Originally Posted by
Fanjet
I think they will be better off dumping the DAL-LGA service and selling those LGA slots for cash or a trade of JFK slots. The DCA-DAL (IIRC 3 slot pairs) have a bit more potential, as they might be able to trade them out for beyond-perimeter service in the future. It has been done once in the past. And then concentrate their service at DAL to their hubs/focus cities on the west coast.
I doubt they can just sell LGA slots to whoever they want willy-nilly.
https://www.virginamerica.com/cms/ab...n-at-laguardia
Virgin America secured 12 slots at LGA earlier this year as part of the American Airlines merger settlement.
It would be extremely irresponsible to allow a carrier who dominates LGA like AA or DL to have access to more slots when the entire point of the transaction was to have a non-dominant carrier get access to LGA (AS and VX are about as non-dominant at LGA as you can get). It would also be irresponsible to allow AS to sell to, say, WN, allowing them to dominate the DAL-LGA market. Once you eliminate AA/DL/UA/WN... who's left? B6? (I can't imagine NK or G4 are going to be interested.)
Having a portfolio at all three NYC airports (even if it's not a big one at any one of them) isn't that bad of an idea.
Originally Posted by
dayone
Per the merger terms, the slots are restricted and any sale or trade requires regulatory approval.
Sounds about right. The DOJ isn't stupid.
Originally Posted by
dayone
DAL-LGA/DCA are very viable routes and markets. And SEA-DAL will likely be added in the next year or so.
I would imagine a portfolio of DAL-SEA/LAX/SFO/DCA/LGA to be pretty reasonable. I'm a touch more skeptical about the 1xLAS frequency (which is already down some from before). It wouldn't shock me to see AS resume LAX/SFO-DFW service, either, given their history of flying to multiple markets in Greater LA, Greater NYC and the Bay Area, and the fact that they can't put their code on AA flights. Since they already have a station at DFW, might as well use it...