no, I am not interested in or trying to shut down anything.
I am well aware that we have a different opinion about DAL but the notion that DL can stay now that the operation can support DL's 5 flights plus WN's 180 won't be the factor that determines the outcome.
Either DL's reason for insisting that it had a right to stay in the first place was right and if so, then the basis for DL to stay long term and to add the flights it requested to add BEFORE WN announced its schedule to use the 18 gates is just as valid.
it will be a whole lot harder for WN or DAL to argue that DL should be kicked out when it is clear that the operation is working with DL there.
but again, WN said for months that there wouldn't be room for DL when WN brought its schedule up to 180 flights so why should anyone believe that the schedule can't work with 8 or 9 more flights?
The article you raised poses some very interesting questions and trends in the industry - which the author did not fully elaborate and you did not bring out.
first, low fuel prices will provide the basis for increased demand, esp. as airlines are forced to be more aggressive with pricing not only to not give up ground to ULCCs but also to avoid displeasure from the government with a consolidated industry.
second, airport space will become increasingly limited and some airports will become even more difficult for airlines to expand. DAL will certainly be at the top of the list.
but third, and this brings it back to DAL, if WN can get by with dominating DAL and not allowing other competitors in, then you can bet your bottom dollar that DL and AA will argue aggressively about whether they should have to give anything up or make any accommodations for other carriers if the LGA and DCA perimeter restrictions are lifted.
I don't want to get into a long pi789ng match, but WN pulled a huge smokescreen over the DOJ during the AA/US merger process and WN succeeded at getting access to DCA that has never been given to any other carrier other than to B6 when they launched from JFK. JFK had a whole lot more space available at the time. WN argued that they should have the right to bid their way into DCA in a highly limited bid that would ensure that WN would be the carrier with the deepest pockets and wouldn't face any real competition in bidding.
I can absolutely assure you that process will not be repeated.
It is now very obvious that the DOJ's actions at DCA and LGA did little to diversify or expand the market at DCA or LGA beyond B6 and WN but simply took a chunk of the legacy carriers' business and shifted it to B6 and WN.
the DOJ's actions at DAL and DCA were done in part to ensure that AA could recover the most amount of money from the divested slots rather than to increase competition.
Further, it is even more obvious that the DOJ's requirement that the AA gates at DAL be divested to a single carrier has limited growth to other carriers besides VX but has also resulted in VX clearly adding the AUS flights solely to hang onto the gates and block them from being used by other airlines.
The DOJ stuck their nose into the AA/US case without proper preparation or understanding of the airline industry and the results of their decisions clearly show that they did not increase the competitive environment near as much as they could have if they had not allowed WN to have so much influence as it did in the process.
even if a court requires that AA and DL divest slots at DCA and LGA - and I doubt if they can require it because there is no change in the number of slots by any carrier but rather how they are used. Every carrier that serves DCA or LGA or could has the choice NOW of how they want to use their slots and they will continue to have that option. If they want to fly longhaul routes, then it will have to come at the cost of some shorthaul flights - and every carrier will have to make that same decision.
what is certain is that there will be no more slots created at LGA - which is how the feds have added longhaul flying from DCA. They did not take any slots from any existing slot holders but simply added longhaul slots for new service; there simply is no way that LGA can handle any more flights.
and finally, WN might like to have a game where they can win and no other carrier can, but I can assure you that AA and DL will be very quick to point out what WN has been able to get by with at DCA, LGA, and DAL - even if DL stays at DAL and expands - and WN won't be given another pass at AA and DL's expense.
so, as much as you want to think that WN or other carriers will once again waltz into Washington and get even more access to LGA and DCA if those airports relax their perimeter restrictions, you will undoubtedly find yourself very disappointed. WN got its slots and it will have to make up its mind whether it really needs to operate as many short-haul flights from LGA and DCA as it does now if it also wants to add flights to places like PHX, LAS, and OAK.
and even more so if WN refuses to bend regarding access for other carriers at DAL, the chances that AA or DL will either roll over to WN or any other carrier are slim while they will both be very quick to point out what WN has been able to get by at DAL.
and as has been noted, arguing that WN brought down fares for the new markets won't fly when it is obvious that fares to previous WN cities from DAL have gone up and AA and WN have both managed to further concentrate the DAL/DFW market between themselves because AA and WN were both able to essentially cherry pick who they could compete with out of DAL.