Future of Seattle
Apr 16, 2017, 3:42 pm
#16
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Kelowna Canada
Programs: Aeroplan, HHonors Diamond, BonVoy Gold, AAdvantage, IHG Priority Club, BA EC, AS MVP
Posts: 110
Given the high cost of Canadian airfares the SEA market for Canadians will continue to grow and would be massive if it wasn't for TSA screwing up everyone's luggage.
Apr 16, 2017, 4:18 pm
#17
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Seattle
Programs: Delta Silver Medallion, BA Executive Blue, IHG Platinum Elite,Kimpton.
Posts: 739
Has pricing increased recently?, based in Seattle, but home is Dublin, brought the family home last October via LHR, significantly cheaper to fly BA out of YVR to the extent that we actually stayed in a hotel at the Airport before and after our trip, with 3 weeks parking, and a much more pleasant experience flying out of YVR compared to SEA.
Apr 16, 2017, 4:25 pm
#18
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Boston, MA (BOS)
Programs: AA PLT Pro 2MM, DL Gold, UA Silver, Marriott Ambassador + LT Plat, COFC Venture X, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 5,587
I'm sure the braintrust on Virginia Avenue has their ideas but most of the publicly available data suggests things aren't so rosy for DL in SEA. Sure they've gained share but the yields are mostly trash and most of the local base has an affinity for AS and their partners for international travel. Plus DL is going for the low fare fodder out of East Coast and other points in the west coast.
After all, if SEA would have been of ANY value as a major international gateway wouldn't NWA have recognized it and executed better than anyone else (includin DL)?!?!?! NW tried several experiments beyond their hubs and they all quickly went away.
After all, if SEA would have been of ANY value as a major international gateway wouldn't NWA have recognized it and executed better than anyone else (includin DL)?!?!?! NW tried several experiments beyond their hubs and they all quickly went away.
Apr 16, 2017, 4:33 pm
#19
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Seattle
Programs: Delta Silver Medallion, BA Executive Blue, IHG Platinum Elite,Kimpton.
Posts: 739
Do a bit of travel from SEA-NYC, have to say personally speaking Delta wins hands down in terms of aircraft(I don't want to travel 737 coast to coast), service, cost and lounge access ( $29 for Amex gold)
Apr 16, 2017, 5:02 pm
#20
Join Date: May 2013
Location: LHR
Programs: AA EXP, DL DM, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,032
Demand ex-SEA is very different now relative to 10-15 years ago.
Apr 16, 2017, 5:06 pm
#21
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: SEA
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 289
While upgrades across the system have gotten harder, out of Seattle I have noticed the biggest difference. There are more loyal Delta travelers out of Seattle than ever before, and that will continue to increase. And per the OP comment of possibly cutting the SEA to PVG or PEK routes--not a chance. With Amazon et al growing as fast as they are, those routes are not going away. People are not going to connect through ICN to get to these places.
Apr 16, 2017, 5:57 pm
#22
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,009
Apr 16, 2017, 7:14 pm
#23
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Bellingham, WA
Programs: AS MVP, UA, AA
Posts: 9
Alaska Air Owns Seattle
The DL/AS partnership ends this month. All of us loyal AS customers will choose airlines other than DL whenever feasible to travel internationally, including flying out of YVR. I expect AS will look for additional Asian airline partners flying out of SEA. Point of information: currently airfares to Asia are about equal leaving from YVR or SEA and significantly cheaper flying to Europe out of YVR.
Apr 16, 2017, 8:20 pm
#24
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: SJC
Programs: DL PM MM, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 3,276
I don't think DL would keep adding routes and adding gates (B7A is now a gate) if SEA wasn't meeting their expectations. It must be doing well enough to keep DL management happy.
Apr 16, 2017, 10:07 pm
#25
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: MSP (after 21 years in SEA)
Programs: DL DM/3MM, Lifetime DL SkyClub, BA Gold, Amex Centurion, AVIS Chairman's, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 584
I'm in that new SkyClub on a weekly basis and most of the time it is totally mobbed. In fact a few times lately I have headed to the Amex Centurion lounge which has been expanded now for a quieter experience.
Apr 16, 2017, 10:15 pm
#26
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ATL
Programs: DL DM, Hyatt LT DM, Wyndham DM, Hertz PC, HH Gold, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,038
Connecting in SEA twice in January. I wouldn't say it was mobbed but it was certainly busy.
Apr 16, 2017, 11:35 pm
#27
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Diamond 1.7MM, Starlux Insighter, Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,947
Your statement was true years ago, but the situation has completely flipped since 2015 or so.
Apr 17, 2017, 6:36 am
#28
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 862
I'm sure the braintrust on Virginia Avenue has their ideas but most of the publicly available data suggests things aren't so rosy for DL in SEA. Sure they've gained share but the yields are mostly trash and most of the local base has an affinity for AS and their partners for international travel. Plus DL is going for the low fare fodder out of East Coast and other points in the west coast.
After all, if SEA would have been of ANY value as a major international gateway wouldn't NWA have recognized it and executed better than anyone else (includin DL)?!?!?! NW tried several experiments beyond their hubs and they all quickly went away.
After all, if SEA would have been of ANY value as a major international gateway wouldn't NWA have recognized it and executed better than anyone else (includin DL)?!?!?! NW tried several experiments beyond their hubs and they all quickly went away.
Apr 17, 2017, 7:48 am
#30
Join Date: May 2008
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM; UA 1K; AA 1MM
Posts: 4,513
The DL/AS partnership ends this month. All of us loyal AS customers will choose airlines other than DL whenever feasible to travel internationally, including flying out of YVR. I expect AS will look for additional Asian airline partners flying out of SEA. Point of information: currently airfares to Asia are about equal leaving from YVR or SEA and significantly cheaper flying to Europe out of YVR.