Originally Posted by
forgot to bid
If JFK was all that great for domestic operations, why was it just hanging there for JetBlue to pick in 1999 but LGA wasn't?
LGA was and is full. I still can't believe Clinton tried to "stimulate" air travel by allowing a slot-free RJ free for all. That sure worked out well.
Anyway gotta give JB credit WRT JFK. The whole industry shunned it and it was a sleepy little airport way out in the swamp other than an insane afternoon/evening push where the entire world thought it was a good idea to leave at the exact same time. DL really thought pax would be cool with flying into LGA, cabing it at their own expense, waiting in line again and going through security again, to fly out of JFK internationally.
But honestly DL and the entire industry was wrong about JFK. While LGA may be a bit better for some, for millions of others JFK is actually better and even when LGA is preferred for most the difference is negligible. NYC needs the capacity at both and so now both are full and will remain so. That's the point here. SWA wants and needs in NYC and AA really needs a lot more JFK. If their pilots don't cave on scope and allow an "unlimited JB code share" then they will buy JB, all or in part. They have no other choice. Regardless of what happens there, SWA needs to go big into the big apple and will make a move before too much longer. I'd immagine they'd like to split it with AA but they'd take it all if they had to.
Virgin SFO on the other hand might make a good combo with a Virgin Atlantic codeshare.
Sure from a wholistic culture sociology standpoint, that would be a good fit. So was Frontier with JB and that didn't happen. If JB and VX did get together, their order books combined would be huge. I see that factoring into it as well. No one else in the industry wants that. And even if JB merged with VX, right now that does nothing to prevent them from being gobbled up. All VX would do is add more west coast feed that AA and DL would need if the other (or less likely, SW) went after AS.
It could even result in an earlier move where someone goes straight for VX but I'd bet its more of a reactionary move than a proactive one.
Speaking of VX, imagine how posh that SLI would be. Here's a 3 year guy that will be sliding in with your 25+ year guys...LOL!