Aa Adds Service At Stl

[FWAAA]

This is good news, as AA's recovery continues.

American Adds St. Louis Flights to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., as STL Hub Turns in Strong Performance

Thursday December 18, 1:36 pm ET

AmericanConnection Adds Flights to Oklahoma City; American Says it Is 'Encouraged' By Early Results

Airline Enhances Checked Bag Procedure at C Concourse and Says All Jet Operations for American, American Eagle and AmericanConnection Will Be Consolidated Into C Concourse By February 2004

ST. LOUIS, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Encouraged by the first full month's performance of its restructured St. Louis hub, American Airlines announced today that it has added a fourth daily jet flight between St. Louis and Los Angeles and will begin operating between St. Louis and Washington, D.C., with Super 80 jets on Jan. 31, 2004.

In addition, American announced that AmericanConnection will begin service between St. Louis and Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport on Jan. 31 with three round-trip flights per day. The new flights will be operated by Trans States Airlines with the 50-seat ERJ-145 regional jet.

American also announced that it is about to introduce a key service enhancement for those checking bags for many of its St. Louis flights, and that all American Airlines, American Eagle and AmericanConnection jet flights will be consolidated into the C Concourse at Lambert International Airport by February.

"When we restructured the St. Louis hub on Nov. 1, we did so to improve its financial performance and to focus its services principally on local travelers and the markets that are most important to them," said Dan Garton, American's executive vice president - Marketing. "We also made it clear that we want to operate the hub for the long term and see it succeed, adding services and enhancing operations as the hub improves.

"The new flights and enhanced activities we are announcing today are concrete examples of where we would like to take the St. Louis hub in the months and years ahead," Garton said.

American added the fourth St. Louis-Los Angeles nonstop flight on Dec. 15, using Super 80s jets with 16 First Class seats and 115 seats with expanded legroom in Coach.

On Jan. 31, American will begin two nonstop flights a day between St. Louis and Washington Reagan National Airport, also with Super 80s featuring the More Room Throughout Coach configuration. Both flights will operate at times in greatest demand by local St. Louis travelers. American and AmericanConnection together will serve the St. Louis-Washington route with a total of six flights a day.

Starting next week, it will be easier to check bags for most American Airlines flights at St. Louis. A new system introduced at the curbside check- in area, and at AA Self-Service Check-In® machines, will allow customers to check-in, drop off their checked bags with American, and proceed directly to the security checkpoints. It will no longer be necessary for customers to carry their checked bags to Transportation Security Administration screening themselves.

Meanwhile, American, American Eagle and AmericanConnection are proceeding nicely with plans to consolidate all of their jet operations in the C Concourse by February. American now operates from 11 gates in the north side of C Concourse while American Eagle and AmericanConnection operate regional jet flights from 10 gates in the D Concourse. By February, all of those regional jets flights will be moving to 10 gates in the south side of C Concourse, making everything easier and more convenient for customers.

Together, American, American Eagle and AmericanConnection serve St. Louis with 210 flights a day to 68 destinations.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/031218/dath034_1.html

So, what's the downside to this announcement?

 

[BDLDFW]

Glad the press release states the 4th STL-LAX flight was added on 12/15, lest any of the naysayers claim it's retaliatory.

 

[psa328]

Honestly I didn't expect STL to last too long.

 

[FibberMcGee]

Honestly I didn't expect STL to last too long.

And the point of a comment like that is? You won't be happy until its shut down completely? At least its a positive note...

 

[AAquila]

Remember the Alamo ( STL ).

 

[psa328]

And the point of a comment like that is? You won't be happy until its shut down completely? At least its a positive note...

No I was just remarking that when the STL hub came in as a result of the TW merger I didn't expect it to last too long considering ORD is just up the road. STL just exceeded my initial expectations, and the management should be commended for that...and only that.

 

[LiveInAHotel]

Maybe the LUV in the air has AA management a little worried?

 

[MCI transplant]

Maybe the LUV in the air has AA management a little worried?

<_< Boy,that's an understatement!!!!!

 

[BDLDFW]

Maybe the LUV in the air has AA management a little worried?

Oh, is STL the only market where AA had to "worry" about WN?

 

[FWAAA]

Since the drawdown at STL, WN has announced all of TWO new daily flights to/from STL, not due to begin until next April or May. TWO. Not lots, just TWO. Apparently, WN doesn't see boatloads of opportunity at STL either.

Still glad to see some expansion at STL by AA, however. May it continue until STL is once again a real hub and not just a local AE/AX connection point.

 

[pooksmom]

I suspect the real reason STL got 2 more Super 80 flights to Reagan International was because the Missouri Senators Bond and Talent were too uncomfortable on those RJ's!!

 

[TransWorldONE]

I suspect the real reason STL got 2 more Super 80 flights to Reagan International was because the Missouri Senators Bond and Talent were too uncomfortable on those RJ's!!

I hope they're very uncomfortable on those RJ's