AA and RDU
 

Here is a quick question for anyone who knows. With Eagle I have been going into RDU a lot. I notice they have one flight a day to London Gatwick. They use the 777 and from what people have told me, the airplane goes back and forth between RDU and Gatwick, thats all. My question is this, given that is not domicle, where do they get a crew from? Are there a select few senior crews that live in RDU that get to do that flight only? Wouldn't be a bad gig by the way. Or more likely are crews DH'd in. Just wondering thats all. Thanks

is a long story that the AA folks will no doubt fill you in on shortly.

Cheers,
WG

RDU used to be both an Eagle and AA base. not sure how they staff that flight though.:confused:

A good question and One I can answer with a moderate Diatribe. Plus I am on the AM hub turn an have a few minutes. It is a good history in Airline MGT both the baffonery on USAir's part and the Sharpness of AMR's . Disclaimer: I don't work for AA. So your mileage may vary with some of my "Facts" concerning AA scheduling.

AA had a Pilot domicile in RDU around 1989-early 1990's. It was a domestic Base put there to compete with Piedmont's ( CLT and GSO base) and Delta's (ATL base) who both had strong holds in the Southeast.

Short Story.....USAir merges with Piedmont Aug 89 and things go South (no pun inteneded) very quickly. This is about the time AMR opens up the RDU base.

Piedmont had a CLT-LGW route authority at the time flown by a 767, which was very profitable. Piedmont (now as USAIR )also has BWI-LGW route authority which was purchased from TWA for a very tidy sum, also flown with a 767 and also very profitable. USAir had route authority to fly PIT-LGW but I don't think never actually got to operate it as USAir.
USAir struggles for a couple more years and gets a cash infusion from the First Intl International investment Code Share from British Airways. After much Ado from United, AMR and Delta, British Airways buys 25% stake of USAir and gives a badly need flow of cash. The Catch is USAIR must give up all of it's US to UK route authority because of Anti Trust stuff associated with mini merger with British Airways. AA gets the CLT-LGW route authority for free and they move it to RDU and start immediate service with a 767.
I am not sure but I think UAL or DELTA got the other route authority from BWI.

So USAir gives up it's BWI-LGW, CLT-LGW and PIT-LGW. British Airways intends to fly those routes with it's own crews and aircraft but short story is they end up WET-Leasing USAIr's 767's to Fly the routes from BWI and CLT.
They have been flying the PIT/PHL-LGW route with their own 747. Imagine a USAir owned Aircraft painted in British Air colors and USAir Flight crews in BA uniforms that all speak with a North Carolina drawl. (Howdy do Gander this here is Ol' Speed Burd Flaight 2 lookin fur our oceanic clearance) I can still imagine the Real British Airways crews cringing.This goes on a couple years Until British Air realizes that it made a big mistake investing with USAir and terminates the Investment code share agreement and starts a new one with American (maybe planned all along by B. Crandal, who knows?)

So now USAIr has lost all of its US-London route authority (which it paid millions for from TWA) and didn't get one dime in return for it. And American didn't have to pay for their new one.(formerly owned/operated by Usair)

So Today you see a AA-777 operating RDU-LGW. I imagine those crews are based in ORD, JFK or DFW. I imagine they either Deadhead from these bases to RDU to begin or end the trip or RDU is a Mid trip layover........

For Example and ORD crew on day 1 might Deadhead ORD-RDU. Day 2 they would fly RDU-LGW. Day 3 LGW-ORD and be done. Or they could fly a 4 day trip. 1.ORD-LGW, 2. LGW-RDU,
3.RDU-LGW, 4. LGW-ORD. I am sure an AA pilot can straighten this part out.

As Paul Harvey would say..........."there is the rest of the story!"

Hey, thanks redeye. Airlines have a long inteeresting history

In a nutshell. The 3 crew pairing is taken from another base. More often than not DFW. The kicker is the FB may come from ORD or BOS etc. There are some senior folks who live in RDU who were based there and are now based in DFW.

So yes, it is a great deal for them to sit home, drive to RDU and pick up the trip to Gatwick, skipping the DH.

Sorry I missed you down in DFW. One more week of sim and I am done. Hope you are enjoying Eagle.

AA

Just looked it up, this month it is flown by all DFW. And the flight today flown to LGW is mid sequence. The original pairing is DH from DFW-LGW, next day LGW-RDU, tnext day RDU-LGW, and finally last day home is DH from LGW-DFW. The Captain;s seniority is #2 system wide.

The flight is "subsidized" by area corporations.. ie: they buy out first class, + lots of cargo, anybody in the back is gravy.

It was the Former Piedmont's crown Jewel of revenue route.
Ed Colodny (USAir's CEO at the time) said there was no money in the International market. I guess there was just too much money to be made domestically............NOT

:eek: Are you the guy who called the Lowes nascar track in Charlotte the "North Carolina Performing Arts Center" on the PA? The Old Piedmont boys wanted blood, so you went to FEDEX?

primarily some major pharmaceutical company right? sounds like a great way to jumpseat to england, if you dont mind the long commute into town from gatwick