TominLazybrook

BFM will take business from PNS. UA would be smart to get in front of it. Sure, Frontier is 'meh' but substituting a connection in ORD or DEN for a long drive to West Mobile or a 90 minute trek to PNS for Western connections would be a problem for UA going forward. Especially if Frontier is flying real planes and UA's offer is expensive flights on truly decrepit planes to an out of the way airport. If AA moves the DFW flights to BFM, watch UA's Mobile market share to fall to nothing.

I fly IAH-Mobile. I won't fly into PNS, because its too far. If I have to spend 3 hours getting to IAH and waiting on my flight, then fly 1.5 hours to PNS, then take up to 2 hours to get off the plane, get a rental car, and then drive to Mobile, its really just as easy for me to just drive.

brp1264

I'd definitely fly into BFM over MOB or PNS.

For my travel though, PNS is a better fit. It's 1 hour from PNS to downtown Mobile on mostly highway vs. 30 minutes from MOB to downtown in stop and go. Add in the fact that I like PNS better and I get a guaranteed upgrade and don't have to worry about gate checking a bag, and I'll continue taking that flight for now.

DA201

DEN-CDG wouldn't surprise me with how well DEN-LHR apparently did and Norwegian's launch of seasonal DEN-CDG. DEN has been really pushing for a China route and has been talking to CA, UA, and HU. DEN-YXE could easily happen with a AC JV, as it is one of the larger Canadian markets they are missing. DEN-GSO wouldn't surprise me if IAH-GSO does well, as UA does have a few long and thin DEN flights to the Southeast. YNG wouldn't shock me either given UA's ORD/IAD regional push. UA is starting DEN-PBI in March.

I agree that it is a bit disappointing the lack of EWR-Caribbean flights compared to B6. GCM/STT/BDA have enough demand to be more than seasonal, and CUR/BGI/KIN should really have at least seasonal service (probably daily for BGI/KIN).

PsiFighter37

DEN currently has NRT, LHR, and FRA (just announced). If they add more international routes, one could argue that it deserves a Polaris lounge as much as LAX does (which has only 5 direct UA metal international destinations). Ripping out one of the tired UCs and replacing with a PL wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

zspitzer

Did they even fly EWR-GCM this year? I was trying to work out how to tie GCM into a multi-city post-Christmas trip. Looked like they were serving GCM from IAH, with service some days from IAD or ORD, but not EWR. I flew EWR - GCM last winter, I figured they decided they could make more on that 737 elsewhere.

ContinentalFan

Air Houston

fjfv19

LAX-PDX/ATL/MIA/DFW (as of 30 March 2019), EWR-NCE

cesco.g

Not being familiar with the Indian market; would LAX-DEL/BOM be something to look at?

EAA795

Hopefully Oakland is coming back soon. Scott Kirby: "Oakland is on our list. I'm not sure when we are going to add it, but we are going to get back into the East Bay. We have not decided the timing yet, but we are absolutely planning to get back into Oakland."

https://www.sfgate.com/travel/articl...y-13729013.php

ContinentalFan

expressboy

LAX-ATL would be nice.

spartacusmcfly

The most interesting part of Kirby's interview, as it relates to new routes, was his comment on SFO:

"California, and SFO in particular, is a unique crown jewel for United - it is the best gateway across the Pacific because of geography. It's in the right place to connect the whole country to Asia. And it's also the biggest local market with lots of premium demand. Turns out that even our flights to Europe, with less geographic advantage, do well for us from SFO due to a large, high-income customer base full of people with a high propensity to travel. Every new route that we add works—recently Tahiti, Europe, Amsterdam. India and Melbourne start later this year. We just keep growing here and it all does very well. SFO is a unique asset for United"

Based on this, I wish he would pull the trigger on SFO-BKK. They are spraying new SFO routes into the vicinity of BKK -- SIN #1 , SIN #2 , DEL It's such a PIA to get there via HKG, TPE or NRT. SIN and DEL overshoot Thailand, so they're no better.

Air Houston

narvik

AVP-PEK