nycbusdriver
Veteran
Would DL want more China frequencies? Maybe just to keep competition out, like they've done with Brazil?
Yes. In the retail industry (especially supermarkets) it would be called a "loss leader." Keep the customers coming to your store by selling a few staple items below cost and spread the losses over the entire operation.
Delta certainly has the airplanes to grab that route and start it tonight (if they had a mind to.) It also keeps yet another precious slot in the Delta bin, keeps USAirways out of it and yet again diminishes what little is left of USAirways credibility when it comes to bidding these slots.
If USAirways back out of China, they might as well plan on NEVER going further west than Hawaii. The DOT will round-file their application before even opening the envelope.