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Delta is back at it in Japan. After doing their best to lose Northwest’s brand position in Japan, playing games with Seattle-Haneda, threatening politicians in Minneapolis, in response to the new US-Japan agreement for 10 daytime and 2 nighttime slots to be split among US and Japan carriers, Delta has responded today by applying for 3 of 5 US daytime slots to operate service out of Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Atlanta. Will they fly each of these once a month, too?
I get it that Tokyo-Narita is far from Tokyo city, that Japan is no longer the dominant Asian economy, and costs there are high, yet I love connecting there and wish US carriers weren’t falling over themselves to dump this smooth hub in favor of US airports. The old Northwest Tokyo hub sent out numerous US flights direct to major markets, avoiding the US port of first entry hassle for connecting US passengers.
As for the hardball political games over Haneda, I am not the expert, so I am getting my popcorn and ready for the show. Update: Wandering Aramean has published a detailed analysis and his predictions. Newark- Haneda would be great!
Readers, peer into your crystal ball, how will the Haneda slots play out?
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Agreed that connecting in NRT – when UA & NW had a slew of onward flights – was fairly easy, reliable, and more pleasant that going via another USA gateway. But those days are over, The U.S. carriers have pretty much ended their own onward service in favor of JV partners, and HND will become the primary business airport, leaving NRT mainly a discount airline airport. DL definitely loses as this transition occurs because UA and AA have JV partners with rich connections at HND and DL does not. If DL could create a JV with KE, then they could… Read more »
Delta has no intention of operating MSP-HND, they are throwing sh*t on the wall see what sticks.
I miss nwa.
Delta will use the MSP-HND flight to get concessions from the MAC council and then cancel it before it starts… Probably with some pretext like terrorism.
Delta will get one – probably ATL – and would be lucky to keep LAX, too. MSP has to be a joke.