flyerCO

https://paxex.aero/delta-haneda-slot-flex/

DL has filed with DOT to allow a pilot program. Allow carriers to flex up to 2 of their HND routes to different cities. Program to run for 3 years as a pilot, to then be evaluated.

VFR

American filed a response in support, because they want to move one of their LAX-HND frequencies (my guess is to JFK or another DFW). AA and UA have more flexibility though, since their Japanese JV partners can use their slots for any US route.

If this fails, my guess is that DL will file to transfer these slots to the routes that it wants (two of SLC, JFK, and BOS are my guess, or perhaps another LAX).

I think slots make sense for HND (it's felt very congested the past few flights I've flown out of there), but I don't see a real reason for the US Government to limit the slots to specific routes.

FlyHappy33

This could very well spell the end of PDX to Asia flights. PDX-ICN was recently removed from the schedule and now it looks like Delta wants to move their PDX-HND flight elsewhere too. PDX has been without a nonstop flight to Asia for over 3 years now. It will be interesting to see if anyone (JAL? ANA?) fills the void left by DL or will the city be left without a nonstop link to Asia for the foreseeable future?

VFR

JL seems more likely because of the heavy AS presence.

noflysea

DOT likely will let Delta move HND-HNL (which is already adequately served by HA, JL and NH) but not PDX. At least not until they begin and operate the route. If it fails, maybe then. And the fact that DOT just allowed increased flights between the US and China flies in the face of the argument that US-Asia traffic is not recovering. The route probably will eventually be picked up by JL as PDX becomes more tied to OneWorld. Delta’s commitment to Portland seems to be in question with cancellation of ICN even before it began, dropping PDX-LHR, and now this. (And F- the PDX-SEA shuttles, both DL and AS.)

lindros2

Asia > PDX > Atlanta (or east coast) was a double-redeye for me and was terrible... Can't say I miss it.

FireEmblemPride

It'll be interesting to see what DL decides to move around. PDX seems inevitable for the most part, with MSP a close second. I could see the DOT wanting MSP, SEA and possibly DTW to be immovable given the controversial history behind those flights.

The question is what DL would want to do with these two slots. GUM and/or SPN? A second HNL?

JFK seems like a possibility as well.

jiburi

I doubt this is successful. No matter what DL (or other US carriers) wants, the main point of this allocation award procedures are to provide airport slot access to wide range of US market. What is the point if they were to flex these awards? It would only take away from smaller market and go back to other big airports.

DL should focus more on flying these routes or give up the route allocation altogether. I've been waiting for resumption of DL's HND-HNL flights. It should have been back November 2022..... Now delayed to Q4 2023.

Jiburi

RealHJ

DL keeps cancelling flights like HND-HNL for over a year: tickets are sold, but the flights never operate and a few months out constantly get canned. For years now. DL can't even operate the slots it has and has clearly demonstrated bad faith in using its slot allocation, even on super heavy demand routes. Such misbehavior should not be awarded with more flexibility. If anything, DL should be fined for acting in bad faith and not using the slots that it has.

RealHJ

That would be nice. But DL hasn't ever operated even the first HNL flight out of HND*. For years it's been an ongoing pattern tickets sold then always flights canned a few months out.

DL used to have 5x daily HNL-NRT. 2-3x 747, rest on A330s. 2x daily KIX (747 and A330). Daily NGO. Daily FUK. All those flights are now gone, every single one. DL is doing really poorly and has shrunk to a practically inconsequential size. From what I've heard on the ground, it's been largely due to DL's horribly inept marketing and sales leadership when the former NW management with deep industry connections and knowledge left and DL brought in some nobodies (penny-pinching as always). That is from before the pandemic. Japan has been slow to recover, but now things are more or less back to normal. Except DL flights that is. Well, DL and Air Asia X, who also keeps pushing back their HNL-KIX flight and has pulled a Delta on it of selling tickets then cancelling a few months out as well over the last year+ a few times.

*HND is a horrible airport anyway and doesn't work for non-domestic Japanese connections, as most int'l connecting flights, esp. SkyTeam like KE, CI, etc., arrive only into NRT. HNL-HND arrival is too late to make it to NRT for same day connections. And coming in to NRT requires a 2 our ground transit to HND for connection. Really poor choice to move to inconvenient HND out of NRT...but that's a separate issue. If there was still service out KIX, NGO, FUK, those would be equally good to NRT, if not better, as connecting options, but all that is now gone also.

FireEmblemPride

Living in central Tokyo, I disagree that HND is less convenient than NRT. I've only used NRT once since 2016, and that was only to try NH's A380 out of curiosity. Didn't miss it one bit.

If people want to connect, use ICN instead. If you don't like ICN, fly UA/NH or AA/JL instead.

MCO Flyer

DLs entire Hawaii strategy has been very odd post-NW merger on both the Asian side and domestically. In addition to the Asian routes you mentioned above, in the early 2010s post merger DL cut HNL-DTW and later HNL-MSP. It wasn’t until the end of the decade when both these flights finally returned (this year I believe is the first HNL-DTW is operating year round since it was cut post merger).

RealHJ

It’s all a matter of perspective and where you are coming from, of course.
What you are saying leaves few SkyTeam options. MU out of PVG is no longer a vialble operational option, CI out of TPE also is greatly scaled down. KE availability is poor also. And with ICN you run into some connecting flights only out of GMP, so having to take the nearly one hour train between ICN and GMP (not as bad as NRT to/from HND though).

RealHJ

Indeed. DL post-NW HNL strategy has been like a yo-yo alternating between two extremes with no apparent direction in mind.

ClipperDelta

Hawaii traffic to/from Japan is almost entirely dependent on Japanese point-of-sale, and at this point, that traffic is still depressed. Even United has not restarted its HNL-NRT flight and has postponed it until end October just like DL with HNL-HND.