Originally Posted by
acl65pilot
Shiz, I posted about that over a week ago. It is one thing I can see DAL doing. Buying the DFW and MIA hubs and getting everything they can from NYC. I figured if we got DFW, they could shut down CVG, MSP, and SLC. It would give them two heartland hubs the four corner posts, and MIA. (MIA is really not needed, but the traffic to SA would be awesome)
MSP could survive this, but even as a profitable hub, it makes more sense to have two and offer mainline service to almost every city. There could be significant job cuts, but after looking at how I would envision the route networks with DFW most of the cities could be served by mainline, and the 70/76 seat jets we have. We would not need eagle and most of the DCI carriers for lift.
If I was RA, I would be watching AMR, wanting DFW, and MIA and hoping that B6 and LCC got the parts of NYC that were left. I would allow DAL to get the B6 terminal there with no ATI issues. To me the slot swap was always about de-conflicting LCC, AMR and B6 in NYC.
I think every USA Today I picked up at the beginning and mid part of last decade had an article about the pending liquidation of UAL. So with that in mind i just don't foresee AMR liquidating and a land grab occurring.
But let's just say that happens. I go with whatever gloopy says.
But as far as hubs in a no AMR scenario, I think Delta Air Lines will have 2 primary hubs where you see a lot of bulk domestic and international connection flying- ATL and DTW. I think DTW is your north/northeast hub without the headaches of NYC and ATL is your FL-rest of U.S. gateway. Both have capacity and international service and if they can work together it's pretty brilliant for connections.
Coming in third would be DFW as a mid-american hub giving you the O&D of DAL/HOU but also great east-west connection flying. All 3 of those are massive and well oriented to take the bulk population in the east and move them to wherever they want to go. It's too far west to trump DTW/ATL in connection possibilities when you consider the population locations but I still contend it's a fantastic location.
NYC like LAX gives you access to those cities. That's priceless but it's more O&D to me then connections. SEA gives you a Asia-West Coast feed while DTW gives you Asia-East Coast feed. MIA would give you SA-U.S. feed, again priceless.
As to MSP, SLC and CVG? CVG is still too close to big bad DTW. SLC still gives you SLC, why give it up? I think MSP is still your midwest hub and why give it up? Less international flying? maybe.
And I really only draw my conclusions looking at the population maps.
Still don't see that happening with AMR nor do I enjoy talking about it.