Are flights to the West coast from ATL considered transcon?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2007
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Are flights to the West coast from ATL considered transcon?
I know this might seem like a somewhat random question, but would you consider Atlanta to west coast (California, Oregon, and Washington) states transcontinental flights? I wasn't sure, because some ATL-west coast flights come under 2000 miles (ie, ATL-LAX is 1946 miles), and some are short. It's not like JFK, which is decidedly transcon service between JFK and the west coast; however, Georgia is an eastern state, and does hug the East coast, so... it's kind of on the cusp (to me, anyway).
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
#2
Join Date: Nov 2009
Programs: DL PM 1MM
Posts: 3,436
Delta currently defines "trans-continental" as the following select domestic markets:
Domestic Routes include:
- New York-Kennedy (JFK) to/from Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), San Diego (SAN) and Seattle (SEA)
- New York-Kennedy (JFK) to/from Las Vegas (LAS)
- Washington D.C. (DCA) to/from Los Angeles (LAX)
- Boston (BOS) to/from San Francisco (SFO) and Los Angeles (LAX)
- Atlanta (ATL) to/from Honolulu (HNL)
- Minneapolis (MSP) to/from Honolulu (HNL)
#5
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ATL is borderline in my view. I always think of it as an east coast hub, but in terms of longitude, it's right between Chicago (definitely not transcon) and Miami (definitely transcon).
#7
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Not every West Coast destination gets the full lie-flat Delta One service. Not every destination that sees some D1 service has all flights with D1 service. As has been noted, it's not flight distance that determines service standards and aircraft used.
#8
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Just to clarify, I'm not asking because of F/D1 service standards. I'm asking purely from a distance/descriptive point of view. For example, I wouldn't consider DCA-PHX to be a transcon, but I'd consider DCA-LAX to be one. ATL is a bit rough because it's on the east coast, but kind of a bit far inland from the ocean. CLT shares the same problem - is it a transcon hub or more of a longer midcon hub?
I personally consider all transcontinental cities to be BOS, JFK, LGA, EWR, PHL, DCA, IAD (although IAD is pushing it a bit as it's further inland), BWI, RDU, and MIA. The borderline cities, IMHO, would be CLT and ATL, and maybe IAD.
However, how do you define transcontinental? Purely coast to coast? As MD is east of VA where IAD is located... and SC is east of GA where ATL is located... would that still make them transcontinental?
I personally consider all transcontinental cities to be BOS, JFK, LGA, EWR, PHL, DCA, IAD (although IAD is pushing it a bit as it's further inland), BWI, RDU, and MIA. The borderline cities, IMHO, would be CLT and ATL, and maybe IAD.
However, how do you define transcontinental? Purely coast to coast? As MD is east of VA where IAD is located... and SC is east of GA where ATL is located... would that still make them transcontinental?
#9
Join Date: Mar 2011
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Are you just digging into semantics, or are you wondering about offerings? Delta does not have a D1 service offering from ATL to LAX/SFO/SEA like they do according to mnbp's answer above. That said, as a CHS-based flyer I appreciate the occasional wide-body equipment flights on this route, even without D1 service. (Usually a 4am wake-up for me, so an upgrade means I get to sleep on the way to Monday morning meetings!)
#10
Join Date: Aug 2006
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Just to clarify, I'm not asking because of F/D1 service standards. I'm asking purely from a distance/descriptive point of view. For example, I wouldn't consider DCA-PHX to be a transcon, but I'd consider DCA-LAX to be one. ATL is a bit rough because it's on the east coast, but kind of a bit far inland from the ocean. CLT shares the same problem - is it a transcon hub or more of a longer midcon hub?
I personally consider all transcontinental cities to be BOS, JFK, LGA, EWR, PHL, DCA, IAD (although IAD is pushing it a bit as it's further inland), BWI, RDU, and MIA. The borderline cities, IMHO, would be CLT and ATL, and maybe IAD.
However, how do you define transcontinental? Purely coast to coast? As MD is east of VA where IAD is located... and SC is east of GA where ATL is located... would that still make them transcontinental?
I personally consider all transcontinental cities to be BOS, JFK, LGA, EWR, PHL, DCA, IAD (although IAD is pushing it a bit as it's further inland), BWI, RDU, and MIA. The borderline cities, IMHO, would be CLT and ATL, and maybe IAD.
However, how do you define transcontinental? Purely coast to coast? As MD is east of VA where IAD is located... and SC is east of GA where ATL is located... would that still make them transcontinental?
#11
Join Date: Dec 2018
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The definition of transcon does not matter unless it grants a different level of service. For DL, transcon is limited to where they have to compete against Jet Blue mint and other airlines' premium offerings. No JB Mint in Atlanta.
I personally would call transcon to be any city pair where the West-East route that could be reasonably flown by a red-eye. Typically a flight that leaves before midnight and arrives after 530am.
I personally would call transcon to be any city pair where the West-East route that could be reasonably flown by a red-eye. Typically a flight that leaves before midnight and arrives after 530am.
#12
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DL doesn't really use the term much any more. They've dropped the term from the lounge access rules (where it was previously found) and now refer to domestic Delta One flights as domestic flights which grant access. It was previously used to refer to the non-stop JFK routes that granted lounge access when in the premium cabin which included flights as short as JFK-DEN (but not JFK-SLC) for a period of time.
#13
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We can dream in ATL right?
#14
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Just like "international" terms such as "transcontinental" are irrelevant. All that matters is how the service standard is applied to the route.
If DL wants to sell ORD-PHX as TCON, and ATL-LAX as not, so be it.
If DL wants to sell ORD-PHX as TCON, and ATL-LAX as not, so be it.
#15
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Is this a serious statement? The airports are separated by ~25 miles, not to mention the perimeter rule at DCA which would limit the # of transcons. DL flies IAD-SEA and I would personally consider that a transcon.