Originally Posted by
C17PSGR
I'm no longer a NYer. That being said, I prefer the vibe of connecting at JFK or MIA to an international flight -- nicer terminal, international flavor, Flagship Lounge -- to CLT. CLT on the other hand is an efficient hub for connecting and a better location for a connecting hub than MIA or JFK. This thread is on pulling back in NYC but I don't see CLT having a role in that. PHL though is obviously a threat.
Not sure I'd call PHL a threat to JFK. It stood on its own quite well before the merger and now provides more flexibility for routing passengers heading across the Atlantic. AA can focus on more O&D to high yield markets from JFK, as well as lean on OW partners there. Due to the slot constraints, they are somewhat limited in how to use them. It seems they will optimize those slots for strong revenue/high yielding routes like LHR and LAX. PHL, on the other hand, has more flexibility to add routes that will hopefully have strong O&D *AND* funnel connecting traffic more efficiently. The PHL international terminal A-West is as nice as JFK T8 in many regards....not as big, but still has the 'international' gateway feel...