Originally Posted by
EWR764
Based on the most recent schedule update, even with MSY cut, UA has increased daily departures at LAX for the fall schedule... just about all of the other remaining changes were added flights to spokes like FAT/TUS/LAS/ABQ/PSP/SAN/SMF, plus EWR went up to 15x.
Yeah, this makes sense. LAX is turning into a pure O&D hub. Think AA at JFK. It will certainly not be abandoned, as it has way too many people and way too much business. However, with highly profitable SFO up the coast, what's the point of having LAX as a transpacific hub? And that's all LAX can be: either O&D or transpacific. It can't be a domestic connector because of geography. By the way, I think LAX-BWI is the next to go, and will be gone when either AA or DL enter the market. LAX-MEL is also going to move to SFO once AA starts LAX-MEL.
I flew from MSY to LAX on UA a few months ago (one way). I connected through IAH (MSY-IAH-LAX) because I wanted an early morning departure. UA has a problem where it has to either increase or eliminate MSY service because it doesn't offer this. It only offers one evening flight. DL has 3 daily (morning, afternoon, and evening), AA just started an evening flight, Spirit has an afternoon flight, and WN has two daily flights (morning and afternoon). This route has so much competition it is simply not worth it to UA to go after customers and add a second frequency to compete. (Same goes for the LAX-MSY flight, which only has a red-eye) So, it will eliminate it all together.