I just saw a story on WKBW in Buffalo stating WN has surpassed US in total pax at BUF. I looked for a link at wkbw.com, but I could not find one.
The story focused on a "low cost carrier" surpassing US Airways. There was no mention of the new US business model and their new claim of being a low cost carrier. I guess fares in BUF don't support that yet.
On a side note, I saw that US lowered some fares yesterday, including ROC-PHL and SYR-PHL. There was no mention of a reduction in BUF-PHL fares.
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RE: WN Surpasses US In Pax At BUF
I haven't been staying up-to-date on US Airways at BUF but i was kind of surprised to notice that US is using the A321 on the 6:30am flight to DCA and the 9:15pm return. This is in addition to the usual A321 on the 8:35am flight to CLT. When US was going through Ch.11 it seemed like they were only Dash-8's to DCA, then it was upgraded to a couple CRJ's or ERJ's, then the E170. Now we get a 169 seat A321 along with 2 other mainline jets. The schedule looks like this just for DCA and CLT:
DCA: A321, 733, A319 (3 nonstops daily to/from)
CLT: A321, A319, 733 (4 nonstops daily to/from)
Maybe it's a way for US to recapture their market share in Buffalo and return to their #1 status from WN. I don't know of any other "Upstate" NY airports getting an A321 let alone two each day?
DCA: A321, 733, A319 (3 nonstops daily to/from)
CLT: A321, A319, 733 (4 nonstops daily to/from)
Maybe it's a way for US to recapture their market share in Buffalo and return to their #1 status from WN. I don't know of any other "Upstate" NY airports getting an A321 let alone two each day?
RE: WN Surpasses US In Pax At BUF
| Quoting BUFjets (Thread starter): There was no mention of a reduction in BUF-PHL fares. |
To add insult to injury, WN doesn't even offer any type (n/s or connections) of BUF-PHL service in their reservation system. As a result, many employees in my company that have to go to our Buffalo office (or vice-versa) still find it to be more economically feasible to head down to BWI (either by driving or using Amtrak) and fly WN's BWI-BUF n/s route rather than use US' PHL-BUF n/s. Even with the gas, tolls and/or train fare factored in; going to BWI to fly to BUF on WN is at least 50% cheaper than flying US ot BUF out of PHL. I did mention to one guy that he should petition WN to offer some type of PHL-BUF service even if it involves a connection.
"TransEastern! You'll feel like you've never left the ground because we treat you like dirt!" SNL Parady ad circa 1981
RE: WN Surpasses US In Pax At BUF
| Quoting PHLBOS (Reply 2): To add insult to injury, WN doesn't even offer any type (n/s or connections) of BUF-PHL service in their reservation system. As a result, many employees in my company that have to go to our Buffalo office (or vice-versa) still find it to be more economically feasible to head down to BWI (either by driving or using Amtrak) and fly WN's BWI-BUF n/s route rather than use US' PHL-BUF n/s. Even with the gas, tolls and/or train fare factored in; going to BWI to fly to BUF on WN is at least 50% cheaper than flying US ot BUF out of PHL. I did mention to one guy that he should petition WN to offer some type of PHL-BUF service even if it involves a connection. |
I agree. The fares between BUF/PHL on US are so ridiculous it's insulting. Of course you can connect to BUF through PHL from cities much further away for alot less.
RE: WN Surpasses US In Pax At BUF
You could also purchase ABE-BUF......have someone drop you off at ABE, make the connection in PHL and on to BUF. On the way home, just get off at PHL.
RE: WN Surpasses US In Pax At BUF
| Quoting ZRB2 (Reply 3): I agree. The fares between BUF/PHL on US are so ridiculous it's insulting. Of course you can connect to BUF through PHL from cities much further away for alot less. |
The funny thing is that BUF is dirt cheap to fly to/from if you are flying US and connecting somewhere. For example, I can fly US for $180 RT MSY-BUF-MSY to go see my girlfriend in Cambridge, ON (as opposed to paying more than $400 to fly to YYZ)
Mangeons les French fries, mais surtout pratiquons avec fierte le French kiss
RE: WN Surpasses US In Pax At BUF
I'm thinking those ridiculous fares will go away fairly soon. That's been one of the biggest complaints against the old US, that their fares between some city pairs were out of this world. And some people actually still wonder how WN took over BWI and is attempting to at PHL.
RE: WN Surpasses US In Pax At BUF
| Quoting PHLBOS (Reply 2): To add insult to injury, WN doesn't even offer any type (n/s or connections) of BUF-PHL service in their reservation system. |
Of course, that's essentially because there's no airport served from both PHL and BUF which makes sense as a connecting point. It's way too far out of the way to fly via MDW, MCO, or TPA. I agree that BUF-PHL is an obvious candidate for WN service, though I'm still surprised they haven't launched PIT-BWI or DTW-BWI!
| Quoting ZRB2 (Reply 1): Maybe it's a way for US to recapture their market share in Buffalo and return to their #1 status from WN. I don't know of any other "Upstate" NY airports getting an A321 let alone two each day? |
BUF is the biggest upstate NY market in terms of population & service area, so it makes sense for them to get the A321 as opposed to ROC, SYR, or ALB. I doubt that US Airways right now has the aircraft to devote to pursuing market share in cities like BUF, given the continuing lease returns to get the combined mainline fleet down to 360 airliners.
RE: WN Surpasses US In Pax At BUF
| Quoting ScottB (Reply 7): Of course, that's essentially because there's no airport served from both PHL and BUF which makes sense as a connecting point ... I agree that BUF-PHL is an obvious candidate for WN service, though I'm still surprised they haven't launched PIT-BWI or DTW-BWI! |
If WN had or started a BUF-PIT route, that would be the most logical connecting airport for the BUF/PHL traveler.
"TransEastern! You'll feel like you've never left the ground because we treat you like dirt!" SNL Parady ad circa 1981
RE: WN Surpasses US In Pax At BUF
| Quoting BUFjets (Reply 4): You could also purchase ABE-BUF......have someone drop you off at ABE, make the connection in PHL and on to BUF. On the way home, just get off at PHL. |
No offense, but I would only recommend your suggestion if the traveler in question was:
a. Traveling for personal use (as opposed to business) and not too frequent. I think US would get suspicious if a frequent traveler was blowing his final connection everytime. Not to mention that the company's accounting office (business traveler) would start asking some questions about the intentional blown connection; especially if a more saner alternative is readily available & cheaper (WN's BWI-BUF).
b. Not checking any luggage.
c. Resides in the Phila. area. The co-worker I was referring to resides in BUF.
d. This one's the clincher; if the ABE-PHL-BUF r/t airfare (US) plus the PHL-ABE travel (gas & tolls) expenses are significantly less than the BWI-BUF r/t airfare (WN) and related PHL-BWI travel (gas & tolls, or Amtrak).
"TransEastern! You'll feel like you've never left the ground because we treat you like dirt!" SNL Parady ad circa 1981
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