I think United is making all the right moves in the Pacific right now. They're using the 787 for exactly what it was designed to do: open up long haul thin routes that could not have been possible with the 747s, A340s and even 777s of years past.
They've retreated from LAX significantly but built SFO into the launching point it needs to be to Asia and the Pacific Rim. They currently have a significant advantage over DL and AA in what a traveler can do in two flight segments as long as they are going to a relatively large city in China.
Delta is lagging in part due to things that are mostly out of their control in regards to the shifting of NRT to HND and thus the entire concept of NRT losing some value.
Ditching NRT-BKK is absolutely a shame. Despite it being low yielding compared to other Asian destinations, I believe there is something to be said for at least offering service to a destination.
For instance, Hawaii is likely to bring in much lower yields than, say, LHR or FRA. Why even fly to Hawaii at all?
For years NWA had two daily DC-10s on MSP-HNL and it was a great place for the 'high value customer' to cash in some of their business travel efforts and go somewhere with the family.
I guess one could get to BKK now on the Delta "brand" via some connection in PVG on China Eastern. But I can't imagine that being very appealing for many.
That said, just because DL is ditching JFK-NRT and NRT-BKK and downgauging NRT-MNL from what was once two daily 747-400s to a single 767-300, doesn't mean they're conceding the Pacific to United.
A lot of people roll their eyes and say that DL will never receive the 787s that they elected to push back, from what were originally NWA North America launch customer slots several years ago, to 2020.
But I think the amount of time that they've decided to defer those jets is no coincidence.
Whether or not they actually receive 787s or convert them to some other airplane like 777-200/300 or come up with some other deal like the lightly rumored trade-with-American's-A350s, a lot is happening for DL in the next three years on the west coast.
DL @ LAX is about to go from a ramp situation that is a 24/7 embarrassing clown show split up by an undergorund tunnel, to a legitimate hub first moving to the north complex in general and then building an actual new terminal that is suitable for the operation they want. Way more gates, and less congestion for a quality operation. And one that doesn't get FUBAR'd by fog all the time like SFO does, too. LAX as an airport runs smoothly...it's just their own ramp/terminal that DL needs to fix. The solution is about to break ground.
Up the coast, SEA is nearing the point at which they are tapped out as far as facility constraints in the form of gate and ramp space. When the project that is soon to start up there is finished, it will be ready to accept the flights that are likely already on the drawing board. There is simply no room to add not only the international flights that would probably do well out of there, but also more domestic feed from the lower 48. There is a reason the C-series jets will start in SEA: they will open up routes that cannot currently be flown with an appropriate sized airplane, such as MKE/IAH/SAT/MCI/etc. to SEA.
As for American's Asia strategy, I think it is lagging from UA and DL because they are at a geographical disadvantage with the DFW and LAX hubs. There is a big transit time difference in getting to many points in Asia from SEA/SFO vs. LAX. But at least they will have some more room at LAX after the DL south-to-north move.
