Originally Posted by
SFO777
Not sure why you think it is so strange. There's lots of serious money in OC.
Originally Posted by
BlooJoo
There sure is. But there's lot of serious money in many places, and they don't support a three-cabin service. I think what supports a three-cabin service is large corporate/entertainment/VC/PE contracts. While OC is rich as h3ll, in general the private market (i.e. non commercial contracts) never seems to support three-cabin and/or lie-flat service. If it did, you'd see a lot more destinations with non-domestic equipment, and you don't.
Entrepreneurial pursuits and wealthy individuals definitely support lie-flats if the price is right (see B6 Mint).
Premium first, though, is a vanity/entertainment focused product only. Finance busineses (including VC and PE firms) and corporates do not pay for premium first class on domestic routes, and those that do on international routes generally require a significant min flight duration (unless business is sold out, perhaps). Guaranteed upgrades from full-fare J for some corporate accounts may provide add-hoc support to continue the service, however.
As I see it, this route needs a 15-20 seat lie-flat cabin longer term, otherwise it will revert to domestic config, or get cut. A second frequency would help too.