Originally Posted by
bofc
But perhaps AS's departure would create a window for another airline to expand in OAK - one that has the confidence to compete by offering a superior, dependable product (are you listening Delta?).
I don't think AS is departing anytime soon (they are actually, believe it or not,
#3 at OAK behind WN and NK, and if they're willing to have operations at DFW/DAL, EWR/JFK, LAX/BUR/ONT/SNA I don't think they are spooked at having to serve SFO/SJC/OAK). But I doubt DL's higher cost structure is going to work
better in the larger Bay Area market than AS's if they decided for whatever reason OAK was their next city in their quest to take over the world, given that realistically it's a multi-way competition between UA, WN, AS and everyone else. OAK is more of a "fortress hub" for WN than EWR is for UA (slightly higher market share for WN).
Oh, and there's this airport DL is fighting for about 650 miles north you might have heard of that DOESN'T have WN and UA... I strongly suspect they are still heavily trying to make SEA work.
Funny, though, innit, that DL doesn't serve SEA-OAK? With all the rah-rah OAK fans in this forum telling us about AS neglects you unfairly, you'd think they would be making a mint running that route. But instead they serve SJC/SFO/SMF from SEA but not OAK. RDM but not OAK. JNU but not OAK. SNA but not OAK. BZN but not OAK.
Huh, go figure.