Originally Posted by
boat9781
I wonder why he wants to go back to JFK. Those transcontinental routes to my understanding aren’t the money minters they used to be. Then again he kept First Class on the A321s at AA to my amazement, so perhaps there still is an opportunity to make high profits on those flights.
I also know that JFK is still many corporate travelers go-to airport. I’ve never understood the aversion to EWR but again, perhaps it is just reality, and by not having JFK maybe the company loses out on some potentially lucrative corporate client contracts.
The aversion to EWR seems to be more West Coast-oriented. New Yorkers know EWR is a perfectly viable option versus JFK, and in some cases easier, in many Manhattan neighborhoods. The reverse is also true in some cases.
Kirby mentioned that the transition to EWR cost UA business at the West Coast point of sale. That makes more sense to me, especially because the pre-merger p.s. operation was more oriented to LAX/SFO originators than JFK. I wouldn't doubt the move to EWR actually
strengthened UA's franchise in the NY region, but there's little doubt that losing the JFK spoke hurt contracts in LAX/SFO. The net effect is probably the negative Kirby discusses, and the JFK bias on the West Coast (LAX especially) hurts UA in competing for corporate business.