US To Resume PIT-SAN (seasonally)

MAH4546 · Fri Feb 10, 2006 12:46 pm

US Airways will resume non-stop service between Pittsburgh and San Diego on 2 April 2006, seasonal through 31 October 2006.

US 67 PIT 1800-2001 SAN 319 Daily
US 66 SAN 2300-0619 PIT 319 Daily

md90fan · Fri Feb 10, 2006 12:57 pm

Way to go US!! highfive

finally its back Smile

Didnt they say something like they ended the route because NW started MEM-LNK and took all the sony traffic or something??

PSA727 · Fri Feb 10, 2006 1:31 pm

I've flown those 2 time-of-day routes so many times I can't count them all.
I'm glad to see PIT-SAN back. It's always an easy connection in PIT and the
PIT airport workes are very nice people...from gate agents to concessions.
I do hope that this is a signal that the new US doesn't have any ideas in their
heads about further cannibalizing their operations there. Even if PIT becomes
a CRJ/ERJ/E170 and now E190 Smile

hub, it's still nice to have PIT be available
as a connection option and not have to rely too much on PHL.
I know next month there are SAN-PHL and SAN-CLT overnights, does this mean that there will now be 3 or is one of those going away?

CentPIT · Sun Feb 12, 2006 2:29 pm

I am very happy for US as well as PIT on this move! I hope it will do well. Pittsburgh deserves this.

san747 · Sat Feb 18, 2006 12:18 pm

Very nice for US, and for SAN... Only wish it was an A321! Smile

N1120A · Sat Feb 18, 2006 3:32 pm

Who is flying this one, HP or US?

rjpieces · Sat Feb 18, 2006 3:38 pm

Why a three hour turn?

FCYTravis · Sat Feb 18, 2006 5:07 pm

US-metal flight.

Why a three-hour turn? Well, I imagine they don't want to start the red-eye back too early - arriving in PIT at 6:19 is just about right.

Trvlr · Sun Feb 19, 2006 8:00 am

Quoting RJpieces (Reply 6):

I wonder if the inbound PIT aircraft will turn around and do an outbound redeye PHL or CLT run.

Aaron G.

DTWAGENT · Sun Feb 19, 2006 8:19 am

Way to go US. I like their flights from PIT to SAN. It is a lot better the flying all the way to PHL then to SAN from DTW. My son and I did that this past summer on 2 free tickets. PHL to SAN makes for a loooonnnnggg flight... Hope it works out good enough that they will keep it year round...

Cactus739 · Sun Feb 19, 2006 8:57 am

Quoting Trvlr (Reply 8):
wonder if the inbound PIT aircraft will turn around and do an outbound redeye PHL or CLT run.

Doesn't appear so. There's a 930pm SAN-PHL but its an A320, and a 1015pm to CLT, but also an A320. This 319 will sit there for a few hours.

CentPIT · Sun Feb 19, 2006 9:14 am

I have also heard that PIT-SEA will be returning seasonally? Is this true?

CentPIT · Sun Feb 19, 2006 9:37 am

Well, I am answering my own question. PIT-SEA is resuming as of June 4th.

PIT-SEA 5:45pm-7:46pm

SEA-PIT 10:30pm-5:58am

Both flights are run with A319s.

Why do you think SEA and SAN are returning to the PIT schedule? Do you think US realized there is a demand for these flights between June (April for SAN) and October? Does anyone think the service will remain year round?

vega · Sun Feb 19, 2006 3:49 pm

Quoting CentPIT (Reply 12):
Why do you think SEA and SAN are returning to the PIT schedule? Do you think US realized there is a demand for these flights between June (April for SAN) and October?

Well that is the high tourist season for San Diego, especially for families. I'd be surprised however if enough Pittsburghers went there for a vacation to justify a daily flight, but maybe so.

Flaps · Sun Feb 19, 2006 5:00 pm

Could it possibly be that enough complaints have landed at HQ that they are beginning to listen to their passengers? Could they be seeing enough bleed off to other carriers of passengers fed up with being forced through PHL? Just two possibilities. I dont think this is O&D traffic.

CentPIT · Sun Feb 19, 2006 9:54 pm

Quoting Flaps (Reply 14):
Could it possibly be that enough complaints have landed at HQ that they are beginning to listen to their passengers? Could they be seeing enough bleed off to other carriers of passengers fed up with being forced through PHL? Just two possibilities. I dont think this is O&D traffic.

I would have to agree with this more than the high tourist time.

Flaps, do you think they will have enough demand to go all year again?

mbm3 · Sun Feb 19, 2006 11:08 pm

Quoting Vega (Reply 13):
Well that is the high tourist season for San Diego, especially for families. I'd be surprised however if enough Pittsburghers went there for a vacation to justify a daily flight, but maybe so.

They may have some sort of arrangement with one of the cruise ships that depart San Diego harbor.

Humberside · Sun Feb 19, 2006 11:15 pm

Its good to see US still showing some commitment to PIT Smile

CentPIT · Sun Feb 19, 2006 11:31 pm

Quoting Humberside (Reply 17):
Its good to see US still showing some commitment to PIT

I was extremely shocked when I heard this. I live is PIT and people here have truly suffered from the cutbacks. Some people even reffer to them as USless Airways. I am happy to see them return some service and hopefully this is a sign of brighter things to come for US in PIT.

KingGeo3 · Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:32 am

Quoting CentPIT (Reply 18):
hopefully this is a sign of brighter things to come for US in PIT

I really doubt it - PIT is unfortunately going to remain a ghost town for some time to come.

-KG3

vega · Mon Feb 20, 2006 8:10 am

Quoting Flaps (Reply 14):
Could it possibly be that enough complaints have landed at HQ that they are beginning to listen to their passengers? Could they be seeing enough bleed off to other carriers of passengers fed up with being forced through PHL? Just two possibilities. I dont think this is O&D traffic.

If that's the case, what is the catalyst for SAN other than tourism? I wouldn't think Parker that insensitive to the financial implications of starting relatively long range service just to appease a city. I mean if USAirways really wanted to appease Pittsburgh, I'd think they'd restart (even seasonally) PIT-LGW or PIT-FRA, which has a history of good Loads. It's not out of the realm of possibility now with the added 757s potential of releasing a 767 for the job. I'm unaware of the PIT-SAN O&D load factors from previous flights. so maybe there is justification based on history alone, but I'd still bet it's tourism based - unless the Navy has a hidden base on the Ohio river.

ncflyer · Mon Feb 20, 2006 10:53 am

they gotta redeploy the aircraft that are flying to Florida in the winter somewhere. . . CO does the same type of thing in CLE-- increase west coast flying in the summer, decrease FL flying.

masseybrown · Mon Feb 20, 2006 4:29 pm

Exactly, Ncflyer. US's PIT service is becoming a mirror of CO's pattern in CLE. Maybe US will put a 757 on a PIT-LGW route as well.

The only disturbing thing is a lot of US's feeder system in PIT is eroding. It appears that Air Midwest doesn't want to fly the B1900 routes any more and Colgan wants to fly to IAD instead of PIT.

FCYTravis · Mon Feb 20, 2006 4:33 pm

If you're relying on EAS flights to Morgantown to feed jets to London, you've got a problem.

The EAS flights aren't there to feed anything, mainly they're there to make a guaranteed government profit for Air Midwest - all they gotta do is fly a few half-empty Beechcraft around.

vega · Mon Feb 20, 2006 4:39 pm

Quoting MasseyBrown (Reply 22):
Maybe US will put a 757 on a PIT-LGW route as well.

Too far.

ScottB · Mon Feb 20, 2006 4:45 pm

Quoting Vega (Reply 24):
Quoting MasseyBrown (Reply 22):
Maybe US will put a 757 on a PIT-LGW route as well.

Too far.

Someone tell Continental that, since they've had CLE-LGW operated seasonally by a 757-200 for quite a while.

N1120A · Mon Feb 20, 2006 4:47 pm

Quoting Vega (Reply 24):
Quoting MasseyBrown (Reply 22):
Maybe US will put a 757 on a PIT-LGW route as well.

Too far.

Not at all. A PW2037 powered 752 at a rather low weight could even make it in all likelihood.

vega · Mon Feb 20, 2006 5:04 pm

Quoting N1120A (Reply 26):
Not at all. A PW2037 powered 752 at a rather low weight could even make it in all likelihood

Who is going to fly PIT-LGW at "low weight"? At full weight with those engines, there is only about a 200nm safety factor. So maybe it will make it, but at what cost (to US)?. I can easily understand, for example, the PHL-LIS flight on a 757/200. Don't get me wrong, if they can do it I'd gladly admit an incorrect assumption on my part.

Trvlr · Mon Feb 20, 2006 8:19 pm

I'm not sure I'm *that* surprised by the resumption of PIT-SAN. I think that its cancellation (along with PIT-SEA) in the first place was due in large part due to a strenuous effort to "cut the fat" from the PIT hub, so to speak. On the face of it, the (d)evolution of PIT into a more regional operation made a lot of the longer routes look pretty extraneous. Nevertheless, cities like SAN, SEA, and PIT are certainly not small places, and it's not hard to imagine that there is some significant O&D and/or business traffic between them. The fact that PIT remains a hub operation (albeit a smaller one) also can't hurt. In short, PIT-SAN isn't a route that should be too hard to make a profit on...especially if WN hasn't gotten there yet.

Aaron G.

chrisnh · Mon Feb 20, 2006 9:27 pm

I recall using PIT quite frequently as a connecting point on my trips to the west coast from Manchester, NH. I loved the PIT airport, and chose it when I could over the other alternative for us at MHT: United via ORD.

Anyway, I remember flying US 757s between PIT-SAN...and if I recall correctly they had two or three daily 757s on the route.

My, how things have changed.

Chris in NH

masseybrown · Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:08 am

Quoting FCYTravis (Reply 23):
The EAS flights aren't there to feed anything, mainly they're there to make a guaranteed government profit for Air Midwest - all they gotta do is fly a few half-empty Beechcraft around.

Maybe that isn't as easy as you make it sound. Air Midwest has applied to drop numerous cities where they already draw the EAS subsidy. They only make the "guaranteed" profit if they are successful at achieving the revenue and costs they projected in the subsidy calculation. Air Midwest isn't so good at doing this.

On the 757 question, US is acquiring RR-powered ex-ATA 757-200s to do their international flying. This model has a range of 3,900nm; PIT-LGW is 3,250nm, so the route should be very possible. Getting the LGW slot back might be US's most difficult problem. From appearances, however, it looks as if US will be using these planes out of PHL only.

CentPIT · Tue Feb 21, 2006 7:11 am

Quoting ChrisNH (Reply 29):
My, how things have changed.

Yeah, MHT doesn't even have PIT service anymore. Pittsburgh will probabaly gain service here and lose service there for quite a while until US decides what routes work best in PIT. Hopefully US will keep routes like SEA and SAN from PIT rather than the EAS routes.

joeman · Wed Feb 22, 2006 8:25 am

Quoting Trvlr (Reply 28):
I'm not sure I'm *that* surprised by the resumption of PIT-SAN. I think that its cancellation (along with PIT-SEA) in the first place was due in large part due to a strenuous effort to "cut the fat" from the PIT hub, so to speak. On the face of it, the (d)evolution of PIT into a more regional operation made a lot of the longer routes look pretty extraneous. Nevertheless, cities like SAN, SEA, and PIT are certainly not small places, and it's not hard to imagine that there is some significant O&D and/or business traffic between them. The fact that PIT remains a hub operation (albeit a smaller one) also can't hurt. In short, PIT-SAN isn't a route that should be too hard to make a profit on...especially if WN hasn't gotten there yet.

I'm very glad to see PIT-SAN reinstated and agree with all your comments. Hopefully, someone at CO can consider them as well RE:CLE and it's fragmented operation.

Time to check for more threads on ORD, ATL, EWR, DEN, (DFW, DAL, AA, WN, and the Wright Amendment) now...

md90fan · Sun Feb 26, 2006 8:40 am

Hopefully DFW and IAH will come back, I would like to see FRA or LGW happen, but at this point it seems unlikely Sad

DCAYOW · Sun Feb 26, 2006 9:47 am

Quoting Mbm3 (Reply 16):
They may have some sort of arrangement with one of the cruise ships that depart San Diego harbor.

The flight will have nothing to do with the cruises as they pause for the summer months. The ships that port at SAN in the winter are used for Alaska cruises ex YVR in the summer months.

steeler83 · Sun Feb 26, 2006 2:06 pm

Quoting MD90fan (Reply 33):
I would like to see FRA or LGW happen, but at this point it seems unlikely

I'd like to see that myself. PIT needs transatlantic service... To me, a city not having an international market essentially says that there is no reason to work in Pittsburgh. There is a lot of demand now for housing as well as commercial and office development. Mayor O'Connor and Dan Onorato want to build an office complex starting this spring sometime and it is to house the North American headquarters of scores of asian companies while the city continues to attract European companies.

If anything FRA service really should be restarted. PHL is packed with transatlantic service, and I keep hearing opinions from Americans and Europeans alike that they hate arriving at PHL because of the immigration and ignorant TSA people. PIT is known for its nicer people as well as its exceptional terminal, which evidently was built for US Airways... PIT was their biggest hub some 10 years ago. Now I walk through that terminal and I could be standing at gate A25 and hear a pin drop from the former international concourse at the end of Concourse C. My, how saddening... "If they bring it back, they will come..."

vega · Sun Feb 26, 2006 3:36 pm

Quoting Steeler83 (Reply 35):
PHL is packed with transatlantic service, and I keep hearing opinions from Americans and Europeans alike that they hate arriving at PHL because of the immigration and ignorant TSA people.

On the contrary, Europeans rate PHL's International Terminal/Arrivals very highly. I don't know where you're "hearing" other than that. Also, TSA has nothing to do with international arrivals.

[Edited 2006-02-26 07:39:28]

steeler83 · Sun Feb 26, 2006 3:58 pm

I found some of that stuff on a PHL link where people could post their opinions about the airport. According to that link there were a lot of people who did not like the way the immigration unit treated them. Many posts said that they were rude and that they spoke broken English and were hard to understand when travelers asked immigration/customs personnel and other airport employees how to navigate the terminal. I'll have to find this link again. I found it while doing a google search on Philadelphia Airport and came across that link... Yeah, come to think of it, I don't know where or how I came up with the whole TSA thing... I should have said "customs" and not TSA (duh...)

CentPIT · Mon Feb 27, 2006 2:19 am

Quoting Steeler83 (Reply 35):
PHL is packed with transatlantic service, and I keep hearing opinions from Americans and Europeans alike that they hate arriving at PHL because of the immigration and ignorant TSA people. PIT is known for its nicer people as well as its exceptional terminal, which evidently was built for US Airways... PIT was their biggest hub some 10 years ago. Now I walk through that terminal and I could be standing at gate A25 and hear a pin drop from the former international concourse at the end of Concourse C. My, how saddening... "If they bring it back, they will come..."

PHL is packed with International service because the demand is there. It doesn't matter how crappy the workers are or how crappy the airport is. People can choose other connecting airports like CLT or IAD with the STAR ALLIANCE. I believe the demand for FRA is here in PIT but that is probably about all we will see in the near future. PHL has a much larger O&D market. PIT is slowly growing and if companies do continue to remain here the European demand will continue to grow. PIT's time will come!

steeler83 · Mon Feb 27, 2006 4:59 am

Quoting CentPIT (Reply 38):
PIT is slowly growing and if companies do continue to remain here the European demand will continue to grow. PIT's time will come!

I actually saw an article in the Tribune Review (you may have seen it) that talked about Alcoa uprooting its headquarters and moving to New York. At first I was like, "what is going on." Then I read further and it turns out that a CEO office for ALCOA opened in Manhattan, and that Alcoa had no intention of moving its headquarters. relieved

For the burgh to lose one of its top companies would be devastating; a quantum leap backwards... That is another company that is booming in Europe.

Tornado82 · Mon Feb 27, 2006 11:19 am

Quoting MD90fan (Reply 1):
Didnt they say something like they ended the route because NW started MEM-LNK and took all the sony traffic or something??

Supposedly, their NW-related excuse was the LBE-DTW flights. But I don't see how much traffic 3 (and now 2) Saabs could have siphoned off, regardless of how much closer New Stanton is to LBE than PIT.

Quoting Vega (Reply 20):
If that's the case, what is the catalyst for SAN other than tourism?

If someone coming from MHT, ALB, ERI, CRW, or elsewhere is going to SAN, they'd much rather connect in PIT than PHL... it's more direct geographically, and a far better airport to connect in. The customer demand that was spoken of are from people in cities like that who demanded their service to PIT resumed because they despised PHL so much. They've got to connect anyways, might as well connect in PIT where the service is far more reliable thanks to an airfield and facility that's actually capable of serving the traffic.

Quoting FCYTravis (Reply 23):
If you're relying on EAS flights to Morgantown to feed jets to London, you've got a problem

Hahaha. True, so true. I can't say in all the times I've ever been in MGW I've ever seen a bag-tag coming from LGW.

Quoting Vega (Reply 24):

Too far.

False if the new 752's come in.

Quoting ChrisNH (Reply 29):

Anyway, I remember flying US 757s between PIT-SAN...and if I recall correctly they had two or three daily 757s on the route.

I think just 2. My dad used to make weekly trips to SAN all the time on them. Just a week or two ago we were talking about PIT/US and when I told him there is no more US to SAN he was shocked.

CentPIT · Tue Feb 28, 2006 11:29 am

Quoting Steeler83 (Reply 39):
I actually saw an article in the Tribune Review (you may have seen it) that talked about Alcoa uprooting its headquarters and moving to New York. At first I was like, "what is going on." Then I read further and it turns out that a CEO office for ALCOA opened in Manhattan, and that Alcoa had no intention of moving its headquarters. For the burgh to lose one of its top companies would be devastating; a quantum leap backwards... That is another company that is booming in Europe.

Yes, I did see the article, well actually it was on WPXI. They stated that the company has no intentions on cutting any jobs in Pittsburgh and that they will continue to grow. Some of Alcoa's main offices will continue to be based out of Pittsburgh, therefore not changing anything. They currently employ 2,000 people in the Greater Pittsburgh area.

Quoting Tornado82 (Reply 40):
If someone coming from MHT, ALB, ERI, CRW, or elsewhere is going to SAN, they'd much rather connect in PIT than PHL... it's more direct geographically, and a far better airport to connect in. The customer demand that was spoken of are from people in cities like that who demanded their service to PIT resumed because they despised PHL so much.

Hopefully PIT-MHT will be restarted. I know what your thinking Tornado... Yeah sure

NO! same here. Hahaha.

Tornado82 · Tue Feb 28, 2006 12:12 pm

Quoting CentPIT (Reply 41):

Hopefully PIT-MHT will be restarted. I know what your thinking Tornado... Yeah sure NO! same here. Hahaha.

Yep, I took that 737 up to there many a time in the summer of '04. Beautiful city, state, and airport.

steeler83 · Tue Feb 28, 2006 12:36 pm

Quoting CentPIT (Reply 41):
They currently employ 2,000 people in the Greater Pittsburgh area.

That number is very impressive. If the remaining corporations perform this well, attract more jobs to the local market, then for sure PIT will attract more service - from existing carriers as well as newer carriers. I am sure that within 5 years we'll have at least one other overseas carrier serve PIT as well as additional domestic service like B6 or F9...

Quoting CentPIT (Reply 41):
Hopefully PIT-MHT will be restarted. I know what your thinking Tornado... NO! same here. Hahaha.

Maybe if seasonal service was offered... Say June thru October. I am sure that that would work out well. I see that the fall foliage is really picturesque up there in October.

Tornado82 · Tue Feb 28, 2006 12:42 pm

Quoting Steeler83 (Reply 43):
I see that the fall foliage is really picturesque up there in October.

It is in Eastern Fayette County too (Laurel Highlands region) too, for alot less money. Wink

steeler83 · Tue Feb 28, 2006 12:54 pm

Quoting Tornado82 (Reply 44):
It is in Eastern Fayette County too (Laurel Highlands region) too, for alot less money.

That is true... I think in the Laurel Highlands of Westmoreland County as well. Maybe I'll take a nice drive along route 22 some time...

Tornado82 · Tue Feb 28, 2006 1:26 pm

Quoting Steeler83 (Reply 45):

That is true... I think in the Laurel Highlands of Westmoreland County as well. Maybe I'll take a nice drive along route 22 some time...

You can come down to Fayette, I promise, us natives don't bite.

steeler83 · Tue Feb 28, 2006 1:46 pm

Heh... Where at dahn in Fayette Cahnty? Ohiopyle? Fairmount? Millertown?

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