Charlotte Douglas International Airport was the biggest international hub for Piedmont Airlines and

[737823]

ATL is and always will be superior in CLT in terms of its strength as a hub and regional powerhouse. The ATL economy is stronger, more diversified and more internationally focused. Look no further than the number of companies headquartered in the Atlanta area which continues to grow. Even the ATL airport is a much nicer facility than CLT either connecting or as a local passenger, particularly the new international terminal.

Josh

 

[AdAstraPerAspera]

Josh I tend to agree with a lot of what you say but this time you are really pushing it. Connecting in ATL is as pleasant as sucking on a urinal cake. The concourses are overcrowded for their width and full of golf carts, there is an ever-intensifying, headache-inducing din, and in many cases, gates can be terrific distances from eachother. I once had a DL flight change gates 4 times, only to, naturally, be reassigned back to the original gate of departure...the entire time me scrambling up and down escalators and the Plane Train with luggage in tow. ATL is an abortion of an airport and I'd honestly prefer connecting through CLT for sanity's sake.

 

[Kev3188]

F is cool, otherwise I'll take MSP, thanks...

 

[robbedagain]

Agreed AD i hate flying thru ATL hate it more than Phl

 

[737823]

Josh I tend to agree with a lot of what you say but this time you are really pushing it. Connecting in ATL is as pleasant as sucking on a urinal cake. The concourses are overcrowded for their width and full of golf carts, there is an ever-intensifying, headache-inducing din, and in many cases, gates can be terrific distances from eachother. I once had a DL flight change gates 4 times, only to, naturally, be reassigned back to the original gate of departure...the entire time me scrambling up and down escalators and the Plane Train with luggage in tow. ATL is an abortion of an airport and I'd honestly prefer connecting through CLT for sanity's sake.

Fair enough, but when you consider ATL has the linear concourses and plane train it's easy enough. And fortunately whenI fly AA there like I recently did, the convenience of the T concourse is unmatched. Now not sure about you but I have not arrived on an intl flight and used the new FIS (last flew international into ATL circa 2009) so not sure how that is set-up. Personally I prefer DFW (and TX and the D/FW Metroplex to ATL).

Josh

 

[737823]

F is cool, otherwise I'll take MSP, thanks...

Over DTW? I know you worked at MSP so maybe it's sentimental to you but NWA/DTW really did an excellent job with the McNamara terminal.

Josh

 

[WorldTraveler]

ATL clearly needs more space but the endless discussions about the ease of use of any airport don't resolve the problem that DL didn't have a half dozen hubs in the eastern US, all but one of which (DCA) were competing for longhaul int'l traffic.

ATL is a far larger city but it is a balanced hub that DL has integrated into its eastern US network, even cutting ATL to Europe in order to help build JFK and in giving preference to DTW for Asia flying (even though ATL and JFK both have more Europe flying).

the traffic reports that AA released show how much work AA has to do in order to rework its network post Star and in light of the higher pricing environment.

CLT is a great city. But AA has too many hubs, several of which are better suited to flow int'l traffic.

Now that UA has released its traffic results and they kept their capacity and traffic both flat, it becomes even more of a strategic necessity for AA to fix its network.

And it isn't simply about reducing capacity overall. DL added 4.9% more capacity in Sept. with fairly large increases to Latin America and Europe and yet DL managed to keep its LF change close to the change in capacity in all but the Pacific where even 2.8% more capacity was too much.

Finally, I'm sure a lot of AA/US people will fall off the rocker when they hear that DL is not only the largest cargo carrier based on Sept. statistics but DL is also - hold onto your hats - the largest US carrier based on passenger revenue passenger miles for the month.

Kinda incredible to think that after less than one year, AA isn't really the world's largest airline that they thought would be the case after the merger.

and the merger integration which will affect the Atlantic and CLT haven't even begun to kick in.

 

[Kev3188]

NWA/DTW really did an excellent job with the McNamara terminal.

No doubt. Still prefer MSP...

 

[WorldTraveler]

as a terminal for connecting traffic, DTW is one of the nicest facilities in the world.

it simply is a shame that more of the capacity that flows over ATL can't be pushed up I-75.

Perhaps as DL retakes the title of the world's largest airline, they might be willing to focus even more growth at DTW.
Although it does sound like Mr. Anderson is ready to spread a little Asian growth at MSP, which makes a whole lot of sense for a whole lot of reasons.

Since there were some who were convinced CLT would see flights to Asia, these pullbacks to Latin America and Europe make it all the more unlikely that CLT will see Asia action.

 

[737823]

No doubt. Still prefer MSP...

Why? I'd really like to know. Because IMO it's poorly laid out, dilapidated facilities, no on-airport hotel, low ceilings, weak shopping/dinning options.

Josh

 

[737823]

as a terminal for connecting traffic, DTW is one of the nicest facilities in the world.it simply is a shame that more of the capacity that flows over ATL can't be pushed up I-75.Perhaps as DL retakes the title of the world's largest airline, they might be willing to focus even more growth at DTW.Although it does sound like Mr. Anderson is ready to spread a little Asian growth at MSP, which makes a whole lot of sense for a whole lot of reasons.Since there were some who were convinced CLT would see flights to Asia, these pullbacks to Latin America and Europe make it all the more unlikely that CLT will see Asia action.

CLT-Asia? Never. Heck even PHL doesn't have a NRT flight, and BOS has for years even without a hub.

Josh

 

[Kev3188]

Why? I'd really like to know. Because IMO it's poorly laid out, dilapidated facilities, no on-airport hotel, low ceilings, weak shopping/dinning options.

Josh

90% personal preference/sentimentality, 10% better westbound connectivity...

 

[jcw]

Let's start a petition to shut the clt hub - the most profitable hub in the network

 

[737823]

Let's start a petition to shut the clt hub - the most profitable hub in the network

Again where do you come up with this stuff?

Josh

 

[WorldTraveler]

90% personal preference/sentimentality, 10% better westbound connectivity...

of the DL concourses, the vast majority are modern. The layout is not ideal for a hub... but it is not a whole lot different from CLT, but MSP IS a whole lot more spacious.

and there are plenty of DINING options.

And it is still one of the most consistently ON-TIME large hub airports in the US.