Why ITO-LAX, not ITO-SFO?
Jun 11, 2017, 8:02 pm
#1
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Why ITO-LAX, not ITO-SFO?
I just realized this when planning my travel to the Big Island. It seems funny to me that United flights to ITO (Hilo) from LAX instead of their west coast hub SFO. Has it been always like this? Is there a reason?
Jun 11, 2017, 8:07 pm
#2
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As is always the answer for questions like this. Demand. Apparently more O/D pax in LAX want to go to ITO than in SFO. My guess is that its a bit more secluded and more private residences for the LAX crowd.
Jun 11, 2017, 9:07 pm
#3
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That's true, and I can totally imagine that LAX pax will be able to sustain this nonstop flight. However, I would have thought that running ITO-SFO would at least do as well as ITO-LAX, if not better, as there are way more feeder traffic. Why isn't it true?
Jun 12, 2017, 10:32 am
#6
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UA prefers SFO over LAX unless there is a massive gap in O&D. For traffic to "business cities" like SIN or PVG, the difference is smaller due to SFO's large tech industry. For more "leisure" and VFR cities, the difference can be massive because the LA area has a much larger population than the Bay Area. MEL is probably the exception to this rule because SFO-MEL is pushing the range on the Dreamliner, and UA did not know the capabilities of the Dreamliner a few years ago like it does today. UA credited LAX-MEL as being the reason they knew the Dreamliner could handle SFO-SIN.
Jun 12, 2017, 11:00 am
#7
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UA prefers SFO over LAX unless there is a massive gap in O&D. For traffic to "business cities" like SIN or PVG, the difference is smaller due to SFO's large tech industry. For more "leisure" and VFR cities, the difference can be massive because the LA area has a much larger population than the Bay Area. MEL is probably the exception to this rule because SFO-MEL is pushing the range on the Dreamliner, and UA did not know the capabilities of the Dreamliner a few years ago like it does today. UA credited LAX-MEL as being the reason they knew the Dreamliner could handle SFO-SIN.
I mean UA's partner AC manages to fly YVR to all 3 Australian coastal cities so I don't see why UA couldn't.
Jun 12, 2017, 3:25 pm
#8
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I may be wrong but I don't think SFO-ITO is a big leisure market? My company sends a fair number of employees (maybe 100 trips per month mostly Y class) SFO-ITO but I was never once able to take this flight while it existed because of the once per week schedule. I had to connect through LAX or HNL instead. A more business-friendly schedule might have made the flight more successful?
Jun 12, 2017, 4:59 pm
#9
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Jun 12, 2017, 6:42 pm
#10
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The business/cultural/VFR ties to the east side of the Big Island are more SoCal oriented. The SFO flight had a tourist-oriented schedule and it flopped. Hilo side isn't nearly as popular with vacationers.
Jun 12, 2017, 7:28 pm
#12
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Jun 12, 2017, 7:39 pm
#13
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Oct 26, 2017, 8:11 am
#15
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Just flew an award Y trip on these flights. Easy upgrade both ways at the 1K window. In fact, at T-24 on the return, F was booked to 3/16. In the end the entire cabin was full with non-revs.
The return flight was coded as snack, but had choice of 2 hot entrees.
The return flight was coded as snack, but had choice of 2 hot entrees.