Rumor: United consider building a new hub in the South? - FlyerTalk Forums (2024)

kmersh

Join Date: Mar 2015

Posts: 1,662

There are many travellers willing to spend money to travel to/from Florida, I don't think it is a money thing which will keep UA from opening a hub in FL., I think what will keep UA away is having to compete with DL, UA hates to compete, they like to copy DL.

DL is king outside of MIA and AA is king in MIA, UA doesn't like to compete and DL controls JAX/MCO/TPA and many of travelers willing to spend change already fly DL ex-FL.

They would need to convince travellers to fly on UA vs. DL and that is a hard sell when the product and the lounges are a step down from DL.

artvandalay

Join Date: Jun 2007

Location: SRQ, PDX

Programs: UA 1 MM, AA, DL

Posts: 936

UA's premium travel revenue was up 14% first qtr this year vs a year ago, and it has almost twice as many premium seats as before Covid. Leisure travelers are filling the seats that used to be the domain of the business traveler.

Bear96

Join Date: May 2000

Location: TPA for now. Hopefully LIS for retirement

Posts: 13,789

Step down? Heck, UA still has no lounge AT ALL in TPA.

I am not flying enough this year to justify paying for a lounge membership but it certainly is a consideration when choosing a carrier for international trips in Business Class.

JimInOhio

Join Date: Jun 2014

Programs: UA MM

Posts: 4,217

“Leisure travelers” is too broad a classification and we shouldn’t confuse those headed to the French Riviera with families wanting to go to Disney World. Those going to Disney World, by and large, are seeking the lowest air fares.

beachmouse

Join Date: Aug 2012

Location: VPS

Programs: IHG Diamond, Delta PM, Hilton Gold, Accor Gold, Marriott Silver

Posts: 7,338

While TPA is no DCA, it’s also smack in the middle of suburbia- runway expansion is cost-prohibitive and concourse expansion is probably more expensive than a lot of places too.

As for hurricanes, at some point the Tampa Bay deflector shield is going to give out, and dang, it’s gonna be really really bad.

dmurphynj

Join Date: Aug 2010

Location: Morris County, NJ

Programs: UA 1K/*G, Avis Pres, Marriott Plat

Posts: 2,318

Of course there's no actual forcefield or anything - I just meant that over the last 100 years, it's been dang lucky and seems like hurricanes - even on a direct path - turn and have avoided directly impacting Tampa. They sure have a good streak going, all things considered.

As they say - "Past performance is no guarantee of future results"...

But I really don't consider TPA any more or less hazardous than the existing hub locations - SFO (fog/earthquakes/Asiana pilots), IAH (storms/hurricanes), ORD (wind/winter), IAD (politicians), EWR (hurricanes, earthquakes, power outages, flooding, NYC residents) ... DEN comes out on top when it comes to hazards, for the most part. Even their snowstorms are handled extremely efficiently.

Sorry if you thought I meant there's an actual reason storms avoid Tampa -- just plain dumb luck.

Unitedloyalflyer

Join Date: Jun 2021

Location: Houston, TX

Programs: UA silver, Bonvoy gold

Posts: 2,853

have you seen the prices at disney these days? A family who is worried about cheapest airfare is not going to be shelling out 700-800 for a day for a family of 4 at disney.

JimInOhio

Join Date: Jun 2014

Programs: UA MM

Posts: 4,217

Are you saying there’s no difference between those going to Orlando and those going to Nice?

Unitedloyalflyer

Join Date: Jun 2021

Location: Houston, TX

Programs: UA silver, Bonvoy gold

Posts: 2,853

and the difference in premium cabin seats reflects that. Instead of spending 6K for a premium ticket, it is 600-800 to orlando

kmersh

Join Date: Mar 2015

Posts: 1,662

I am sure that they would build a UA Club, but the average UA Club vs. the average DL SkyClub, the SkyClub is nicer and in many cases the DL SkyClub employee is generally nicer too.

Seby12

Join Date: Jan 2016

Location: JAX

Programs: UA

Posts: 277

If a new hub gets built, it’ll obviously be JAX!
/s

Room to expand, check.
Low operating costs, check.
Good location for both inter-southern and south-Caribbean traffic, check.
Enough beaches to rid the city of its reputation…erhh…ummm…no

(Please all we want is 1 international flight)

SPN Lifer

Join Date: Mar 2002

Location: Saipan, MP 96950 USA (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands = the CNMI)

Programs: UA Silver, Hilton Silver. Life: UA .57 MM, United & Admirals Clubs (spousal), Marriott Platinum

Posts: 15,377

The most relevant comparison is between the various Florida locales. In the long run, MCO has the advantage over the coastal alternatives.

LaserSailor

Join Date: Oct 2012

Location: NYC

Programs: AADULtArer

Posts: 5,894

one for Nice, the other for Mice ?

SPN Lifer

Join Date: Mar 2002

Location: Saipan, MP 96950 USA (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands = the CNMI)

Programs: UA Silver, Hilton Silver. Life: UA .57 MM, United & Admirals Clubs (spousal), Marriott Platinum

Posts: 15,377

And probably less laser sailing in Orlando (MCO) than in Nice, France (NCE), TPA, JAX or Annapolis.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_(dinghy)

Yet there is clearly a market for expensive leisure travel to Orlando, just as there is to the French Riviera. It would be pure speculation to assert that the latter outweighs the former. UA has the data.

Similarly, would there be significantly more business travel from the USA to NCE than MCO?

Rather than comparisons with foreign destinations, we should be comparing the potential Florida hubs.

Considering the inevitability of climate change and hurricane flooding, MCO wins hands down.

Last edited by SPN Lifer; Jun 3, 2024 at 5:48 am

kmersh

Join Date: Mar 2015

Posts: 1,662

I am an Orlando native and Orlando is much more than theme parks, we have some fairly large companies here (Lockheed Martin and Darden come to mind), so there is business travel here too, in fact a neighbor works for Darden and he is a DL360 (DL's version of Global Service).

There is also "luxury leisure travel" here, though I tend to think that PBI maybe the cream of the crop when it comes to folks willing to spend serious change to fly on commercial airplanes.

Years ago now, I was friendly with the CO Station Manager at PBI and she repeatedly told me that PBI punched above it weight in terms of premium passengers.