PDX is a big enough city, with enough business interests and ample subsidies to get some intercontinental service. LH is there with a daily to FRA, so why not go east. I wonder why noone flies a non-stop from PHX to NRT, no sub from the city, or too many connecting oppertunities in LAX, SFO and LAS? I believe NW pulled the A320s in favor of 757s because their traffic has been rebounding and they still have 12 or their 14 742s parked, so they might bring those back when they get even more butts in the seats. <<Aside from Baha's note about DL pulling out of PDX, and NW code sharing with AS to get pax out through SEA..... As a gateway to the far-east, PDX makes a much better geographic location than SFO. SFO is quite a bit down the left-coast. With NW's presence in Seattle, having PDX also 'covered', leaves little opportunity for a competitor. And doesn't NW run some routes out of NRT with some A320s? PDX has been throwing some incentives about ever since DL left when they realized that they could do ATL originating flights to the far-east.. (the few that they do.) Nice airport otherwise, I quite like connecting through it. The Portland area may be home to Nike, but Intel has major facilities in the area, as do many pulp & paper manufacturers including Georgia-Pacific.>>