<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by keithguy:
If anything, MEM does not have enough flights to have a successful rolling hub schedule. A rolling hub would require a lot more flights (not just four per day [if even] to various destinations). MEM does not have enough O&D to have a rolling hub schedule (just like STL for AA).
It might work for MSP & DTW, but it won't for MEM. NW has one intercontinental flight out of MEM. That in itself basically forces the flights to come and go in banks if there were to be any connecting traffic.</font>
You raise some good points in regards to MEM -- perhaps a combination type system of a rolling hub & banks could be designed -- or they could operate as a rolling hub for most of the day and then operate the last set of flights as a bank, especially since they have the late MEM-AMS flight. They could also setup their other Intl flights for last bank arrival / departures (if appropriate depending on the destination) to allow for better connections.
Despite the current 4 banks, I think they could create a rolling hub system of some type that would work effectively. I think you're right in that it may prove difficult with the lack of flights, but I think with the right approach which could include using a rolling & banking approach depending upon time of day, it could be successful. It also seems more people are returning to the skies, which could aid in the rolling hub approach by adding additional flights since resources including aircraft would be better utilized with a rolling approach.
I should note I don't fly through MEM that often, but
when I do, it's typically quite busy. As such, I've never experienced this 'lull' that is talked about between banks. I personally wouldn't mind a somewhat longer connection as there are many times I encounter connecting times too short to grab a bite to eat or do anything other than go from one meal-less flight to the next.
I've never had a MEM connection much longer than 1 hr, other than one time I had a significantly delayed flight. However, MEM stayed busy the entire time (a few hours) I was there, primarily because it seemed most other flights were delayed (major wx problems at MSP that day) and the place was full of people with meal vouchers
It was incredible how major WX problems at MSP affected the operations at MEM, despite perfect weather at MEM and DTW. My inbound flight for my connection (that day) was coming in from MKE (also wx affected) but MEM was the most crowded I had ever seen it.
That particular day I was doing a two-hub connect SDF-DTW-MEM-TPA because of the
Double Miles MEM & the
Turbo Miles promotion last year. I really liked the Turbo Miles promotion - I would love to see that one again as I really racked the miles up.
On rare ocassion I'll run into some long connections, but these primarily occur at DTW when connecting on to destinations which don't have the most frequent service. As an example, I had a 3 1/2 hr connection in DTW to get to SAN earlier this year. For the SAN arrival I wanted, the SDF-DTW and DTW-SAN (afternoon departure) just didn't hook up well. Same thing happens when I want to take NW 40 to AMS. I usually get into DTW around noon and have to wait until 4pm for the departure of NW 40. Otherwise, my average connection runs between 30 mins to an hour. FWIW, my next MEM connection is exactly one hour.
Best,
SDF_Traveler
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