Is this growth, or just shifting assets from other bases? I'm assuming the latter.

No. THIS is a growth.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...7vqRdFjheWO563

But seeing as how just two years ago they were hellbent to park most of the ragged out LUAL fleet (tic), and aren't now, (positively Einsteinian if you ask me), my guess is that there will be a smidge of the G word. Lets hear it for cheap fuel and huge load factors. They make everybody look good!

Hmmm.....looks like he tried to swallow a crew meal, and it got stuck.

Still no Florida base.

We used to have 767 and 777 base in MIA. Went away around 2000 or 2001 if I recall.

How does a Florida base make sense? We do a majority of our deep south flying out of IAH. A Florida base would be nice for some folks, but help me see the business reason for one?

It doesn't, but here we are 10+ years later and folks still won't let it go.

Could there be possibly be some deep/mid south trips flown to take advantage of the local market, yes, but you don't need a base to do that.

I don't personally see a business case for CLE as a base either, for the same reasons. DEN might not be as viable with IAH as a mid-continent connection hub either.

Time will tell.

I would predict no growth, and fewer bases over time rather than more. That is why we merged.

The extra 757's and 763's we decided to keep for a while probably fix a short term need for more appropriate lift to Europe and Hawaii, and keep more mainline aircraft on the property to limit the effects of "scope choke". These aircraft have little residual value, and flying them with low utilization isn't that expensive.

There is little prediction from the company on seat mile growth at the mainline, and most of this is because of the installation of slim-line seats. We will just have more airframes, flying the same amount. The buses and 73's will gain a row or two of seats.