Originally Posted by FWAAA

AA recently announced that it has reached a tentative agreement with lessors for revised terms for 11 of its 762s, subject to reaching definitive agreements. AA owns four of the 15 762s and as of 12/31/11, leases on nine more expire in 2013 and leases on the remaining two expire 2014. Obviously, AA intends to keep the 762s in the air for a little while longer or it would have simply rejected the leases and returned the planes.

When AA ordered its 787s, deliveries were to begin in September, 2012. That date has obviously been pushed back to late 2014 or maybe 2015 (or later). AA has 16 777s on the way (at least 10 of those are 77Ws for 2012-13 delivery). I've previously speculated that the financing for these 77Ws will probably be provided by Boeing and the terms will reflect significant compensation for the multi-year delay in the 787 deliveries. As of 12/31/11, the only planes for delivery in 2012 and 2013 for which AA has admitted having no financing in place are the 77Ws.

One thing is certain: AA doesn't really need 16 new 777s in the short term. There aren't that many potential destinations that AA doesn't serve that it will begin serving in the next couple of years. Accordingly, I doubt that all 16 are growth aircraft.
Where might AA use a 3-class 777-223ER? My answer? Perhaps JFK-LAX. Far-fetched? AA is already flying a couple of daily 777s between LAX and MIA.

Yes, the JFK-LAX market is much more saturated with many more carriers and the 777 is too much plane for the transcons. Still, imagine the marketing advantage if AA could point to 16 Flagship Suites and 37 angled J seats and ask customers if narrow 757s are what they really want. Flagship Suite or the UA F seat? Flagship Suite or the DL J seats? The result? TMZ would spend a lot less time in Terminal 5 trying to corner second-rate stars and would find more of them in Terminal 4.

Yes, the SAG deal no longer requires 3-class, but that's not been the sole reason that AA has maintained its 3-class JFK-LAX service anyway.

It may not come to pass, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of the JFK-LAX flights turned into 777-223ERs about a year from now (once several 777-323ERs are on the property which can free up some 77Es).

The 777s wouldn't have to be devoted to the transcons the way the 762s are currently. A redeye 777 from LAX to JFK could then continue as the morning flight to LHR. Early morning JFK-LAX planes could continue to MIA, NRT, PVG and LHR (and perhaps PEK once AA applies for it). Early and mid-morning LAX-JFK planes could then continue to LHR and South America in the evening.