What (nonstop) route do you wish Delta would really have?
Jun 20, 2018, 3:51 pm
#166
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: Delta PM, Delta Reserve, Amex Plat, Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold ;)
Posts: 1,775
DCA-ORD (I know UA and AA fly this, but this would be a big one for me)
DCA-STL (They dropped this with the LGA slot swap, understandable and now SW and AA fly it)
STL-LAX
DCA-SJU (Give B6 some competition)
DCA-STL (They dropped this with the LGA slot swap, understandable and now SW and AA fly it)
STL-LAX
DCA-SJU (Give B6 some competition)
Jun 20, 2018, 5:02 pm
#167
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: YQR
Posts: 2,741
YQR-MSP
I sure miss this route. NWA served it for many years and it carried on post merger until a year or so ago. I think it ran continuously for about 30 years. Midwest and east coast US are much less pleasant to get to these days.
I sure miss this route. NWA served it for many years and it carried on post merger until a year or so ago. I think it ran continuously for about 30 years. Midwest and east coast US are much less pleasant to get to these days.
Jun 20, 2018, 6:05 pm
#168
Join Date: May 2015
Location: DCA
Programs: AA EXP, DL FO, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 6,712
It certainly will be interesting. I don't think it's projected to open until late next year. TPAC is such an odd thing right now with so much excess capacity industry wide but at the same time nearly unlimited untapped potential if some of the emerging economies ever emerge.
There certainly are options out there but it is an interesting though if DL can't make SEA/HKG work, then what other potential markets in Asia would?
I do wonder if it wouldn't make some sense to move the LAX/SYD flight to SEA as LAX is still covered by VA.
There certainly are options out there but it is an interesting though if DL can't make SEA/HKG work, then what other potential markets in Asia would?
I do wonder if it wouldn't make some sense to move the LAX/SYD flight to SEA as LAX is still covered by VA.
I think that DL was desperate for a TPAC gateway, and picked SEA by default, when a long game at LAX would have been the better move. The battle against AS has been expensive for DL, and they don't seem to be making any recent progress. I think they were dealt a bad hand, but that doesn't lessen the fact that SEA will never be DL's SFO, no matter how hard they try.
I'll also go out on a limb by saying that canceling the 787 order was a massive mistake. I know that the order didn't fit with DL's fleet strategy, but I don't see any airlines offloading used 787s to DL anytime soon. Not ordering that aircraft has seriously impacted their long-haul fleet flexibility. The 767 is the right size but doesn't have the range. The 772s and A350s have the range but are too big. United owns the Pacific right now because of a combination of a great gateway at SFO and the 787s. The fact that they are not known for being a great airline strengthens that point.
Last edited by KDCAflyer; Jun 20, 2018 at 6:12 pm
Jun 20, 2018, 6:57 pm
#169
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: LAN
Programs: DL Skymiles, AF/KL Flying Blue
Posts: 304
Bring back the awesome NWA 5th freedom routes!!! Also, build a T-Pac hub in HNL in light of NRT's demise. Use Icelandair's KEF model and give us a free HNL stopover in either direction. SEA is too difficult of a hub to maintain.
KUL-KIX, KHH-NRT, SYD-KIX, PUS-NRT, CAN-NRT, AMS-BOM, SYD-EZE or AKL-GRU
KUL-KIX, KHH-NRT, SYD-KIX, PUS-NRT, CAN-NRT, AMS-BOM, SYD-EZE or AKL-GRU
Jun 20, 2018, 9:44 pm
#170
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: IAD / DCA
Programs: AA EP, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Diamond, United Silver, Bonvoy Titanium.
Posts: 158
With the end of the DFW hub I haven't really flown Delta. But now that Austin is potentially a thing I'm considering it! With that in mind:
AUS-DAL and DFW (at least 6x a day)
AUS-HOU and IAH (at least 6x a day)
AUS-OKC
AUS-MSY
AUS-AMS
AUS-NRTAUS-CDG
Basically local service and then Europe and Asia directs. Plus huge frequency to each hub. AUS-MSY
AUS-DAL and DFW (at least 6x a day)
AUS-HOU and IAH (at least 6x a day)
AUS-OKC
AUS-MSY
AUS-AMS
AUS-NRTAUS-CDG
Basically local service and then Europe and Asia directs. Plus huge frequency to each hub. AUS-MSY
Jun 20, 2018, 10:58 pm
#172
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Back in Reds Country (DAY/CVG). Previously: SEA & SAT.
Programs: DL PM 1MM, AA PLAT, UA Silver, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 10,346
The key detail to me is that SEA doesn't have any more TPAC destinations than DTW, and between SEA and LAX the only difference is PEK.
I think that DL was desperate for a TPAC gateway, and picked SEA by default, when a long game at LAX would have been the better move. The battle against AS has been expensive for DL, and they don't seem to be making any recent progress. I think they were dealt a bad hand, but that doesn't lessen the fact that SEA will never be DL's SFO, no matter how hard they try.
I'll also go out on a limb by saying that canceling the 787 order was a massive mistake. I know that the order didn't fit with DL's fleet strategy, but I don't see any airlines offloading used 787s to DL anytime soon. Not ordering that aircraft has seriously impacted their long-haul fleet flexibility. The 767 is the right size but doesn't have the range. The 772s and A350s have the range but are too big. United owns the Pacific right now because of a combination of a great gateway at SFO and the 787s. The fact that they are not known for being a great airline strengthens that point.
I think that DL was desperate for a TPAC gateway, and picked SEA by default, when a long game at LAX would have been the better move. The battle against AS has been expensive for DL, and they don't seem to be making any recent progress. I think they were dealt a bad hand, but that doesn't lessen the fact that SEA will never be DL's SFO, no matter how hard they try.
I'll also go out on a limb by saying that canceling the 787 order was a massive mistake. I know that the order didn't fit with DL's fleet strategy, but I don't see any airlines offloading used 787s to DL anytime soon. Not ordering that aircraft has seriously impacted their long-haul fleet flexibility. The 767 is the right size but doesn't have the range. The 772s and A350s have the range but are too big. United owns the Pacific right now because of a combination of a great gateway at SFO and the 787s. The fact that they are not known for being a great airline strengthens that point.
Jun 21, 2018, 6:29 am
#173
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: New York,NY
Programs: Delta Gold Medallion
Posts: 25
JFK-JNB or CPT. Actually they had a JFK-CPT flight about ten years ago that stopped in Dakar. This was before they had the ATL-JNB flight. It is more miles from Atl to JNB than NYC The flight lasted only about a year.
Jun 21, 2018, 6:51 am
#174
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,042
With the end of the DFW hub I haven't really flown Delta. But now that Austin is potentially a thing I'm considering it! With that in mind:
AUS-DAL and DFW (at least 6x a day)
AUS-HOU and IAH (at least 6x a day)
AUS-OKC
AUS-MSY
AUS-AMS
AUS-NRTAUS-CDG
Basically local service and then Europe and Asia directs. Plus huge frequency to each hub. AUS-MSY
AUS-DAL and DFW (at least 6x a day)
AUS-HOU and IAH (at least 6x a day)
AUS-OKC
AUS-MSY
AUS-AMS
AUS-NRTAUS-CDG
Basically local service and then Europe and Asia directs. Plus huge frequency to each hub. AUS-MSY
Jun 21, 2018, 7:50 am
#178
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: Delta DM, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,495
Fortunately I only want to travel that route on Saturdays in March so it works for me.
Jun 21, 2018, 9:10 am
#179
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: IAD / DCA
Programs: AA EP, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Diamond, United Silver, Bonvoy Titanium.
Posts: 158
You're absolutely correct, but I'm just being selfish and noting I couldn't actually switch from AA unless they delivered that. Realistically, though, IF Delta is making Austin a focus city, the ONLY way they will even BEGIN to get elites to switch (and trust me, the AA DFW flights have concierge key members not clear on a regular basis!!) is by competing on the inter-Texas routes. And I can't imagine even wanting to play in Austin unless you're trying to win the honey pot of elites in the city. Fares are ridiculously low so there are no margins at AUS. The only potential the market has is one of the highest concentrations of frequent flyers in the country.
AUS-CDG/AMS are the only really feasible options of those you list. IMO AUS-DFW/DAL/IAH/MSY/OKC just isnt going to happen. While AUS gets more piint to point service, it's to other focus cities. It's not going to compete on already flooded routes to Dallas and Houston. Cities that have hubs in both for 3 major airlines, one with hubs in both cities.