As an IAD flyer I have often wondered about this fligh. All my travel to NYC is O&D and I would rather have a sharp stick in my eye than fly IAD-JFK (and I live 5 min from IAD). A million delays and the horrible planes, plus the times of the flights aren't all that great for O&D. I need to be in the city (or onto the island)early and the 8AM take-offs are for the birds. I gave up on IAD-LGA for that reason as well. DL has a 6AM to LGA that is cheap (it was $125 in December) and the DL planes seem to get in and out of LGA OK (which you can't say for UA) or I schlep into DCA for the US Shuttle and get UA credit. Unless you are connecting to some esoteric carrier it does seem to be a waste of resources but, as others point out it must make money or they would have killed it long ago.