Originally Posted by
formeraa
I don't necessarily agree with the "consensus". I still believe we are dealing with the fallout from the AS/VX merger. This could well be part of AS's agreement with the government in order for approval to purchase VX. I have not seen evidence to the contrary.
The thing to remember is this is a tiny blip for AA (very, very small percentage of total travelers). It is a much bigger deal for AS, as many of AS travelers depended on the AA and DL agreements when traveling outside of AS's markets. Actually, for AS in SEA, it may mean some large defections to DL (who now is able to single-handedly satisfy most SEA travel needs).
Very true other than for those who need to frequent Alaska (non ANC) and some of the second/third tier PNW markets DL is probably a better option Especially for those who have to go further East than DEN, AS offers limited options, x1-2 daily with no other connection options, isn't very attractive to many people traveling for business.
DL might only have the same 1-2x service non-stop from SEA to many Mid-west/East Cost cities, but they have dozens of other options through MSP/DTW/SLC/ATL/JFK.
Now don't get me wrong, I think it's a fool's errand for AS to start a Mid-West/East Coast hub at this point...maybe a few years down the road when they fully digest the VX acquisition.
AS needed AA far more than AA needed AS. Sure now AA is even weaker in the PNW, but none of the 3 legacy carriers are strong everywhere. UA is bad in the SE, and DL is bad in some pockets as opposed to a full geographic region (TX, IL especially)