Robbyb03

I got a call earlier today from Delta asking if the wife and I would change our YYZ-DTW (B747)-NRT Delta One flight to YYZ-MSP (B777)-HND Delta One flight for a measly total of 5,000 Skymiles (2,500 each). I said,"NO." We are scheduled to fly at the end of April 2017.

Is DTW to NRT about to be axed?!?

Longboater

No. As long as DL has a hub in DTW, they'll have a nonstop to Japan, irrespective of the situation with HND. (Like DL would dehub their main Midwest/East hub.) Its not like ANA/JAL will start a nonstop flight to DTW. Auto traffic will continue to keep flights to places including CDG/FRA/NRT/ICN/PVG/MTY. There's a reason why DTW-NGO is the only nonstop flight to NGO from North America.

DLroads

I got the same phone call yesterday (to change a slightly different routing via DTW to MSP-HND). I understand that they have some 'issues' getting pax on MSP-HND. I actually gave them my honest input about it from the Japanese pax market view and my own view/my group view. It was an interesting, honest conversation. For a change, I must say that I got an impression that someone was actually listening and taking notes. I know it won't change anything in the truly suboptimal routing decisions made for the Japanese market, but maybe the message would find its way up the channels.

salfcl

Did my first flight on DL recently after being with AA for more than a decade. Traveling on Comfort+, I found that the service and food was much better than AA's MCE.

However, the hardware wasn't that great; it was old and the seat on the 747 was exceptionally uncomfortable. Reminded me of the seat on JAL. Maybe the same manufacturer?

And Skyclub was always packed.

Overall, I have no regrets jumping over to Skyteam.

alman84

As a consultant in automotive that's not even based in DTW (MCI, which is serviced as connection by DTW), the NGO-DTW flight is a dream. I get to avoid the 3 hours on trains flying to NRT (or 2 hours flying to HND) (or annoying trans-carrier layover at NRT).

When it isn't $2000+ in main, at least

Edit to add: by the way, the Korean Air lounge at NGO isn't much to write home about, but they do stock very nice house scotch. 17 year Ballantine last week!

DA201

NGO will soon have another North American flight in YVR-NGO on AC.

FWAAA

Notta chance, as Longboater pointed out. But the 747 may be gone from that route and a smaller plane substituted. As DLroads mentioned, DL has to be scrambling to fill the MSP-HND flights, so the call makes sense.

Having committed to the sub-optimal choice of MSP-HND (instead of a more sensible (IMO) DTW-HND), it makes some sense for DL to identify passengers flying to NRT whose destination is TYO and enticing them to try HND via MSP. Especially if the DTW 747 becomes a smaller plane, as I expect it will soon.

Longboater

If DL had the option of flying a second daytime flight to HND, it would probably be in the order of JFK>DTW>SEA>MSP>ATL. The fleet planners at DL probably thought it was unlikely they would receive JFK-HND as ANA was going to launch the route. DTW-HND was out of the question as they tried night slots that failed rather miserably. Ditto for SEA. While ATL has a good case, detaching ATL from onward connections at NRT doesn't seem like a good bet. (Besides ICN is a far larger market ex-ATL than TYO.) MSP-HND is essentially opening a totally new destination for DL as there is nothing onward for DL at HND. While MSP-HND is not ideal and replacing MSP-NRT with MSP-ICN is a better long term solution to ensure MSP has a connection to the Far East, DL probably figured DOT would take the bait as they were threatening to can MSP-TYO service. While I believe DL deserved a second daytime slot due to their situation in Japan, this was ugly and deceiving posturing. While LAX-HND will do just fine for them, MSP-HND will probably take time before the 777 fills up. And unlike last time, if it means losing some money at the start, DL will take the losses.

With DL retiring the remaining seven 747s next year and only six A350-900s being delivered to replace them, DTW-NRT has the better chance of being the odd route out especially when compared to ICN/PVG. While DTW-NRT may see a permanent downgauge to the A332, DTW-NRT isn't going anywhere for reasons I previously stated unless JAL/ANA receive a slot to launch DTW-HND. (I believe Pan Am will be flying me to the moon will happen before this.)

TheMoose

The interesting thing about MSP-HND is that Delta has done next to zero (perhaps actually zero) marketing in the local MSP market indicating that the new, more convenient nonstop is coming. Considering that they are axing a trunk route with a large number of connections on either end in favor of a more O&D route with connections only on one end, you'd think that Delta would want to market that to the local population.

As a point of comparison, when AF began operating MSP-CDG, they plastered ads on prominent billboards on the North and South sides of the MSP airport, in addition to some TV spots, if I'm remembering correctly. And that was for a route that was, and still is, seasonal. And in addition to Delta's year-round service.

Other than one ad on the Delta website that I saw a few days ago, I've seen nothing trying to market the new MSP-HND route.

Ebes1099

There's been a few people who have posted as well of DL calling them to switch to connecting through MSP for the MSP-HND flight. I made a comment in one of them that fares aren't very cheap for the MSP-HND RT right now, about $1,700 in coach anytime through the Spring.

You are right that I've seen no advertising of it here in MSP, so maybe DL isn't hurting to fill those seats. I wish they were so they'd lower fares and I could get a cheap vacation (flight wise at least) to Tokyo.

Longboater

AC announced the day after I wrote the post. AC must be onto me or something.... Anyway its Air Canada Rouge with a 767. Its going after a much different market than DL. I highly doubt this will affect DTW-NGO one bit. DL might not even be making a profit on the route but as long as auto industry contracts dictate J for certain employees, DL will continue to operate it. If DL does end up taking delivery of the 787-8, DTW-NGO will definitely switch to the Dreamliner.

Robbyb03

Have you considered burning Skymiles to get to YYZ from MSP? I'm seeing RT for 19,000 a person. Spend the night in Toronto, go to Niagara Falls or something, and fly back through MSP or DTW for under $2,000 in FC...

ATOBTTR

Do they necessarily need to spend a lot of money to advertise MSP-HND for the local populous? While they may have done so because it was cheaper, were a lot of people flying MSP-XXX-HND just to use HND over NRT? My guess would be likely not, and that for anyone flying to TYO before, MSP-NRT and then transiting to downtown was likely still more time efficient than MSP-XXX-HND.

MSP-HND, while benefiting MSP residents with better access to the core of Tokyo, is more beneficial to connecting traffic who now have a better alternative to Tokyo and can go XXX-MSP-HND over XXX-Any other hub-HND.

In short, in the MSP market, I don't see much a market to Tokyo being stimulated that wasn't already there while DL is/was operating MSP-NRT.

FireEmblemPride

Calling customers to change onto the MSP-HND flight is kind of hilarious, but I applaud them for the effort anyway. They have two years to operate this route without any major service reductions. I doubt they last that long.

EVA777

R.I.P. BKK and the rest of the axed routes!