Boston Base

[700UW]

And does any carrier run widebodies from BOS to LAX?
 
If the route could support a widebody, they would put it on there, now wouldnt they?
 
But I forgot, you are an expert in every aspect of an airline and its operation.
 
So tell us why you arent a CEO or a different executive for any airline?
 
MIA-LAX, find out where the plane comes from before it goes to either of those cities, I bet it is an international arrival and departure in the routing.
 
AA is using the 773 on LHR routes now.

 

[737823]

Yes it is a utilization run but you do realize AA actually sells 3-cabin FC LAX-MIA there is lots of entertainment industry traffic and premium traffic between the two cities.  The cabin service (meals, menu cards, duvets, Bose headsets, etc on both BOS and LAX-MIA is identical to the JFK flights albeit with different seats and tablets instead of built-in Thales IFE.  Other carriers, namely DL, does not offer enhanced service on their BOS/MIA-LAX flights it is treated like any other domestic flight.  See I actually fly both routes on both AA and DL in F, I know first hand. 
 
Josh

 

[700UW]

And have you flown the new A321Ts from JFK?
 
The service levels are quite enhanced.

 

[737823]

And have you flown the new A321Ts from JFK?
 
The service levels are quite enhanced.

 
Yep in both premium cabins.  Have you?  But again-the soft product is identical on BOS/MIA-LAX and about 20 other transcon flights in the system.
 
Josh

 

[FrugalFlyerv2.0]

The real question is why AA hasn't bothered to try to recover one of the BOS-LHR flights so that AA can have an int'l presence on its own metal from BOS.

 
I kind of wondered myself why AA abandoned BOS-LHR.  Granted, BA still offers service, but once upon a time AA had 2-3 daily B777 BOS-LHR flights - including a morning departure.  What happenned?  How did a route like BOS-LHR become so unprofitable for AA in a span of 5-10 years AA downgauged equipement, eliminated frequencies and then totally abandoned it?

 

[FWAAA]

I kind of wondered myself why AA abandoned BOS-LHR.  Granted, BA still offers service, but once upon a time AA had 2-3 daily B777 BOS-LHR flights - including a morning departure.  What happenned?  How did a route like BOS-LHR become so unprofitable for AA in a span of 5-10 years AA downgauged equipement, eliminated frequencies and then totally abandoned it?

For all those years,  up until early 2011,  AA had to compete against BA, the dominant carrier.   So of course AA used its biggest, heaviest, airplanes, the 777s, with their lie-flat F seats, in an attempt to capture some business.
 
Once the AA-BA joint venture was approved and implemented, then AA no longer had to compete against BA.   AA and BA cooperate on the TATL routes as if they had merged.   For reasons I don't understand, the joint venture partners decided that BA would keep flying its 747s and 777s to BOS yet AA downgauged its 777s to 763s and then finally to 75Ls.    And little over a year ago, AA exited the BOS-LHR market.   I suspect that decision was driven in part by BA's flat seats compared to AA's slanted seats.   Maybe once AA has more lie-flat J seated planes, then perhaps AA will re-enter the market alongside BA.   Until then,  AA is still selling tickets, sharing the profits and passengers can collect frequent flyer miles and elite status by flying BA.   

 

[eolesen]

I suspect it's a JV decision. Not every market is going to have both carriers present in it.

AA gets the bulk of flying into its hubs, BA flies everywhere else. The ratio of flying prior to the JV was about 2:1 in favor of BA, and that's where it is today.
 

Flights originating = UK:

	AA	US	BA
LAX	1	0	2
EWR	0	0	3
BWI	0	0	1
BOS	0	0	4
LAS	0	0	1
PHL	0	3	2
IAD	0	0	2
JFK	4	0	9
ORD	5	0	2
DFW	3	0	1
MIA	2	0	2
CLT	0	1	0
RDU	1	0	0
			
Total	16	4	29

 

[WorldTraveler]

then it argues the point that if BOS isn't big enough to justify its own aircraft, then perhaps BOS isn't really going to grow at all.

If AA can't be bothered to swap a slot around and cover one of the BOS-LHR flights which should make no difference in terms of the JV, then why should we think they will add other markets like BOS-SFO where a competitor is heavily entrenched?

it also begs the question of why DL and Virgin Atlantic can both use their own aircraft from BOS but AA/BA doesn't.

in the meantime, it leaves DL as the only US carrier will year round int'l service to more than one longhaul destination.

 

[FWAAA]

Turns out that there are Tuesdays this summer when Delta isn't serving BOS-LHR.    When AA reduces frequency to less-than-daily on international routes, it's a sign that AA is headed toward failure.    I'm guessing that when DL reduces frequencies to LHR in the middle of summer, it's a sign of savvy management prowess.   

 

[FWAAA]

I suspect it's a JV decision. Not every market is going to have both carriers present in it.

AA gets the bulk of flying into its hubs, BA flies everywhere else. The ratio of flying prior to the JV was about 2:1 in favor of BA, and that's where it is today.

It may have been intentional, but you left out a few, like SEA, SFO, IAH, ATL, PHX, SAN and maybe some others.    Doesn't change your point, that BA flies about twice as many flights to LHR as does AA.   

 

[WorldTraveler]

I'd have to figure out what they are doing with the slot on those days but, no, it doesn't mean anything without knowing the whole picture.

Again, we just AA's traffic stats for June in which they threw 7.8% more capacity into their TATL network and then proceeded to watch Load factor fall by 5.5 points.

maybe DL has figured out how to vacate a slot for a day but maybe they are also matching capacity to demand, something AA doesn't appear interested in trying to do.

Acrosss AA's entire int'l system, they are adding capacity and watching loads fall.

looks to me like an attempt to try to climb out of the position of being third of 3 among US legacy carriers in the int'l arena.

 

[commavia]

AA is adding capacity, watching loads fall ... and watching profits rise.  Some people always forget to mention that last part!

 

[WorldTraveler]

coming out of BK with cost cuts and employees that make 10% less than DL and UA is more than enough reason for AA to be making profits.

some people forget that it hasn't even been a year since either AA's emergence from BK or the merger with US which had the legacy carriers' lowest paid employees.

 

[eolesen]

Profit sharing checks and shareholders seeing returns on their investment don't really care how long it's been since emerging from bankruptcy.

 

[dfw gen]

700, josh and world traveler might as well shut this thread down.