mersk862

OK, I know, it's from Airliners.net (so take it with a grain of salt, or for that matter, extract all the salt from the oceans and it still might not be enough), but one of the threads there says DL is planning to announce a focus city at LAX tomorrow (Aug 8), with new flights to SFO, LAS, SMF, OAK and SJC as well as more Mexico cities.

While DL has served a few of these route pairs (I know LAX-SFO was flown with 727s/737-800s/757s before, and LAX-LAS I remember seeing 757, 737-300 and MD-90s on this route), I find it a little tough to believe, between UA, WN and AEagle all being established on these routes.

Any thoughts on how true this one is, or is it (as I tend to believe) another false rumour...

http://www.airliners.net/discussions....main/2924051/

MastaHanky

I was tempted to blow it off until the very reliable MAH4546 gave a little hint of a confirmation later in the thread.

Now I'm curious to see what they have to announce. I kind of think it will just be a few more Mexico routes, but you never know.

mtparadis

Doesn't seem like the best way to utilize aircraft in my opinion. As you mentioned, these routes are already highly competitive.

Also, DL would really have no overseas routes to offer from LAX, so I wouldn't think there would be much premium traffic.

N808DE

Personally, I wish DL would bring back the 757s between LAX and LAS...

ClipperDelta

As MAH4546 points out in the other thread, the increase will be more than just RJs to Mexico, including three new international routes to be flown by Mainline.

To recap, DL is already flying (or about to start):
LAX-GDL
LAX-CUN
LAX-PVR
LAX-ZIH

They've applied (and pretty much will get since there is not much competition in the applications) for:
LAX-ACA (mainline)
LAX-MZT (RJ) - Mazatlan
LAX-HMO (RJ) - Hermosillo
LAX-TRC (RJ) - Torreon
LAX-ZLO (RJ) - Manzanillo
LAX-ZCL (RJ) - Zacatecas
LAX-CUL (RJ) - Culiacan
LAX-LMM (RJ) - Los Mochis
LAX-LTO (RJ) - Loreto
LAX-LAP (RJ) - La Paz

CO FF

Or just a new round of American Eagle codeshares...

mersk862

I'll admit to believing it quite a bit more now that MAH4546 has posted in there...

My question is what those 3 new mainline flights will be. LAX-ACA is bound to be one, but does Delta have other route authorities that aren't being used (I think they have the right to fly LAX-CZM but didn't start it after Wilma...)

ClipperDelta

I think it will be more than that...while not on the scale of the JFK expansion (since they already had a much larger presence at JFK than LAX to begin with), I believe it's the beginning of a gradual buildup at LAX again to fully utilize the facilities/assets/investments they have there. They took a look at T5 and the gates they have at T6 and realized they have hardly begun to squeeze every dime out of those facilities...

Spiff

RJs?? No gracias!

motormadness

This would be very nice to see LAX built up again after someone dismantled it.
:cough: Leo :cough:

ClipperDelta

Thinking outside the box, would DL have authority for Central America? GUA or SAL or SJO, etc.? I remember Pan Am had a very profitable A300 service from LAX to GUA and SAL back in the '80s and '90s, which has since been assumed by UA I believe, using 757s.

sxf24

Then no vamos for you.

HMO and MZT are the only routes with dail non-stop service (LAP, LTO have 3-4 a week on AS). For passengers going to TRC, ZCL, CUL and LMM an RJ is usually better than a connection in GDL, HMO or MEX.

N830MH

How about DL Connection will even try more flight from PHX, SEA, SMF, SFO, OAK, LAS-LAX.

But, I remember when DL is flies nonstop from LAX-SFO years ago with 2 stop from FLL-TPA-LAX-SFO-LAX-TPA-FLL years ago before 9/11. Maybe if DL will even bring back due to direct competitive. I remind you from last time about DL is fly LAX-SFO years ago.

Robert Leach

One would think/hope that this is the first step in fully utilizing Delta's LAX facilities, eventually leading to a true hub there -- perhaps even with some transoceanic international service once again.

Just like Delta has a dual Atlantic hub strategy on the east coast with ATL and JFK, I think there is a potential role for a dual Pacific hub strategy using ATL and LAX.

And, of course, this would only work well if Delta feeds LAX. And, for the ATL-based Pacific routes, the 777-200LR (which is under heavy discussion in another thread) would seem to work best.

Once you establish service at a far away international destination, the incremental operational costs at that city for servicing two flights versus one is relatively small (as with appropriate timing the same facilities and staff can handle both).

Perhaps this will never work out, but you gotta say that of all the legacy carriers right now, Delta is thinking the most aggressively when it comes to route development. 10-15 years from now, we'll know if it was the right decision.

gary_nj

I haven't read the a.net article yet, but I do know that I am booked later this month on a BDL-LAX nonstop... and while looking at connections the other day, I noticed CMH-LAX nonstop.

Hartford and Columbus are some interesting choices for nonstop flights to LAX unless DL was figuring on establishing a better feed for other flights.