G)
Chicago-Midway - 8 (1 735, 4 733, 3 73G)
Nashville - 4 (1 733, 3 73G)
Orlando - Saturday only
Phoenix - Saturday only
St. Louis - 3 (2 733, 73G)

United
Chicago-O'Hare - 6 (2 B735, 4 B733)
Denver - 2 (B735, B733)
Washington, D.C.-Dulles - 4 (CRJ)

USA 3000
Fort Lauderdale (begins December)
St. Petersburg - 1 (A320)
Ft. Myers - 1 (A320)

US Airways
Charlotte - 4 (2 CRJ, ERJ, 733)
Pittsburgh - 5 (SF3)
Philadelphia - 6 (CRJ)

Continental
BE1 - 45
ERJ - 160
735 - 6
733 - 14
73G - 6
M80 - 1
738 - 12
739 - 4
752 -2

Albany - 4 (ERJ)
Allentown PA - 3 (ERJ)
Atlanta - 5 (ERJ)
Austin - 1 (ERJ)
Baltimore - 4 (735, 73G, 738, 752)
Boston - 4 (735, 3x733)
Buffalo - 4 (ERJ)
Burlington VT - 1 (ERJ)
Cancun - Saturday only
Charleston WV - 3 (BE1)
Charlotte - 4 (ERJ)
Chicago-Midway - 5 (ERJ)
Chicago-O'Hare - 8 (ERJ)
Cincinnati - 5 (BE1)
Columbus - 4 (ERJ)
Dallas/Fort Worth - 3 (ERJ)
Dayton - 4 (ERJ)
Denver - 2 (ERJ, 733)
Detroit - 3 (ERJ)
Elmira NY - 3 (BE1)
Erie PA - 4 (BE1)
Flint - 4 (BE1)
Fort Lauderdale - 2 (733, 738)
Fort Myers - 2 (733)
Fort Wayne - 4 (BE1)
Grand Rapids - 4 (ERJ)
Greenvile/Spartanburg - 2 (ERJ)
Harrisburg PA - 3 (ERJ)
Hartford - 4 (ERJ)
Houston-Intercontinental - 6 (735, 733, M80, 738, 2x739)
Indianapolis - 5 (ERJ)
Kalamazoo - 3 (BE1)
Kansas City - 4 (ERJ)
Knoxville - 2 (ERJ)
Lansing - 3 (BE1)
Las Vegas - 4 (738, 2x739, 752)
Lexington - 2 (ERJ)
Los Angeles - 2 (738)
Louisville - 4 (ERJ)
Madison - 2 (ERJ)
Manchester NH - 4 (ERJ)
Memphis - 3 (ERJ)
Miami - 1 (73G)
Milwaukee - 5 (ERJ)
Minneapolis/St. Paul - 4 (ERJ)
Montreal - 3 (ERJ)
Nashville - 3 (ERJ)
New Orleans - 2 (ERJ)
NYC-Islip - 2 (ERJ)
NYC-JFK - 1 (ERJ)
NYC-LaGuardia - 9 (6 ERJ, 2 733, 738)
NYC-Newark - 6 (2 735, 733, 73G, 2 738)
Norfolk - 3 (ERJ)
Orlando - 2 (73G, 738)
Philadelphia - 4 (3 ERJ, 735)
Phoenix - 2 (733, 738)
Pittsburgh - 4 (BE1)
Providence - 4 (ERJ)
Raleigh/Durham - 4 (ERJ)
Richmond VA - 3 (ERJ)
Rochester NY - 3 (ERJ)
Saginaw - 4 (BE1)
San Antonio - 2 (ERJ)
San Francisco - 1 (738)
San Juan - Saturday/Sunday only
Seattle - 1 (73G)
South Bend - 4 (BE1)
St. Louis - 4 (ERJ)
Syracuse - 3 (ERJ)
Tampa - 2 (733)
Toledo - 4 (BE1)
Toronto - 4 (ERJ)
Washington, D.C.-Dulles - 3 (ERJ)
Washington, D.C.-National - 4 (3 ERJ, 73G)
West Palm Beach - 1 (ERJ)
Westchester County - 4 (ERJ)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton PA - 3 (BE1)

Actually, American's conversion of three regional jet flights to mainline (MD-80s) is primarily due to the downsizing of the St. Louis hub. Effective November 1st, American will no longer fly from STL to CLE, which has been recently served by 5 daily MD-80s. Since American deemed this to be a "low fare" route (Thanks to Southwest), the route is being discontinued and AA is attempting to redirect CLE west-bound passengers to connect in ORD.

Aside from that, I do think it is worth noting that Cleveland's primary airline, Continental, has no mainline jets on the ORD-CLE route, while AA and UA have nine daily mainline flights between them.

Continental's trend is not abating. Someday we will look back fondly on those Brazilian widebody ERJs.

This week I flew between CLE and CVG. CO offered the shortened RJ (about 40 seats). As of next week, CO's flight in the same timeframe has been downsized to a Beech 1900 (about 18 seats). I believe this equipment change reflects an ongoing commitment to allowing a more personal service in an intimate, passenger-valued travelspace, together with the undeniably alluring pampering that guarantees the traveler the utmost in his or her transit experience- every seat a window seat AND every seat an aisle seat AND never a middle seat.

As a footnote... my return trip in the same market was aboard a Delta 737... that's right, a hawg- good old American heavy metal jumbo jet made of Seattle iron (ok, aluminum).

A little soul searching is in order prior to next booking...

73 non-stop markets on less than 50 mainline flights per day. Is the cup half full or half empty?

------------------
...or passengers swim.

I took that same idea to heart earlier this year. Only 2 CO segments this year!