I wish Delta (and Delta UK, aka Virgin Atlantic) good luck - they're going to need it.
Of course this is Delta taking advantage of an opportunity to deprive AA/BA of another peak-time LHR slot pair, although I remain highly skeptical that Delta will be able to make this work - just as I was skeptical of Delta's ability to make double-daily 767s BOS-LHR, or even a single 767 MIA-LHR, work.
Just goes to show yet again how committed Delta is to "capacity discipline."
As for Delta (or Virgin) attempting, let alone actually succeeding in, LHR-DFW and/or LHR-IAH ... they're going to need more than just luck for those two. Considering that Delta couldn't make a nonstop work between MIA and LHR, even when that is one of the busiest transatlantic city pairs and Delta is quite strong in South Florida, it is beyond laughable to suggest that Delta could ever make Texas work from LHR. It appears the detachment from reality and misplaced sense of Delta's entitlement/invincibility continues. Another day, another laugh, I suppose.
it's all a laugh to you, isn't it?
for DL it is about growing its presence in key markets.
The EU ordered a divestiture for the AA/BA JV to be extended to include US.
it is NO surprise that DL applied for this route. No surprise to anyone.
PHL is NOT a huge market and US has done a good job of developing the int'l potential the market has.
Still, a 757 is not a large aircraft and US uses it on multiple flights from PHL to Europe. To argue the 757 is subpar when AA/US use less equipped versions of the same airframe for other TATL flying is simply hypocritical.
DL doesn't have huge expectations of success or they would have scheduled a larger aircraft. a single 757 in a TATL market isn't going to make or break anything for anyone.
As for DFW or IAH to LHR, DL may or may not go after it but DL has proven that they have the wherewithal to see opportunity even in key industry markets and use its JV partners to get what it needs in revenue to make those routes work.
LAX-LHR is an example where AA/BA clearly have an enormous advantage but DL decided it is worth making it work, again with a fairly small aircraft.
the bigger question is why AA or BA hasn't been willing to take on DL in some of their hubs - or launch more than one flight/day from ATL
and DL does serve MIA to LHR thru its JV and unlike any of AA's JVs, DL owns equity in VS which means DL has twice the ability to work with VS. DL knows not only what VS does on its LHR routes because that is part of the JV but on all of VS' network because of DL's equity and board position.
Let's see you are 17 to 1 ahead of me - so I don't have to worry about catching up - I know math is hard for you - no way for me to catch up - it's like DL there is no way for anyone to compete with DL and there is no way for anyone to catch up to WT on posts
It takes very special thinking to bloviate like the high poster
again, why are you so preoccupied with what someone else does?
WT could this be a ploy to get a corporate contract for a PHL company much like the ORD flight that was loaded for sale and removed approximately four weeks later?
Josh
perhaps but since this also involves a divestiture order, it probably is a route DL intends to keep.
further, ORD-LHR didn't happen but LAX did.