AS adds more PDX-HNL flights
Feb 27, 2015, 11:41 am
#16
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,575
You are right, 2 flights a week probably won't upset the balance too much. But is it just these two, or is Delta jumping back into the market.
PDX-OGG returning on Hawaiian can make sense, but with those planes it's between 220 and 240 seats added with each flight. Can the market sustain that daily at the current fares? Doubtful and that's where it gets into trouble for the airline....they could go back to the alternate day flight, which they ran for a number of years before going daily. We'll have to see. But Alaska likely won't stand by idle either....maybe adding more, and this is where it all starts getting out of whack.
But it's all a game....
PDX-OGG returning on Hawaiian can make sense, but with those planes it's between 220 and 240 seats added with each flight. Can the market sustain that daily at the current fares? Doubtful and that's where it gets into trouble for the airline....they could go back to the alternate day flight, which they ran for a number of years before going daily. We'll have to see. But Alaska likely won't stand by idle either....maybe adding more, and this is where it all starts getting out of whack.
But it's all a game....
As I said... if HAL brings back PDX-OGG it will be in the form of the smaller gauge 321neo. When HAL had the market to themselves a 767 made sense. Adding a 767 or 330 at this point, with the competition from AS it would indeed be an issue. HAL has brought the flight back in the past for spring and winter breaks, as opportunistic additions.
Feb 27, 2015, 7:10 pm
#17
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Portland, Oregon
Programs: Hilton Platinum, Alaska MVP Gold
Posts: 2,363
AFAIK the DL addition of PDX-HNL (rather, return to the market) is for the winter, another peak time to Hawaii. Like their JFK-HNL and MSP-HNL seasonal additions, these are opportunistic additions of capacity. The AS addition is for summer. This is why the comparison between the two and perceived threat is moot. AS itself has been burned by over capacity in the Hawaii market and has made adjustments as necessary. As they continue to learn the market, the'll make additions accordingly. Competitive nature or not, the days of throwing capacity into a market and slashing fares at the same time are over.
As I said... if HAL brings back PDX-OGG it will be in the form of the smaller gauge 321neo. When HAL had the market to themselves a 767 made sense. Adding a 767 or 330 at this point, with the competition from AS it would indeed be an issue. HAL has brought the flight back in the past for spring and winter breaks, as opportunistic additions.
As I said... if HAL brings back PDX-OGG it will be in the form of the smaller gauge 321neo. When HAL had the market to themselves a 767 made sense. Adding a 767 or 330 at this point, with the competition from AS it would indeed be an issue. HAL has brought the flight back in the past for spring and winter breaks, as opportunistic additions.
Feb 27, 2015, 8:29 pm
#18
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 5,953
It's a holiday add - nothing more, nothing less. Delta has been doing more of this kind of thing over the last couple years. It's not a short term experiment. What would they be experimenting with? It's not as though they don't know what kind of a market it is.
Mar 2, 2015, 1:41 pm
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: STL
Programs: AA 2MM, AS MVP Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 12,966
The one factor that you are ignoring here is the plummeting fuel costs. As the cost of oil goes down, the cost of jet fuel goes down. As the cost of jet fuel goes down, airlines can still make the same amount per segment with lower prices. Lower prices do cause more people to fly, and therefore the routes can support more flights and not cause anybody to lose money. It is a win-win-win.