Rjpieces From United States, joined Nov 2003, 7466 posts, RR: 54 Posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 5 days 16 hours ago) and read 4442 times:
Well there have been a few random threads about the cash cow routes of some airlines.......So I thought I would make one thread! List any cash cow routes of US majors.....
"Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon"
PROSA From United States, joined Oct 2001, 5288 posts, RR: 7 Reply 2, posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 5 days 16 hours ago) and read 4345 times:
I'd say that a route may be a cash cow if it (1) is between major business centers, (2) is beyond reasonable driving distance, and (3) lacks LCC competition. LGA-MSP on NW is one that comes to mind.
MAH4546 From Sweden, joined Jan 2001, 26133 posts, RR: 77 Reply 4, posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 4107 times:
AA's most profitable Transatlantic flight is, and has long been, RDU-LGW
That's not a fact. Nobody knows what it is. I've heard it is LAX-LHR, though that is not for certain either.
What is for certain is that RDU-LGW always takes off breaking even, while, a MIA-LHR flight might leave losing money one day, and making money the next.
Legacyins From United States, joined Aug 2003, 1086 posts, RR: 1 Reply 8, posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 3815 times:
AA dropped the SJC-TPE route because it was not making any money. Granted that they only flew the route for a few months but flying a 777 across the Pacific with R/T fares running $400-$500 is really not the way to go. The SJC-NRT route has been holding its own for the past ten years but I really would not consider it a "cash" route.
Nickofatlanta From Australia, joined May 2000, 1284 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 3809 times:
Behramjee -
AA no longer flies SJC-TPE ... can't have been much of a cash cow then!
Thought I read on here that AA MIA-LPB/Santa Cruz makes a fair bit of money because of the lack of competition (except LAB). Additionally, I believed I read that ATL-SCL makes a lot of money off of cargo.
How is SJC-TPE a cash cow route for AA? They have not flown the route for three years. And SJC-NRT has always had an unstable past, so I wouldn't be sure to call it a cash cow. AA just started LAX-NRT, and, while early results have been good, it is too early to call it a cash cow. And MIA-LHR and LAX-LHR probably pull in more cash than ORD-LHR simply due to the fact that capacity is more controlled with respect to demand, especially on MIA-LHR. Also, there is more consistent year-round demand on the routes, with no true off-season.
Then again, this is also speculation, just like your list. Nobody will know the true cash cows, and whatever they are, they aren't the obvious ones (i.e.: they aren't LAX-NRT, MIA-GRU, and JFK-LHR).
UA772IAD From Australia, joined Jul 2004, 1442 posts, RR: 3 Reply 11, posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 3781 times:
UA has also upped service to Osaka, including
1 daily from SFO
1 daily from ORD
1 daily from HNL
Also HNL-NRT is big, as is SFO-HKG ORD-HKG
Domestically I would have to say:
IAD-SFO
IAD-DEN
IAD-ORD
IAD-LAX
SFO-SEA
SFO-All California cities
SFO-HNL
SFO-DEN
SFO-ORD
Basically any route that has more than 3 daily nonstops with large aircraft (Hub-hub routes)
Vortex From United States, joined Jul 2004, 99 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 3723 times:
Co has to list IAH to any one of the New York Area Airports. Ever try to buy a non-stop without a Saturday Night Stay (i.e. business travel), its almost USD 2,000 even beyond 21 days.
777gk From United States, joined Jun 2000, 1641 posts, RR: 51 Reply 13, posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 3693 times:
The high O/D fares to IAH are there just to buoy some of the cheaper connecting fares that are prevalent on this route. Volume is what keeps it profitable...
Back in the day, while I was still FO on the Triple Seven, some trips would have an IAH-EWR-IAH tag, and oftentimes we would go out completely full in both cabins (with healthy load of cargo), and when one would check the manifest, the shocking result would be maybe 15-20 of the 283 pax aboard would be terminating in IAH; the rest were continuing elsewhere. Other flights during the day operate with higher levels of O/D traffic, but you can almost count on at least several of the peak time flights in either direction to be packed to the gills with people whose final destination is not EWR or IAH, CO51 immediately comes to mind.
Behramjee, I can guarantee that both EWR-FRA and EWR-HKG are by no means "cash cows" for Continental. Both make us some money, but certainly are not our "top earners".
Carpethead From Japan, joined Aug 2004, 2320 posts, RR: 3 Reply 15, posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 3653 times:
The only transpac that has lower-yield is the NRT-LAX route because of good competition. NRT-SJC/SFO probably hauls a lot of high-value cargo for the semi-conductor business, so even if pax yields are down, cargo can make up for it. SJC-NRT route for AA has been around for over ten years, I would hardly say it's had a off-and-on history. Just rumors started here at a.net.
Anything that flies to Asia probably rakes in a lot of revenue whether its pax or cargo.
N1120a From United States, joined Dec 2003, 23671 posts, RR: 89 Reply 16, posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 3472 times:
I would guess, if we are talking about majors, that LAX-LAS, BUR-LAS, LAX-MSY, SAN-MDW and several other routes are cash cows for WN. That airline is a cash cow.
Mangeons les French fries, mais surtout pratiquons avec fierte le French kiss
Stock1985 From United States, joined Sep 2003, 72 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 3381 times:
Having just flown JFK-GRU-GIG in July the route cannot be one of AA's star Cash Cow routes in my opinion, while this is just recon from one day, there were only 3 of us sitting in F on the 777. I cannot imagine that MIA-LHR or MIA-BOG,CCS,EZE (especially with AR's lack of service and AA going 3 daily), does not have a higher yeild... While I was upgraded to F from J, I have no idea about the other 2; however, the route must make some money for AA as they put a triple seven on the route.
NZblue From United States, joined Jun 2004, 603 posts, RR: 7 Reply 20, posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 3151 times:
I would think that LAX/SFO-SYD are are two major routes that must be making some kind of money for United, especially since they're going to invest in an additional 3x/weekly service beginning soon from LAX.
Cheers,
NZblue
It's an entirely different kind of flying; all together.
Gilesdavies From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2003, 2267 posts, RR: 2 Reply 22, posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 4 days 17 hours ago) and read 2127 times:
If RDU-LGW and DFW-LGW are some of AA's most profitable routes why havn't they switched these to LHR which opens up even more of a market, and switch some of the less popular routes to LGW???
What is US Airway's Cash Cow routes? (no jokes please, Im sure they have some that make a profit!).
I have heard their MAN-PHL route is highly profitable.
MAH4546 From Sweden, joined Jan 2001, 26133 posts, RR: 77 Reply 24, posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 4 days 17 hours ago) and read 2081 times:
If RDU-LGW and DFW-LGW are some of AA's most profitable routes why havn't they switched these to LHR which opens up even more of a market, and switch some of the less popular routes to LGW???
They can't, neither Raleigh or Dallas are Heathrow gateways under Bermuda II. Also, they probably aren't the most profitable of the London routes...I'd be willing to bet MIA/ORD/LAX/BOS/ORD-LHR make more money, simply because they are all huge O&D markets to London, lots of premium traffic, and they go to Heathrow.
RDU-LGW is guaranteed to break even because of subsidies. I'm sure DFW-LGW makes plenty of cash as well.
ERJ170 From United States, joined Apr 2004, 5784 posts, RR: 22 Reply 25, posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 1930 times:
They can't, neither Raleigh or Dallas are Heathrow gateways under Bermuda II. Also, they probably aren't the most profitable of the London routes
I don't know where it was stated, but I did read somewhere that RDU-LGW was one of the most profitable AA routes.. not THE most profitable, but one of the most profitable. Some AMR Executive actually said it.
Aiming High and going far..
26 Whitehatter: The US folks have said several times that PHL-MAN is the best performing US route due to high loads in Envoy and in the belly. Unfortunately the money
27 Drerx7: Interesting--I'll be on CO51 in a couple of weeks.
28 N670UW: The US folks have said several times that PHL-MAN is the best performing US route due to high loads in Envoy and in the belly. I would guess PHL-MAN-P
29 Whitehatter: I wasn't aware US ever proposed that route. Very recent rumour. US were looking for T1 gate space for a proposed new daily service.
30 ConcordeBoy: That's not a fact. Nobody knows what it is. Not so.According to Managers at the annual purser conference it was JFK-LHR. Well, AA released it in a [on
32 CALMSP: N1120A.......how can LAX-LAS be a cash cow........with a number of carriers flying the route it seems very unlikely that they would be making big buck
33 Quickmover: Wouldn't you think that ATL-MCO would be a cash cow for DL and FL? Both have a huge number of full dailys (delta uses widebodys), and the distance is
34 Monorail: I remember reading that CO's EWR-HNL draws very well
35 N670UW: Wouldn't you think that ATL-MCO would be a cash cow for DL and FL? But when the fares are rock bottom (which I imagine they are), money isn't made (es
36 PROSA: DL's and US's DCA-LGA-BOS shuttles were cash cows until fairly recently, but competition from Acela most likely has changed that.
37 N1120a: If LAS was not a cash cow, why would WN fly as many as 15X a day from LAX, 12X a day from BUR, 10X a day from ONT and 4X a day from SNA? Probably not
38 CALMSP: but if the pax are only paying low yields it doesn't matter how full hte planes are.......we can fill a 753 from IAH-LAS and lose money.
39 N670UW: If LAS was not a cash cow, why would WN fly as many as 15X a day from LAX, 12X a day from BUR, 10X a day from ONT and 4X a day from SNA? Because the d
40 Petazulu: LGA- DFW on American IAH-LGA on CO LGA-PIT on US LGA-MSP on NW No lcc competition- roundtrips are well over $1500. Granted, many connecting tix- but s
41 NYCAAer: AA's routes from JFK to the Dominican Republic are only profitable during certain months of the year, and yields have been hard hit by increased compe
42 TxAgKuwait: >>If LAS was not a cash cow, why would WN fly as many as 15X a day from LAX, 12X a day from BUR, 10X a day from ONT and 4X a day from SNA? Because the
43 SuperDash: Who Cares? Last time I checked, the barn had only a couple of cows in it. But, the kennel next door was overflowing.
44 Qm001: Personally I think that CO's EWR-LIS must be pretty good for CO. The flight is always full! I have never been on a flight with more than a few seats o
45 UA744KSFO: "I would think that LAX/SFO-SYD are are two major routes that must be making some kind of money for United, especially since they're going to invest i
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