Upcoming AS Route Cuts
Dec 30, 2019, 9:25 am
#706
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,593
Even if their goal was purely to add north/south flights from California, the acquisition of VX still got them gates at SFO and LAX, and stopped B6 from being a serious competitor in this particular market.
I know this thread is mostly about cuts, but the flip side of the equation (what's getting added with the newly created capacity) definitely seems to be a beefing up of north/south flights. For instance, SFO-LAX is going from 9x daily in 2019 to 14x by September 2020.
I know this thread is mostly about cuts, but the flip side of the equation (what's getting added with the newly created capacity) definitely seems to be a beefing up of north/south flights. For instance, SFO-LAX is going from 9x daily in 2019 to 14x by September 2020.
Thanks!
If you include last years cuts, then you also lost LAX-MCO, LAX-HAV (understandable), SAN-MEX, LAX-CUN, LAX-PHL> LAX-BOS is just once a day. So it's not just LAX-FLL.
They stopped B6 from being a competitor by running away from the transcon routes. Jet Blue is just getting stronger with transcons, prices for Mint LAX-FLL seem higher than ever (over $2k round trip even booking all the way out).
Last edited by beachfan; Dec 30, 2019 at 9:36 am
Dec 30, 2019, 12:10 pm
#707
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 39,118
To be successful in the intra state market is all about frequency. Maybe they are actually trying to be successful here!
Dec 30, 2019, 12:18 pm
#708
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 39,118
Hah, no time for lounges anyway.
The rebooked itinerary has me on the earliest AS SFO -> SEA flight @ 6am. But it still only leaves a 46 minute connection to their once-a-day SEA -> MSY flight. I don't like my odds of ending up stuck in SEA for a day.
If I'm taking a connection I might as well rebook on Delta. It was several hundred dollars cheaper than if I just let AS keep what I paid for the non-stop. The SFO SkyClub is quite nice, and I can try the new MSY SkyClub.
In the past 6 months I've made 5 bookings on AS. 3 of 5 have been canceled due to significant schedule changes. I used to be a big fan but now I think I'm done with them for a while.
Too many times I'm left high and dry because they've changed their mind. Even if I get a refund it doesn't necessarily make me whole. e.g. I booked a ticket back from OGG for the busy EoY holiday season in Hawaii. I book very early to get the time, cabin, etc. I want. OAK and SFO are equidistant from me so I'll take the better time. They usually have one that lands 12:30am and one that lands like 9:30-10pm, and I don't like getting in late. The OAK flight landed a few hours earlier than SFO so I book that. Then they change the schedules so they were reversed and SFO is much earlier and OAK is the late one. I had them swap me to the other flight. Then they reversed the schedules again and I swapped again. Then it happened a third time and I swapped again. Then it happened to fourth time and there was no availability in the F cabin left to switch. So I canceled and rebooked on Hawaiian at an increased price to get the time I wanted. Why change the schedules so many times??
The rebooked itinerary has me on the earliest AS SFO -> SEA flight @ 6am. But it still only leaves a 46 minute connection to their once-a-day SEA -> MSY flight. I don't like my odds of ending up stuck in SEA for a day.
If I'm taking a connection I might as well rebook on Delta. It was several hundred dollars cheaper than if I just let AS keep what I paid for the non-stop. The SFO SkyClub is quite nice, and I can try the new MSY SkyClub.
In the past 6 months I've made 5 bookings on AS. 3 of 5 have been canceled due to significant schedule changes. I used to be a big fan but now I think I'm done with them for a while.
Too many times I'm left high and dry because they've changed their mind. Even if I get a refund it doesn't necessarily make me whole. e.g. I booked a ticket back from OGG for the busy EoY holiday season in Hawaii. I book very early to get the time, cabin, etc. I want. OAK and SFO are equidistant from me so I'll take the better time. They usually have one that lands 12:30am and one that lands like 9:30-10pm, and I don't like getting in late. The OAK flight landed a few hours earlier than SFO so I book that. Then they change the schedules so they were reversed and SFO is much earlier and OAK is the late one. I had them swap me to the other flight. Then they reversed the schedules again and I swapped again. Then it happened a third time and I swapped again. Then it happened to fourth time and there was no availability in the F cabin left to switch. So I canceled and rebooked on Hawaiian at an increased price to get the time I wanted. Why change the schedules so many times??
Dec 30, 2019, 1:00 pm
#709
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: SAN
Programs: AS Mileage Plan 100k, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,048
It was mentioned earlier, sounds like Occam’s razor to me
- they are getting squeezed for planes due to the MAX debacle
- as VX planes come off lease they are returning them to lessor
So they have to make cuts in the network where the planes are not super full and redirecting them to routes where they are hurting for capacity).....
- they are getting squeezed for planes due to the MAX debacle
- as VX planes come off lease they are returning them to lessor
So they have to make cuts in the network where the planes are not super full and redirecting them to routes where they are hurting for capacity).....
Dec 30, 2019, 1:37 pm
#710
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: B6 Mosaic, Bonvoy LT Titanium (x SPG LT), IHG Spire, UA Silver
Posts: 5,893
That would make some sense though things like LAX-LAS are down to 2 flights and SFO-LAS is down to 2 mainline and 2 E175s so all in all it is still quite a big drop of capacity both instrastate and from CA to LAS. Seems to be more on the continuing theme of shifting mainline capacity back to the PNW.
Dec 30, 2019, 1:49 pm
#711
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: EWR/PHL/JFK
Programs: A3*G, AS MVPG, UA, AA
Posts: 627
My "complaint" (wow, the swear word filter is a little picky, isn't it) is that while this would make sense, almost all of the route cuts from SAN have been E75 routes. SAN-DAL, SAN-SLC, etc. So unless they are back-filling previous A319 routes with E75s, there is more going on.
who knows, it’s possible that to convince themselves to abandon the MAX order they want to build up some additional profit with higher load factors and see that the MAX is truly irredeemable before committing themselves to the neo order.
Dec 30, 2019, 1:57 pm
#712
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: UA1K
Posts: 4,045
i am one of the few people that route via SEA on AS. my options out of SNA are rather limited, and i think mileage plan is a really good FF program. i've only been screwed spending the night in SEA once this past year. we'll see how next year goes. the downsizing at LAX is a bummer but i will live with it.
Dec 30, 2019, 2:10 pm
#713
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: SAN
Programs: AS Mileage Plan 100k, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,048
i am one of the few people that route via SEA on AS. my options out of SNA are rather limited, and i think mileage plan is a really good FF program. i've only been screwed spending the night in SEA once this past year. we'll see how next year goes. the downsizing at LAX is a bummer but i will live with it.
The number of direct out of California flights from SAN is slowly being culled from the network. Thankfully SAN-MCO is still alive and seems to be packed all the time so I hope it remains... it would be nice if they started using a Neo on that route. Since my top three destinations are MCO, FLL, and DAL I can visit the office in MCO then drive down the turnpike to FLL, then fly FLL-LAX-SAN. Dallas is a lost cause, it's now another SEA connection.
Dec 30, 2019, 5:46 pm
#714
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 3,367
As sfozrhfco pointed out, looks like that’s exactly what happened and most/all CA routes have switched from mainline to regional aircraft (and mainline aircraft redirected to PNW).
who knows, it’s possible that to convince themselves to abandon the MAX order they want to build up some additional profit with higher load factors and see that the MAX is truly irredeemable before committing themselves to the neo order.
who knows, it’s possible that to convince themselves to abandon the MAX order they want to build up some additional profit with higher load factors and see that the MAX is truly irredeemable before committing themselves to the neo order.
Dec 30, 2019, 10:07 pm
#716
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 24
Something particularly annoying - though I somewhat recognize the business reason (though I'm not sure why the business reason didn't exist years before) is the move of many ex-SFO flights to Hawaii and Mexico to daytime-only flight times.
Who wants to get on a daytime flight without WiFi to Cabo for a weekender? Wish long weekends in Hawaii were more feasible.
Who wants to get on a daytime flight without WiFi to Cabo for a weekender? Wish long weekends in Hawaii were more feasible.
Dec 30, 2019, 10:54 pm
#717
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
Something particularly annoying - though I somewhat recognize the business reason (though I'm not sure why the business reason didn't exist years before) is the move of many ex-SFO flights to Hawaii and Mexico to daytime-only flight times.
Who wants to get on a daytime flight without WiFi to Cabo for a weekender? Wish long weekends in Hawaii were more feasible.
Who wants to get on a daytime flight without WiFi to Cabo for a weekender? Wish long weekends in Hawaii were more feasible.
The flight back is hit or miss. I prefer a red-eye, but AS doesn't always have those. I'm usually willing to settle for an evening flight. What I'm not willing to do is fly out at 1 or 2pm and waste a whole day. Once I spend the night in Hawaii I want to be at the pool or beach for that next day. Once the sun goes down I'm happy to go sit on the plane. Again, UA is always a good backup plan. If UA is flying the 752 (which periodically disappears and reappears from that route) I'll spring for F (lie-flat) and get 4hr of sleep on the red-eye back. If not, I'll prefer AS if the times are reasonable.
Dec 31, 2019, 12:39 am
#718
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SFO, CLT
Programs: AA Bonsai EXP (2.9 MM), AS MVPG
Posts: 1,401
Ding, ding, ding!! Jammed in a crummy 737 domestic F seat versus a lie flat with vastly superior soft product in the air and on the ground and multiple flights daily. Hmmm, what should I choose?
Dec 31, 2019, 1:28 am
#719
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
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Posts: 7,263
Dec 31, 2019, 11:05 am
#720
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
Which is great if your company doesn't have an economy only policy. The seats in the back are the same. And if they don't have an economy only policy, there's some fat to be cut.