Delta Cancels Direct FLight LAX-RDU (Raleigh, Greensboro: appointed, home, college)

[dragoninla]

Sad news for S.Cal Natives.

We just moved here from LA a few months ago and always had multi-stop flights to get here. I read a post here a while back and read about Delta running non-stop redeye flights. Seems that Delta is canceling those flights so its back to multi-stop flights.

Delta Cancels LAX-RDU Direct flights

[tlh1005]

That sux. I like flying from San Fran to LAX and taking the red-eye from LAX direct to RDU. I wake up landing back home and it's 6am... I have the whole day!

[SALUKI_LOVER]

guess we shouldn't be surprised with all the cuts they are making. Is it Continental that is going to start charging for a second bag? I have elderly parents and really bummed because that flight would have been perfect for them. Just returned from So CA and can't remember when I last flew and flight was on time.

[VSB]

We recently covered this very same topic HERE. I too am disappointed since I went to college in San Diego and nearly all of my friends from college planted in LA. In any event, I don't think it will be long before another airline picks up the route. The Raleigh area is too large to lack a west-coast nonstop for too long.

In the meantime, someone else pointed out (to me) that Skybus is offering nonstop flights from Greensboro to Burbank, so if you're willing to drive 90 minutes first, then you can get a nonstop flight. Probably better than stopping in an airport somewhere.

If you've never flown to Burbank, you'll probably love it. JetBlue also uses Burbank as its LA-area port of entry. It's a tiny, drive up to the curb airport, with an outdoor luggage carousel. If Skybus does half as well as JetBlue, then Burbank will need to expand a bit, but I really like it, and it's not too far from LA-proper.

[Grawburg]

The RDU advertisements for the new terminal they're building say that there will be a LA flight.

[Snowpea]

Delta are offering direct flights between RDU and LAX for a ten-week period this Summer (from June 5 to Aug. 18). If there is sufficient demand they may continue the service beyond those dates. RDU-L.A. flight to take off again - Triangle Business Journal:

[rnc2mbfl]

I have always found that the direct flights (current and former) to the West Coast end up much more expensive than the ones making one connection in Chicago, Dallas, Houston, St.Louis or Denver. While I think it's great to have direct flights, I'll always choose the cheaper connection when spending my money. And, with company dollars, I am obligated to take the cheaper flights if available. So, these flights were never practical for me. Now, if one was connecting via SFO and the red-eye from LA was part of a connection, I can see how that would work out. But, for those flying directly to and from LAX, I imagine that this flight is/was always going to be more expensive.

[Grawburg]

The return flight was a red eye which stunk. Hope the new one isn't.

[sneezecake]

On my scouting trip from LA we took the roundtrip redeye and it was the cheapest option at around $275

[suncat]

I just randomly plugged in RDU - LAX for June 26th through 30th and got this:

Delta #1025 7:30 pm - 10:02 pm RDU - LAX

Delta #1131 10:25 pm - 6:14 am LAX - RDU