jaimemayo

I can't speak for others but my MSP-bound flight was diverted to Duluth because of a snowstorm in February. We stayed there for three hours and when we finally got into MSP virtually everyone had missed their connections. NW was very generous with nice hotel, meal and transport accomodations . Also had the same thing on a CO flight that was delayed because of bad weather.

My bad, I forgot about those pesky ATL thunderstorms .

MikeMpls

If you'd read any of the ravings from the Deltaholics, you'd understand that the entire nation (even you) is just dying to connect through Atlanta, and that Delta's other hubs (JFK excepted) are unnecessary.

hazelrah

I had business in TUS in August. NWA. com tried to keep forcing me through SLC.

I would never have predicted it, but in the absence of the state of MN holding the airport bond over Delta I think Minneapolis would have shared St. Louis' fate.

Moral of the story: never, ever believe any of the crap any airline touts about the "benefits of consolidation".

pbarnette

That isn't the point being made at all, and you know it. The point being made is that there are economies of scale. ATL works because it is a huge hub. MSP doesn't work because it is nothing more than a transfer point for low-yield domestic pax. Had NW been able to make MSP work as any sort of long-haul hub, then this argument would make sense, but for an airport that supported 3 long-haul destinations and seasonal service to Mexico?

What a hub! I don't understand why they don't route all traffic through MSP.

hazelrah

Who says that ATL works? It's important to remember that Delta had its walk through Bankruptcy courts too. There isn't any magic to ATL, it's just "the biggest" is all. The merger gave Delta access to Northwest's not inconsiderable cash on hand and is permitting Delta to gradually unwind capacity. The jury is still out on whether Delta works and can make it in the long term.

There is no huge fount of knowledge in Atlanta that should give any of pause to turn and bow to the Southeast every day. Now in its battle with Air Tran Delta has beat a hasty retreat from low-yield liesure markets(like Florida) it's true.

It appears that Delta continues to apply this we-can't-beat-them so retreat into more favorable margin markets strategy to midwest markets. IMO this is a formulaic misapplication of a strategy.

raehl311

NW does for Golds and Plats, although it is not a published policy.

zlfpeak

I have never understand why atl could become a hub in such a place?

MikeMpls

That was exactly the point! MSP is right on the way for many trips originating in the midwest. ATL & SLC are not. MSP is. So are ORD & MDW.

I can think of at least 6 long-haul destinations that have been served from MSP in recent years, some seasonally. Given NW/KL's hub-to-hub orientation and the fact that MSP is out of range for 757's to Europe, this is exactly what one would expect in this locations.

But let them de-emphasize & de-hub MN! Seriously! I'd much rather be in a "secondary" market where the majors compete for customers.

hnewman

Mike,

I much rather go direct rather than not, being on the road 40 weeks per year. If direct flights to where I want to go disappear so will I from DL.

troyintn

I have seen it a lot more with MEM. It seems to me they are starting to use some common sense in routes. IE no back tracking. When I go to the North west they it shows MSP, no more DTW. In the south it only shows ATL. North east it mostly shows me DTW.

GUWonder

It seems to other customers to be exactly the opposite of what you stated, but then this is primarily a matter of from where a given customer may be originating or terminating their trip in an environment where DL is eliminating options or trying to set up conditions to maximize further service cutbacks.

TheMoose

WHO is making that point (other than you, who just did in this post)?

Nothing more than a "transfer point for low-yield domestic pax"? Seriously? Take away ATL's international traffic (which would put it more on par with MSP) and you'll see something pretty revealing: ATL is nothing more than a transfer point for low-yield domestic pax. (JFK captures much more of DL's higher yields)

You also HAVE to acknowledge that NW's pre-merger route strategy was vastly different from DL's. They did not pick MSP/DTW as the only point in/out of their international network like ATL is treated (the DTW "WorldGateway" moniker notwithstanding). NW fully utilized its West Coast operations (SEA, PDX, SFO, LAX), East Coast flights (BOS, EWR/JFK, BDL/IAD for a cup of coffee), mini-hub in HNL for Asia throughput, and obviously AMS & NRT. Simply "measuring up" the international routes of MSP and saying "QED!" while ignoring how NW actually built its route network is not only ignorant, but also disingenuous.

For former NW flyers, MSP was always the higher yield option due to the large O/D market and the corporate contracts in/out of MSP. DTW/MEM were more traditionally used for lower fare/leisure routings. MSP's effectiveness as a hub is hard to question. Look at on-time arrival/departure numbers, look at weather delays, look at percentage of the pre-merger NW network served, etc. What DL has chosen to do to MSP post-October 2008 should not enter into the equation since it was only until then that MSP was considered a true hub by its major occupant.

Seriously, you should change your signature to warn others of your apologist status. It'll save them a few forum post exchanges with you at the outset and just jump in knowing your agenda from the get-go.

jiburi

Is this an indication that MSP is becoming more and more like CVG?

If it comes to the point of losing one of the hubs, hopefully they don't choose MSP......

Jiburi

ktown

Travelers flying from any small midwestern community and connecting through MSP are the exact opposite of low yield.

MSP has supported LHR/LGW, CDG, AMS (3x daily) NRT (8x weekly 747 service) & HNL. That's five long haul routes from the 15th largest metro area in the U.S. with 18 fortune 500 companies. NW's service in MSP was gauged appropriately, and it is well-known that the MSP hub was the most profitable and best yielding of NW's network.

raehl311

I can't see CVG sticking. It's in the middle of all the others - there's almost no itinerary going through CVG that wouldn't be better served by going through MSP/DTW/JFK/ATL/MEM/SLC.