Originally Posted by
Tom Williams
Can you provide any insight into why ATL-PVG doesn't work? Is it because PVG is not a hub (as someone else posted)?
Perhaps it does not work for the reasons that UA, CO, NW and AA advanced in their filings with the DoT (opposing DL's applications to fly to PVG and PEK from ATL): the average number of daily O&D passengers between ATL and China could fit on a small regional plane. Ultra-longhaul flights work best when there's a strong local market at the gateway, and you're apparently one of the few from Atlanta heading to China regularly. Daily China O&D is stronger in Detroit, so it makes sense to originate more Asian flights there than in Atlanta.
Same reason AA flies to China (PVG and PEK) from CHI and not DFW. ORD has lots more O&D traffic to China, even though AA shares the market with UA (it's a huge O&D market compared to either ATL or DFW).