Direct flights to LAX again??

[JFman00]

Why there is still no flight to Nassau blows my mind - even seasonal flights would be fantastic.

+1.

I think one of the reasons we don't really have international flights is because there's no US Customs unit at JAX. This could be remedied, sure....but so could a lot of things here.

Completely anecdotal, no evidence whatsoever, just a gut instinct: I think JAX could handle a twice or three times a week London flight better than it could the LAX flight everyone wants.

With JAX being a feeder for ATL, and ATL doing 3-4 flights to London a day, I'm not sure there's enough demand on their side (LHR slots at such a premium) to justify direct flights to such a low-volume airport.

[simms3]

^^^^And that raises another great point.  Delta operates the largest share of passengers at JIA, I believe.  While operations at JIA are a very insignificant portion of Delta's annual investment in routes, it still may be a less profitable or duplicative investment to its hub at ATL.  Delta is basically a financial partner in ATL, and so whatever happens at that airport really affects the financial performance of the company, which as an airline is often on the brink.

I would think that the company is too large to make a switch to an O&D operation like Southwest, and it strives to improve its margin on connections and routes through its hubs.  Having the LA flight probably is not profitable for Delta, but even with incentives it has to weigh the profitability of duplicating a route from Jax with one it has through its hubs.

I would think JIA's best chance at increasing direct flights is to continue advertising gates and routes to discount/regional/O&D operators.  And I highly doubt Jacksonville could support a flight to London - highly doubt that.  Raleigh-Durham can hardly support a 2-3 times a week flight to Gatwick and it has RTP and a lot more international/European business than Jacksonville does (and a larger airport and a larger metro).

[fieldafm]

Southwest has the largest volume in Jax. 

Jetblue's service to San Juan has had very good passenger volume(they are starting to raise seat fares).

London to Jax is pure pie in the sky talk.