Originally Posted by
Antarius
The fact that the LCC leadership (who basically retreat to their fortress at the first sign of trouble) keep trying to do anything but have PHL should tell us something. CLT is one of AA's most profitable hubs due to a low operating cost and prime location - it would be insane to throw that away.
Everything I've seen over the years shows that PHL punches above its weight for profitability, the problem is that it punches below NYC's, so AA wants to keep chasing that white whale despite being #3-4 in the market for years now, depending how you measure it.
AA does best when it's the big fish in a small pond (PHL, CLT, DFW), but that temptation of a bigger and better prize is what prevents them from truly investing in PHL, because they will continue to salivate at any opportunity that could give them a real hub at JFK.