Delta to add Seattle-Osaka, Drops SEA-HKG
Jul 24, 2018, 12:44 pm
#286
Join Date: May 2016
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The biggest reason YVR is a factor is simply that Hong Kongers who wanted to live in the Pacific NW mostly chose BC and not Washington as their base to be near the rest of the community. That ethnic distribution - giving Seattle a much healthier minority population of Korean and Japanese immigrants - directly affects O&D numbers.
Jul 24, 2018, 5:04 pm
#287
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Exactly. YVR is a special case because of the colossal overseas HKG population who chose to settle en masse there during the 1997 handover. If there were a practical way to link Richmond to the MTR, it would have already happened.
While the geographic proximity is interesting - it allowed Delta to siphon off the occasional connecting passenger in the YVR-HKG market, and sometimes creates an incentive for Seatteites to drive north or fly AC - the markets are effectively separate.
AC may get some connecting corporate traffic for their YVR flights, but CX doesn’t really have any feed from Seattle right now (the AS relationship is relatively new and they haven’t been aggressive about filing codeshares).
The biggest reason YVR is a factor is simply that Hong Kongers who wanted to live in the Pacific NW mostly chose BC and not Washington as their base to be near the rest of the community. That ethnic distribution - giving Seattle a much healthier minority population of Korean and Japanese immigrants - directly affects O&D numbers.
The choice of Vancouver were climate, proximity to HK and ease of immigration application to Canada vs US as an independent applicant.
If you look at YVR HKG flights AC and CX are not the only players in the non-stop market. There are more if you add PVG and PEK transits.
The public transit way home to HK for Vancouverites is:
Skytrain to YVR, flight to HKG, AEx to Kowloon or HK station then MTR home.
Jul 24, 2018, 11:19 pm
#288
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVPG, DL FO, Marriott Gold, Hertz 5 Whatevers
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Seattle has "only amazon and microsoft."
"setting aside GM, Ford, and Chrysler, Detroit is not an automotive hub"
ROFL
(really hilarious for me because I grew up in the Detroit metro and now live in Seattle and work in tech)
"setting aside GM, Ford, and Chrysler, Detroit is not an automotive hub"
ROFL
(really hilarious for me because I grew up in the Detroit metro and now live in Seattle and work in tech)
Aug 18, 2018, 8:51 am
#289
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: OKC
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https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/30096326-post154.html
Anyone want to comment on MSP's speculation that SEA-HKG will end early? I have this route on Sept 6 and would want to change flights now rather than at the last minute especially given a 44 minute connection in ATL (OKC-ATL-SEA-HKG).
Anyone want to comment on MSP's speculation that SEA-HKG will end early? I have this route on Sept 6 and would want to change flights now rather than at the last minute especially given a 44 minute connection in ATL (OKC-ATL-SEA-HKG).
Aug 18, 2018, 9:39 am
#290
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: MSP
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Posts: 2,303
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/30096326-post154.html
Anyone want to comment on MSP's speculation that SEA-HKG will end early? I have this route on Sept 6 and would want to change flights now rather than at the last minute especially given a 44 minute connection in ATL (OKC-ATL-SEA-HKG).
Anyone want to comment on MSP's speculation that SEA-HKG will end early? I have this route on Sept 6 and would want to change flights now rather than at the last minute especially given a 44 minute connection in ATL (OKC-ATL-SEA-HKG).
Aug 18, 2018, 10:13 am
#291
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Seattle, WA
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Agreed. SEA-HKG has been a reliable GUC upgrade and non rev party for a while. This isn’t anything new: while I’m sure these factors helped them decide to cancel the route, I don’t see them creating chaos by removing the last few flights on short notice.
Aug 18, 2018, 7:11 pm
#292
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https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/30096326-post154.html
Anyone want to comment on MSP's speculation that SEA-HKG will end early? I have this route on Sept 6 and would want to change flights now rather than at the last minute especially given a 44 minute connection in ATL (OKC-ATL-SEA-HKG).
Anyone want to comment on MSP's speculation that SEA-HKG will end early? I have this route on Sept 6 and would want to change flights now rather than at the last minute especially given a 44 minute connection in ATL (OKC-ATL-SEA-HKG).
I would think that September 6th is safe, but I'd worry a bit about flights later in the fall. There have been some past examples of DL ending routes early, such as MSP-FCO and IIRC MSP-FRA, although that one might have been PMNW.
Aug 19, 2018, 4:42 am
#293
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Just booked a ticket with AA PHL-LAX-HKG-LAX-PHL. I can understand why DL is dumping the route. I'm on a paid J ticket with the A330 PHL-LAX and LAX-PHL and 77W TPAC. Full flex J ticket (Not discounted Z) was $3k. Had no issue applying SWU both directions. Outbound had upgrade space to F available for 5 and return for 6. Plenty of upgrade space to J even. Consider there's only 8 F seats hard to see making money. Multiple days each week, on both directions, showed same results.
Aug 19, 2018, 9:37 am
#294
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: BZN
Programs: DL GM
Posts: 69
So I should be wary of taking the last flight out on October 4?
Aug 19, 2018, 9:41 am
#295
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Sep 24, 2018, 11:08 am
#296
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 2
DELTA to ITAMI
Planning a trip in April 2019 to Kyoto, Japan and wanted to fly to ITAMI International Airport because it's the closest Airport for the person picking me up. I found a few flights flying into ITAMI from PITT, but the price has more than doubled. And I can't find any flights leaving from ITAMI. Don't know what's up with Delta. Looks like I'm going to have to leave Delta and look for another reliable Airline that can fly into and out of Itami with a much better rates. Sorry Delta!
Last edited by ymcnellie; Sep 24, 2018 at 11:28 am
Sep 24, 2018, 2:47 pm
#297
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: TYO / WAS / NYC
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Itami is a domestic airport, so you can only get there on a Japanese airline, and Delta doesn't have a Japanese partner. JAL or ANA (or their partners AA and UA) can get you there and back pretty seamlessly.
Sep 24, 2018, 2:55 pm
#298
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Seattle, WA
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Planning a trip in April 2019 to Kyoto, Japan and wanted to fly to ITAMI International Airport because it's the closest Airport for the person picking me up. I found a few flights flying into ITAMI from PITT, but the price has more than doubled. And I can't find any flights leaving from ITAMI. Don't know what's up with Delta. Looks like I'm going to have to leave Delta and look for another reliable Airline that can fly into and out of Itami with a much better rates. Sorry Delta!
While I suspect it will be mostly repaired by 2019, airlines are likely keeping Kansai fares high for now to limit demand until they have a better picture of what the recovery will look like. It’s complicated by Itami being heavily restricted so only domestic and regional flights arrive there; you’ll be connecting in PVG or ICN (or NRT/HND) no matter what.
Also, keep in mind April is the highest demand time for travel to Japan - you’re not the only person planning around Sakura (cherry blossom) season, which keeps fares quite high in that timeframe.
Travel within Japan by train or air is super easy. You might consider a flight to Tokyo followed by a Shinkansen train ride to Osaka/Kyoto - a tourist attraction all its own, and perhaps “free” if you are already planning a JR Pass.
Sep 24, 2018, 2:57 pm
#299
Join Date: Sep 2009
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It’s important to realize that Kansai airport, the main gateway to the region, was severely impacted by the recent typhoon damage. (Nearly the whole airfield was underwater, and an access bridge was damaged...). Itami has had to pick up a lot of the slack.
While I suspect it will be mostly repaired by 2019, airlines are likely keeping Kansai fares high for now to limit demand until they have a better picture of what the recovery will look like. It’s complicated by Itami being heavily restricted so only domestic and regional flights arrive there; you’ll be connecting in PVG or ICN (or NRT/HND) no matter what.
Also, keep in mind April is the highest demand time for travel to Japan - you’re not the only person planning around Sakura (cherry blossom) season, which keeps fares quite high in that timeframe.
Travel within Japan by train or air is super easy. You might consider a flight to Tokyo followed by a Shinkansen train ride to Osaka/Kyoto - a tourist attraction all its own, and perhaps “free” if you are already planning a JR Pass.
Prices in Osaka are well below the averages for this time of the year, as hotel and airlines have lots of empty beds and seats, respectively, to fill, with the drop in visitors given the recent earthquake and now typhoon.
Not sure where you are getting "While I suspect it will be mostly repaired by 2019". It seems you haven't been following the news (or even the KIX airport website). As of last week Tuesday all is repaired and 100% normal functional, except vehicle road access (that still has more repairs to be done, but as the trains are operational for pax access all is back to normal).
Sep 24, 2018, 3:15 pm
#300
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Glad to hear the recovery happened faster than predicted. The original prediction was that it would take months to recover, and as recently as a week ago, the airport still had numerous gates out of service. Sounds like it’s clear things will be back to normal soon, so I agree this event will likely not have much of an impact on fares going forward (unless they choose to raise the already high facility fees at KIX).
Sakura/peak tourist season is still a factor for fares, though, regardless of any additions typhoon impact.
Sakura/peak tourist season is still a factor for fares, though, regardless of any additions typhoon impact.