Why is DL's HOU / IAH Service So Lacking?
 

An article in today's Houston Business Journal got my attention. Apparently, KE is planning to start non-stop service from Bush Intercontinental to Seoul. [http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/n...ed=2014-02-03]. With KE, that will make 3 daily international SkyTeam flights from IAH (IAH-CDG and IAH-AMS are the others.) Frankly, there are DL hubs that don't have that sort of international SkyTeam traffic.

Obviously IAH is a United hub, and HOU is a Southwest hub, but it's still bizarre that Delta only runs flights to its hubs from Houston. (And from HOU, only to ATL.) What the SkyTeam traffic signifies is that Houston is a large, thriving city with a rapidly growing economy. If the SkyTeam partners can support daily international departures, despite the presence of United, one would think DL could support a more robust domestic presence. Houston is 2nd to NYC for Fortune 500 Companies, and DL is simply not competing for that business (even as it makes enormous investments in NYC). DL even maintains a pretty strong service into Chicago despite it being a hub for three airlines (AA, UA, and WN).

I've thought the thing that would make the most sense would be to try and increase flights into Hobby. Hobby is far closer to downtown (much like DCA is in DC). Business travelers prefer it, if possible. DL could make a killing if it ran HOU-LAX, HOU-NYC (HOU-SFO, since those are Chevron's big HQ cities!) and other targeted service, but it doesn't even try to do so. It just flies a bunch of flights into ATL.

I don't get it.

For me, the dearth of service means that after twelve years flying DL, I'm basically being forced to switch to WN and UA.

DL flies 4 non stops LGA-IAH daily and that works fine for me. Prefer IAH with PreCheck anyway. The Hardy Toll road gets me to where I want to go without the traffic you get on 45.

LGA-IAH will be increasing to 5x daily (weekdays) starting in March.

I read this post and started laughing and got a stare from my coworker, as I was assuming you were referring to the ground staff, to which I couldn't agree more.

Being IAH based, I am one of the very few people I know that flies DL. Almost everybody flies UA for business and WN for pleasure. There are a reasonable number of AA loyalists because Houston is still in Texas. The SkyTeam airlines figured it out, though, and that's why AF and KL have very sucessful operations here. I'm sure KE will, too. It's just a shame that they're useless now that we have MQDs.

I make the most use of DL's flights to LGA, and I would say it's their best asset here for me. I would prefer mainline service, but I take what I can get to avoid UA. The real things DL lacks in Houston are good options to the west coast. Alaska and SLC does not equal west coast. I'm talking about direct flights to LAX or SEA.

Given the JV, the CDG and AMS flights are basically DL flights.

Bizarre in what way? Bizarre in the same way that the other carriers only serve their hubs and/or focus cities from ATL or MSP, and even then often not all hubs?

:confused: DL serves the same cities from IAH that it serves from ORD.

Sorry?

My emptiest flights ever were mid week E-Jet fligts from LGA to IAH. On the flight to IAH, probably 20 customers total and on the flgiht back, 12 or so. Upgraded both ways as an FO.

There was a very good discussion by the DOJ in the AA/US case of why the legacies do not compete against the others' fortress hubs.

If DL was to try such, UA could not compete by dropping prices there, as they would end up having to reduce prices on far more fares. So UA would retaliate in a DL hub.

The net result is a loss for both airlines. Thus it does not happen.

WN can compete, because they have no hubs.

US (pre-merger) could compete, because their hubs sucked.

But the big 3 will not compete.

Oh, DL did go into SEA. But AK is not all that big (and it would not surprise me if they are just dancing anyway).

Basic misunderstanding of basic economics and the industry. With three legacy carriers left, there is zero incentive for DL to do much at IAH. Everyone, including DOJ, when DL/NW, UA/CO and now AA/US were approved.

Get used to fewer choices, radically higher prices and the notion that DL could care less if OP jumps ship to UA and even less if he jumps to WN (just can't seem to find the seat selection map on their website).

Historically IAH was a CO hub when CO was in SkyTeam. At that time, PMNW and DL didn't try to offer a lot of IAH service as it was covered by their partner. For a while, PMNW was located far from the CO concourses, in a not very convenient or attractive terminal, although there was a CO lounge next to the gates PMNW used.

Two things, I could see DL adding a SEA flight to connect to some of the TPAC routes that were/ are being added. The bigger question is why does DL do such a poor job in Texas as a whole? Their are several cities that could easily handle more traffic and or service, especially west Texas. ELP is crazy, and no service to Midland?

. With WN, UA, and AA why does Texas need DL?

Post-Wright Amendment, there will be some changes coming to HOU and DAL, but I suspect DL will not be increasing routes much in Texas due to UA's and AA's large stakes (I am a displaced Texan).

DL Plat New to Houston
 

I relocated from CVG to a better job in Houston. This thread is interesting because I'm thinking of doing a UA status match.

I wrote in to customer care on my relocation and said lack of LAX service would force me to do more business with UA. I got the standard nice response.

However, I sat next to a fleet captain the other day on west coast flight to ATL. He manages 80 pilots and we spoke a bit about this issue.

I said overall my last half-dozen years as a PM have been great, but I have two main gripes, which I'd appreciate him saying to the appropriate person---

1. IAH needs direct service to LAX. He was actually surprised that they did not have it.

2. Air France does not treat PMs (and I assume DMs) that well. KLM is generally good. I think most of it with Air France is that they have PE rather than economy comfort and, of course, they are French (I love French culture, but it is not a service-oriented culture).

About to try PE on Air France. If that goes well, I imagine that I'll keep at least Gold on Delta---those tickets earn 150% MQMs and I fly no less than 2X/year to Europe. I appreciate free EC on Delta, but I'm really looking for a domestic-first level-of-service to Europe. I have trouble sleeping on planes, even in BE lie flat. So $5K is too much, but I'll gladly pay $2K. UA and their partners don't really have a PE option.

I guess that we can all hope for LAX and SEA service. It would help quite a bit.

I would disagree, I think post Wright Amendment, you will see DL take a big presence at Dallas-Love. They have already announced some months back an increase of daily flights into/out of Love field starting October 2014.

I went thru PreCheck at HOU yesterday.