What makes LAX-SYD a financially viable route and market for Delta, given QF-AA (oneworld) and VA-UA (Star Alliance)?

SYD-LAX is the Pacific version of JFK-LHR. It has historical colonial ties and many multinationals are moving APAC/Oceania HQ to SYD/SIN/ICN/HND from HKG/Mainland China due to the lockdown in China & HKG. Also SYD/SIN speak English for the most part making recruiting easier.

x1234 wrote:

SYD-LAX is the Pacific version of JFK-LHR. It has historical colonial ties and many multinationals are movuing APAC/Oceania HQ to SYD/SIN/ICN/HND from HKG/Mainland China due to the lockdown in China & HKG. Also SYD/SIN speak English for the most part making recruiting easier.

What colonial ties do the United States and Australia have?

luckyone wrote:

x1234 wrote:

SYD-LAX is the Pacific version of JFK-LHR. It has historical colonial ties and many multinationals are movuing APAC/Oceania HQ to SYD/SIN/ICN/HND from HKG/Mainland China due to the lockdown in China & HKG. Also SYD/SIN speak English for the most part making recruiting easier.

What colonial ties do the United States and Australia have?

They’ve been joined at the hip since WW2. “Colonial” can be defined quite broadly.

AA is the bit player in the market. DL previously had a direct relationship with the number 2 Australian airline.

Also remember that SYD is around 7 million population in its own right - not a small market, with strong cultural and tourism ties to the USA

Kent350787 wrote:

luckyone wrote:

x1234 wrote:

SYD-LAX is the Pacific version of JFK-LHR. It has historical colonial ties and many multinationals are movuing APAC/Oceania HQ to SYD/SIN/ICN/HND from HKG/Mainland China due to the lockdown in China & HKG. Also SYD/SIN speak English for the most part making recruiting easier.

What colonial ties do the United States and Australia have?

They’ve been joined at the hip since WW2. “Colonial” can be defined quite broadly.

AA is the bit player in the market. DL previously had a direct relationship with the number 2 Australian airline.

Also remember that SYD is around 7 million population in its own right - not a small market, with strong cultural and tourism ties to the USA

Not that broadly


Australia was discovered by the English and was a British colony (albeit a penal one at first) for most of its existence, it still has strong ties to its mother country and its culture is far more similar


While there are significant economic and defense ties between Australia and the US there is no ‘Colonial history’

Max Q wrote:

Kent350787 wrote:

luckyone wrote:

What colonial ties do the United States and Australia have?

They’ve been joined at the hip since WW2. “Colonial” can be defined quite broadly.

AA is the bit player in the market. DL previously had a direct relationship with the number 2 Australian airline.

Also remember that SYD is around 7 million population in its own right - not a small market, with strong cultural and tourism ties to the USA

Not that broadly


Australia was discovered by the English and was a British colony (albeit a penal one at first) for most of its existence, it still has strong ties to its mother country and its culture is far more similar


While there are significant economic and defense ties between Australia and the US there is no ‘Colonial history’

I have first fleet ancestors. Over the last 80 years, the ties to the US have grown increasingly stronger. Defence ties In particular have shown us increasingly “colonised”

Kent350787 wrote:

Max Q wrote:

Kent350787 wrote:

They’ve been joined at the hip since WW2. “Colonial” can be defined quite broadly.

AA is the bit player in the market. DL previously had a direct relationship with the number 2 Australian airline.

Also remember that SYD is around 7 million population in its own right - not a small market, with strong cultural and tourism ties to the USA

Not that broadly


Australia was discovered by the English and was a British colony (albeit a penal one at first) for most of its existence, it still has strong ties to its mother country and its culture is far more similar


While there are significant economic and defense ties between Australia and the US there is no ‘Colonial history’

I have first fleet ancestors. Over the last 80 years, the ties to the US have grown increasingly stronger. Defence ties In particular have shown us increasingly “colonised”

That’s just not correct, to be ‘colonized’ means your country has been taken over, effectively absorbed by another which then is in complete control of your government

x1234 wrote:

SYD-LAX is the Pacific version of JFK-LHR. It has historical colonial ties and many multinationals are moving APAC/Oceania HQ to SYD/SIN/ICN/HND from HKG/Mainland China due to the lockdown in China & HKG. Also SYD/SIN speak English for the most part making recruiting easier.

Would argue Tokyo-LA is the Pacific version of JFK-LHR. That said, LAX-SYD is not a route that DL partners can offer without going way out of the way via ICN or TPE and LAX is a decent size hub for DL so lots connections.

While LAX-SYD is indeed a large market, LAX-TYO is far larger.
In 2019 LAX-TYO saw 2,277,864 passengers versus 965,460 between LAX and SYD.
LA-TYO is the biggest U.S. mainland-Asia/Pacific route.

Also not sure of comments about US colonial links to Australia

x1234 wrote:

SYD-LAX is the Pacific version of JFK-LHR. It has historical colonial ties and many multinationals are moving APAC/Oceania HQ to SYD/SIN/ICN/HND from HKG/Mainland China due to the lockdown in China & HKG. Also SYD/SIN speak English for the most part making recruiting easier.

I don't know any MNC moving their APAC HQ to Sydney. Makes zero sense. You're 8-10 hours from SE Asian capitals and 10-12 hours from China/India/Japan.

No colonial ties at all no matter how you want to spin it.
SYD population is 5 million.
AA is not a bit player- they are with QF. DL is the bit player- now.

x1234 wrote:

SYD-LAX is the Pacific version of JFK-LHR. It has historical colonial ties and many multinationals are moving APAC/Oceania HQ to SYD/SIN/ICN/HND from HKG/Mainland China due to the lockdown in China & HKG. Also SYD/SIN speak English for the most part making recruiting easier.

What statistics do you have to support your claim that SYD/LAX is the Pacific equivalent of JFK/LHR?

DL has often cited cargo as a huge driver for the route. Also, don't discount their desire to carry their O&D and connecting passengers. Unlike the other alliances, ST doesn't have another US gateway.

This was announced fairly recently, but DL and Rex are forming some sort of partnership
https://www.flightglobal.com/strategy/d ... 96.article

Therefore, the argument that DL is alone in the market may become moot.