Will there be a future of LP in the USA?
Nov 19, 2002 | 12:09 pm
#1
Original Poster
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 11,869
Will there be a future of LP in the USA?
With 2 out of 3 U.S. partner airlines gone and US Air (on life-support) left, I am wondering about the future of LP. IF US Air should fold, are there options for a new partner airline with a decent North American network? I cannot see them making any inroads without any domestic USA partner airline at all.
Nov 19, 2002 | 1:41 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Seattle, Cagayan de Oro
Programs: CebGo 5J, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum, Alaska Titanium
Posts: 4,778
Ironically, It seems thst the Latin carriers are more stable than the US carriers. Taca is doing very well I believe, Aeropostal is doing a booming business in Venezuela and the recent concolidation of ACES and Avianca has secured a stable future there as well.
KLM has started flights to Miami although with no real marketing arrangement for ongoing seemless connections to Central America on their LatinPass partners.
I think a lot will depend on the new "GlobalPass". This new alliance is an attempt to expand LP geographically but details are thin on the ground at the moment.
In my mind, Air Tran would be a good fit as it covers a lot of the SouthEast USA via Atlanta. But you are right, there is not much left to choose from in the USA. It is a period of alliances, bankruptcies and amalgamation. Expansion and some new blood is what is needed right now in the US market. JetBlue???
KLM has started flights to Miami although with no real marketing arrangement for ongoing seemless connections to Central America on their LatinPass partners.
I think a lot will depend on the new "GlobalPass". This new alliance is an attempt to expand LP geographically but details are thin on the ground at the moment.
In my mind, Air Tran would be a good fit as it covers a lot of the SouthEast USA via Atlanta. But you are right, there is not much left to choose from in the USA. It is a period of alliances, bankruptcies and amalgamation. Expansion and some new blood is what is needed right now in the US market. JetBlue???
Nov 20, 2002 | 7:19 am
#3
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Arizona
Programs: MSP raised, Elite since age 17
Posts: 4,723
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by davistev:
Expansion and some new blood is what is needed right now in the US market. JetBlue??? </font>
Expansion and some new blood is what is needed right now in the US market. JetBlue??? </font>
Jet Blue would have to tackle MIA vs. FLL for the partnership to be viable. AirTran has the MIA service--- but would leave the West out in the cold.
HP maybe??? Alaska? Alaska will pair up with anybody....
