Originally Posted by
AAerSTL
Isn't this in the bucket of low revenue markets USAIR could profitably serve, but once their costs rise to those of AA perhaps it won't be economical to serve in the future. Who knows, as it is MXP is the only market AA serves year round in Italy from JFK & MIA
Barring a release of margins per route, I doubt we'll know for certain. This route is analogous to PHL-BCN, which US also started seasonally several years ago, upgauged from the 762 to the A332 in the past few years, also peaked capacity with the A333 last year, serves a lot of Med cruises, but has a shorter stage length from PHL than the VCE flight.
I've yet to fly to VCE but my understanding from struggling to find summer business class availability three times on about 4-5 days' notice to BCN for business travel, and asking a phone agent about it, there's a fair bit of paid J traffic on that route. Take that single data point for what it's worth, but Envoy was full on each of the six flights I've taken on the route. It may of course be tied to upper class cruise traffic and discounted appropriately.
An aside, but PHL-MXP was attempted several years ago by US with the 762 but dropped. I assume JFK-MXP works in part due to the fashion industry on each end.
Originally Posted by
Wingtipflyer1
Seasonal ORD-VCE, that's the way to go IMO.
Hmm, that would lengthen stage lengths (and increase fuel and labor costs) and force folks in the eastern US to backtrack to ORD. Old AA might have needed to do that if JFK O&D and its limited connectivity couldn't support it, but with the merged route network, PHL likely makes more sense.