Nw Wusses Out Of Den-lax

[enilria]

Here's what you get if you try to buy DEN-LAX after 8/31/2004:

"No Matching Flight Found
No Northwest Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, or codeshare partner flights were found between Denver (All Locations), CO (DEN) and Los Angeles (All Locations), CA (LAX) that matched your request. Check our service destinations and routes. "

Where I come from this is the definition of "cancelled service", but NW's spokesperson says it an oversight (see below)??? No wonder they are losing money. Maybe it's doing so well, they've decided they don't need any bookings to make money!!!

It's comical really. So everybody who was booked has been reaccomodated off to god knows where by reservations (industry practice when a flight is removed for sale) and they are adding it back? Either they are idiots for saying a cancelled flight isn't really cancelled when it is or they are idiots for not taking advance bookings on a route they are currently flying and intend to keep flying.





from the Rocky Mountain News...
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/busi...2779794,00.html

"Interestingly, tickets for Northwest's service on the route aren't available after Aug. 31. Spokeswoman Mary Stanik insists she has been told the carrier will reload the schedules so people can book flights after that date and that Northwest isn't dropping the service.

Carriers typically load schedules so passengers can book far in advance of travel. For example, Frontier said it usually allows fliers to book flights nearly a year in advance."

 

[Kev3188]

The article makes a good point; there really is no connectivity between DEN-LAX for NW (maybe from the NRT flights?). Ditto with he LAX-LAS trip, though LAX-MKE seems to be doing okay......I think this was more of a way to increase A/C utilization. JMO.

 

[Cart Pusher]

This had nothing to do with aircraft utilization or connectivity, it had everything to do with NW telling F9 to stop playing in their back yard. As soon as F9 pulls out of the MSP-LAX market, NW will pull out of the DEN-LAX market, guaranteed. As for connections, however, NW flies nonstop NRT from LAX and will be adding back HNL. That, in addition to the many cities that AS flies to from LAX offer some connecting opportunities. Not alot, but some.

 

[Kev3188]

Hadn't thought about AS (or QX for that matter)....Well put.

 

[enilria]

As soon as F9 pulls out of the MSP-LAX market, NW will pull out of the DEN-LAX market

Well...NW has pulled out of the DEN-LAX market since it's no longer for sale which is the definition of cancelled, yet F9 remains in MSP-LAX...so I guess score one for F9.

 

[Kev3188]

Proving that I had a lot of free time on my hands this morning, here are the loads booked on this route for today:

DEN-LAX

Flight 959 booked to 24 out of 148
Flight 961 booked to 5 out of 148


LAX-DEN

Flight 960 booked to 69 out of 148
Flight 962 booked to 14 out of 148

 

[dbcwaar]

You are all kidding your self if you think NW will just lay down to F9. Look at the history of NW when low-cost carriers have come into their markets (ie. Sun County, Vanguard, etc.). Its just too bad UA didn't take an aggressive stance against F9 years ago in DEN. F9 is entering into OA markets that they don't belong in and will ultimately pay for it in the end.

 

[nwa_dc10]

You are all kidding your self if you think NW will just lay down to F9. Look at the history of NW when low-cost carriers have come into their markets (ie. Sun County, Vanguard, etc.). Its just too bad UA didn't take an aggressive stance against F9 years ago in DEN. F9 is entering into OA markets that they don't belong in and will ultimately pay for it in the end.

I think NW has proved over and over again "we don't play well with others," and this is no exception.

 

[NWACSA]

Checked this AM and flights are available to purchase in September and October on the random dates I chose.

IMO, a stupid move on the part of NW <_< ...I would much rather see the service cancelled than continuing to operate on what have to be money-losing routes. The 2 flights per day will not hurt F9, UA or AA (all which serve the market nonstop) in the least (over 15 flights/day between the cities without NW's service).

I guess I don't see the "big picture" :huh:

 

[Kev3188]

NWACSA--

I had seen the continuation in PARS as well; Right now between AA/UA/F9, there are 19 flts. each way per day. I'm with you- I'd much rather see that equipment used in a better (read:more profitable) market.

 

[hp-csr-phx]

How is your LASLAX route doing? I was surprised that we (HP) are still code sharing with you on that route.

 

[Kev3188]

Actually, it's doing pretty well overall....(booked 142/148 on the 14th, for example).

 

[NWACSA]

How is your LASLAX route doing? I was surprised that we (HP) are still code sharing with you on that route.

The LAS-LAX flight is serving it's purpose, mainly feeding the LAX-NRT flight. It's not actually "new" service but a reinstatement of a flight we operated up until 9/11, at one time simultaneously with our LAS-NRT nonstop.
No offense, but there were some service issues with HP and this flight was added with the urging of the tour companies in Japan, as I understand it...I saw a few instances where NW code share passengers were involuntarily denied boarding on the HP flight to LAX which resulted in HP giving the ticket to JL (read as revenue lost to NW and a customer upset with NW), in other cases they were booked the next day. It also allievates some of the need to route LAS-Asia customers via SFO, which has it's own issues with delays and regular misconnections.