[PRCo] Air Fares

Dwight Long dwightlong at verizon.net
Mon Sep 1 13:27:39 EDT 2014 

There have been RT fares east to west coast recently for little more than $200.  Not many anymore, but they are there.  But I doubt available from your area. Not from PHL either—have to go to NYC area but that’s well worth it compared with the “New Normal” rates of around $400 from PHL for the RT.  

For our trip to Alaska recently, Robyn and I flew RT PHL-SEA for a bit over $500 for both of us, but that did take some doing!

Flying to outlying airports in the US is usually financial suicide unless someone like Frontier or Spirit goes there—and then one must put up with all the hassles flying with those folks entails.  I recall a rail trip last year that originated in Cheyenne.  It would have cost me about $200 more to fly there than to Denver, one way.  I flew to Denver and took the Dog to Cheyenne for 20 or 30 bucks.

Flying may be cheaper these days than in the “bad ole days” of regulation, but it sure is more of a hassle, just to suss out the best (or least awful) fares for starters!

Dwight

From: Edward H. Lybarger 
Sent: Monday, 01 September, 2014 12:25
To: 'Western PA Trolley discussion' 
Subject: Re: [PRCo] Isaly's -- Then & Now
$583 would be right on the money...we paid $609 each for tickets to Palm
Springs (leaving in two weeks), plus a little more than $100 (each)
additional for seats that should allow us to get off the plane in time to
make the 40-minute connection at DFW.  There will be $50 more (each) to
check bags at the airport.  So that round trip to California is $775...a
noticeable increase, considering that you didn't have to pay for all the
extras in 1972.  And the DC-9-80s, while extremely thirsty by modern
standards, likely consume less fuel than their 1972 counterparts.  They also
have 2 and 3 seating, which we enjoy.

But PSP is a little airport and fares will be high...Used Air wanted about
$800 connecting in Phoenix to a regional sardine can.  I can always get a
better fare into LAX but then have to drive three hours each way; it was
cheaper to fly to Palm Springs.  On a mileage basis, my cost is 17.25 cents
per mile.

By contrast, I'm flying to Newport News this afternoon on the "new"
PeoplExpress and my round trip is $248, $70 of which is for a reserved seat
and checked baggage, and $38.65 is for taxes.  That works out to 40.39 cents
per mile. Even at that price, it's probably good that I am coming back
Thursday, because I don't see how they can keep the doors open very long on
that kind of revenue.  Even with ancient 737s with little capital cost, the
fuel is not free.  But the alternative is to pay U S Scare double that and
change planes in Philadelphia.  No thanks.

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounces at mailman.dementix.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounces at mailman.dementix.org] On Behalf Of Fred
Schneider
Sent: Monday, September 01, 2014 11:28 AM
To: Western PA Trolley discussion
Subject: Re: [PRCo] Isaly's -- Then & Now

Ed, I know the new planes are more fuel efficient but..

If I take that $104 super saver to the west coast in 1972 and adjust it for
normal inflation, it should be $583 today.    How do those fools think they
can do it by keeping the fares low and charging you for a pillow or a glass
of water or a carry-on bag?


On Sep 1, 2014, at 10:32 AM, Edward H. Lybarger wrote:

> Actually American Airlines does still exist, emerging from bankruptcy 
> as American Airlines Group and simultaneously merging with U S Airways 
> with the latter's management in charge.  It was one of very few 
> bankruptcies in which shareholders received anything...and the stock 
> has done rather well since the combination.
> 
> That said, having the US Scare management running things is not 
> particularly good for the customer.  Legroom is being reduced, fees 
> are being increased, and services are being limited.  Unless, of 
> course, you pay extra for things like flat-recline seats on 
> transcontinental services, extra legroom, and aisle or window seats.  
> Mr. Parker and his merry band believe in nickeling-and-diming, for 
> sure.  And not always giving much in return, except the ride.  I 
> recall one America West flight out of Phoenix that had mold growing 
> out of the air conditioning vents above the windows.  America West is 
> Mr. Parker's outfit that took U S Air out of its final bankruptcy and 
> kept its name, just as he did with American.  At least American is buying
new airplanes to replace the DC-9-80s.
> 
> Southwest is still the only airline that is considered to be 
> investment grade.
> 
> Ed
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pittsburgh-railways-bounces at mailman.dementix.org
> [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounces at mailman.dementix.org] On Behalf Of 
> Dwight Long
> Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2014 9:27 PM
> To: Western PA Trolley discussion
> Subject: Re: [PRCo] Isaly's -- Then & Now
> 
> 
> Hey, I read Brian Butko's book on the company, and that is what I 
> recalled as well.  But there is, per Herb, a store in West View (any 
> others???) that apparently is maintaining the old traditions in a
satisfactory manner.
> 
> American Airlines does not exist anymore either-but US Scare bought 
> the name and is going to use it in preference to their own.
> 
> When D&RGW bought Southern Pacific, Anschutz elected to use the better 
> known
> (maybe!!!) SP name and so renamed the surviving company that.
> 
> It happens all the time.  The key is whether the person or company 
> using the old name is maintaining the old standards, traditions, etc.  
> Herb's report suggests the one in West View (is it an individual 
> outfit or part of a
> chain?) is doing so.
> 
> Dwight
> 
> From: Fred Schneider
> Sent: Saturday, 30 August, 2014 20:35
> To: Western PA Trolley discussion
> Subject: Re: [PRCo] Isaly's -- Then & Now
> Isaly's does not exist.   The family sold the name.   Read this:
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaly's
> 
> 
> 
> On Aug 30, 2014, at 7:47 PM, Dwight Long wrote:
> 
>> 
>> Amazing.  I did not know any still existed.  We had one in my home 
>> town of
> Beaver-it's long gone.  My last memory of Isaly's was eating lunch at 
> the one in Homestead in the very last year of the trams in that town.
>> 
>> I will be in the area in a couple of weeks, but will be at Arden on 
>> Friday
> and Beaver/Newell, W.Va. on Saturday.  Do you know of any that are 
> open down that way?  I doubt I would have time to go to West View 
> although I agree it would be a pleasant return to yesteryear.
>> 
>> Dwight
>> 
>> From: Herb Brannon
>> Sent: Saturday, 30 August, 2014 12:33
>> To: Western PA Trolley discussion
>> Subject: [PRCo] Isaly's -- Then & Now When I was growing up a big 
>> treat was to go to the Isaly's store near our house. One of my many 
>> favorites from them was a vanilla milkshake.
>> They knew how to make them. One "perk" of going to get one at Isaly's 
>> was that all of the milkshake would never fit into the paper 
>> "take-out" cup. It was always the policy at our neighborhood Isaly's 
>> that the clerk would pour the excess into a glass and tell me to 
>> finish it
> off. A real treat back then.
>> 
>> I now work for Allegheny County on Perrysville Avenue. For lunch, 
>> last Tuesday, I decided to go to the Isaly's on Perry Highway near 
>> Center Avenue in West View. It was close, I could get the chip-chop 
>> sandwich and a vanilla milkshake to go and still have time to finish 
>> it back at the workplace. So I ordered and they began frying the 
>> chip-chop and the milkshake machine sprang to life making that 
>> familiar high pitched buzzing sound. I was looking at the scores of 
>> photographs on the wall of this Isaly's of old West View Park, the 
>> PRCo streetcars and other things when the lady at the counter called 
>> me over. She said, "Here drink this up, it all won't fit into the 
>> take out cup".  It was deja vu,
> all over again.
>> 
>> This Isaly's is very much worth going to. Still the same outside 
>> storefront and still the same counter with round stools and the same 
>> booths on the opposite side of the store. Same food cases with 
>> Isaly's meat and cheese products and really great photos on the 
>> walls. Well worth going to West View to see and enjoy.
>> 
>> Also, much to my surprise, is much of the original PRCo/PATransit 
>> Route 10-West View trolley tracks are still hanging around. The place 
>> where the cars left Perrysville Avenue, past Bascombe Street, is 
>> still there with the rails embedded in cobblestone. Much of the north 
>> end of that section of private-right-of-way for the 10 and 11 was 
>> taken with the construction of the Parkway North, aka I-279. Then, 
>> just past Ross Bus Garage the side-of-the-road tracks can be seen 
>> gleaming in the sun just even with the grass growing around them. 
>> This goes on all the way to Center Avenue. I have yet to drive down 
>> Center Avenue to see what still
> remains.
>> 
>> Like I said, it's worth the trip to see the right-of-way and visit
> Isaly's.
>> 
>> --
>> *Herb Brannon*
>> 
>> *In Pittsburgh...........A City and *
>> 
>> 
>> *..........................A State Of Mind*
>> 
>> *Let's Go Bucs*
>> 
>> *Let's Go Steelers*
>> 
>> 
>> 
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