Originally Posted by
newyorkgeorge
Although New York is a "hub" for AA, AA decided not to battle with DL over LGA as a true hub. Other than some Eagle flights and a few one offs like to Aruba (also IIRC a seasonal flight to MCO) LGA acts like a spoke. Parker gave up LGA to DL during LUS days and carried over the tradition to PMAA (which LAA had already pulled down LGA).
Shortly after the HP-US merger, he wanted LGA to act like a traditional hub. However, there are distance restrictions flying into LGA:
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/14/o...a-guardia.html
It is kind of silly; seems that American and Continental (and perhaps United) helped write the rule when it was begun, as the hubs at DFW and IAH are just barely within range (and DEN was an exception). But AUS isn't, so I can fly AUS-EWR or AUS-JFK, but would have to go through a hub if I wanted to fly to LGA specifically.
Anyway, as PHX was a major hub for HP then US, Parker wanted PHX-LGA flights. HP had flown both PHX-JFK and LAS-JFK (in the days of the LAS hub) for years. He didn't see the reasoning in servicing 2 airports so close together.
US briefly did run PHX-LGA Saturday service (that is a day when the 1500 mile limit is exempted).
The US Shuttle did use LGA, for DCA-LGA-BOS flights, and I believe AA still has that, although it may not be labelled as shuttle anymore.