Nov 26, 2014, 4:51 am
Last edit by: IADCAflyer
Speculation: New Routes, Hubs, Flights (2017 Onward)
Because there is community interest in having a purely speculative discussion about whether other airports will pop up to become focus cities or hubs, new routes, etc. the following new thread has been amalgamated on this topic.Note:
Going: 9 A330-300, ER190, some older 757-200 and 8 767-300ER (leaving 17), MD-80
Coming: Remainder of 16 Boeing 26 787-8, 22 Boeing 787-9 (began later 2016). A320 family - 100 A321neo, and B737-800 (100 737-MAX8) aircraft.
See Cranky Flier article on 2016 fleet changes, AA-HP-US. Link.
Also see: HELP DESK: General questions about aircraft equipment, fleet, seats, IFE, etc.
Speculation fun time: Will xxx be the next AA focus city / hub? (consolidated)
Obsolete posts from 2015 on have been moved to ARCHIVE: Speculation: Possible Routes (Flights) and Hubs, Discussion - 2015 on
All posts prior to 2015 have been moved here: ARCHIVE: Routes (Flights) and Hubs (Speculation, News and Discussion)
Speculation: Possible Routes (Flights) and Hubs, Discussion - (2017 on)
Jun 23, 2017, 10:12 am
#526
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 2,506
Well, that's true of every transatlantic market. In nearly all potential new markets, JFK will have considerably more demand (how much more varies somewhat by route), particularly in premium cabins, and connections from most major US markets but also more competition and slot constraints to deal with. PHL will have much more connecting feed, especially from many smaller markets, typically less nonstop competition (certainly no competition from US carriers on any new routes to Europe), and no slots to worry about (I think AA may be somewhat constrained by gate space and airport congestion at PHL, but I don't think that's nearly as likely to affect a few additional transatlantic flights at PHL as at JFK).
JFK and PHL go after surprisingly different markets considering they are less than 100 miles apart. It sounds like AA is starting to recognize this by returning PHL TATL to growth.
Jun 24, 2017, 10:19 am
#527
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Arizona
Programs: BA (GGL G4L), AA (Gold), HH (Diamond); Marriott (Gold)
Posts: 3,011
for what it's worth there's a ton of availability around thanksgiving and Christmas at the moment. Last night for example I found 8 open F award seats on LHR-PHX on dates that worked for us and quickly snatched up some of that capacity!
Jun 24, 2017, 2:28 pm
#528
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: San Diego, Ca
Programs: AA 2MM LT PLT; AS MVP Gold75k; HHonors Diamond; IHG PLT
Posts: 3,502
Agreed wholeheartedly on this - PHL's biggest European strength is its ability to single-connect people from many smaller NE/Mid-Atlantic communities whose only other OW option is backtracking to ORD/CLT and then likely double-connecting through LHR.
JFK and PHL go after surprisingly different markets considering they are less than 100 miles apart. It sounds like AA is starting to recognize this by returning PHL TATL to growth.
JFK and PHL go after surprisingly different markets considering they are less than 100 miles apart. It sounds like AA is starting to recognize this by returning PHL TATL to growth.
Jun 24, 2017, 3:50 pm
#529
Join Date: May 2009
Location: PHL
Posts: 2,842
And you'll find people who will say just the same about any other hub.
Jun 24, 2017, 4:34 pm
#530
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 214
Do you think there's any chance of AA adding NYC-->FLL? Clearly all of AA's NYC traffic goes to Miami, but the FLL market share is growing at a rapid pace and anyone in the Palm Beach/Ft Lauderdale area needs to drive a fair bit to even have the option of flying American (at least 1hr+ w/ traffic if coming from Ft Lauderdale or further north). It's surprising they don't have a NYC/FLL option given it's one of the most traveled routes in the country. AA also flies to DFW, ORD, PHL, CLT - so unsure why LGA/JFK is left out.
Jun 24, 2017, 4:38 pm
#531
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,466
Do you think there's any chance of AA adding NYC-->FLL? Clearly all of AA's NYC traffic goes to Miami, but the FLL market share is growing at a rapid pace and anyone in the Palm Beach/Ft Lauderdale area needs to drive a fair bit to even have the option of flying American (at least 1hr+ w/ traffic if coming from Ft Lauderdale or further north). It's surprising they don't have a NYC/FLL option given it's one of the most traveled routes in the country. AA also flies to DFW, ORD, PHL, CLT - so unsure why LGA/JFK is left out.
Jun 24, 2017, 4:45 pm
#532
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: AUS, GVA, and in between
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 178
PHL-GVA would be awesome (and is a Star-ish market not previously tried) though I don't think the LAA 767s would be a terribly competitive product. Given the large BA presence in Geneva it might work.
Jun 24, 2017, 4:54 pm
#533
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: AUS, GVA, and in between
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 178
PHL, as a LUS hub, is one of the places where priority baggage actually comes out first. That alone is enough to keep me happy connecting through it for international -> domestic.
Jun 24, 2017, 4:54 pm
#534
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: USA
Programs: Chase Sapphire Reserve, WFBF
Posts: 1,573
How about JFK? I thought AA had a strong international network there... I'd rather that they expand in JFK than PHL, as it makes more sense. JFK also services premium markets, such as LAX/SFO transcontinental service, so it'd make more sense to serve international flights that connect to those premium flights.
Jun 24, 2017, 6:47 pm
#535
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP, 1865 Voyager, *G
Posts: 112
Do you think there's any chance of AA adding NYC-->FLL? Clearly all of AA's NYC traffic goes to Miami, but the FLL market share is growing at a rapid pace and anyone in the Palm Beach/Ft Lauderdale area needs to drive a fair bit to even have the option of flying American (at least 1hr+ w/ traffic if coming from Ft Lauderdale or further north). It's surprising they don't have a NYC/FLL option given it's one of the most traveled routes in the country. AA also flies to DFW, ORD, PHL, CLT - so unsure why LGA/JFK is left out.
I know that Delta runs a LOT of NYC/PBI and NYC/FLL non-stops, so maybe the route is just saturated.
Jun 24, 2017, 7:02 pm
#536
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
Jun 24, 2017, 9:31 pm
#537
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: AA 1.6MM EXP; UA GS; SPG LTG,Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,477
Ground handling? I agree it would be great, but why GVA over other European destinations not presently served (Geneva being a relatively short hop from either CDG or ZRH on a train). So many other potential European destinations come to mind that PHL could, but does not serve. CPH, OSL, BUD, MOW (!), IST, VIE, all sort of jump to mind over GVA. I can see NYC-GVA from a UN perspective though, although I don't ever think that'll happen.
Jun 25, 2017, 1:37 am
#538
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Philadephia, PA
Programs: AA Platinum, Marriott Titanium/Lifetime Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, UA Silver, Hilton Gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 477
I was going to say not in the PHL I fly out of, but thinking about it, it might be true in the international baggage claim. It certainly isn't in the domestic baggage claims though.
Jun 25, 2017, 3:43 am
#539
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: AUS, GVA, and in between
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 178
Sorry, what does BA presence on the ground at GVA have to do with adding service there (genuine question) Ground handling?
I agree it would be great, but why GVA over other European destinations not presently served (Geneva being a relatively short hop from either CDG or ZRH on a train). So many other potential European destinations come to mind that PHL could, but does not serve. CPH, OSL, BUD, MOW (!), IST, VIE, all sort of jump to mind over GVA. I can see NYC-GVA from a UN perspective though, although I don't ever think that'll happen.
Ground handling?I agree it would be great, but why GVA over other European destinations not presently served (Geneva being a relatively short hop from either CDG or ZRH on a train). So many other potential European destinations come to mind that PHL could, but does not serve. CPH, OSL, BUD, MOW (!), IST, VIE, all sort of jump to mind over GVA. I can see NYC-GVA from a UN perspective though, although I don't ever think that'll happen.
Not really to argue that it's a likely choice, but it's at least as likely as most of your list. Geneva is over three hours by train from CDG or ZRH and it's very difficult/impossible to get to them in the morning for a transatlantic departure (indeed London is closer to Paris by train than GVA is). Delta can barely make Moscow work seasonally even though it's a Skyteam hub. Istanbul would be worse than TLV. Budapest is implausible post-Malev. PHL-OSL and ARN were tried before. So of your list that leaves CPH and VIE, which are indeed probably more likely.
Jun 25, 2017, 3:46 am
#540
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: AUS, GVA, and in between
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 178
