Originally Posted by
keenster
Slots in NRT are like gold. Just like slots in LGA or JFK Want to give some of them up? Have been flying the pacific for 20 years in and out of NRT. It is a hub just like ATL,DTW,MSP,SLC,etc. I see alot of 403 pass count on the acars that is full on the 400.
If your philosophy is correct all our hubs should go away. Lets be SWA. We could not have enough widebodies to fly to all the possible cities in Asia and also the current route structure would not support the traffic. Also, some markets will not support a widebody. That is why we have 757s flying markets out of NRT. We have FIFTH FREEDOM RIGHTS and only United has the same rights no other US carriers have this. We can pick up Japan originating passengers and take them anywhere in asia and return them to Japan. Delta, US AIr, Continental, American and the rest can't. Good for Delta that they are getting these Rights. Japan market is highly regulated and slots are few and far in between. So you are talking about a hub that has been in operation longer than some Existing Delta hubs. It sould be expanded not shrunk. I have heard alot about the growth over there on the DAL side.
good luck to us all !!!!!!!!!!!!
keenster
What kind of pax counts do you have beyond Japan? Just curious. Can/do they support the 747? I know that what you talk of here is one of the big reasons that DAL wanted this merger. It gets us into places we would take years if EVER to acquire. So I have never minimalized the contribution that NWA brings to the party. I think most DAL guys (not speaking for them... but JMO) don't know much about Asia since we don't have a lot of presence there. Much like NWA guys don't know a lot about Europe other than AMS. I hear an interesting rumor that the combined company could fly those 5th freedom right cities with 767s or even 757 sized airplanes. I don't know... It's all conjecture anyway since I'm just a line dog.
Oh... and is NW 4 still the flight number from Manila? I flew back on ya'll from my time at Cubi point.