Originally Posted by
formeraa
Well, I would think that AS analysts are crunching those numbers. Basically, we are talking about whether the DAL operation is profitable. If not, can the DAL gates and DCA/LGA slots be sold for a tidy profit or can the DCA/LGA routes be moved to another city?
Part of the problem with DAL is that the operation is never going to grow. It will stay static at two gates. Either you accept that level of service or you sell it off.
I would imagine that the DOT isn't going to allow "hey, you can sell to anyone you want!" on LGA/DCA slots or DAL gates, considering the fits they threw during the AA/US merger or the entire negotiations for DAL gate space.
I don't see a different inside-perimeter city that makes sense for AS. They've done niche operations before (SJC, SAN, all the Hawaii P2P flights out of places like OAK and SMF), so why should a small focus city at DAL be any different?
And AS's operation hasn't grown at DFW for a looooooong time. It's a spoke with 5 or 6 flights a day (a one gate operation). Moving the SEA/PDX-DFW flights to DAL might actually make sense compared to some of the wacky things VX has done (DAL-AUS, DAL-LAS).