AA to Discontinue JFK-BUD, Add Fourth DFW-LHR Flight
Feb 7, 2012, 3:11 pm
#1
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AA to Discontinue JFK-BUD, Add Fourth DFW-LHR Flight
Summary: Today, American announced two schedule adjustments. AA will not reinstate its seasonal New York JFK – Budapest, Hungary (BUD), service June 14. Separately, AA will add a fourth flight between Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and London Heathrow (LHR) on that same day.
Key Points:
• We continuously evaluate routes to ensure we are maximizing our fleet and profitability.
• AA will not reinstate its JFK-BUD flight that was scheduled to start June 14.
• The airline has taken the difficult decision to cancel this service in light of high oil prices and the weakened global economy, which has affected travel demand and the route’s performance.
• Both the JFK-BUD removal and the new DFW-LHR flights will appear in SABRE on Feb. 12.
• AA will continue to offer travel choices between the U.S. and Budapest in conjunction with oneworld partners, British Airways and Finnair, via either London Heathrow or Helsinki.
• AA is evaluating other scheduling options for the Boeing 767-300 aircraft that was assigned to JFK-BUD.
• On June 14, AA will add a fourth flight between DFW and LHR.
• The new flight will operate every day except Thursday.
• AA 26 will depart DFW at 5:15 p.m. and arrive LHR at 8:30 a.m. Return flight AA 27 will depart LHR at 10:30 a.m. and arrive DFW at 2:40 p.m.
• The route will be operated by two-class Boeing 767-300 aircraft.
Key Points:
• We continuously evaluate routes to ensure we are maximizing our fleet and profitability.
• AA will not reinstate its JFK-BUD flight that was scheduled to start June 14.
• The airline has taken the difficult decision to cancel this service in light of high oil prices and the weakened global economy, which has affected travel demand and the route’s performance.
• Both the JFK-BUD removal and the new DFW-LHR flights will appear in SABRE on Feb. 12.
• AA will continue to offer travel choices between the U.S. and Budapest in conjunction with oneworld partners, British Airways and Finnair, via either London Heathrow or Helsinki.
• AA is evaluating other scheduling options for the Boeing 767-300 aircraft that was assigned to JFK-BUD.
• On June 14, AA will add a fourth flight between DFW and LHR.
• The new flight will operate every day except Thursday.
• AA 26 will depart DFW at 5:15 p.m. and arrive LHR at 8:30 a.m. Return flight AA 27 will depart LHR at 10:30 a.m. and arrive DFW at 2:40 p.m.
• The route will be operated by two-class Boeing 767-300 aircraft.
Feb 7, 2012, 3:13 pm
#2
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Huge 
LHR is beyond overserved. AA, there are other destinations besides LHR and NRT. At least increase frequency to places like MAD, BCN, or HEL.
LHR is beyond overserved. AA, there are other destinations besides LHR and NRT. At least increase frequency to places like MAD, BCN, or HEL.
Feb 7, 2012, 3:19 pm
#3
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This definitely makes me nervous about BOS-CDG and ORD-HEL resuming in June.
Feb 7, 2012, 3:19 pm
#4
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On that note, does anyone have any idea what percentage of the JFK-BUD traffic connected to onward Malev flights?
Feb 7, 2012, 3:24 pm
#5
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+1. We don't need any more flights to LHR. How about Berlin or the cities Spiff mentions. Reminds me of the comment someone made a few weeks ago about how AA might as well just get rid of all it's planes and codeshare all of it's routes with other airlines.
Feb 7, 2012, 3:28 pm
#6
Join Date: Apr 2004
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Posts: 1,309
Berlin
Berlin is a low yield tourist market. there is very little high yield traffic there, regardless of this new airport. And Air Berlin doesnt really have that many nonstops from there besides for flights to/from Palma, Mallorca. Believe it or not, Palma, Mallorca, NOT Berlin, is their main base.
I really do not know why OneWorld went after Air Berlin. While the service is good, it's a low yield airline flying mainly leisure routes. This does not fare well for an AA flight into Berlin.
I really do not know why OneWorld went after Air Berlin. While the service is good, it's a low yield airline flying mainly leisure routes. This does not fare well for an AA flight into Berlin.
Feb 7, 2012, 3:32 pm
#7
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Berlin is a low yield tourist market. there is very little high yield traffic there, regardless of this new airport. And Air Berlin doesnt really have that many nonstops from there besides for flights to/from Palma, Mallorca. Believe it or not, Palma, Mallorca, NOT Berlin, is their main base.
I really do not know why OneWorld went after Air Berlin. While the service is good, it's a low yield airline flying mainly leisure routes. This does not fare well for an AA flight into Berlin.
I really do not know why OneWorld went after Air Berlin. While the service is good, it's a low yield airline flying mainly leisure routes. This does not fare well for an AA flight into Berlin.
Ugh... waiting for the day they announce where the 20% int'l expansion will be. I wish AA had a route network like DL.... IST, TLV, BUD, BER, etc.
Feb 7, 2012, 3:36 pm
#8
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They did/will... the other poster's statements were misleading at best. AB and HG are a decent addition to oneworld and have a number of useful hubs and focus cities in Central Europe.
Feb 7, 2012, 3:37 pm
#9
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Washington, DC
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yeah...
Yeah, the name Air Berlin is rather misleading. While its headquarters is there in Berlin, they dont fly to that many places from there.
With the new airport they might fly more flights from Berlin, but at the end of the day, that will NOT change the demographics of the Berlin region.
Berlin, regardless of how great it is (I love it!) is a poor city that is nowhere near as rich as Dusseldorf/Frankfurt/Munich.
That means that it doesnt have anywhere near the demand for the high yield first and business class traffic that Lufthansa/United can get in MUC/FRA/DUS. Berlin is simply a poor consolation prize.
AA might launch a flight, but I'd bet it'd meet the same fate as BUD eventually.
With the new airport they might fly more flights from Berlin, but at the end of the day, that will NOT change the demographics of the Berlin region.
Berlin, regardless of how great it is (I love it!) is a poor city that is nowhere near as rich as Dusseldorf/Frankfurt/Munich.
That means that it doesnt have anywhere near the demand for the high yield first and business class traffic that Lufthansa/United can get in MUC/FRA/DUS. Berlin is simply a poor consolation prize.
AA might launch a flight, but I'd bet it'd meet the same fate as BUD eventually.
Oh wow, I didn't read up on Air Berlin, I just assumed Air Berlin had it's hub in Berlin. Guess Berlin wouldn't make much sense then.
Ugh... waiting for the day they announce where the 20% int'l expansion will be. I wish AA had a route network like DL.... IST, TLV, BUD, BER, etc.
Ugh... waiting for the day they announce where the 20% int'l expansion will be. I wish AA had a route network like DL.... IST, TLV, BUD, BER, etc.
Feb 7, 2012, 3:38 pm
#10
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Feb 7, 2012, 3:41 pm
#11
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and again...
... regardless of the new airport, Berlin does not have the demographics to make it a profitable venture for AA or for any other long haul traffic (save for the squeeze-em-in high density 500 euro roundtrip fares to Bangkok... which isnt the demographic that AA is seeking...)
Feb 7, 2012, 3:46 pm
#12
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 24
Oh wow, I didn't read up on Air Berlin, I just assumed Air Berlin had it's hub in Berlin. Guess Berlin wouldn't make much sense then.
Ugh... waiting for the day they announce where the 20% int'l expansion will be. I wish AA had a route network like DL.... IST, TLV, BUD, BER, etc.
Ugh... waiting for the day they announce where the 20% int'l expansion will be. I wish AA had a route network like DL.... IST, TLV, BUD, BER, etc.
The DL route I am most envious of is them having that ATL to JNB flight... I am fairly certain I will never get my MIA to CPT/JNB route
Feb 7, 2012, 3:48 pm
#13
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... regardless of the new airport, Berlin does not have the demographics to make it a profitable venture for AA or for any other long haul traffic (save for the squeeze-em-in high density 500 euro roundtrip fares to Bangkok... which isnt the demographic that AA is seeking...)
Feb 7, 2012, 3:52 pm
#14
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Somebody has got to explain to me why AA isn't serving TLV directly. . .
CO, DL, US . . . . they are all there - and doing quite well . . . and BA, LX and LH have tons of one-stop feeder traffic between TLV and the US.
Even if AA has to pick up the TWA obligations or whatever - the potential has got to be enormous. Why don't they even look at it?
CO, DL, US . . . . they are all there - and doing quite well . . . and BA, LX and LH have tons of one-stop feeder traffic between TLV and the US.
Even if AA has to pick up the TWA obligations or whatever - the potential has got to be enormous. Why don't they even look at it?
Feb 7, 2012, 3:53 pm
#15
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It is pretty frustrating to watch the LHR free-for-all get bigger and bigger between AA and BA (Ok, I understand BA's expansion). Granted, JFK-BUD may no longer make sense due to the MA situation, but AA needs some fresh creativity and to grow a spine. Its competitors are absolutely making a mockery out of AA's pathetic international network.
LHR definitely has a solid place in the worldwide network, don't get me wrong. But it's a prohibitively expensive airport to OnD and transit through, not mention it is not ideally configured for connections, and is a pain due to its non-schengen status.
AA did alright the past year with some out-of-the box routes like ORD-HEL and JFK-BUD, but they were still 'safeties' due to OW hubs at both ends. There are quite a few business intelligence firms out there for airlines, use the data AA and come up with something non-LHR please.
LHR definitely has a solid place in the worldwide network, don't get me wrong. But it's a prohibitively expensive airport to OnD and transit through, not mention it is not ideally configured for connections, and is a pain due to its non-schengen status.
AA did alright the past year with some out-of-the box routes like ORD-HEL and JFK-BUD, but they were still 'safeties' due to OW hubs at both ends. There are quite a few business intelligence firms out there for airlines, use the data AA and come up with something non-LHR please.