CXA330300 From South Africa, joined exactly 9 years ago today! , 1500 posts, RR: 1 Posted (4 years 2 months 3 weeks 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 6067 times:
I was at LaGuardia dropping off my father last week to drop him off for his flight to CLT. The terminal was dead! Of course a lot of it has to do with economy, but compared to the other terminals (particularly the Delta Terminal) it was very quiet. Considering that the terminal was also quiet when I flew out of it during boom times a while back, I'm compelled to ask: how sustainable (and profitable/unprofitable) is US Airways' LaGuardia focus city, especially considering their huge regional base in PHL?
The sky is the limit as long as you can stay there
TheGMan From United States of America, joined Nov 2008, 606 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (4 years 2 months 3 weeks 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 5943 times:
What day and time of day was it?
Weekends are often dead at LGA, but Monday morning the USAir terminal is pretty busy, even at 5 am.
Airlinespotter From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 160 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (4 years 2 months 3 weeks 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 5880 times:
Hummm, I also was there last week and it was very crowed. Like TheGMan said, what day & time were you there?
FlyASAGuy2005 From United States of America, joined Sep 2007, 6520 posts, RR: 11 Reply 4, posted (4 years 2 months 3 weeks 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 5702 times:
I've found LGA to be quite quiet even during the week but during a certain time of the day. That's why whenever i'm flying in and out of there (always leisue so timing doesn't matter) I fly right in during the "sweep spot" when there's like no traffic.
Believe it or not, you can find this time at ATL also. Working on the ramp in Atlanta, it's quite a site to look up and down C (DCI side) and see a little more than half of the gatesempty and we're all in the breakroom catching a nap.
CAM2:"Lightning coming out of that one." CAM1: "What?"
TheGMan From United States of America, joined Nov 2008, 606 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (4 years 2 months 3 weeks 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 5539 times:
Quoting RJpieces (Reply 3): It is sad how few mainline jets US has at LGA...Aside from the Shuttle ops, it is mostly RJs and Dash-8s...
StarAlliance38 From United States of America, joined Jan 2008, 1445 posts, RR: 4 Reply 6, posted (4 years 2 months 3 weeks 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 5536 times:
I'm flying LGA-CLT tomorrow, but I opted for the regional jet. I kinda wish I got the mainline flight now, but O well!
TheGMan From United States of America, joined Nov 2008, 606 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (4 years 2 months 3 weeks 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 5383 times:
Quoting StarAlliance38 (Reply 6): I'm flying LGA-CLT tomorrow, but I opted for the regional jet. I kinda wish I got the mainline flight now, but O well!
You will regret it. I flew a CRJ-200 LGA-CLT last month, only because it was the last flight back and it was miserable.
Load factor was 100%
CXA330300 From South Africa, joined exactly 9 years ago today! , 1500 posts, RR: 1 Reply 8, posted (4 years 2 months 3 weeks 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 5356 times:
Quoting TheGMan (Reply 1): What day and time of day was it?
Wednesday evening roundabouts 5:45pm, my dad was on US3077.
How big is the US Airways operation out of LGA? My dad was surprised by the number of Dash-8s he saw...
The sky is the limit as long as you can stay there
Pe@rson From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 18848 posts, RR: 54 Reply 9, posted (4 years 2 months 3 weeks 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 5245 times:
I'll be flying thro' LGA on Thursday, routing DCA-LGA-PHL on US and AWI. I will have 2h 10m there if it's all on time. What is the viewing like airside within the US terminal?
"Everyone writing for the Telegraph knows that the way to grab eyeballs is with Ryanair and/or sex."
Flighty From United States of America, joined Apr 2007, 7451 posts, RR: 2 Reply 10, posted (4 years 2 months 3 weeks 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 5181 times:
Quoting RJpieces (Reply 3): It is sad how few mainline jets US has at LGA...Aside from the Shuttle ops, it is mostly RJs and Dash-8s...
It's sad how so much of LGA's potential is made illegal by the perimeter rule. I am sure US would like to fly LGA-LAX, and so would WN, but unfortunately Americans don't have the freedom to travel that route, at least not commercially. Probably the fat cats with their own jets can fly the route no problem, though! Just not regular people, becuase that would be too much freedom for them, maybe.
VictorKilo From United States of America, joined Jul 2006, 298 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (4 years 2 months 3 weeks 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 5097 times:
Quoting RJpieces (Reply 3): It is sad how few mainline jets US has at LGA...Aside from the Shuttle ops, it is mostly RJs and Dash-8s...
Looking at US's LGA schedule for a random weekday next week, only 5% (10 out of 197) of US's flights out of LGA are non-shuttle mainline flights. Even including the Shuttle ops, only 21% of US's flights at LGA are mainline.
I thought that the Regional Jets would be to blame for this, but what shocked me the most looking at their schedules was that US has more turboprop flights out of LGA than Regional Jets - 80 to 75. And those 80 flights are to only thirteen destinations (only daily turboprop flights counted here - there may be additional RJ departures):
In total, US serves 28 nonstop destinations on the average weekday with 197 flights, an average of 7 flights per destination. Many - possibly even a majority - of these flights do not operate on the weekends.
80% of US's flights are either to hubs or are within 300 miles of LGA, and only one - a daily flight to SAV - is longer than 700 miles.
US at LGA focuses on a few markets with short flights with a high frequency of flights served by small aircraft. This appears to be aimed at the business traveller who prefers LGA over JFK or EWR. Is this sustainable in this economic downturn? I think so, but if the focus city should need to shrink, I would expect that the higher cost RJ's would go, rather than the lower cost turboprops.
Moose135 From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 2009 posts, RR: 12 Reply 12, posted (4 years 2 months 3 weeks 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 5073 times:
Quoting Flighty (Reply 10): It's sad how so much of LGA's potential is made illegal by the perimeter rule. I am sure US would like to fly LGA-LAX, and so would WN, but unfortunately Americans don't have the freedom to travel that route, at least not commercially. Probably the fat cats with their own jets can fly the route no problem, though! Just not regular people, becuase that would be too much freedom for them, maybe.
Right, because it's such a hardship to have to go all the way to JFK, out there in the boondocks, for a flight to LAX.
For me, ISP is more convenient. Where are my ISP-LAX non-stops? I think my civil rights are being violated!
Tommy767 From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 6178 posts, RR: 9 Reply 13, posted (4 years 2 months 3 weeks 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 5008 times:
US has always been top dog at LGA. If their concourse are dead, I'd hate to see what DL's or AA's is looking like these days.
"Folks that's the news and I'm outta here!" -- Dennis Miller
Cubsrule From United States of America, joined May 2004, 21245 posts, RR: 19 Reply 15, posted (4 years 2 months 3 weeks 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 4958 times:
Quoting RJpieces (Reply 14): If you believe in the free market, then there should be no restrictions on flights at LGA,DCA, etc in terms of where an airline can fly to.
If we accept the fact that LGA (and DCA) need some sort of restriction, is a perimeter rule preferable to slots?
I can't decide whether I miss the tulip or the bowling shoe more
USAirALB From United States of America, joined Sep 2007, 2681 posts, RR: 1 Reply 16, posted (4 years 2 months 3 weeks 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 4895 times:
Quoting Tommy767 (Reply 13): US has always been top dog at LGA. If their concourse are dead, I'd hate to see what DL's or AA's is looking like these days.
Well, they had surrendered their Florida flights after 9/11, if only they hadn't canceled it.
Today, they fly to: IND,SDF,DAY, CMH, PIT,ROA,CHO,RIC,ORF,DCA,BWI,PHL, ACK,MVY,HYA,BOS,PWM,BTV,ALB,BUF,SYR,ROC,ITH,PVD,STT,FPO,NAS,DAB,SAV,AGS,CHS,MYR,ILM,RDU,CLT,GSO.
Flighty From United States of America, joined Apr 2007, 7451 posts, RR: 2 Reply 17, posted (4 years 2 months 3 weeks 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 4761 times:
Quoting Cubsrule (Reply 15): If we accept the fact that LGA (and DCA) need some sort of restriction, is a perimeter rule preferable to slots?
The two are not related. Slots exist because the runways would otherwise get clogged by unmanaged traffic (like a NYC intersection without traffic signals). It would be a mess.
Once the traffic jams are smoothed out by slots, then we can discuss where the flights can go. That won't really make a difference in terms of congestion.
Cubsrule From United States of America, joined May 2004, 21245 posts, RR: 19 Reply 18, posted (4 years 2 months 3 weeks 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 4746 times:
Quoting Flighty (Reply 17): Once the traffic jams are smoothed out by slots, then we can discuss where the flights can go. That won't really make a difference in terms of congestion.
Sure it would. How many cities inside the perimeter can you think of that are underserved?
I can't decide whether I miss the tulip or the bowling shoe more
Jetstar From United States of America, joined May 2003, 1524 posts, RR: 10 Reply 19, posted (4 years 2 months 3 weeks 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 4706 times:
Quoting Tommy767 (Reply 13): US has always been top dog at LGA. If their concourse are dead, I'd hate to see what DL's or AA's is looking like these days.
I have been flying DL out of LGA for almost a year now and I can say I never have seen DL’s terminal so called dead. Usually all 3 of the security lanes are open and at least a few people are waiting to go through each lane.
There might be times during the day when there is a traffic lull, but with hourly flights to ATL, mostly on 757’s and now NW’s flights to their hubs and DL’s Florida runs to all the major cities in Florida with at least 3 or 4 flights a day, with mostly mainline aircraft during the winter season tends to keep the terminal fairly busy.
CactusBDL From United States of America, joined Oct 2008, 18 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (4 years 2 months 3 weeks 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 4484 times:
Quoting StarAlliance38 (Reply 6): I'm flying LGA-CLT tomorrow, but I opted for the regional jet. I kinda wish I got the mainline flight now, but O well!
I flew BDL - CLT in the CRJ900....not a bad flight at all.
Quoting Tommy767 (Reply 13): US has always been top dog at LGA. If their concourse are dead, I'd hate to see what DL's or AA's is looking like these days.
I totally agree with you. the shuttle service is most productive with their mainline fleet. The express service is pretty busy as well. If they wernt productive, why the use of their own tower in LGA?
I'm all for slots. However, the permiter rule seems pointless to me. Whenever entities like the PA or DOT try to interfere with the free market, they wind up making things worse. Slots are necessary to make sure that the aiport is not insanely overcrowded; however, if an airline has a slot (and a limited number of slots at that), they are free to choose whether they want to run hourly flights to Chicago or throw in some transcons to LA, etc etc. Removing the perimter rule at LGA would hardly affect JFK ops.
Cubsrule From United States of America, joined May 2004, 21245 posts, RR: 19 Reply 22, posted (4 years 2 months 3 weeks 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 4416 times:
Quoting RJpieces (Reply 21): I'm all for slots. However, the permiter rule seems pointless to me. Whenever entities like the PA or DOT try to interfere with the free market, they wind up making things worse.
I hate to press the point, but why are slots better "government interference" than the perimeter rule? We seem to agree that some sort of "government interference" is necessary.
If the slot restrictions went away, you would no longer see 8 daily flights to BWI or BTV-- instead, you'd probably see 5 on larger aircraft. That would free up some space for new entrants, and I bet that, given the relative lack of gate space at LGA, a slot-free but perimeter restricted airport would be less crowded and delayed than it is today.
I can't decide whether I miss the tulip or the bowling shoe more
Vctony From United States of America, joined Aug 1999, 442 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (4 years 2 months 3 weeks 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 4374 times:
Quoting Moose135 (Reply 12): Right, because it's such a hardship to have to go all the way to JFK, out there in the boondocks, for a flight to LAX.
I'd argue that the ability to use the A, E, or J subway or the LIRR to the AirTrain actually makes JFK easier to get to than LGA.
Micstatic From United States of America, joined Jul 2001, 762 posts, RR: 1 Reply 24, posted (4 years 2 months 3 weeks 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 4344 times:
Quoting Vctony (Reply 23):
JFK, not LGA, has the rapid transit access.
25 Tinpusher007: US isn't top dog anymore. AA is currently number 1 at LGA followed by DL and then US. Once DL and NW are combined onto SOC DL will then become the nu
26 Etops1: I remember back in the day when we operated 757's out of lga .
27 Tiger119: - Is there much GA in and out of LGA? I thought most the GA in and out of The NYC Area went through HPN, TEB, ISP or even possibly SWF? With that bei
28 AirNovaBAe146: Its an Operations tower, not an ATC tower. Used mostly to coordinate activities and provide a view of the ramp to their ground supervisors. Some Ops
29 Flighty: Yes, and if you have some good connections I think DCA is also available for GA operations. A friend of mine was saying they operated there anyway. C
30 Csm737: I flew ROA-ATL-LGA-DTW-ROA last month and both Delta and NW areas were very sparse...it just depends on the time of day....another thing that was odd
31 Tommy767: AA did a HUGE cutback at LGA last year which led to a major loss in Eagle flights as well as mainline to Florida including MCO, TPA, and FLL. I remem
32 Milesrich: The is very little GA traffic out of LGA, except for Trump's 727-25, and there is little GA traffic at LAX. Most GA traffic to LA goes to other airpor
33 Cubsrule: Would a rule that you have to have a gate to operate a flight solve that problem? With the amount of RJ and prop flying, I feel like it might-- but I
34 LGA777: As others have already said it's all about timing. Even with the economy the US Terminal at LGA can be packed regulary. Busy times include Thur-Fri-S
35 CXA330300: Speaking of WN, any news on when their planned service to LGA shall start, if at all?
36 Jetstar: In 1957 or 1958, my father flew out of LGA to LAX on a TWA Connie to visit his parents, as far as I remember it was a non-stop, my father did not lik
37 CXA330300: That was well before the perimeter rule came into effect in the 1980s after deregulation and before the massive development of JFK, which was then kn
38 TheGMan: Idlewild changed to JFK shortly after JFK was assassinated.
39 RJpieces: I'm not sure when they ended their "airline within an airline"--I forget the name; those red planes. Metro somethign???? But US did operate LGA-FLL a
40 LGA777: The last Metrojet ended in Dec 2001. Around the same time US ended all 737-200. MD-80, and F-100 ops using the events of 9-11 to shrink operations sig
Sponsor Message: 
From South Africa, joined exactly 9 years ago today! 
, 1500 posts, 
From United States of America, joined Nov 2008, 606 posts, 
From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 18848 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
