Originally Posted by
jjka
Seems like Seattle -London has too much capacity right now, especially since Virgin Atlantic just started Seattle as well. How might BA respond to these new flights?
I would argue Seattle is still very much underserved. While direct flights to Europe and Asia have increased over the past 10-15 years, flights are still generally always full and during much of the year quite expensive. Seattle may not be huge and not on the minds of many tourists, but they forget the city is host the likes of Boeing, Microsoft, Starbucks, Amazon, and many more smaller companies (especially in biotech). Then consider SEA is the primary hub for Alaska Airlines with many regional flights and a major (and growing) hub for Delta, there is plenty of room for further growth and competition. In 2000 the BA lounge and S satellite terminal were often ghost towns. Now both are usually heaving with passengers. London was Seattle's most exotic destination. Now you can fly to Shenzhen, Dubai, Munich... keep the flights coming. BA needs the competition anyway.