Originally Posted by
shortkidd
No hateration in my response, but even though CLE may have great employees I believe it is a matter of time before it will be dehubbed esp with ORD being so close.
I also imagine DEN will be on the table. Doesn't make sense to have DEN when IAH is due south.
DEN is greatly located as an east-west connecting hub as well as accessing the Pacific NW, the ski resorts in the Rockies, and most of the Mountain time zone. Internationally, DEN has nonstop to FRA and (soon) NRT, giving it access to 2 of the largest Star hubs. AA and DL would die to have a hub around there. PHX/SLC just doesn't feel like same.
Between DEN, ORD, and IAH, nearly no one requires a significant backtrack when connecting east-west. Other than the southeast, I'd say UA has very well placed hubs. CLE being the sole exception owing to its proximity to ORD, IAD, and to a certain extent, EWR. If only UA switch most of its E145s into E-170s/E-190s, CLE would be decent focus city.