United Beings Cutting IAH

[B757300]

United Airlines is cutting nonstop service from George Bush Intercontinental Airport to Paris and several other cities, as it begins to make good on its threat to cut service after the city approved Southwest Airlines' proposal to open Hobby Airport for international commercial flights.

Beginning in September when the Chicago-based carrier moves to its fall schedule, it will suspend the daily non-stop flight from Houston to Paris that Continental Airlines began offering in 1992. United became the world's largest airline when it merged with Houston-based Continental in 2010.

Earlier this year, United fought Southwest's Hobby proposal, arguing it would reduce connecting traffic at Bush Intercontinental and thus harm the big airport's growth as a hub.

Besides Paris, United will cut other destinations it now serves from IAH, its largest hub: Waco; Greensboro and Asheville, N.C.; Toluca, Mazatlán and Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico; and Aruba. Service to those locations is a mixture of United and United Express regional service.

The last United nonstop flight to Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport will leave Oct. 8, United spokeswoman Mary Clark said. The first route cut will be Tuxtla Gutiérrez in September.

Clark said United had continued to offer service to the unprofitable locations, hoping they would turn around as Bush Intercontinental grows, but was prompted to nix them after the Houston City Council's approval of Southwest's Hobby proposal.

As part of that deal, Southwest agreed to pay for a customs facility and five-gate expansion at Hobby so it could begin flying in 2015 to the Caribbean and Latin America.

Clark said the Paris route hadn't been profitable for more than two years.

"With Hobby operating internationally, we don't feel we have the same growth prospects at IAH we had in the past," she said. "So we don't expect these flights to become profitable.

"Our most prudent path is to eliminate the unprofitable flying now rather than continue to lose money."

Within hours of the council's 16-1 vote on May 30, United sent out a bulletin to its employees saying it would reduce planned operations at Bush Intercontinental by 10 percent and eliminate 1,300 Houston jobs starting this fall. It immediately canceled a planned nonstop flight from Houston to Auckland, New Zealand.

http://www.chron.com/business/articl...ll-3689090.php

I predicted that United would begin to reduce IAH after they consumed Continental. I would not be surprised to see them eventually say "FU" to Houston and ditch IAH as a hub, just like Delta did to DFW.

Now they're just throwing a temper tantrum because they can no longer intimidate the Houston City Council into keeping Southwest from operating international flights.

[Peter Kesternich]

Cutting IAH-Paris in response to Hobby becoming an international airport to me seems like United were just waiting for a an opportunity to shut down a loss-making route and then blame somebody else for it.

[B757300]

Originally Posted by Peter Kesternich

Cutting IAH-Paris in response to Hobby becoming an international airport to me seems like United were just waiting for a an opportunity to shut down a loss-making route and then blame somebody else for it.

Perhaps, but it is extremely childish nonetheless. They are also cutting other flights, and the rumors out of Houston are it will be a lot more in the coming weeks and months. United basically told Houston that if they allowed SWA to fly international from Hobby, then Houston was going to "pay for it."

Funny how that route did well under Continental, and Air France has no problem with it, but for some reason United can't hack it. Maybe because United SUCKS and the former Continental passengers are going elsewhere.

[SAMRPICS]

Originally Posted by B757300

Funny how that route did well under Continental, and Air France has no problem with it, but for some reason United can't hack it. Maybe because United SUCKS and the former Continental passengers are going elsewhere.

So true, ive heard terrible things about United, such a shame Continental is gone as i heard great things about them.

[vikma4]

I'm glad to see United making an executive decision based on the facts. The problem is simple: if they can foresee that the IAH-CDG route won't be profitable in the coming years, they should indeed axe that route and re-route their customers through EWR, IAD, or ORD on their way to CDG. I can't blame them; heck if I was in that position and I saw Southwest threatening my business ventures, I would take on the exact same course of action.
...lol Southwest stirring up trouble again, as usual...

[B757300]

Originally Posted by vikma4

I'm glad to see United making an executive decision based on the facts. The problem is simple: if they can foresee that the IAH-CDG route won't be profitable in the coming years, they should indeed axe that route and re-route their customers through EWR, IAD, or ORD on their way to CDG. I can't blame them; heck if I was in that position and I saw Southwest threatening my business ventures, I would take on the exact same course of action.
...lol Southwest stirring up trouble again, as usual...

Southwest is not flying to Paris or adding flights to the other cities being cut. SW plans to fly a small number of flights to Latin America and Caribbean out of HOU. It is highly unlikely that it is going to have any affect at all on IAH-CDG.

This is United throwing a temper tantrum and burning up the last remnant of goodwill remaining in the city of Houston. Houstonians for the most part loved Continental; most now despise United.

[saupatel]

Originally Posted by SAMRPICS

So true, ive heard terrible things about United, such a shame Continental is gone as i heard great things about them.

For the first time a few weeks back I decided to try out United for a cross-country flight. After seeing what a scam they run, I wont be flying them anymore even if they are cheaper.

By the way, what international service is southwest going to offer from hobby.

[B757300]

Originally Posted by SAMRPICS

So true, ive heard terrible things about United, such a shame Continental is gone as i heard great things about them.

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