Kachjc

oops, sorry for the error!!

but yeah it still holds true that by 2015 CX is NOT decreasing the number of first class seats on offer but just diverting them to routes with the demand

with 40 4 class 777's and 10 3 class 777's ( not sure about the 3 new orders)

I also forgot that Milan got another 6 daily first class seats thus keeping the net total F seats to Europe as Neutral

eponymous_coward

Note that some of the 3-class planes are being flown to North America, to places like YYZ and EWR (some LAX too). It's possible the US isn't a "F sells well" place, like Australia (where CX doesn't fly F). CX has pretty legendary F availability on award out of North America, which kind of reflects that...

sts603

I'm sure it is very city-specific. There is definitely demand for F on HKG-JFK and likely substantial on LAX-JFK as well. The other North American cities, especially YVR, don't have the mass of the types of residents, business men, and celebrities to produce the same level of demand. Finance generates likely most of int'l paid F demand and NYC clearly trumps the other cities in that regard.

eponymous_coward

Also, having a superhub like HKG/FRA/DXB/SIN helps, since you're going to funnel F pax through the superhub (say, on Australia-Europe or what-have-you). The US doesn't really have one, save for maybe JFK or LAX, which aren't dominated by one carrier so it's not the same (and nobody with half a brain longhaul connects in the US anyways, thanks to the TSA and our stupidity about transit passengers).

Ambraciot

I've had repeated success getting F awards on JFK-HKG and HKG-JFK, though it often requires buying a revenue ticket BOS-JFK since saaver seats out of BOS are rare.

What about ATL?

BoeingBoy

ATL doesn't have enough of the type of clients that would support long-haul international FC. Aside from Coca-Cola who there has a big enough world-wide business to use that service? Places like LA have stars, movies/TV shows shot in or stars who live around NYC - the people who'll spend the money for a premium domestic product. A premium internation FC market needs that and more to support itself and few places in the U.S. fit that description. NYC for sure - center of the finance, banking, etc universe. The Gulf, and IAH have the oil business - IAH>Middle East might make sense. SFO/LAX as connecting passengers from Asia to the U.S. - believe it or not, not everyone traveling to LAX/SFO wants the studio or Fishery Row tour.

Jim

eponymous_coward

DL has multiple hubs to flow international traffic across; JFK, DTW, LAX, MSP, SEA.

Oh, and they don't have international F. Don't seem to think they need it.

LH has MUC and FRA... but they also have the largest population in Western Europe.

Ambraciot

Them not having international F despite having the global model for a single airline megahub is the hole in your prior argument. ATL is the largest hub in the world and the place Delta will connect you between Europe and South America or Asia and Africa, yet they only offer J. Some airlines with superhubs have F, some don't, there isn't a strong correlation.

Also LAX is far from a DL international hub, it only has two international flights, it's one of 22 international cities served from the NRT hub and it's the fuel stop for the flight to/from SYD.