DA201

No. VX has a great Domestic first class cabin, but doesn't offer lie flats. That's the only other airline serving EWR-LAX/SFO. Can't really see anyone else adding flights in the future... hard to compete with lie flat seats unless you offer lie flat seats. Just ask UA's JFK operation...

ocn2ocn

Sounds like short of Jet Blue entering this market with its Mint service, United really has a monopoly with its business first cabin.

dmurphynj

This right here is why moving ps service to EWR was a bloody brilliant move. JFK made no sense for UA -- operationally and logistically, it was a mess.

Clearly, given the route frequency and the load factors on said flights, there was -- and continues to be -- tremendous demand from EWR.

Upgrades are almost all paid these days - even certificate upgrades are very difficult. I had a flight last week that I applied an RPU for 5 months ago that never cleared.. I ended up biting the bullet and paying for the upgrade at T-12. They've done a great job figuring out exactly what the threshold is to get folks to pay for the upgrade....

findark

Given that B6 has been single-handedly driving the price in this market ever since Mint debuted, I don't think it's fair to call UA's service a "monopoly" just because they're serving EWR. The NYC market is relatively integrated (almost nobody is going to pay a $500 premium to fly into EWR).

blueman2

This.

Every flight I take to NYC, I always check UA and B6 to see who has the best price and time. For past 12 months, it is pretty much as 50/50 split of who gets my paid F ticket. EWR vs JFK does not really matter. I always Uber in and Uber out.

However, I will say that on my last 3 RTs to NYC, B6 has taken them all. I just booked for a November trip. B6 was $1500, UA was $4900!!!! Yes, $2450 each way on UA. But that, I think, was an anomaly.

ocn2ocn

I've had some of the same price discrepancy with UA flights -- especially the ones at even reasonably convenient times. Also, UA seems to have forgotten about the large part of the market on the other side of NY from EWR -- but I guess they don't care.

ocn2ocn

We need JetBlue mint service out of EWR. The competitive pressure of a similar or better product is probably the only way United eases the pressure on the EWR transcontinental fares.

DA201

The odds of B6 adding transcon service out of EWR, not even mint service, are pretty low. The best bet is VX. VX may decide to create a competitive transcon product at some point.

LETTERBOY

How will they do that when they won't exist?

DA201

Alaska is considering keeping the Virgin brand. But in the event VX disappears, then AS may decide to compete in the NYC-LAX/SFO market.

diburning

JetBlue won't add service out of EWR. EWR is a tiny station for JetBlue, and they share a terminal pier with a bunch of LCCs. There just isn't any room to expand at EWR to provide any sort of premium feeling facilities on the ground.

ocn2ocn

Understood but doesn't this appear to be a wide open market for a new player given the complete lack of competition for United at EWR?

cerealmarketer

If this were like ATL or DEN with no major airport within hundreds of miles, then I'd say UA has no competition at EWR.

Reality is NYC area has 3 viable airports that all share a passenger base.

UA enjoys a lack of competition for NJ based fliers, but outside of that - Manhattan up for grabs with JFK/LGA, rest of NYC more naturally to JFK/LGA.

The real UA core at EWR is the many int'l nonstops and the nonstops to 2nd / 3rd tier business centers in the US, which are usually low on the list for new entrants to try.

VX has already tried to make a big run at transcon out of EWR and we see where that got them. But it won't stop AS or others from trying slices.

Over 10 years, UA's share there will probably erode just by virtue of more flights coming in and out with fewer restrictions, but increase its total pax count.

ocn2ocn

I'm sure that UA has helped itself by concentrating only on EWR but for those of us who enjoyed their service out of JFK, this has been doubly painful with both a less convenient airport and monopoly type pricing and upgrade availability (or lack thereof).

ocn2ocn

I don't disagree. My point is that the JFK service was more competitively price and more easily upgradeable. Since the move to EWR, UA has increased its pricing, all but eliminated upgrade space and overall made it much more difficult for those still loyal to UA. Maybe my mistake is my continued loyalty to UA in the face of this.