American Airlines Places Order for 460 Narrowbody Planes from Boeing & Airbus
Jul 20, 2011, 5:53 am
#16
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: AA EXP (2.2mm), SPG Plat, Accor Plat
Posts: 225
I'm not quite sure how AA ordering hundreds of aircraft worth billions of dollars from Boeing is putting Americans out of work.
Jul 20, 2011, 5:57 am
#17
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: Marriott, Delta, United, AA
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First of all they knew Airbus would bend over backwards and make sure they got low interest rates and credit. Looking at AA credit and interest rates are a huge factor for its long term survivial. It also made Boeing do the same so they didn't loose the whole order.
Second they want to replace the MD-80s and 767-200s as quickly as possible. They had to split the order up its so massive. I bet we see AA order 319s that is the size they really need.
Jul 20, 2011, 5:58 am
#18
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Boston, MA (BOS)
Programs: AA PLT Pro 2MM, DL Gold, UA Silver, Marriott Ambassador + LT Plat, COFC Venture X, HHonors Diamond
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Would have preferred to see an all-Boeing airline but if the A320 is better for AA's overall strategy and allows them to diversify the fleet I can understand. With this announcement, the only major US carriers with all Boeing fleets will be AS and WN.
Jul 20, 2011, 6:00 am
#19
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: LAX
Posts: 3,267
I bet if you had taken a poll of your elites and asked "why did you first choose aa as as your preferred airline," the fact that the fleet was American would be high on the list. To give up this kind of automatic product differentiation between you and the rest of the industry is just foolish.
Jul 20, 2011, 6:00 am
#20
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: KDFW/KDAL
Programs: BA , Hilton Honors Gold, SPG Gold, LQ Elite
Posts: 359
Ya I'm kinda bummed they went to Airbus too. My father worked on F-15s in STL so I've always been pro Boeing. I also think Airbus planes are kinda ugly. 
Jul 20, 2011, 6:03 am
#21
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Join Date: Sep 2006
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Wow, I thought I'd never see AA make an a/c order like this given the Company's uber conservative business nature. Well let the 1,000 plus post thread begin!
Jul 20, 2011, 6:03 am
#22
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Peon Gold
Posts: 2,915
Additionally, with CO and UA combining, AA is the last US legacy to adopt Airbus narrow bodies.
At any rate, I'm interested to see the mix of the variants of the 737NG that will finally be delivered. I won't be surprised to see some -900ERs and -700(ERs). From what I read on CNBC, this order will replace the MD80, the 757 and the 762. Wow.
Jul 20, 2011, 6:05 am
#23
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: New York, Paris
Programs: AA ExPlat 4MM, AA Life Plat, Lufthansa FT, Delta Basic
Posts: 1,593
Aaaahhhh... Yes but THEY are European. Do you see where such generalized narrow-mindedness would lead the world ? No Boeing exports to Europe and no Airbuses in the US. Would the American worker be better off and would airlines have products better fitting their needs ?
Jul 20, 2011, 6:09 am
#24
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 2,384
Shouldn't we be discussing the timing, planes and routes rather than country of origin and grocery shopping? Just trying to get the thread back on topic.
I'm just happy they're getting so many new planes.
I'm just happy they're getting so many new planes.
Jul 20, 2011, 6:10 am
#25
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: GRR
Programs: Diamond medallion, HHonors Diamond,
Posts: 104
I think AA had to do this for two reasons.
First of all they knew Airbus would bend over backwards and make sure they got low interest rates and credit. Looking at AA credit and interest rates are a huge factor for its long term survivial. It also made Boeing do the same so they didn't loose the whole order.
Second they want to replace the MD-80s and 767-200s as quickly as possible. They had to split the order up its so massive. I bet we see AA order 319s that is the size they really need.
First of all they knew Airbus would bend over backwards and make sure they got low interest rates and credit. Looking at AA credit and interest rates are a huge factor for its long term survivial. It also made Boeing do the same so they didn't loose the whole order.
Second they want to replace the MD-80s and 767-200s as quickly as possible. They had to split the order up its so massive. I bet we see AA order 319s that is the size they really need.
Jul 20, 2011, 6:12 am
#26
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: I 35 south bound, finally stopped
Programs: LT Plt, 4mm, *A GLD, burned out medical provider, executing our estate plan
Posts: 1,665
+1 I think buying airbus makes good business sense. And... if being all Boeing is really important, then the tighter relationship with JAL, BA, and Iberia must make those anti airbus folks wake up screaming at night. Bring on the new planes, those MD 80s circa 1987 are starting to spook me.
Jul 20, 2011, 6:14 am
#27
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 1999
Posts: 12,097
IFE?
Do these come with in-seat IFE?
Jul 20, 2011, 6:15 am
#28
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: New York, Paris
Programs: AA ExPlat 4MM, AA Life Plat, Lufthansa FT, Delta Basic
Posts: 1,593
I bet if you had taken a poll of your elites and asked "why did you first choose aa as as your preferred airline," the fact that the fleet was American would be high on the list. To give up this kind of automatic product differentiation between you and the rest of the industry is just foolish.
Jul 20, 2011, 6:15 am
#29
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Rolling Lakes Yacht Club
Posts: 4,988
I bet if you had taken a poll of your elites and asked "why did you first choose aa as as your preferred airline," the fact that the fleet was American would be high on the list. To give up this kind of automatic product differentiation between you and the rest of the industry is just foolish.
Jul 20, 2011, 6:16 am
#30
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM, DL MM
Posts: 4,246
I can't believe that AA is taking delivery of 260 320s, equally split between the current model beginning in 2013 and the NEO three years later. How will AA address the issue of its aging 767-300 fleet with this order? How much further can the oldest 767-300s continue to fly as a number of these aircraft are approaching the highest time 767s? I just did a 767-300 transcon a few days ago to SFO and the Purser was telling me that the plane we had had almost 97,000 hours on the airframe.
When pressed further and asked is there really a 737 that can accommodate passengers the way the 762 does for transcons he was jammed up with no real answer and proceeded to say sure - we can configure some variants of the 737 with 3 cabins for our transcons.
That'll be an interesting layout...glad I fly DL now.