WorldTraveler
Corn Field
- Dec 5, 2003
- 21,709
- 10,662
AA doesn't have enough int'l airplanes to fly anywhere close to the opportunities available to it. DL has 21 767-400s that are waiting to be converted to int'l configuations; DL has no shortage of planes to grow its European and Latin operations, including service to London from JFK which will likely come if the US and the EU sign their open skies pact - which while bothersome to some is more likely than not to pass.
DL's JFK int'l operation is largely built on service to partner countries and unique destinations that DL alone serves such as Moscow, Istanbul, and Athens. However, DL does well in Spain (4 flights/day from ATL and JFK during the summer for several years) and AMS even though DL does not codeshare on KL beyond AMS - service to 3 gateways in the summer.
DL and AA have been in each other's faces for years. Remember that DL has just been flying to S. America for 10 years and is already the second largest airline to S. America (ahead of CO and incumbent UA via Pan Am). AA also has expanded to Florida from LGA while DL is in the transcons. There are many similar markets. As was mentioned, AA has a very small European operation from JFK at present although it is largely concentrated on LHR (partner hub). They do also serve JFK-FCO (Rome) in the summer. A big chunk of CO's European network is flown w/ 757s which can't fly very far into Europe at all; if you want to talk about airplanes to avoid overseas, I think CO's transatlantic 757s would be it. And as DL's 764s open up western European routes, the 763s will be used to develop new routes that AA and CO can't touch because the 777 is too big for many new routes and is better used to fly very-long range routes such as to India (but the 777 still can't reach southern India where Delta flies).
Actually, SJU is a pretty important market because some of the largest agencies in NYC have significant ethnic business; DL has to cater to that segment if they are to get the other business those agencies provide as well.
Like it or not, DL will be a major player in NYC and will offer pretty comparable service to AA and CO in the not-too-distant future. And DL doesn't have to pay the billions of dollars of facility rent that AA and CO since DL instead opted for a $300 terminal update instead of new ones; AA's rent amounts to $20 per passenger - one/fourth of a current fare from JFK to SJU.
DL's JFK int'l operation is largely built on service to partner countries and unique destinations that DL alone serves such as Moscow, Istanbul, and Athens. However, DL does well in Spain (4 flights/day from ATL and JFK during the summer for several years) and AMS even though DL does not codeshare on KL beyond AMS - service to 3 gateways in the summer.
DL and AA have been in each other's faces for years. Remember that DL has just been flying to S. America for 10 years and is already the second largest airline to S. America (ahead of CO and incumbent UA via Pan Am). AA also has expanded to Florida from LGA while DL is in the transcons. There are many similar markets. As was mentioned, AA has a very small European operation from JFK at present although it is largely concentrated on LHR (partner hub). They do also serve JFK-FCO (Rome) in the summer. A big chunk of CO's European network is flown w/ 757s which can't fly very far into Europe at all; if you want to talk about airplanes to avoid overseas, I think CO's transatlantic 757s would be it. And as DL's 764s open up western European routes, the 763s will be used to develop new routes that AA and CO can't touch because the 777 is too big for many new routes and is better used to fly very-long range routes such as to India (but the 777 still can't reach southern India where Delta flies).
Actually, SJU is a pretty important market because some of the largest agencies in NYC have significant ethnic business; DL has to cater to that segment if they are to get the other business those agencies provide as well.
Like it or not, DL will be a major player in NYC and will offer pretty comparable service to AA and CO in the not-too-distant future. And DL doesn't have to pay the billions of dollars of facility rent that AA and CO since DL instead opted for a $300 terminal update instead of new ones; AA's rent amounts to $20 per passenger - one/fourth of a current fare from JFK to SJU.
