US Airways planning big schedule change By Barbara De Lollis, USA TODAY US Airways plans to eliminate about 300 weekday flights by Nov. 2, but will= =20 bulk up its schedule on key business routes this fall. The changes are the first major overhaul since it filed for bankruptcy=20 reorganization last month. US Airways and US Airways Express had nearly=20 3,800 daily flights in August. Most changes involve fewer frequencies and=20 shifts from big jets to smaller planes rather than total elimination of=20 service. The airline says it is retaining flights to 203 communities while= =20 dropping all flights in one =97 Saginaw, Mich. Service in 71 cities will=20 remain unchanged, and 26 cities will have more flight seats available by=20 Nov. 2 than in August. However, the new schedule also eliminates non-stop flights on about 36=20 routes. Some fliers will discover flights they used to catch are no longer= =20 offered; others will have to make new flight connections. Other details: =B7 Charlotte will replace Pittsburgh as US Airways' biggest hub. It= =20 will have 462 weekday flights to Pittsburgh's 414. =B7 Flights will be cut at most of its hubs =97 Charlotte, Pittsburgh,= =20 Philadelphia and Boston Logan =97 but grow 7% at LaGuardia and 1% at Reagan= =20 Washington National. =B7 Routes scheduled to gain flights include New York=20 LaGuardia-Washington Dulles, LaGuardia-Norfolk, Va., and= Detroit-Philadelphia. =B7 Flights on small regional jets will increase 4%, while those on=20 large jets will decrease 13% and fall by 7% on turboprops. Some frequent fliers are dismayed by the flight cuts, especially after US=20 Airways said last week that it will reduce benefits for people flying on=20 non-refundable fares. "Given what they've done with their frequent-flier program in removing the= =20 elite benefits for low-fare-paying passengers, cutting their schedule and=20 their benefits at the same time for Boston travelers has got to be a huge=20 mistake," says Eoin Gill, a Boston-based international banker. "If I had a= =20 choice of carriers, US Airways would be last on my list." Power plant=20 project manager Bill Navey says it's still his best option. He flies often= =20 from Charlotte to Albany, N.Y., and Orlando, and believes he'll still make= =20 speedier connections on US Airways than Delta. The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site: Roj (Roger James) *************************************************** escape email mailto:ejames@escape.ca Trinbago site: http://www.tntisland.com CBC Website http://www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ The Trinbago Site of the Week: (MBH) http://maracasbay.com/ (Maracas Bay Hotel) courtesy of Roj Trinbago Website & TnT Web Directory Roj's Trinbago Website: http://www.tntisland.com TnT Web Directory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************