PAN AM PSM-PIT
 

Yes, that's right--Pan Am!

Driven by the threat of the US strike, the inconvenience of a Saturday stayover due to schedule conflicts, and late planning on my part, I booked a ticket on Pan Am for their new 'Clipper Class' service from PSM (Portsmouth, NH)-PIT. Fare was what I would reasonably expect from US, but no advance purchase or Saturday stayover (albeit no FF miles). Service to PIT started 3/20, with flights also to Gary, IN and Sanford, FL; Bangor, ME from Gary, Sanford, and PIT is reportedly coming soon.

Outbound was on PN 45, departing 6:15 AM (!). The drive up from Boston was terrific--no traffic, gorgeous spring sunrise, 70 min door-to-door from my home in Cambridge. Pease International Tradeport is a former US Air Force Base, now being converted into an industrial park. It's very easy to reach, exit 3 on I-95 in NH, and only 500 yards from the exit ramp. Once on the 'base' grounds, one has to drive around for a while past cargo & general aviation to reach the passenger terminal.

The 'terminal' is a single-story plain white building. Parking is out front, and free; my spot was closer than I get 90% of the time at a supermarket or mall. No line at check-in; free coffee, WSJ, and USA Today. That was it for amenities in the terminal, besides restrooms, pay phone, National & Budget rental car counters--and a large Customs/Immigration center (for charter flights?). The airfield is a big concrete slab--about what I would expect from a military installation. There were several KC-135s (707-type tankers) parked on the tarmac, apparently Air National Guard. Private aircraft were parked under what were apparently former blast shelters for interceptors. The only other commercial jet was an Ameriflyer (?) 727.

Most other passengers appeared to be pure leisure, non-FF types. Security was unsure what to do with my Palm organizer--it seems that they're not real familiar with these.

Pan Am is flying refurbished 727-200s, with winglets and some reshaping of the dorsal engine air intake. Boarding is nominally by check-in number for open seating, but with only 24 of us (for 25 rows) they boarded en masse. Seat pitch appears to be 36", though by force of habit I headed for an exit row. Blankets and pillows pre-positioned in each row.

On-board service included hot towel, beverage, and a 'Cross Country Cookie.' The presence of 4 FAs made for quite attentive service--I was asked 4 times about beverages. It beats peanuts on US at that hour! Departure (6:15 AM) and arrival (7:50 AM) were exactly on time, amazing for any travel in the northeast.

Net:
- Extra leg room makes a BIG difference.
- Easy airport access, uncongested airport at PSM is an attractive opportunity to the hassle of BOS, especially for anyone with easy access to I-95.
- Attentive FAs is a direct contrast to US (though maybe more money on US will help?)
- Ticket with no advance purchase, no Saturday stayover is very appealing
- Question survivalbility of PN given the # of pax on board and non-market airports (can PSM compete with MHT? Gary with MDW?)

Two notes from PIT:
- A UPS 727 was parked at a passenger gate, and listed on the monitors as departing for the Dominican Republic. Any ideas why this strayed from the cargo area, and made it to the monitors?
- Monitors also indicated a WN flight departing for LAS. Since WN doesn't generally fly to PIT, was this a charter?

Great report!

UPS has 727-100s that convert passenger use on weekends. They fly charters around the Caribbean for cruise lines.

a330300

UPS has palletized passenger-sections for the 727s--supposedly with very good pitch and service for weekend charter work.

When I lived in Cincinnati we used to fly UPS charters CVG-CUN occasionally. Excellent service and pretty cheap. Their seat pitch was the largest I've ever seen in coach. Very comfortable and very nice surroundings.

There are plenty of charters that use UPS to fly Saturday/Sunday from PIT to popular vacation destinations. In fact, for a while you could buy a seat directly from UPS -- UPS Airlines -- in PIT, but that didn't pan out.

As per WN, I didn't know they were in the charter business. But for example, I have seen a Sun Country plane in PIT and I might be wrong about this one but I even think an Alaska Airlines plane in PIT.

The other, less probable suggestion about WN is that they are considering PIT service. While I don't consider it realistic, supposedly the Allegheny county executive (where PIT is) is now actively courting more competition for USAirways in PIT. I wish him good luck but expect the worst http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

24 people on a plane? I hope that PanAm isn't grounded before it takes off, since every other low-fare entrant into the PIT market, except Vanguard, has pulled out in a couple of months.

The return PSM-PIT was PN46, dep. 7:50 PM, arr. 9:20 PM. Check-in was nominally at a gate shared with SkyWest and UA, but the agent was only posted at the jetway-side counter, not the main counter area. The entire operation was run off of a laptop computer, which I had never seen before.

The flight arrived into PIT from Gary 10 min late (7:20). There were only about 15 pax deplaning, and 9 to board, so even with a/c serevicing boarding was still completed well in advance of the scheduled 7:50 PM departure--we even had to wait at the gate for the crew to complete necessary "paperwork."

The flight departed almost exactly on time. It was again almost emplty--9 boarding at PIT, plus 2 more continuing from Gary. The 4 flight attendants seemed somewhat tired, but were trying to have a good time--I think they were bored. Other than the *slow* safety announcement, service was again very good, with wet towels, beverage, cookie, and concluding with Andes mints just before landing.

Arrival into PSM was 5 min early. Luggage was already coming off the carousel by the time I had lugged my carry-on from row 8 into the terminal (meaning that it might actually have been faster to check bags rather than carry on). Less than 10 min after reaching the gate later I was starting my car. No traffic, and I was back in Boston again in 70 min.

After 2 flights, it seems that Pan Am has a good product--they succeeded in running on-time, with professional service, and extra legroom. I would definitely fly them again. PSM is also a welcome relief to the usual hassle of Logan--despite the extra drive, this was probably one of the (if not the single) most hassle-free and comfortable trip to PIT from Boston in 7 years. However, 2 flights with a TOTAL of 35 pax raises serious questions about long-term viability. I have not seen any marketing in either PIT or BOS, a contrast to ATA which is scheduled to start BOS-MDW on 5/7 and is already running radio ads. I fear that with load-factors like this, PN may not be long for the market.

Other notes:
- WN a/c in PIT was a charter. Arrival from LAS was marked as such on the monitors on 3/31.
- UPS a/c was in PIT indeed passenger charter; this time it was also marked as such on the monitor.

[This message has been edited by chalf (edited 04-02-2000).]