It's been flowing around everywhere in the system saying that MSP will soon become a domestic domicile .. Those wanting to fly international trips should plan to transfer to all the 4 corners of the US (JFK, ATL, SEA, LAX) with supporting bases in DTW and SLC...

And that LHR-SEA is coming back with 767, of course! :)

Again, as one has mentioned, we'll believe it when we see it, right?

Eh, we all know WN is only going to fly MSP-STL because they know MikeMpls and WifeMpls will buy enough tickets to make the route profitable. :D

While I have no doubt that DL management is not in love with MSP and that DL management isn't going to hesitate to try to make MSP a second-tier kind of place for operations relative to ATL, JFK/LGA and even DTW, I have no doubt that MSP is a different -- and much more economically vibrant -- kind of market than STL. DL management will have a hard time pulling off a STL as quickly or as extensively as AA did to STL.

According to this article, MSP has been trying to lure other international service since at least 2006, apparently without success:

http://aviationweek.typepad.com/airp..._minneapo.html

My guess is that if NW were to drop LHR, that there might be some interest from another European carrier to add service (perhaps BA or LH). If NW were to drop NRT, however, I would doubt that any Asian carrier would be that quick to add service. Without access to the NW feed, I just don't see there being enough market at MSP.

It would be absurd to drop MSP-NRT and MSP-AMS, as that's a gateway to Europe and SE Asia for passengers around the region. I can understand the business case for non-stops to cities other than NRT or AMS, due to the low demand for the individual cities. Of course, I'm assuming that the companies located in the area are flying their employees in business class.

But then again, those 19 Fortune 500 companies are asking for NW to cut service if they let their employees fly in coach.

I didn't know MSP has only two carousels for international arrivals! :eek:

But I think we can all agree that CVG ("World Gateway 948543598432") has to go. :D

- Pat

Ok, let's replace MSP/NW with ATL/DL in the above underlined:
"Likewise, the fortress (feel free to use massive, world's busiest, etc. here ;)) hub at ATL didn't create enough profits to keep DL out of bankruptcy in 2005 (nor did it prevent the prior financial problems suffered by DL in the early 1990s). So perhaps ATL will be downsized so traffic more closely matches O&D."

So why DL is EXPANDING at ATL, while shrinking at MSP/CVG, etc? :confused: :confused: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

I would think KE to ICN would be a good substitute, and will be in a position to benefit from feed.

Atlantacentrism. RTS had a good post on it not too long ago.

But still -- this is info from FA's, and FA's are notoriously inaccurate sources of corporate planning info. Meanwhile, one post said "MSP to lost NRT" while another post says "CDG back". Roll your dice .... I really think everyone just has to wait and see. The end game won't really be apparently until after the economic recovery, by which time the airline landscape (esp. with regards to UA/US/AA) might be dramatically changed.

Not likely when every ticket is accompanied by a companion fare & the net average RT cost is $62.10. :D

I'm surprised at how quickly WN has expanded service here. I'm really not expecting more additions near term, but they can surprise me again if they wish. I was quite happy just to get the initial connections to MDW. :)

The only notable airline that MSP officials have tried to lure were Aeromexico a few years back, but AM pulled back after initially deciding to go ahead with expansion into MSP.

There had been rumors about LH off and on for years, but nothing materialized. Reasoning? Most likely it was the fierce protectionism that NW employed at its hubs, especially its prime profit center of MSP.

And the reason why NW has never had that many international flights out of MSP (even though in the past they did have the MSP-HKG run) is that DTW has better facilities since NW's last international growth spurt, and NW has always relied on the connections via NRT and AMS (and to a lesser extent the West Coast ops in SEA, SFO, LAX, etc.)

Read up more on the history of NW's operations and growth actions before assuming that MSP simply can't "support" more international service. NW was not MSP/DTW-centric in the same manner that DL is ATL-centric. This gave NW many clear advantages, IMO.

It's simple
 

Any flight that is profitable in this day and age is going to be kept.. and I don't care where it's based. This idle speculation is silly. If the plane is full of people going from MSP to NRT, and the tickets weren't a dollar, then revenue management isn't going to mess with it.

Enough kavetching already about something that we don't have the slighest clue about.

No offense, but that comment is absurd. Minneapolis is nothing like St. Louis.