Delta Moves Quickly to Fill Void Left by United at JFK
Jeff Edwards June 30, 2015
Just days after United said it was walking away from JFK, Delta announced a substantial expansion at the airport.
In June, when United Airlines decided to pull out of John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in favor of Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), the airline was betting that it’s Premium Service (PS) transcontinental passengers would be willing to make the move to the New Jersey airport with them. On Monday, Delta Air Lines went out of its way to remind elite flyers that there is another option.
United explained that the move to consolidate its New York operations to the former Continental hub at EWR came after the airline struggled to make money on PS flights from JFK to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The carrier expects moving those flights to their nearby EWR hub will give those coast-to-coast passengers more options to connect to other destinations and help make the PS flights profitable.
United’s decision to walk away from JFK was met with a collegial response from Delta which agreed to trade slots at EWR in exchange for United’s remaining slots at JFK. Industry analysts described the gate swap as a win for both carriers, but on Monday, Delta announced it would be using those new slots at JFK to replicate the premium coast-to-coast service that United plans to move to EWR. Delta plans to begin offering expanded premium class flights from JFK to SFO and LAX timed to start soon after United’s last PS flight departs from JFK.
Delta couldn’t resist tweaking United’s nose cone in the release announcing the expansion plans at JFK. The legacy carrier proclaimed, “Delta to offer the most seats of any airline between JFK and LAX, SFO.” The airline described the expanded premium class service as “cementing the airline’s leading position on two of the busiest routes in the United States,” a statement that seems to question United’s inability to turn a profit on those routes.
Monday’s snark-laden announcement by Delta may not just be a victory lap at United’s expense. Jet Blue has been working to cultivate the impression that JFK is its home field, trademarking and branding itself as “New York’s hometown airline.”
Jet Blue offers premium “Mint” service only on flights between JFK and the west coast airports SFO and LAX. American Airlines offers increasingly rare three-cabin service on those same routes. Delta’s quick move to fill a niche abandoned by United may serve as a reminder to the competition that Delta is still the King of Queens (or at least the airport in Queens).
[Photo: Delta Air Lines]
