BOS-LHR downgauge

[WorldTraveler]

It's not unheard of for slots to be shifted to a different route than initially used for...

Jim

I haven't either and am quite sure that didn't happen but I don't know how DL obtained another slot....

they have said they are looking for more slots so perhaps they have already both at least one which they used to add the ATL flight.

BTW, there are some provisions that, IIRC, slots used for flights to/from the AA/BA cities that were subject to slot divestitures could be shifted to other cities - but after a period of time that I am certain DL has not met.

 

[BoeingBoy]

I haven't either and am quite sure that didn't happen but I don't know how DL obtained another slot....

So who got (or has applied for) the slots for the MIA and 2nd BOS service after DL lost (loses) them...an airline can't just sit on unused slots at LHR forever...

Jim

 

[FWAAA]

I presume that DL relinquished the MIA and BOS slots to BA, which reportedly was leasing them to DL. If another airline wants to serve BOS or MIA (plus, I believe, DFW), then BA would lease the slots to the new competitor.

US recently applied for some new slots from British aviation regulators to increase the PHL frequency and to move the CLT flight to LHR.

 

[WorldTraveler]

yes, AA/BA only had to give slots to US competitors if an airline applied for them and DL was the only one who did.... thus, there was little risk to DL if all 3 slots could not be profitably used other than the normal process for pulling a flight that doesn't work.

I know that US has asked for slots at LHR but I don't think they are citing the same process that DL used - in part because the AA/BA JV process only required slot divestitures at certain airports - and BOS, DFW, MIA are the main ones that come to mind. The rationale was that AA/BA controlled such a percentage of LHR traffic from those airports and there needed to be some mechanism to allow competitors into a market where the ability to find viable slots is highly limited.
I may be wrong, but I don't think there is any mechanism to provide the slots US wants other than for them to obtain them on the open market. If they really believe they will merge with AA, there seems to be very little reason for them to spend money buying slots... but it never hurts to ask since the worst that can happen is you will be told "no."

 

[FWAAA]

There was something in the news articles about US' application for slots that made it sound like they were asking for newly-issued slots, which surprised me, since I thought you'd have to open the checkbook and buy/lease slots on the open market unless you had alliance partners willing to share/swap/lend slots.