Originally Posted by
FWAAA
Actually, since the great circle path for DTW-HKG is just slightly westward of due north (heading of 342 degrees, just 18 degrees away from straight up), DTW is a logical on-line connection point for just about everything from MSP to STL to DFW to HOU and everything east of any of those cities. And that encompasses the vast majority of the US population.
DTW is one of the largest northern metro areas in the US, and the farther north you go, the closer you get to HKG. What wouldn't make much sense would be a nonstop from ATL or CLT or MIA or DFW or HOU or PHX or other southern cities. Those hubs would require signficant southerly backtracking for much of the US population.
Exactly. Which is why even CO's EWR-HKG was okay for connecting from almost everywhere east of the Rockies, including Houston. My family and I flew IAH-EWR-HKG tonnes of times before the UA merger. It's still as quick as connecting via the W. Coast for the outbound to Asia. Coming back is a different story, however.
Originally Posted by
FWAAA
California has six nonstops to HKG between UA and CX. CX has two more from YVR. The western part of the US appears to be pretty well covered.
And of course SQ's daily from SFO and AC from YVR.
Originally Posted by
FWAAA
DL has focused its Asian nonstops primarily from DTW, and for good reason. It's a good hub location with pretty good O&D and lots of DL connections. The HKG flight just didn't work, but I disagree that failure is due to the location of DTW.
I flew on NW's 741 or 742 on my first Transpac as a baby to Hong Kong via Haneda. Since then I've flown NW to/from HKG many other times, but ironic that after 40+ years, it's still be back to the future with again just one daily flight via NRT. And we can just hope it'll remain a 744.