Originally Posted by
LAXative
Random musing: If the new AA was smart, LAX-SGN with a 788 should be in their first tier of new additions, directly connecting the largest Vietnamese population center with their native land, and making a one-stop for the other significant population centers near SJC, YYZ, IAH, PHL, NYC, SEA, and others.
Interesting. Vietnam's economy continues to grow at a fast clip, and it's a very populous country. But it's almost as far from LAX as BKK, and BKK-LAX doesn't work as a nonstop (economically - planes can technically make it).
Unless fuel prices moderate (either by dropping or holding steady while prices of everything else rise), I don't see the 787s causing very many new ultra-longhaul flights to be started. IMO, 787s will make 5,000-7,000 mile flights more fuel efficient and cheaper to operate, not cause more 8,000+ mile flights to begin.
Like BKK and SIN (two fairly wealthy business-centric places where the flag carriers can't even justify nonstops to the USA), SGN is served by JAL from both NRT and HND, and those connections are the likely way for AA to route passengers.