Originally Posted by
IADCAflyer
If AA wants to consider IAD-LHR (it would be a wild a guess as to the equipment but I would think 763 or 788), AA might want to consider a secure shuttle from DCA to IAD. Passengers who are flying into DCA and connecting to the IAD-LHR flight would be put onto a sterile bus that proceeds directly from DCA to IAD - bus doors locked and sealed. Not sure of TSA has an allowance for this type of procedure (kind of like the ABE-EWR bus that UA (or was it CO)) used to run, but it would help populate the plane with additional passengers.
Obviously from a loyalty standpoint, AA must be concerned that its losing passengers to either BA or to UA owing to non-stop service at IAD.
AA doesn't really lose anything to BA, with the JBV they have a revenue share between the US-LHR so in theory it doesn't matter if AA or BA metal operates any given flight.
AA taking over (or adding an add'l frequency) on IAD-LHR would have zero to do with trying to grab connecting traffic from DCA. East coast connecting pax to LHR already have tons of options via JFK, PHL, CLT, MIA, ORD, RDU, etc. etc not to mention the growing list of BA gateways. If I had to guess, some strategy gurus at AA and BA have decided that putting AA metal on IAD-LHR might help increase their share of the DC-LHR and beyond market. Who knows.