US Airways announced series of cutbacks today as it faces stiff competition and dwindling demand during this troubled time in the airline industry:
-Cutback of 1,000 employees (~600 airport, ~200 pilot, and ~150 FA)
-Abandoning Las Vegas as a focus city by cutting down flights by 50% (again) in Feb 2010
-Closing Colorado Springs and Wichita stations
-Suspending service from Philadelphia to Birmingham (UK), London Gatwick, Milan, Shannon, and Stockholm (mitigated slightly by the announcement that PHL to Brussels and Zürich service will become year-round)
-Shelving plans for a PHL to Beijing route
-Closing crew bases in Boston, LaGuardia, and Las Vegas
By the end of next year, 99% of flights will be going to or coming from PHL, Charlotte, Phoenix, and Washington National (compared to 93% right now).
In the same memo announcing these cutbacks, US affirmed plans to move forward with installing lie-flat Business Class seats on all its A330s starting next month. It will be interesting to see if they actually follow through with this.
Though I don't have a great affinity for US Airways, I always hate to see cutbacks because it makes me fear that United will be next. Plus, I often connected in Las Vegas from Burbank, Los Angeles, or Orange County for redeyes to Washington National or PHL. We'll see if those options disappear--US has already cut the Burbank-Vegas route.
I was chatting with the agents during my last visit to the US Club in Las Vegas (that's already closed) and they lamented how the all-night service to Vegas had dwindled down so much the last year and a half. I wonder what they are thinking today? Hopefully these will be the last of US' cutbacks.
All the details here.
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