new service from MIA to MXP

[WorldTraveler]

JNB is probably most likely in Africa but could work from MIA also.
There probably aren't a whole lot of opportunities in Africa but part of it is within range of a 757 from PHL so could work even on a seasonal basis.

DXB and KHI are the most likely cities in the Arab Middle East.

Greece is a basket case and IST is home to Turkish which is growing very rapidly and is part of Star. Not much opportunity for anyone else.

TLV should remain a viable destination.

As the excess capacity in India is removed and pricing becomes more rational, India could be a possibility too.

There are easily a half dozen long haul 777 or 787-9 size routes that could work from PHL to Asia, Africa, and S. America.

But the other side of the equation is that there are a number of int'l routes for AA that underperform comparable routes by its US airline peers and either need to be moved (which might include some of the opportunities above) or discontinued. There are not as many underperformers for US but the biggest issue for US' route system is that higher costs and changing alliances will make it harder to make some existing routes work.

Talking about opportunities has to also include talking about what needs to be fixed.

 

[Kev3188]

DXB and KHI are the most likely cities in the Arab Middle East.

Nobody's flying to Karachi...

 

[FWAAA]

Nobody's flying to Karachi...

I'm wondering if WT meant to type KWI, Kuwait.

 

[robbedagain]

does any us air carrier fly to kuwait

 

[MAH4546]

does any us air carrier fly to kuwait

United flies to Kuwait, along with Dubai, Bahrain and Doha.

 

[Glenn Quagmire]

Nobody's flying to Karachi...

I hear Karachi is lovely this time of year.

 

[WorldTraveler]

Nobody's flying to Karachi...

well someone is... it just isn't US carriers... but there are US citizens and resident aliens and others who fly between the US and "there".. just not on US carriers.
and of course Karachi is not in the Middle East.

I'm wondering if WT meant to type KWI, Kuwait.

yes, I did, thank you.

I hear Karachi is lovely this time of year.

... something about "in the eye of the beholder"... but let's remember that Kuwait is not universally adored either.

 

[700UW]

A 757 from PHL to Africa, what are you smoking?

 

[WorldTraveler]

You know the funny thing is that DL has a 757 operating from JFK to Dakar,Senegal tonite and it will come back tomorrow....and it will do that flight dozens more times before the summer and the year is out.

Delta.com has this neat little flight tracking thingy so you can see if the flight makes it there and back. They probably feel pretty sure it will 'cause they have done it for a couple of years.

At 8 hrs and 45 minutes on the return, it is far from one of the longest 757 flights.

Is there some reason why DL can do this flight from JFK but AA-US could not do it from PHL?

There are several other cities in western Africa that are within a few hundred miles of the distance of JFK- Dakar.

then again, not every airline has operated an A330 on an 18 1/2 hr flight like DL has done.

Maybe they not only smoke something down there in Hotlanta but they put it in the jet fuel of their aircraft... probably a secret additive from that refinery near Philly.

 

[700UW]

You mean the one that DL is putting another $100 million into it?

And whoopie do, DL flew and EMPTY A332.

 

[WorldTraveler]

I presume you mean $100M into the refinery..... if so, it would be the one in which DL has managed to use to change the pricing relationship between jet fuel and diesel and save hundreds of millions of dollars... that one.

Yes, we know it was an empty 332 but the question was how many other airlines have done the same...because even with passengers, the 332 is still a very capable long-range aircraft, and the aircraft used did not even have the enhanced take off weight package or the highest thrust engines.

But the thread is about new routes for AA/US who will have 332s and 777s in their fleet on merger day - plus more, including 757s which are capable of flying from the US to Africa even though you seem to think otherwise.

BTW, DL 216 landed in DKR this a.m. and the return flight is preparing to depart - on a 757.

Even after fixing some underperforming routes, there are lots of opportunities for the new AA.

Karachi is probably not one of those opportunites since as Kev and Q note US carriers may not be well receieved there but Kuwait very well could be.

 

[Glenn Quagmire]

...we know it was an empty 332 but the question was how many other airlines have done the same...

I am sure very few plan to do that, and even less are proud of it when it does happen.

It is not good practice for an airline that is in the business of flying passengers and cargo to fly empty aircraft. There is not much profit in that practice.

 

[700UW]

How is DL saving money when Trainer is operating at a loss, not making a profit.

Spin, spin, spin!

 

[FWAAA]

How is DL saving money when Trainer is operating at a loss, not making a profit.

Spin, spin, spin!

Bastian at DL recently noted that the crack spread for jetA in the NYC-PHL region had declined to a smaller spread than for diesel, meaning that all airlines (including DL) are spending less for jetA than they were a few months ago. Of course, DL will claim that its ownership of Trainer is the reason for that crack spread narrowing.

WT summarized the news in this thread recently: http://www.airlinefo...or-dtw-and-msp/

Reuters article: http://www.reuters.c...ketsNews&rpc=43

The spot price for jetA has dropped substantially in the past couple of months. Don't know if there's merely correlation or causation with Trainer.

 

[700UW]

During a time when most refiners are reporting good earning numbers as price gain of petroleum products have outpaced stagnant WTI crude prices, Delta reported loss of $63 million at the Trainer refinery in 4Q, and expects more losses of up to $100 million in 1Q 2013. Delta chalked it up to Sandy, the super storm. However, as Platts reported that in a Dec. 2012 investor call, Delta executives said Trainer plant relies on crudes at about $4/b above Brent (The plant is old and relies on expensive imported crude feedstock mostly from Nigeria.)

[background=rgb(255, 255, 255)]
Read more: http://www.nasdaq.com/article/delta-airlines-got-an-oil-refinery-the-math-does-not-work-cm213367#ixzz2V4Mjuwk4[/background]​