WorldTraveler said:
it is true that Virgin was not awarded the gate until well into 2014 but it was in late 2013 when the DOJ and AA mgmt. both said that gates would have to be divested from a number of airports including DAL.
Feel free to find the DL press release but I am certain that DL announced its intended schedule well before the date you mention.
NO, my rap is not bad because I don't get a few facts which you and others want to focus on.
DL's access to DAL has been in play for well over a year since late 2013. There have been a chorus of people who argued that DL would not be at DAL, they weren't a new entrant or low cost carrier or any other of the conditions which they seemed to think was the only condition which people on here didn't want to hear.
DL still has the 3rd largest number of seats at DCA after AA and WN and has more than enough slots (equal to the size of pmAA's slot portfolio) that they could add far more seats if they wanted to - predominantly by upgrading small regional jets.
DL is the largest slot holder and has the most seats at LGA; no one realistically expected DL would get anything there.
my "rap" is bad because I have tenaciously argued for a position which has actually been exactly what has taken place - that DL would remain at DAL.
So, feel free like many other people on here to try to find any reason possible to argue against my position - but as with case after case that has been discussed on here, the point I have argued is precisely the one that has come to past - no matter how uncomfortable it is for you and others to hear.
I'm curious when you and others will be willing to admit that you were wrong and I was right on DAL access or will we still be debating this issue 20 years from now - with one date after another on the horizon for DL's imminent departure from DAL?
Because I never said that DL was going to be denied access to DAL, only that they had a much smaller chance than Virgin in acquiring the AA slots. This topic was about the COD decision to try to evict DL at the termination of the Wright Amendment.
The COD and the Airport Authority did not do due diligence to verify that there was not excess capacity from which to allow DL to continue operations; which in fact there was enough unused gate times for DL to operate.
DL is operating on a sub-lease. I don't have access to the sub-lease, neither do you I suppose. Until such time that someone in the know posts the details in the sub-lease, no one on this board can say for certain when or IF DL may be forced from DAL. If the airline that is sub-leasing their gate space to DL decides that it needs the space. Again, IF the lease-holding airlines at DAL are fully utilizing their gates, they cannot be forced to cut their schedule to accommodate another carrier.
As far as markets such as Chicago, where DL services two airports, they use neither as a "HUB". UA/AA/WN have hubs/focus cities in Chicago. AA services both Houston airports, WN and UA don't, guess what they have in common?
And I did google the announcement for DL at DAL, prior to my posting earlier, and I found an early March article. I did not double check further, but I did find another announcement that they put 22 flights for sale on December 17, 2013. Which is very ballsy, considering, the DOJ/DOT hadn't even started the proceedings for the divestiture. My mistake. How many of those 22 daily flights is DL operating at this time? 5 - Sounds like DL is really winning in N Texas.
Virgin however did not make their intent known to the public until March 5th.