ASA to open LAX base (old)
 

Announced yesterday. I am quite sure it will go senior as there are already a number of pilots who commute from the left coast and other locations west of the Mississippi.

ASA? Atlantic Southeast Airlines?

Very interesting if that is the case. Which begs me to ask, why isn't SkyWest flying this? Also, excuse my naiveness, was this discussed on this board already and I just missed it? Any press release that one could read?

The reason SkyWest isn't doing the flying is because of a non-compete clause within their agreement with United that limits their involvement with Delta at LAX.

Ahh hah. . . so they are using ASA to get around it? I see I see.

Makes wonderful sense.

As a fairly senior guy at ASA (313 out of 1800) I can say that I don't think the base will go very senior. LA is difficult to get to on delta from some cities, it is going to be a very small base, only a few planes then up to six, and they are all day lines which means it will be difficult to commute. But... I've been wrong before!

LAX will grow very large. for 2 reasons. Delta wants to expand that base very large and right now American Eagle flys for delta. The reason is 5 years ago delta came to asa to try and open a LA base with something like 30 a/c. the then prez Skip Barnett said that was impossible for ASA to do since we were already expanding in DFW. The flying was given to American Eagle. This has always been a problem for delta since they don't want delta pax flying on Americans A/C. The plan is to slowing grow LAX for ASA and delta connection and eventually drop eagle out of the picture.

I see LA as the next DFW for ASA with massive growth for it.

Slaphappy is a good name for you! I hope your right man, I really do, but the official word is up to 6 aircraft, and "we'll see" about any growth past that. Of course that is from the same guys that told us they were closing ASA in SLC "because it just doesn't make sense to keep a base this small (13 700's)" so they open a base with three 200's.
I don't know what the future is, but I'm running for the hills, first rat off the ship might make a life boat!
ST

They also said 1 month ago "NO NEW BASES". Brian LaDuche and his stooges don't call the shots at ASA and never have nor will they ever will. LAX will grow and will grow large. Don't let them tell you otherwise.

slap, are you ASA now? which base?

ATL for now.

Slap....you are the most optomistic person I have ever seen. I hope youre right about half your predictions. Perhaps you havent been here long enough to get kicked in the nuts enough. Massive growth after a contract, which may or may not get solved in this century, is quite optomistic. Who knows if LA will remain a base, let alone grow to a DFW!?!?!? And I've never heard of replacements for the ATR or keeping the 700's or getting 705/900's. Boy, I need a pair of your rose colored glasses. Heres to hoping.

Well, there hasn't relly been anything in writting that we are not getting our 700s back, other than king tutts' 'letter of doom'. As far as the ATR, weeks ago there was an atr-72-500 at the GA ramp in ATL. From what I understand Delta, ASA and Skywest people took a trip around it. Last week LaBreaqe (or however you spell) it was in montreal to look at the q400. They need to replace the ATR by april and they need something to fly to Dotha Al. and Colombus GA. and a 50 seater isn't going to cut it.

The LA list is out, it went fairly senior, the junior captain was in the mid 700 seniority range. I predict that our little optimist was a little correct and that within the next few days they will announce a very, very small amount of 700 flying at LAX.

The great swammy

I have to be optimistic, because its the only thing that keep me going. I don't even want to think how bad it could get here. Plus its been so bad here the past 2 year with badnews after badnews, there has got to be something marginally good on the horizon.

slap, I'm just jealous.... after 10 years my optimist gene has died a slow death. I keep looking in Pandora's box for hope, but I think she was gang raped by Delta Management!

Nope.....never happens here. If you want good news, go work at Skywest.

Could be worse. Just look at comair, tsa, mesaba and maybe even eagle.

Comair is hiring. They have 5 bases, and will probably grow again before ASA. If we at ASA have to compare ourselves to the plight of the pilots at TSA and Mesaba, we are a hurting group. My, how the mighty fall.

Are you sure that is correct? I read in USA today that they were still planning on sizing down there fleet and things looked bad.

Any senior Comair guys out there with solid info.

Oh, forgot one other thing.....

there is a site called airlinecommuter.com where people can go and post "want a crash pad" type adds. just click on the city you are interested in and read the posts.

hope it helps

Anybody know how many planes will they use? Will they all be day lines?


Late,

Lance

I think its due to attrition, lots of people are leaving there like crazy because of the situation.

Lance, the formula (since I've been here) is 5 warm bodies (per seat) per aircraft. They announced that it would be 3 aircraft to start and up to 6 later on. The bid came out with 15 capts/ 15 c/p, so the old formula still holds true.

I've heard that in Jan we might see the first 700 but that's just rumor.

St

How does everyone feel about the possible Lax base? Stoked, or not so stoked? I know cost of living out there is kind of rough, because I, myself have looked at moving out there...I really like it out there but in reality, know that I would be living off of food stamps if I did:p

Lax

Makes perfect sense for Delta; why use AMR Eagle when you can use a real DL Connection carrier?

As far as 'massive growth' at LAX, I don't think so. The market is saturated, both AA/UA have hubs, with over 150 daily SWA flights and US is growing. And, they just closed 25R, which brings down LAX to a 3-runway operation instead of 4. In other words, no capacity for growth.

5 new planes would be massive growth for ASA! Unlike CHQ, who grows by 50 or so airframes per year.

Truman,
ASA has seen massive growths spurts too. When the contract is signed I believe things will get better. I just read that Skywest inc. has an order for 70 new planes all 700 or 900's. Yes, I'm sure SW airlines will get their fare share, but Atl is still the bread and butter of Delta, and I believe we will get our share as well.
Insider info... King Tutt recently met with SW exec's in LAS. After that the slow wheels of "talks" began again, informal as they may be, one could surmise that JA told them in his best Georgian accent "get er dun"

wishfull thinking? probably
logical guess? maybe
Stick is an idiot? most definetly!

I heard from a Jet Captain that ASA has about 10 50 seat crjs in Montreal, ready to be certified and brought down to us. They were old Indy Airs and are going thru the checks now or something. Might go to LA or ATL.

I hope we get them and I hope we get some more 700s. I just want ANY goodnews for ASA, we deserve that much after a year of pure hell. I mean even AL Bundy got a few good things now and then.

Source: Aviation Daily

Delta yesterday unveiled plans to create a mini-hub in Los Angeles, which will be used to accommodate a nearly 45% jump in weekly flight departures this winter as the carrier looks to boost its market share to Mexico and Latin America.

The move was expected after the carrier filed the expanded schedule on Friday. Delta has been eyeing a LAX expansion for a quite some time, said Bob Cortelyou, VP-network planning, but its resources have been focused on Atlanta and New York recently. Demand is growing to Mexican leisure and ethnic destinations from the U.S. West Coast, which made this winter the right time to launch the expansion, he said.

In addition to the increasing demand, Delta's terminals at LAX are underused and could accommodate significant domestic and international growth as the building has customs and immigration facilities, Cortelyou told The DAILY. Delta acquired Terminal 5 when it bought Western Airlines in 1986, and it has made recent upgrades, including an underground connector to some Delta gates in Terminal 6, opened July 1.

The carrier added some LAX feed from mid-sized East Coast markets in recent months from Hartford, Columbus and Raleigh/ Durham. Starting in December, Delta will add intra-California regional feed to Los Angeles from San Francisco, Sacramento, Oakland and San Jose. Cortelyou said the new California flights are timed to boost feed to the new LAX hub, and Delta is not interested in battling incumbents Southwest and United for California origin-and-destination passengers.

Delta will have two daily LAX flight banks of service to and from Mexico and Central America. The expansion will start Dec. 15 and will last through March 2007, with many of the flights being operated by Connection carrier Atlantic Southeast. The carrier will add nonstop flights to nine Mexican cities, as well as one city each in Costa Rica and Guatemala.

According to published schedules, Delta will have 431 weekly departures by March, representing a 44% jump in total departures. Because most of the flights will be flown with 50- or 70-seat regional jets, total seats per week will grow by about 13%. In terms of total seat share at LAX, Delta will remain a distant fourth behind United, American and Southwest.

Delta executives note, however, that none of the larger carriers at LAX offers much service south of the border. The largest competitor to Delta's Mexican LAX expansion is Alaska Airlines, Cortelyou said. Alaska's March schedule shows 359 weekly LAX departures, including service to 10 Mexican points. Executives note that the LAX boost will not mean Delta will slow Latin growth from its other hubs, with new service planned to start in December from Atlanta, JFK and Salt Lake City, subject to government approval.

Delta hinted that there is more LAX expansion to come beyond yesterday's announcement. Besides growing service to the South, the carrier said there is "lots of potential" to other regions of the world, including Asia/Pacific destinations.

Ain't it the truth...

damn lance, your gonna make me eat my words to slaphappy calling him the little optimist.

I guess the good news is, that I'm getting a raise this year... 750 bucks per move!

St

As an LA native, my bet is that the Mexico flying is going to be profitable for Delta. And operationally speaking, I would guess that it could be one of the better performing hubs for ASA.
With the disappearance of Aerocalifornia, Baja is ready to be served.
So are the smaller cities that Delta has announced it's going to serve.
Unfortunately, my only concern would be that if SKYWEST baggage handleres handle ASA flights, expect Delays.
Too bad ASA isn't hiring right now.....

Actually it's a pleasure working with LAX personnel. I was talking with their hub director, and he said ASA international flights will have priority. Just be lucky it's not gonna be Delta rampers. I think SKYW is gonna hire a few more mechanics too.

Plus SoCal Approach is really good at sequencing aircraft.

Not to add to this thread, but WOW! An almost three year old thread. We need an emoticon for necroposting! I guess this will do...:eek:

lol atwoo. you are about 3 years to late with the response! :)

Holy thread resurrection!

hahaha I thought ASA was about to go back when I saw this thread!

I like this idea alot!!! If we all work togther we can pull all sorts of "feel good / positive" threads from the past onto the main page. That way when I check in from time-to-time I'll be greeted with good news ...

WOW- apparently the wheel was just invented as well