Speculation: AA SJC as Hub/Focus City, AA growth, new flights, etc.
 

I think it would be wise for AA to add flights to SJC-JFK, SJC-MIA,SFO-BOS with a 6:00 AM 9:00AM 12:00PM 3:00PM 9:00 PM and 10:40PM flights etc.

I can see AA putting their new Airbus flights from SJC to cover executives who do not want to drive up to SFO and suffer weather delays at SFO.

I think AA could really make SJC another focus city or hub and upgrade their LAX flights to mainlie flights and return SAN flights. Also AA could add more DFW flights return the CDG and LHR flights.

SJC is not what it was in 2008 they are more travelers flying out of the new terminal at SJC and there is potential for SJC expanding the terminal once passenger demand is at the levels as set forth by SJC.

SFO has fog issues and weather issues for a lot of the year and AA has had to divert flights from JFK to SJC. SFO already has Virgin so even if AA moved at least some of their operations to SJC that would be great.

I was once on a JFK-SFO flight that was fogged in and we were circling the bay and had to fill up at SJC and wait on the tarmac. I asked the flight attendant if I could deplane since I live 20 minutes from SJC and she said no due to security issues. Had AA had the SJC-JFK flight that they had years ago I would have booked on it.

I would much rather fly to London or Paris from San Jose since its close to home etc.

SJC has a campaign for more flights and I think AA could feed off the Hawaiian flights to Hawaii as codeshares and they have Alasaka Airlines to Hawaii as well for codeshares. Even if AA shifted their Eagle flights to Horizon Air or started mainline flights to LAX as opposed to the ERJ without WiFi they would be doing well.

AA could take after Lufthansa and offer complimentary coffee in the gate area for transcon flights, offer complimentary alcohol to all passengers on these flights. They could design a premium lounge area as part of the gate area for all transcon passengers with a section for First and Business passengers.

SJC has the new terminal and more passengers want to fly out of SJC rather than SFO. You have access to lightrail, Caltrain the VTA 10 flyer. SJC could work with Caltrain to operate a baby bullet Airport train that only stops at Milbrae and Palo Alto to Santa Clara Station where a special Caltrain Airporter bus with a guaranteed connection to the train that waits for the arrival.

Whats your take?

What's my take? AA tried it, twice, in the past 25 years, and failed both times. Third time's the charm? I don't see it happening.

The story of the past several years is that secondary airports are not universally thriving. Not in Oakland, not in San Jose and not in Ontario. I'm sure there are other examples.

In each of those areas, the primary airport has seen an uptick, like SFO and LAX.

I see AA operating the long-awaited LIT hub before it does it a third time at SJC.

I disagree. Clearly AA's best strategic move would be to add BUR-LHR/CDG flights. What's good for me is objectively good for AA.

LOL..... AA had a hub at San Jose. At the time, Terminal A was the new terminal. AA had a lot of flights out o Terminal A. Now AA only flies to DFW and ORD from SJC, and Eagle flies SJC-LAX.
AA in SJC once even had flights to CDG, TPE, and NRT
Now we don't even have an AC

What is your source for this statement? SFO has far more extensive international routes than SJC. Why would more flyers want to go from SJC when it involves a connection somewhere to go outside the U.S.?

People who live within an hour's drive of two major airports shouldn't complain about the service from one of them, when that service is better than the service that most of us get from the only airport within an hour's drive (or 4) from our homes. Such whining appears churlish.

That's one more route than SMF. Down to SMF-DFW and SMF-LAX there.

What kind of service do Alaska and Jet Blue offer from SJC? If AA merges with them, possibly more routes on the horizon.

LOL..., but you forgot to put the "H" in Horizon in uppercase :)

From SJC, B6 flies to BOS and JFK.

From SFO, B6 flies to BOS, JFK, AUS, LGB and FLL.

When a low-cost, hip carrier like jetBlue favors SFO over SJC, that tells me a lot. VX chose SFO over SJC. Dunno about AS.

AA seems to get very ham-fisted in California. Purchased AirCal, dismantled the route structure; purchased Reno Air, dismantled route structure. Bailed on SJC hub twice.

Now, AS - they fly from SJC to, in Hawai'i alone, HNL, KOA, LIH and OGG - as well as to BOI, GDL, LAX, PDX, PSP, RNO, SEA and SJD. If AA and AS merged we can only hope the third time would be a winner. Otherwise, maybe a lot of Q-birds on the Horizon.

Here's an advertisement from 1988:

http://www.departedflights.com/AASJC88.jpg

AA had some grand plans.

Oh here we go again!

SJC has significant service by AS. Which you get full AA EQMs on even if it isn't a codeshare.

AA is not going to increase service there. All the legacies ceded it to WN and AS.

For those asking about AS's SJC service, Wikipedia is a great resource:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_J...port#section_7

AS has 13 destinations out of SJC.

They need to focus a bunch of flights out of SFO to put the squeeze on UA and steal some of their fortress captured elites. An additional few key non stops could make all the difference.

I said something similar recently, perhaps on the speculative "AA wants to buy jetBlue" thread.

In addition to NYC, ORD, LAX, DFW and MIA, I expect AA to increase service to BOS and SFO after bankruptcy regardless of which airline AA chooses as a merger partner (if any). AA had to pull back from both of those cities when its costs exceeded every other airline's costs and its revenue was growing slower than most.

With the lower costs that bankruptcy should bring, and AA's somewhat impressive revenue growth while in Ch 11, I expect that BOS and SFO expansion are not out of the question.

Of course, if AA were to combine with B6, it would immediately become the largest carrier in BOS.

Some destinations will likely get more service but a new AA hub or focus city (the latter of which AA does not formally have) "ain't gonna happen."