sonofzeus

But if the laws change to permit a foreign owner, we'll keep an open mind...

Gardyloo

On the subject of European and American jobs, did anyone else notice in the press blitz this morning that AA is closing its Dublin reservations/call center? That's 130 European jobs in the tank, including - IMO - some of AA's best. Best wishes to those leaving, and well, some concerns about where those jobs may end up.

Oh, also OT, maybe you didn't notice that Eagle is being spun off? http://aa.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=3285

Wilbur

American Airlines: The Threnody



Goodbye, sweet, sweet MadDog.

Your F cabin has been a second home to me.

Farewell, good Lawn Dart.

I shall miss the quiet, nostalgic atmosphere of 3F.


A pox on the 737, with its cramped and joyless F.

Curse you, A320, with your breathy, whiny engines and your weird under-floor grindings, groanings, and thumping.

Pah.

ScreenGuy

Just to prevent duplicate comments about the Dublin call center, there is a thread on the topic: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...on-office.html

rowingman

Couple of things: there is much discussion that Airbus will need to open an Alabama manufacturing line. This was a very shrewd move on AA's part. Being completely dependent on Boeing's someday future decision to either re-engine the 737 or all new 737 is no way to run a business. AA is the only large US legacy carrier not to fly Airbus products, and flew Airbus products as recently as two years ago. I would venture a $1 bet that Airbus gave them a very good deal on its remaining 320 production, and a very good deal to be a US launch customer for the 320neo.

That said, I would bet another $1 that Boeing was compelled by this to essentially launch the re engined 737, which they will announce in the next several months. Additionally, by being ahead of Delta on the order books, AA will have earlier production, hungrier Boeing and hungrier Airbus deals.

It did somewhat blur my AA vision of new Sky Interior 737s as my future flying, but the 320 is a comfortable aircraft (despite all the odd buzzing, thumping and whirring noises that seem to come from below the floor of the 320 as it starts up and taxis, or is that all in my imagination??). Good move AA.

As for IFE: doesn't the entire world now sit there and stare at their smart phone/I Pad rather than watch the Justin Bieber movie? Won't IFE become a dinosaur? And if the Justin Bieber movie ever replays on AA again, should I change carriers?

fflier_9999

Really? I would seriously doubt that. I think that it you polled elites and asked why you started with AA, you'd get:

"They provide the service to the cities that I need/they have a hub near where I live"

"My company/former company flies with them, and they started me"

"The service/hard product were good."

"They had the first FF program"

I don't know anyone who chooses which airline to fly based on the national origin of the fleet. I like newer, nicer planes myself, and I'm getting sick and tired of the 767s and MD-80s. Would I prefer Boeing? I prefer the one with the nicer planes, whichever that is. And I think that most people (particularly those in commerically important buying positions) agree, but that's just a hunch.

fflier_9999

A) Our generation of 20-30 year olds (I'm in that generation as well) has buying power that our (grand)parents couldn't even conceptualize when they were our age--international trade has brought down prices tremendously, and I'm grateful. I can see my better half for $67 each way on Southwest--my father had to take the bus when he was my age.

B) Those among our generation of 20-30 year olds who can learn to leverage the global village will do fantastically well. Those who live in a mindset where business stops at the border will not. The same process happened when the United States integrated, and I don't see anyone crying about the fact that people order things from other states all of the time. Save Jobs in New York! Boycott New Jeresey! Please. We're going to have to learn to compete for the business of the other, what, 5Bn people on the planet? That's a massive market for us--we just have to get our ducks in a line. Given our education system, however, there are days I wonder. . .

parvez

But it does help Boeing undercut the market. It´s through "Defense Contracts" for all sorts of equipment that has no practical real world use, but gives the generals new toys to play with...

fishferbrains

As has been stated previously here, from a business perspective it's smart to have both horses in a two horse race. One of the other may falter in either delivery or configuration; and the flexibility remains for the slack to be picked up through other options.

For all the "Made in the USA" zealots, I also offer the counter-situation: If AA goes bankrupt; isn't it nice to know that Boeing will be sharing the load with Airbus?

JDiver

Yes, we should. Discussion about politics and polemic about buying American or European, union vs. non-union, etc. should be posted in OMNI or OMNI PR, and will not be encouraged in this thread, nor in this forum. Those posts discussing purely political issues (e.g. how much / whether or not / governments support EADS and / or Boeing, etc.) will be summarily deleted.

Please, let's keep this thread on topic and discuss AA's orders and implementation.

/Moderator

CityFlyerNYC

Guess the future does not involve any wide-bodies flying domestically. Ugh.

Does anyone know when the 767-200s will start being retired? Sad to see the only two aisle flights from NYC-LAX/SFO go. Not looking forward to flying on cramped smaller jets for 6+ hours.

veliger

I can’t believe they are throwing fleet commonality out the window, AA must think they know something LUV does not. That said, with the A320 NEO is a big jump in fuel economy with winglets and new engines at the same time.

I also can’t believe they are buying pre-NEO A320 family aircraft. The current 737 is better than the current A320 family in every way; especially in fuel burn which AA says is important. I guess they are desperate to replace the MD-88's. Or Airbus gave them a super deal on the crappy current A320 to keep the line full until the NEO is out. I can’t imagine anyone in their right mind ordering a pre NEO A320 considering it is inferior to the current competition and far inferior to the new one coming out in two years.

JDiver

The 757s are interesting aircraft, in both subfleets - they can fly in and out of some "hot and high" airports other aircraft are penalized by, have decent range and are ETOPS-rated, etc. and have some attributes the new aircraft are not likely to have. I suspect we'll continue to see those for a while.

The 767s will likely be replaced by 797s, and the new aircraft can be configured, as others have stated, into subfleets with a PS-like division for those transcons AA feels need such a cabin. The narrowbody Airbii even have a slightly wider cabin than the Boeingii, so that may even be a factor.

I'm sure AA has already run many "what-if" scenarios, and will be looking forward to further announcements. (And, like veliger, I am surprised they are ordering current A320 variants.)

warreng24

Nose shot of an AS 737.

Northshore Bob

What ARE those strange buzzing, whirring and thumping noises?