Originally Posted by
kop84
I agree with you. It seems that people think that the big 3 should be able to have a large presence everywhere in the country. But to defend everything is to defend nothing.
DL is bad in TX
AA is bad in the Pacific Northwest
UA is bad in the SE.
WN is the best at covering the lower 48, but their horrible if you need to go to most second, and nearly all third tier cities or TPAC, TATL, or S. America or Canada or a non beach MX destination. And they can't get you to AK or HI.
No one carrier can have it all. IF they could, someone would have tried it by now!
It also makes no sense to compete everywhere in a de facto oligopoly. It makes much more sense for there to be an unwritten "deal" (in quotes because of course any true formal or informal "deal" would be collusion) to leave hub fortresses (and other certain areas like the ones you list) alone and compete elsewhere. The alternative is self-destructive and self-inflicted fare wars that help no one.