nova08

I haven't looked at any O&D numbers but I often wonder if PHL-SFO has more business traffic while PHL-LAX has more leisure traffic. DL tried and pulled out about a year before VX entered and UA just seems to have other priorities than a LAX transcon. They ran a seasonal flight up around when DL operated PHL-LAX but pulled it completely. Also don't forget, PHL-LAX is now hub to hub.

rtalk25

There are pharma/biotech company ties between SFO and PHL. It also exists with RDU.

I'm not sure what the economic industry ties exist between PHL and LAX, but there are likely a lot of companies sending business pax back and forth.

I wouldn't be surprised if VFR is greater since Southern California has more people living there than the Bay Area has in it, by metropolitan size. The Bay Area is more destinational as a leisure attraction but that's subjective.

I think UA is content with pax connecting in one of it's hubs to reach LAX from PHL, and those that want UA nonstops can just head up to EWR.

GrayAnderson

If nothing else, I believe that PHL is the closest major airport to Wilmington (Wilmington is within Philly's commuter network), so there are probably some banks with a use for this sort of thing.

cubachao

It's hard to believe that between lax and phl only us offers nonstop flight.

rtalk25

I would have figured Frontier or Spirit would try it atleast for this summer. Frontier once operated it 10 years ago.

Frontier, Southwest, Delta, United and Virgin all attempted the route at one point.

Alaska, JetBlue and Spirit haven't yet.

I think Southwest wants PHL pax to connect or use BWI, like how United wants PHL pax to connect or use EWR. Delta tried the route before Virgin (as mentioned) but it likely has other strategic needs for the aircraft like Southwest and United.

bridge29

With Delta now flying PHL-LHR in addition to PHL-CDG I wonder if they'd consider operating LAX-PHL with their 757, then onward to LHR or CDG. Could create something of a more premium service between LAX and PHL which US currently doesn't offer. Alas, this discussion has strayed from VX

rasheed

We badly need more options for LAX to PHL. I think LAX to EWR is feasible via VX as a substitute, but the US LAX to PHL is not very good. Maybe AA will put a 32B plane on this route, but until it does so, this feels like a major city pair that needs some attention and the existing service is not good for a transcontinental length flight.

I agree with others that typically DL would announce something like this especially with AA announcing LAX to ATL. AA did remove LAX to EWR as well, so except for LAX-JFK, there are not a lot of choices for these routes.

Personally, except for LAX-JFK on AA, I have been going via PHX or DFW for EWR or PHL as there is no service advantage for the nonstop on legacy carriers.

Rasheed

nova08

You are not going to get any type of enhanced premium service on PHL-LAX like you do out of NYC-LAX, the market just isn't there. Though when I was regularly flying out to LAX I took the train up to EWR and flew UA on EWR-LAX simply because there are twice as many flights so they offer much better flight times.

rtalk25

Since fuel is cheap, I wonder if VX would actually do well on a seasonal run of LAX-PHL and SFO-PHL this year.

I also wonder if VX could stay a business focused airline on routes like LAX/SFO-NYC with high frequency of year round service, but adopt a ULCC like approach of just 1x daily (not really intended for business pax) for other routes like DAL-ORD/BOS/SEA, ORD-SEA 1x daily but only offered seasonally in certain months.

I recall reading it was offering JFK-FLL and BOS-LAS seasonally.