Delta Air Lines plans to expand its presence between Seattle and London this coming winter, as flagged by @IshrionA. I suspect this is intended as a preemptive move given Alaska Airlines’ long haul expansion, but I can’t help but think the airline is being a bit too aggressive…
Continue reading: Delta’s Optimistic Seattle To London Heathrow Expansion
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Ben, earlier today Sean M., a 'UK Airline Scheduled Analyst', posted on his X account that Delta's second daily service is just a time swap, and that the old service will be removed from schedule soon. I have found the guy to be pretty reliable in the past so I guess that's what's happening here.
Unlikely to last and way too much capacity for DL on this route, going up against tough competition from BA, which benefits from AS.
With a massive US recession on the horizon, look for a sharp pullback from DL at SEA and LAX.
Ben, you should fly in economy on the UAL 787 b/c that is what i always fly, not business class.
Agree….way too much capacity for SEA-LHR… especially since SEA airport is saturated with one of the worst designed international arrivals terminals
I think this is a strategic move after they axed LAX-LHR. SEA got a healthy boost as they routed a good number of passengers via SEA.
Hopefully, this isn't a full market exit of VS and instead just a seasonal shift. VS is much more award travel friendly. The VS point of sale is stronger in Europe anyhow and that's the peak tourism period for Seattle.
Regardless this does match what VS was citing in the article last weak about weakening US demand.
This makes the most sense, but that would be a shame with the aircraft downgrade from the neo to ceo.
Also, just a quick correction. BA has 14x weekly service during NS with double dailies, they reduce down to 10x weekly in NW. I could see DL reducing their frequencies in the winter and just using this as a placeholder for now, as they largely match the OW JV frequencies.
Also AY did bump up some frequencies to SEA as well, which is a relevant factor as a part of the TATL JV market, however, that is only in the summer.
I am surprised that DL doesn't operate one daily and let VS operate the other daily. As a JV partner it seems to push VS off of routes, but perhaps I'm wrong.
VS is for the UK point of sale and getting UK O&D, which is why VS services the top O&D airports in the US.
This article lacks the proper historical context. During the summer, normally Delta and VS run 1x daily frequency to match BA's double dailies. And seasonally DL reduces capacity and has moved it to MCO for the past few years to capture Florida/Europe leisure demand. DL moving its airframe back to daily SEA for the summer is normal and has been the case for a very long time.
The change is far less drastic than what is being represented. The more signficant of it being if VS does indeed exit the market. And possibly up to 4x additional weekly frequencies, which could be necessary as LAX-LHR is no longer served by DL
Long range airline planning has always been a crapshoot for anything more than 3 months in advance.
Given the current environment, it is beyond impossible to have any idea what will happen in the fall, let alone the winter.
the good news, if there is any, is that the UK got put into the lowest tier of tariffs so the US and UK could become bestest of buddies compared to the rest of Europe.
There is talk of the US joining the Commonwealth so we have that possibility to look forward to.
Why fly DL when you can fly the VS A330 for a better points deal and better onboard experience?
This only made sense in the 787 days.
While Delta has cancelled its MCO-LHR service, it seems Virgin is adding a 3x weekly flight compared to last year, meaning there isn't a loss of capacity on the route. The same thing happened when DL launched the MCO-LHR route, with VS pulling some frequencies on the route and giving it to DL. It seems it's just about who operates the route. I flew Delta's MCO-LHR flight earlier this year, and the flight wasn't too full (but I was traveling on a Wednesday in the middle of February). Meanwhile, Virgin's frequency on the same route was much more packed, despite the (in my opinion) less desirable flight timings.
A virgin just announced they’re canceling their route from Seattle to London I believe, probably heading towards Asian demand.
"There is talk of the US joining the Commonwealth so we have that possibility to look forward to."
I absolutely hate that someone can say something so obviously and patently asinine and I can't call them out as being the most unintelligent, wildly optimistic(?), unrealistic mouth breather of all time... because our Glue-Sniffer in Chief might actually pursue that. Literally makes no sense.
stefen, you should fly in business class on the UAL 787 b/c that is what Ben always fly, not economy.
Money on that this additional DL service will not launch. Who's going to be flying TATL from either side with a wrecked economy?
get a second cup of coffee or hit of whatever you do to tip yourself to or from reality. glue sniffing might work too.
Of course it makes no sense. Nothing does at least w the economy or politics or global relations right now.
btw, in real life, the WSJ has an article about the cost of Brexit to the UK and says there MIGHT BE some cautionary lessons for the US.
With an epic, 1930s-scale Depression on the horizon, look for a sharp pullback from all airlines at SEA and LAX and everywhere else as the world economy collapses.
There, I fixed it for you.
How can Alaska and British Airways possibly believe they can compete with the world's only PERFECT airline?
SEA-LHR was a weak market even back in the Pan Am days with PA & BA duking it out. It was my favorite non-rev route, always a guaranteed seat (F-Class)!
SEA-LHR was a weak market even back in the Pan Am days with PA & BA duking it out. It was my favorite non-rev route, always a guaranteed seat (F-Class)!
I absolutely hate that someone can say something so obviously and patently asinine and I can't call them out as being the most unintelligent, wildly optimistic(?), unrealistic mouth breather of all time... because our Glue-Sniffer in Chief might actually pursue that. Literally makes no sense.”
This should be a disclaimer for every single world that little irrelevant Tim writes.
Ben forgets that airlines are for a profit business. The A350-1000 will be a total game changer for Delta in 2027. The LATAM JV will put AA out of business. DL’s majority 4.8% stake in KL/AF is the reason why the world has La Premiere. Another click bait headline just to generate page views and tarnish the perfect reputation of Sir Edward Bastian.
How is this a clickbait headline, when it is giving information about schedule changes? As for the rest of your comment, unless you're an expert in aviation policy or business - something we have no evidence of - it's just a lot of speculation to draw attention to your unnecessary and frankly ill-tempered accusation.
Little Tim, you miss understand being a laughing stock for being someone who people “jump in with both feet”. It’s amazing how much you live in your own sick reality. In your mind, people come running to read what you write because you think you are brilliant, when in reality, people come to have a quick laugh and the go back to their business. You’re just like a little toy that entertains people for free. But I digress. It’s useless to try to talk reason with someone incapable of being rational.
I don’t really care what people think. If you haven’t figured that out, you are the one who doesn’t get it. I do find it beyond comical, how much you and others can’t wait to jump on my posts.
and yet you spend your entire day waiting to see who replies to you for a good laugh.
Tim, get a life. Even your delta brethren think you're an idiot.
Did Aero go to bed? he seemed like a good candidate for your random fake profile posters on this one?
Tim, you really need to drink less. You use the wrong profiles when you drink like this. Even delta knew enough to fire you for this. 😉
Lol. And just look up how many routes that JV has been dropping. DL cannot even make MIA-MCO work despite it being to feed LA and all their announcements about their nee mega hub at MIA. They will end up making ATL some holy grail of their JV (and no one gives a damn whether they fly 100 dailies to ATL from Latin America or not). LA is slowly realizing how useless DL is for their network.
You must be referring to the old International Arrivals Facility. It was terrible. The new one is amazing. Opened in 2022.
I have had all kinds of funny living the rest of my life....only to drop in and see the losers that think they will prove me to be a loser.
Don't you see what a failure you are?
I still hold center court here - and you bow down when I show up
They might try to pull passengers down from Vancouver, it WestJet is helping?
A lot of customers might try to a oid pathetic Air Canada.
“I still hold center court here - and you bow down when I show up”
This is gold LOL ! I think little Timmy may have won the discussion (if it was in kindergarten). A little bit more juvenile than this and you’re back in the womb little Timmy.
for currently published schedules on Sun Dec 7, VS will operate a 3.25 pm dept. from SEA to LHR and DL will operate flights at 5.20 and 6.55 pm
maybe, just maybe, DL has gotten wind that AS is on the verge of being invited to the oneworld JV and DL is staking out its territory.
Does WestJet fly YVR-SEA?? DL, AS & AC have many combined daily flights. Pretty sure WestJet flys to Calgary & Edmonton seasonally to SEA.
Plain Jane, those who know, know that the only truly “Fake profile poster” is you darlink.
You certainly know absolutely nothing about aviation or time zones that’s for sure.
Amazing? Walk forever, wait for your luggage pre immigration forever, kiosks constantly not working...
JonNYC posts this = instant credibility as he actually knows things
You, not so much
First, nowhere did Ben put the specific times and second. I read what Ben writes not what Jon writes.
It’s rather sad and disappointing for us here in MCO, loosing the DL connection to LHR! I was hoping that it would have paid off for DL. Our service to Sao Paolo was axed a few years ago. Gives me little hope for MCO-AMS service. I’d love to see DL “re hub” MCO, but it doesn’t look like it will happen VS does have twice daily MCO-LHR, but honestly, their service (last flown by me in Dec), seriously lacked DL’s onboard service and attention to detail.
Ben, you forgot that American tried this a couple of years ago. The idea was to fly 787's, but they weren't delivered on time, so they used 777's. This was great for frequent flyer redemption, but ultimately ended with America pully out and transferring the aircraft to a late LAX departure.