Delta weak in Mountain-West despite SLC hub
Feb 1, 2021, 6:39 pm
#31
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My understanding is that Delta's growth at SEA is limited by available space and if that space were available they would be using it for much larger markets.I have been told they want to mirror the routes offered from LAX back to the east.
No doubt the DFW closure changed a lot of that but they did hold onto MFE, AMA, and LBB for a while afterward. They haven't served MAF in my memory. I have asked here before what they should do about those markets and the consensus was to cede the market to AA. Having said that, someone is going to hub AUS sooner or later and it wouldn't surprise me if it is DL. As to Colorado, I have been to most of those towns in CO. Yes, they are big ski destinations and generally attractive places to go but they aren't very big. I went to Steamboat on the very first day of the non-seasonal service and I still haven't been to HDN and a load of domestic airports (150+) is my thing.
No doubt the DFW closure changed a lot of that but they did hold onto MFE, AMA, and LBB for a while afterward. They haven't served MAF in my memory. I have asked here before what they should do about those markets and the consensus was to cede the market to AA. Having said that, someone is going to hub AUS sooner or later and it wouldn't surprise me if it is DL. As to Colorado, I have been to most of those towns in CO. Yes, they are big ski destinations and generally attractive places to go but they aren't very big. I went to Steamboat on the very first day of the non-seasonal service and I still haven't been to HDN and a load of domestic airports (150+) is my thing.
Feb 1, 2021, 7:13 pm
#32
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No doubt the DFW closure changed a lot of that but they did hold onto MFE, AMA, and LBB for a while afterward. They haven't served MAF in my memory. I have asked here before what they should do about those markets and the consensus was to cede the market to AA. Having said that, someone is going to hub AUS sooner or later and it wouldn't surprise me if it is DL. As to Colorado, I have been to most of those towns in CO. Yes, they are big ski destinations and generally attractive places to go but they aren't very big. I went to Steamboat on the very first day of the non-seasonal service and I still haven't been to HDN and a load of domestic airports (150+) is my thing.
Feb 1, 2021, 7:21 pm
#33
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DL needs to hub AUS to plug a hole in their network. AA/UA already have large hub operations in Texas while DL funnels many of the routes in and around the state through ATL. For many fliers it doesn't make sense to fly say BTR-ATL-LAX when you can connect over IAH or DFW. I'd like to see UA have a hub in the Southeast to compete with the AA/DL operations in CLT/ATL, DL to build up a presence in TX and AA develop a true West Coast hub. PHX doesn't do much long haul and funneling people over DFW from the Wet Coast to Asia doesn't seem like a strong market position
Feb 1, 2021, 7:29 pm
#34
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Agreed. I think UA needs to pull IAD down to just the flights that can support O/D traffic and setup a proper southeast hub at RDU or BNA. UA has been in a "temporary" concourse at IAD since the 1980's and they really don't seem to know what to do with IAD. Too close to EWR to serve the northeast flows and too far away to serve the southeast.
Feb 1, 2021, 7:34 pm
#35
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I'm not sure where in the Southeast they would be able to set up, DL already announced RDU as a focus city and based on what I've seen flying in and out of BNA, UA is a distant #4 behind WN, AA, DL. I'm always surprised to see the routes they are running the 50 seat RJs on (BNA seemed to get a lot of RJ's).
Feb 1, 2021, 7:37 pm
#36
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I'm not surprised the focus cities got the axe during the Covid cuts. I was surprised that pre Covid, DL had focus cities in BNA and RDU which were both a short hop from the ATL fortress hub.
Feb 1, 2021, 7:48 pm
#37
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RDU is a business destination and should be high yield. If there's lots of profitable O&D traffic, it makes sense to expand it to a mini-hub.
Feb 1, 2021, 7:50 pm
#38
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I'm sure RDU would give United a sweetheart deal for a real hub. It would also make United the most well-rounded airline covering every area of the US.
Feb 1, 2021, 7:53 pm
#39
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Agree with you there 100% The Southeast is the last hole in the UA route network.
Feb 1, 2021, 9:21 pm
#40
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The Southwest is not really a forte for United either... sure, there is DEN, SFO and LAX, but not much in between, and UA flies commuter planes to many of the larger destinations. Several months ago I was on an ERJ from PHX to ORD... Go figure. PHX with its 5 million (or so) people in a 50-mile radius is served much less by UA than by AA, WN or even DL.
Feb 1, 2021, 9:36 pm
#41
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Pretty much everything in the east is a short hop in the airline world to the hubs....or least the nearest one. So, they either demand the nonstop service or they don't. Whatever connections they pick up is just extra. Although I haven't been aware that DL has called BNA a focus city but everything I have read it is a growth area. For a city pretty close to me, it is one I have spent almost no time in.
Feb 1, 2021, 9:37 pm
#42
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The Southwest is not really a forte for United either... sure, there is DEN, SFO and LAX, but not much in between, and UA flies commuter planes to many of the larger destinations. Several months ago I was on an ERJ from PHX to ORD... Go figure. PHX with its 5 million (or so) people in a 50-mile radius is served much less by UA than by AA, WN or even DL.
Feb 1, 2021, 9:41 pm
#43
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Pretty much everything in the east is a short hop in the airline world to the hubs....or least the nearest one. So, they either demand the nonstop service or they don't. Whatever connections they pick up is just extra. Although I haven't been aware that DL has called BNA a focus city but everything I have read it is a growth area. For a city pretty close to me, it is one I have spent almost no time in.
https://www.flightglobal.com/analysi...133017.article
Feb 1, 2021, 10:10 pm
#44
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Why? DL has MANY stations in the Southeast USA where you backtrack to/from ATL that I hardly see this mattering. Why would someone from the east care that much about flying to SLC and then "back" to CO. They do it all the time in the SE. Flying to ATL from many directions over their final destination and then back to it. Hub and spoke flying has multiple successful examples of this phenomenon...
I do wish DL would do more CO routes from MSP; I remember flying NYC-MSP-ASE on the Northwest Avro jets, that was a nice ride.
Feb 1, 2021, 10:43 pm
#45
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Aspen has such a snob factor that I was surprised that people fly commercial. I'd rather see DL start service from SLC to SAF or DRO in the future once we're out of the pandemic.
From what I can see, SLC is good for going from large east coast cities to Idaho, Montana, and smaller west coast cities. That seems to be where SLC is most useful. Plus, SLC has plenty of good skiing right up the mountains from the city. Denver requires a lot more driving to get to the ski areas.
From what I can see, SLC is good for going from large east coast cities to Idaho, Montana, and smaller west coast cities. That seems to be where SLC is most useful. Plus, SLC has plenty of good skiing right up the mountains from the city. Denver requires a lot more driving to get to the ski areas.