Originally Posted by
Longboater
Combined with the PHL metro area's O/D and business ties to India, it might work out. PHL-BOM is workable for both the A350-900 and 787-9 as its almost 200 miles less than ORD-BOM. However, the inability for PHL-TLV to work out sticks out as a problem for PHL becoming a potential launching destination for PHL-India. Having said all of this, I'll believe it when I see it when a second US airline returns to India nonstop.
I think you hit the nail on the head with TLV. Given the failure on PHL-TLV, I really can't see PHL-India working. In order to tap into the larger Indian populations from Central/North Jersey AA will have to lower the fares and end up in the same situation as TLV.
Originally Posted by
Hollinger Clarke
QR are not imbeciles that they would start a PHL DOH route with timings that don't connect well to India if they believed that there was enough traffic to India from PHL - Obviously their research showed there wasn't and it has been backed up by none of the other ME3 considering PHL as a possible route. That pretty much rules out PHL for this speculative flight(s).
I'm not sure I buy that argument. Reason is, I have a hard time believing that QR's researched showed more traffic on PHL-DOH-Middle East & SE Asia (where there are "easy" connections) than PHL-DOH-India traffic. It's not like there are Asian carriers trying to break into PHL to offer access to SE Asia. QR's PHL schedule still perplexes me.