Does anyway know why TWA dumped so many of its European cities? Was it due to repositioning of the carrier in the Caribbean/Mexico - or aging 747 fleet? For years TW dominated routes like JFK-MAD and JFK-ATH - but no more! How could they just give up these routes? Was it due to increased competition? Surely they're not making more revenue by flying South rather that crossing the pond...???

TWA doesn't have 747 fleet any longer. 767-200 and 300ER are flown on European routes.

tvl4free-

TWA will never again be a "world" airline - those euro routes had been in service since the late 40's but TWA just does not have the cash to service the routes, buy new aircraft, hold onto its domestic service, etc.... TWA expanded into the Carib/Puerto Rico with San Juan as hub and is doing well. Also working on expanding transcon (I think). Carl Ichan gutted TWA and if they can hold on until 2002 or 03 they may make it as a domestic airline with some euro and mid-east flights - kind of a poor US Airways. (IMO)

MG

I know TW has trashed the 747's...but thought that after JFK-CDG trajedy - perhaps they pulled those aging gas guzzlers faster than originally planned...thus decreasing European routes.

That JFK-MAD was one of the most unpleasant transatlantics I ever took, back in the 80s.

If TWA can turn the corner, maybe they could start to service Europe competitively. But I think that the bigger carriers do a much better job.

TW had operations in those cities dating back to the 50s, and large staffs that were necessary for daily 747s. Downsize to 767s (which is all the traffic that exists) and you're too big for your traffic.

Supposedly, though, in Europe you can't downsize easily, so you have to close up shop. Gossip has it that they'll be back to Madrid and Rome from JFK and Frankfurt to STL within a year (assuming all goes well and they get a few new planes). Also, if they closed the cities then Carl Icahn couldn't sell lowestfare.com tix there--but if they come back it's a new city and he's not party to it.

Jl

Prized TWA routes were sold to raise cah to help keep them afloat!

Other airlines, remember, don't want to buy the money losers! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

I just arrived home from a JFK-STL trip a few minutes ago. The TWA terminal at JFK is very sad...... it is totally falling apart, the men's room foul, and the food service disgusting. After taking off tonight they discovred that they forgot to stock pretzels in FC. No food, no snacks.

It is sad to see this airline wither away, especially when I pay $1250 for RT STL>JFK.

[This message has been edited by Ambassador (edited 08-02-2000).]

As TWA continues to downsize in Europe, why don't they try to get new partners there or at least better-develop their relationships with their existing partners? Couldn�t they code-share with Icelandair out of JFK? Even better, get Icelandair to fly to STL.
Being able to get better award-travel levels on partners would also help - I think coach on Icelandair is 60,000K regardless of time of year, and RJ (before they recently stopped allowing award redemption) was a whopping 70,000k. (actually their partners award chart in general needs to be updated - e.g. Alaska hasn't flown to the Russian far east in a while). Air India has service to LHR from JFK and ORD that I don't think can be snagged with TWA miles.
I may start needing to fly transaltantic, but even though I have a substantial amount of miles on TWA accumulated from a few years back, they fly to too few places here, and with such limited partnerships I can't even consider them.
Incidentally, when does the new JFK-TLV and CDG-TLV start? I haven't seen any information on this other than on this and other forums.
Yonatan

This is very sad, indeed. I have a special place in my heart for TWA. They were the first airline I ever flew, and the airline I flew to Europe with first time.
Sadly, I just transferred all of my and my husband's Aviator miles to HHonors because they wouldn't do any good for us where they were.

I used to live in Columbus, Ohio, where TWA had a fairly good sized operation. I frequently flew through JFK to Europe and STL to the West Coast, and even stuck with them for a while out of SFO after I moved here. Then I had a shouting match w/ an F/A on a flight about 5 years ago, and swore never again. I still haven't.

I post in response to the comment about the JFK terminal. I actually have some fond memories from when I was younger before flights to Europe with my family. The other day I was at my local book superstore and strolled through the transportation section and found a small book from Princeton Architectural Press titled "The TWA Terminal." Had the photos taken that everyone has seen from when the terminal first opened. Great little book if you've spent any time there over the years, and reminds you of how it was once much better than today.

Greg

I too am very disappointed in TWA lack of
European service. I used them to the fly in and out of Rome. I heard from the cabin crew that the reason they left Rome was the growing numbers ground staff and their union demands. It is their hope to lose this staff
and then start over again with out a unionized Italian ground staff. Now, that seems sort of slimy. So, for those of us who are still loyal to TWA, I fly them from the West Coast, it means flying into Milan and then hopping a 4 hour/75 dollar train ride to make it Rome. Forget coming back, its either an overnight train from Rome and hanging out in the airport until the flight, or a lovely
stay in an expensive, not so interesting 19th century city, to catch a morning flight.

Lets hope TWA figures out what they are doing. I am an elite 1, who chooses out of loyalty to fly twa and often suffer overnights in St. Louis, rerouting etc. to fly them.

lala

Interesting discussion on the subject: http://www.planebusiness.com/ubb/For...ML/000370.html

Fly them and you'll know why they are in sad shape.

Currently people on the Big Island of Hawaii are excited about them coming here so that they can get direct service to LA so that United isn't the only one.

TWA is also down to one terminal at JFK,

In the not to distant past, they flew out of both terminal 5 and terminal 6.

Not anymore.

They are cash poor airline and they are shrinking. Considering they are the only US airline that still losses money, they are probably lucky to still be flying anywhere.