Even in BK, DL keeps eating away at US

[PHL]

Delta has recently added Wilmington(DE), Atlantic City and now Trenton to their PHL area services. Now Boston(Logan..not Bedford or Providence) will become part of the offerings, as well as Atlanta, from TTN.

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/20...ton_to_trenton/

For the Bucks County and North(and Central/West Central Jersey) residents, this makes good sense if they a.) need to go to Boston nonstop or b.) don't mind connecting in Atlanta for another trip. How will this affect US?

 

[US1YFARE]

I do this route a lot and the most attractive thing for me about US's service is the hourly service in both directions. However, I think this is good news for the customer because if the flight times are decent, it will give more US1's the opportunity to jump ship to DL (or whoever DL merges with). US thinks they own everyone in PHL, but when their competitors get smart like DL is doing, it is giving us more and more reason to jump ship.

 

[Hope777]

Eastwind ran 737's from TTN to BOS a few years back. They were VERY FULL most of the time. I think it is a Great route for DL and ATL will also do well. USAir also ran DC9's out of TTN to PIT and filled them up as well. The only two problems I do remember with TTN, is the FOG in the morning and Compacted Snow at the intersecting runways in the Winter. Most experts thought Southwest would enter either TTN or ABE not PHL.

 

[Hope777]

Also remember, that only a few years ago, Merrill Lynch built a massive facility only minutes away from TTN on Scotch Road.

 

[wings396]

US has been in and out of TTN a few times. I think that UA was even in there at one time. I remember the Eastwind operation there, but it didn't last very long. TTN isn't PHL, and never will be able to offer the frequency that PHL does. IF TTN were such a lucrative market, I'm sure the others who were there in the past would have stayed. I also think that SWA would have gone there as well. From what I recall, the locals don't want too many flights out of there due to the noise they would create. This isn't really Delta that we are takling about here, just one of their Express operators...
I would hardly consider this any type of a threat to US or anyone else operating out of PHL...

 

[flyingcat]

DL has always been an odd carrier chasing marketshare, in the belief that they could hold off WN. It worked in some places, bu8t it was mostly marginal or at a loss.

The move to new cities is more of a plan to see if cities not served by other carriers could be a diamond in the rough. Better to try use the excess express capacity for something like prospecting.

The current DL prez is certainly bold unlike his predecessors. Whether these routes work is a big question. We are coming up fast on the Labor day weekend. After that we will see how long DL keeps these routes running.

 

[zethya]

Actually this brings up a thought. Why is Delta so keen on moving to A-East? It would be interesting if they have a strategy to try a few Trans-Atlantic services from PHL. That would really get Parker's juices going. That move could trigger a very big and positive change to the whole PHL Trans-Atlantic process. DL did, some time ago, fly PHL-AMS, I believe.

 

[US1YFARE]

Actually this brings up a thought. Why is Delta so keen on moving to A-East? It would be interesting if they have a strategy to try a few Trans-Atlantic services from PHL. That would really get Parker's juices going. That move could trigger a very big and positive change to the whole PHL Trans-Atlantic process. DL did, some time ago, fly PHL-AMS, I believe.

I'm sure they are not worried. Once they buy NW, I wouldn't be surprised if KLM starts flying out of PHL and US drops its AMS service to use the 767 for a new route. I suspect that US will join the Skyteam alliance and CO will be part of UA in the Star Alliance. Unless of course US doesn't think it needs to be part of an alliance because it is so big and bad

 

[zethya]

I'm sure they are not worried. Once they buy NW, I wouldn't be surprised if KLM starts flying out of PHL and US drops its AMS service to use the 767 for a new route. I suspect that US will join the Skyteam alliance and CO will be part of UA in the Star Alliance. Unless of course US doesn't think it needs to be part of an alliance because it is so big and bad

I love that scenario. Only thing is that PHL will need to accelerate a new/redesigned airport to support the additional huge traffic inflow. PHL is already the busiest ATC on the East Coast - don't know if they could handle an additional 300 or so flights/day .

 

[US1YFARE]

PHL is already the busiest ATC on the East Coast - don't know if they could handle an additional 300 or so flights/day .

Oh, i don't think it will be PHL that is going to be seeing expansion...I think CLT has much more potential for that.

 

[hula-flyguy]

I love that scenario. Only thing is that PHL will need to accelerate a new/redesigned airport to support the additional huge traffic inflow. PHL is already the busiest ATC on the East Coast - don't know if they could handle an additional 300 or so flights/day .

Hell, they could handle another 300 with no problem. LMAO

Bring on the bags!

 

[Kev3188]

DL did, some time ago, fly PHL-AMS, I believe.

I don't remember that, but NW ran PHL-AMS for awhile...

 

[FutureUScapt]

Actually this brings up a thought. Why is Delta so keen on moving to A-East? It would be interesting if they have a strategy to try a few Trans-Atlantic services from PHL. That would really get Parker's juices going. That move could trigger a very big and positive change to the whole PHL Trans-Atlantic process. DL did, some time ago, fly PHL-AMS, I believe.

I could be mistaken, but I thought it was the airport and WN that wanted DL to move so that there'd be more space on concurse E for WN. As for DLs transatlantic plans, I wouldn't bet on anything from PHL, especially with JFK being just ~80 miles away.

 

[zethya]

I could be mistaken, but I thought it was the airport and WN that wanted DL to move so that there'd be more space on concurse E for WN. As for DLs transatlantic plans, I wouldn't bet on anything from PHL, especially with JFK being just ~80 miles away.

About a year or so ago, during the initial stages of the PHL terminal reshuffling program, DL was asked to move because their terminal was/is scheduled for refurbishment and expansion. WN had nothing to do with the request other than they continue to nag the authority for more gates in hopes of expanding to 150 flights/day. DL went through a whole process of creating drawings for their new facilities in A(East), including a new Crown Room takeover of the BA Club (BA is moving to A(West) in a few months). About 2 weeks before the move, the airport cancelled it with the excuse that A(East) was needed for more anticipated international flights, including a new carrier by year end. My understanding is that DL was very disturbed. As it turned out the additional international flights were the US 757s and specifically the seasonal routes - although the "new" international carrier may still happen. I have heard that Delta is planning to expand their PHL services and in fact already has, although I really haven't noticed any big changes. Since the DL move to A(East) is supposedly back on, we'll just have to wait and see what they do. I agree with an earlier post, under normal circumstances, DL would not initiate TA services 90 miles from JFK - unless they had a specific agenda to relieve US of some business, or there was some merger related strategy in place (not DL and US).
One point is that PHL desperately wants and needs Asia services, which US cannot provide because they won't have the aircraft until 2012 - unless they lease something earlier. However, DL or an Asian carrier could provide that service now.

 

[flyingcat]

One point is that PHL desperately wants and needs Asia services, which US cannot provide because they won't have the aircraft until 2012 - unless they lease something earlier. However, DL or an Asian carrier could provide that service now.

DL and asia service

Boy is that a riot they barely have Tokyo service and thats it. They have a history of cutting Asian service not expanding it. Unless there is a merger DL will NEVER fly Asia to PHL. There are more likely to fly to Europe but JFK is far too close and they are committed there. If anyone could start PHL asia service it would have to be ANA. With UA starting IAD service they could end IAD and move to PHL.