DL strategy at RDU
May 26, 2015, 10:09 am
#16
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Not since the '90s (the AA hub lasted from 1987 to 1995).
May 26, 2015, 12:31 pm
#17
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I have wondered about this and how the AA-US merger was going to affect the logistics at RDU and my friendly Red Coat told me that DL and AA are both keeping their lounges as is. DL will probably lose a few gates (RDU owns the gates), like C16, C15, C14, C11 and they will probably pick up D1, D3 and another gate or two around D20 (which is the extreme South end of the terminal).
Delta has a lease with the airport and generally speaking, as long as Delta is making payments and is hitting the utilization numbers in the lease then they airport can't just "take them" and give them to another airline. Even some leases don't have utilization and allows airlines to sit on gates as long as they pay the lease.
So if AA is going to get some of DL's gates it likely means someone is paying DL to give up that space.
May 26, 2015, 12:35 pm
#18
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It will be horrible if DL ends up with gates scattered over RDU, with some far from the SC.
May 26, 2015, 12:53 pm
#19
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DL already uses D20 (which is the end of the terminal), but D1 and D3 are closer to the Sky Club that C15 and C16, so they won't be scattered all over. Since AA has the LHR flight, it makes sense to consolidate the Newer AA. DL will own the middle (according to the Red Coat). The real loser here is US, they have a club on the D end which will be vacant (if it isn't already). I don't expect any of this to happen until the fall.
May 26, 2015, 12:56 pm
#20
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To me, the D gates are less convenient for the SC because they require that one walk through the crowded area connecting C and D.
May 26, 2015, 1:11 pm
#21
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Being my home airport and with my relationship with the DL and AA staffs, I'm more apt to believe them and their information. RDU authority owns the gates, that is why there isn't a DL GIDS system or similar for other airlines, nor is there any hard airline branding at any of the gates. They will not take out a DL Gate without a trade (or just compensation) and D1 and D3 for C15 and C11 is a wash. DL isn't going to lose anything.
May 26, 2015, 1:13 pm
#22
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It is the same terminal bdlg, the North side is C and the South side is D. Yes there is the exit from security between the two but the walk to D1 or D3 is just as close if not closer that the Walk to C11 or C15 from the SC.
May 26, 2015, 1:17 pm
#23
Join Date: Apr 2015
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I was surprised at how few mainline and non stop flight there were to/from RDU. The population of the metro area is >2,000,000 and is a education and tech/biotech hub there are just a bare handful of directs to destinations west of Chicago (only LAX/SFO) and LHR is the only European direct. Portland has the same population as Raleigh with no where near the tech and edu concentration but PDX has directs to all the major east coast cities and Asia/Europe.
May 26, 2015, 1:17 pm
#24
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I think you're missing my point that the area between the two wings IME is very crowded. It's inconvenient and wastes time to navigate around all the people there, so that the time and hassle factor of going between the SC and any D gates is higher IMO that for any of the C gates, even if they look farther away on a terminal map.
May 26, 2015, 1:19 pm
#25
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I was surprised at how few mainline and non stop flight there were to/from RDU. The population of the metro area is >2,000,000 and is a education and tech/biotech hub there are just a bare handful of directs to destinations west of Chicago (only LAX/SFO) and LHR is the only European direct. Portland has the same population as Raleigh with no where near the tech and edu concentration but PDX has directs to all the major east coast cities and Asia/Europe.
May 26, 2015, 1:43 pm
#26
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I think you're missing my point that the area between the two wings IME is very crowded. It's inconvenient and wastes time to navigate around all the people there, so that the time and hassle factor of going between the SC and any D gates is higher IMO that for any of the C gates, even if they look farther away on a terminal map.
May 26, 2015, 2:11 pm
#27
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Yes I have and that was my impression, although my most recent time there was during the Christmas season, so there could have been more people/kettles than usual.
May 26, 2015, 2:19 pm
#28
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This may be true. On a normal week, however, the only time this area is crowded during peak times are when folks are congregating at C1 prior to boarding. Even then, there isn't much issue getting by/through the crowd to get the the SkyClub elevator or to the remainder of the C portion of the terminal.
May 26, 2015, 3:17 pm
#29
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Quick question... if you have such concerns with managing the crowds and distances at RDU, how do you ever manage to fly out of MSP?
May 28, 2015, 9:45 am
#30
Join Date: Jan 2008
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I love RDU for everything except trying to get to PHL (Southwest nonstops, we miss ye) or EWR (curse your black heart, USAir).
The really great time for nonstops was the relatively short Midway/ValuJet era of the mid-90s. I wasn't flying much when AA had their short-lived, nonsensical hub at RDU.
The really great time for nonstops was the relatively short Midway/ValuJet era of the mid-90s. I wasn't flying much when AA had their short-lived, nonsensical hub at RDU.