Quote:
Originally Posted by Rail Claimore
I don't know how AA makes 2X daily service to NRT out of DFW work considering there's also 1X daily service on UA out of IAH and AA is bleeding money like crazy on practically all its transpacific routes. They just cut their ORD-NRT service to 5X weekly while NH is now doing 2X daily and UA just upgauged their service to 744 from 777. And despite Texas' strong business ties to East Asia, Texas' Japanese population numbers roughly 17K. I'd wager there's twice that number in the Southeastern states served by ATL alone.
|
You know Rail, I would not be surprised if a portion of that traffic on AA from Dallas is the extremely loyal base of Miami flyers. I think the rest of Florida probably transits through here. I'm frankly shocked at how small the Japanese population of TX is, though. The Japanese Consulate of Atlanta estimated the population here as high as 10,000 in the Metro alone way back in 1990! I can't find current numbers, but I suspect they would at least be double that or more now. And you are right as far as AA bleeding $$ on their Asian routes - it's sad, but it is by far their weakest spot.
Quote:
I'm also still trying to figure out how AA is making DFW-ICN work when KE doesn't even fly daily out of DFW (just 5X weekly). DFW is a poor connecting point to Asia for anyone outside Texas or Louisiana.
|
It has to be the fantastic economy in the DFW area - what else can explain this?
Quote:
We should count our blessings: ATL-ICN is by far the biggest transpacific route out of the Southern US, and is probably the only route that can maintain daily service on O&D alone if it came down to that. I'd like to also see 2X daily service brought back on the ATL-NRT route. That used to be the frequency a few years ago, but it seems that ICN is the favored connecting point to the rest of Asia via Skyteam partner KE.
|
Yeah, I agree. But, as someone that sends people all over the world every day, many of my clients very much prefer transiting through ICN far, far more than they do NRT lately. It's one of the nicest hubs in the world, and I honestly believe NRT is going to slowly be downsized by Delta. Especially combined with the buildup of Seattle as the new trans-Pacific West Coast hub, and the new aircraft order announced this week. It will never go away, but it will be shrinking. Flights into HND won't help matters.
You continue to amaze me with your knowledge of the business!