Delta applies for China frequencies to begin LAX-PEK late 2016

FWAAA

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Jan 5, 2003
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I predict there will be a contentious, competitive frequency allocation case for these:

LOS ANGELES Delta plans to begin daily nonstop service between Los Angeles International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport on Dec. 16, 2016, pending U.S. Department of Transportation and foreign government approval.

L.A., the largest market for service to Asia, drives 21 percent of all U.S.-Asia demand, and the start of Beijing service marks Deltas fifth daily nonstop flight to the Asia-Pacific region in addition to Tokyo-Narita, Tokyo-Haneda, Shanghai and Sydney. Shanghai service was added in July 2015, and Delta will be the only carrier to offer service to both Beijing and Shanghai from Los Angeles. The launch of service is timed to capture peak holiday and Chinese New Year traffic.
http://news.delta.com/delta-launch-daily-service-between-la-and-beijing

For the last several years, since the Great Recession, there have been plenty of China frequencies, such that UA, AA and DL have simply applied for them, polled their competitors, and when no objections arose, the DOT awarded the frequencies.

This time, I doubt that UA and AA simply consent. I'll bet that both UA and AA make competing applications.
 
I suspect that AA won't bring up the airplane size issue anymore, because if it does, Delta's attorney will administer a well-deserved beating upon AA for its failure to live up to its promise of flying LAX-HND with a 777. In AA's filings to take away the SEA-HND frequency, AA wrote page after page about DL's constant down-sizing of airplanes after it wins route cases.

In this case, DL has promised to use a 291-seat 777, which exceeds the seating capacity of AA's 777s, so AA isn't going to win any points on that issue.
 
Yeah, I'd expect AA to probably file just to get a route case opened up.

lpbrian said:
If AA gets daytime Haneda slots perhaps LAX-HND will get upgraded to a 777
^^This^^.

I'd expect demand for daytime slots would see the equipment for LAX-HND and LAX-NRT swapped to a 773 and 787 respectively.