Originally Posted by qball

And you are basing that on what information pray tell?


ATL growing...MSP getting smaller?



ATL apparently has a very lucrative O&D numbers whereas (if you are talking about FLIGHTS and not based employees, I would wager) MSP does not. Believe it or not, it IS about making money, and the current group of execs are intent on doing that very thing, more so than any of the morons that have graced us with their presence in the time I have been here. And I for one do not want us to fly to places where we do not make money. They have been creative, and diligent in attaining their goals. Now, because MSP is apparently in YOUR paradigm of the top 1 places on the planet we should be flying, I am sure they are wrong in their analysis. I don't want MSP to go anywhere either though because all of those guys are senior, and that means more displacements downstream...



My paradigm is purely selfish...the only one leg commute there is for me. That said..my thoughts are not purely about MSP. I am wondering when ATL will reach critical mass if it has not already exceeded that. How much longer can they keep stuffing more stuff in there. I think a good deal of the cutbacks in MSP have as much to do having to deal with the state of Minnesota. The only reason MSP was the hub it was IMO was because NWA headquarters was there. After the merger, it is being relegated to the second tier hub it probably always would have/should have been. There was also a somewhat acrimonious relationship between NWA and the state and a fairly hostile media as well. I'm sure RA is long tired of dealing with that.



Oh, and FWIW, I have heard Mr Anderson say on more than one occasion that he likes DTW because of it's position on the great circle routes to both Asia and Europe.. so it is probably safe.



I would agree with that and DTW gates, etc are laid out better than MSP...but it's still...well... Detroit.



Now Timbo and I are still waiting for that E190 base in MCO... the number 1 tourist destination on planet earth... Of course Virgin insists on flying 2 to 4 747-400s there a few times each week.. and we all know how well they are doing financially, don't we?



Who gets to be the chief pilot?

/rant

Regarding "critical mass" at the ATL. I heard firsthand from an unimpeachable source that the land is available for a 6th strip of asphalt in ATL. (He didn't say whether it was or was not going to be built anytime soon however). So I don't think "critical mass" will hit that place for a long time. For the first 20 years of my career I avoided that place like a Lady Gaga concert. Now that I have been domesticated and every trip starts with a leg to the ATL, I have come to realize how really head and shoulders above everywhere else it really is. It moves both people and airplanes very well. ATC there is very good (unlike DFW or NY) My only problem with it is that the company revolves around hometown procedures there, and if you are not on top of that, you might find yourself a little frustrated. (For example: does anybody have any idea where the metering freq is published and how in the world I am supposed to know when it is in effect???) But other than those kind of nitnoid things, I think it is a pretty good master base.