History of Delta operations at DCA?
#16
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: MCO
Programs: DL PM, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 4,260
NW used to operate DCA-IND/DSM/MKE/MSN/GRR/LAN in addition to the hubs. The current MSN flight may be a NW holdover. Here's a recent article on the DCA terminal A "banjo" that was built by NW and TWA in 1970. Still remember the pre-security NW WorldClub there.
https://ggwash.org/view/66256/buildi...tional-airport
https://ggwash.org/view/66256/buildi...tional-airport
#17
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: dca
Programs: Delta Plat, United Silver, Marriott LT Titanium, HHonors Silver, Hertz PC
Posts: 336
Very good article. I never realized that DCA was planning to do some major work on Terminal A. It is truly an embarrassment to our nations capital and real improvements will be great for the airport, especially if its connected to the rest of the terminal post security.
#18
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: MCO
Programs: DL PM, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 4,260
A is not getting the major work, its B/C which is under construction until 2021. Last week they started work on the outside of arrivals level and now all ride share & shuttle bus operations are on the upper arrivals level creating very crowded conditions. Its going to be an annoying few years I think, but looking forward to the results. You can find all the milestones and renderings by googling DCA Project Journey if interested.
Here is a picture and note the circle area:
Last edited by MCO Flyer; Mar 14, 2018 at 11:05 am
#19
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,298
DC is a big city for business travel. Moreover, *some* of the government contract fares are quite lucrative.
#20
Join Date: May 2006
Location: GA
Programs: VA-PLT, QF-GLD, DL-GM, UA-ex1K, AA-exPLT, HH-DM, IHG-PLT, MR-GLD
Posts: 8,240
I am new to Delta, so did not have too much knowledge about Delta's history. Recently I fly out of DCA a lot, and noticed that Delta has quite a few flights to non-hub destinations from DCA, such as Omaha, Lexington, RDU, Madison. Can anyone tell me why these flights exist at all? I do not remember seeing so many spoke-to-spoke Delta flights in other airports.
#21
Join Date: May 2015
Location: DCA
Programs: AA EXP, DL FO, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 6,709
I agree 100%. I think DL deserves a few more slots at DCA. I could see BOS and MCO could be added if additional slots are awarded and additionally frequency on additional routes. Remember that DL had a profitable focus city in DCA and they gave it up as the offer with US for LGA slots was a no brainer for DL. DL still very much cares about DCA and DL had a bunch of ads around DC (Metro, Union Station, Nats Stadium) recently and DL dosen't typically advertise heavily in non-hub or focus city markets.
Last edited by KDCAflyer; Mar 14, 2018 at 5:45 pm
#22
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: MCO
Programs: DL PM, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 4,260
I think if its a beyond the perimeter slot that DL would go with SEA first. Remember that DL announced IAD-SEA a few months ago and I think if there was an opportunity to move it to DCA, DL would jump on it in a heartbeat.
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: PEK, AUS, WAS, HKG
Programs: CX Gold
Posts: 1,117
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2000
Location: RDU
Programs: AA LT Gold, DL SM, HY Disc, Marriott LT Gold
Posts: 12,500
Many Cabinet-level agencies have field offices in every state capital. Those folks have to occasionally come in to HQ, or HQ folks have to fly out to see them. Add in state gubernatorial and legislative delegations heading to DC to see their Congressional delegations, and congresspeople and their aides flying home, and you can do pretty well on an E175 or CR9.
#25
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Northern VA
Programs: DL Diamond, Marriott Titanium, National Car Exec Elite
Posts: 286
Many Cabinet-level agencies have field offices in every state capital. Those folks have to occasionally come in to HQ, or HQ folks have to fly out to see them. Add in state gubernatorial and legislative delegations heading to DC to see their Congressional delegations, and congresspeople and their aides flying home, and you can do pretty well on an E175 or CR9.
#26
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,103
Pre-DL-acquisition of NW, DL and NW had quite a few flights out of DCA to places that were neither DL hubs nor NW hubs but were focus cities of sort for at least either DL or NW. So even when DCA served a flying population that was at least 20% smaller than it is today, there was still demand for point-to-point service from DCA in a way that worked out well enough for the airlines perhaps in conjunction with onward service from the secondary focus cities.
#27
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: DCA
Programs: DL SkyMiles Platinum Medallion
Posts: 265
Regarding the PMNW DCA-DTW and DCA-MSP flight schedules, how do the frequencies today compare to pre-merger frequencies on those two routes?
DCA-DTW today is generally 5-6 flights a day, except 4 on Saturdays. DCA-MSP is generally 4-6 flights a day, except 4 on Saturdays.
Was DCA-DTW ever operated like todays DCA-ATL near hourly schedule?
DCA-DTW today is generally 5-6 flights a day, except 4 on Saturdays. DCA-MSP is generally 4-6 flights a day, except 4 on Saturdays.
Was DCA-DTW ever operated like todays DCA-ATL near hourly schedule?
#28
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,103
I probably still have some printed NW and DCA magazine flight schedules from the 1990s and early 2000s in storage somewhere but I'm unlikely to go looking for them.
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 22,885
Regarding the PMNW DCA-DTW and DCA-MSP flight schedules, how do the frequencies today compare to pre-merger frequencies on those two routes?
DCA-DTW today is generally 5-6 flights a day, except 4 on Saturdays. DCA-MSP is generally 4-6 flights a day, except 4 on Saturdays.
Was DCA-DTW ever operated like today’s DCA-ATL near hourly schedule?
DCA-DTW today is generally 5-6 flights a day, except 4 on Saturdays. DCA-MSP is generally 4-6 flights a day, except 4 on Saturdays.
Was DCA-DTW ever operated like today’s DCA-ATL near hourly schedule?
#30
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MEM
Programs: Starbucks Green Card
Posts: 5,431
This is kind of a weird question, but if you're not willing to go get them to look up this sort of stuff, what are you doing with them? It seems the only point of hanging on to this sort of stuff is to archive it as reference material, right?