ICN & TYO are back. NGO has been back for months, albeit a lower weekly frequency than before Covid. PVG and PKX are admittedly still significantly impacted.

Still, those handful of TPAC flight reductions hardly paints the broader picture. If TPAC reductions were truly the reason DTW is being squeezed, than the other DL TPAC hub in SEA (for which TPAC flights comprise a much larger % of the SEA DL hub operation vs DTW), should be taking a much bigger hit also.

The bigger story here is that DL connections that previously were served DTW are now being forced through LGA. Frequent flyers who enjoyed connecting through DTW for geographical or experience reasons are obviously not very happy about being rerouted through LGA, as pretty as the new terminal there may be.

That is the real story. Many DL frequent flyers love connecting in DTW and MSP because those hubs are very reliable, and pleasant connection experiences. But DL feels the need to shift DTW connections to LGA because they can’t sell enough seats to/from NYC. And frequent flyers who can see what is happening obviously aren’t happy about it, and the missed flight connections that result.