Originally Posted by
Skipness One Echo
Delta sent the message to market by leaving the market to VS, United are hanging on but have a decision to make on equipment and AA seem to do well on PHL and ORD is more stable now. As for BA? That's what the shuttle is for alas.
I don't think this is an unreasonable interpretation, but I don't think it's accurate.
Delta "leaving" the market to VS was about expansion. More capacity to JFK and new routes to BOS/SFO. It doesn't sound like SFO/BOS have been doing as well as expected - TCX are attacking VS - but they are back next year. The winter cutbacks to ATL and JFK to something like 3/4 weekly. Getting these routes back to daily in winter should be a key objective, but overall they have been building, and we wait to see what affect the JV with AF/KL has on this, if any.
UA are in an interesting position, particularly in light of their recent retrenchment in the U.K. It looks like they are pulling back into LHR, with EDI and MAN having routes to EWR. Would they bring the 763 to MAN and EDI?
AA have obviously struggled but it's surprised me that ORD seems to have survived. This on the B788 and PHL on the A332 should provide them with the platform to succeed on those routes. Whether success here would lead to anything in the future I have no idea.
Obviously, as more routes become viable direct from MAN, BA's shuttle will become increasingly less competitive and one day they may become vulnerable.