Originally Posted by
NYTA
I think I read that story in the newspaper. Now I'm not one to believe anything I read in the paper, especially the Israeli paper, but there must have been some miscalculation on their part if they went from 3x weekly with a 787 to daily with a 777-300 within 18 months of launching the route.
I can assure you that no airline, just launches a 3 weekly long haul 787 route just to see how it goes. Which is what you implied earlier. New routes are methodically thought out.
Now having said that, I'm sure you're aware of the "Southwest Effect" Essentially a change in the market demand based on a new entrant into a city pair. It is entirely plausible, that based on information at hand, United determined that 3 weekly was sufficient to start. And it is just as likely that after initiating the nonstop, new business and tourist links between the Bay Area and Israel exploded which were unanticipated. Especially given there are little onward connection opportunities on either end.