How is JFK - HND doing?
Aug 24, 2012, 5:51 pm
#1
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How is JFK - HND doing?
I am just about to use some miles for a trip to Tokyo early summer next year. Saver award is available. But what are the chances the flight will actually still be operating at that time, with all the route suspensions going on?
Aug 24, 2012, 5:55 pm
#2
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AA needs to hang onto the route, even with the lousy timeslots at HND. It was a huge deal for AA to negotiate successfully for a route authority for HND in the first place. Giving it up would be competitively disasterous. I'm not an expert in the region, but my understanding is that HND is the holy grail for O/D paid premium-class business travel in that part of Asia given the convenience to downtown Tokyo. And as we know, paid premium-class business travel is AA's bread and butter in most markets (as is the case with all of the legacies).
Notice that even as JFK-NRT went away (despite all of those onward connecting possibilities on JL/CX/QF), AA chose to keep HND.
Notice that even as JFK-NRT went away (despite all of those onward connecting possibilities on JL/CX/QF), AA chose to keep HND.
Aug 24, 2012, 5:59 pm
#3
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AA needs to hang onto the route, even with the lousy timeslots at HND. It was a huge deal for AA to negotiate successfully for a route authority for HND in the first place. Giving it up would be competitively disasterous. I'm not an expert in the region, but my understanding is that HND is the holy grail for O/D paid premium-class business travel in that part of Asia given the convenience to downtown Tokyo. And as we know, paid premium-class business travel is AA's bread and butter in most markets (as is the case with all of the legacies).
Notice that even as JFK-NRT went away (despite all of those onward connecting possibilities on JL/CX/QF), AA chose to keep HND.
Notice that even as JFK-NRT went away (despite all of those onward connecting possibilities on JL/CX/QF), AA chose to keep HND.
Aug 24, 2012, 6:04 pm
#4
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Aug 24, 2012, 6:09 pm
#5
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Aug 24, 2012, 6:33 pm
#6
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If the flight goes away, or if they change it to a time that does not work for you, they generally will be very flexible on accommodating you on other flights that work for your schedule, although that likely would require a transfer at DFW, ORD or LAX, and would take you to NRT, not HND.
Aug 24, 2012, 7:34 pm
#7
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I was on this flight about 2 weeks ago. Loads were uniformly light on the Monday night outbound JFK-HND, F had 5 passengers. Much heavier on the Monday AM return, full in F and as near as I could tell, very close to full in all cabins.
Aug 24, 2012, 8:18 pm
#8
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If OP will fly in July/Aug, it should be fine.
If AA suspends JFK-HND temporarily, it will be likely in fall/winter/spring.
AA needs to operate this route until AA gets day-time slots at Haneda.
Summer is only season that AA could make money from this route as it is a peak travel season for USA-JAPAN.
TPAC airfare in summer is very expensive in general, so AA is able to have enough passengers by setting its airfare slightly cheaper than those of competitors.
If AA suspends JFK-HND temporarily, it will be likely in fall/winter/spring.
AA needs to operate this route until AA gets day-time slots at Haneda.
Summer is only season that AA could make money from this route as it is a peak travel season for USA-JAPAN.
TPAC airfare in summer is very expensive in general, so AA is able to have enough passengers by setting its airfare slightly cheaper than those of competitors.
Aug 25, 2012, 2:45 pm
#9
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my travel will be in july. thanks. i will give it a chance and book.
Aug 25, 2012, 6:17 pm
#10
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There were threads about how SFO-HNL, ORD-DEL, and JFK-BRU asking how these routes were doing, with many replies talking about how great those routes were doing. A year later, AA announced they were canceling these routes. Only AA knows for sure how this route is doing.
Aug 25, 2012, 7:14 pm
#11
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The bottom line is HND hasn't been what airlines hoped it would be. At the end of the day convenience is also departure/arrival times. It's quite possible some service by a multitude of airlines will revert back to NRT over time.
Aug 25, 2012, 7:20 pm
#12
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No US carrier is particularly doing that well with the HND routes other then perhaps HA. The slot times just dont work.
Aug 25, 2012, 7:21 pm
#13
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Of course, HND is a prime example of how the Japanese manage to protect their own carriers and give foreign competitors a huge disadvantage. No NAmerican carrier received decent arrival and departure slots because the Japanese government does not want to dislocate flights from NRT or give those carriers any advantages over its own airlines. But as noted, all carriers want to keep a foothold on HND in hopes better slots will open up.
Aug 25, 2012, 7:26 pm
#14
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Of course, HND is a prime example of how the Japanese manage to protect their own carriers and give foreign competitors a huge disadvantage. No NAmerican carrier received decent arrival and departure slots because the Japanese government does not want to dislocate flights from NRT or give those carriers any advantages over its own airlines. But as noted, all carriers want to keep a foothold on HND in hopes better slots will open up.
Last edited by grahampros; Aug 25, 2012 at 7:57 pm
Aug 25, 2012, 8:25 pm
#15
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Of course, HND is a prime example of how the Japanese manage to protect their own carriers and give foreign competitors a huge disadvantage. No NAmerican carrier received decent arrival and departure slots because the Japanese government does not want to dislocate flights from NRT or give those carriers any advantages over its own airlines. But as noted, all carriers want to keep a foothold on HND in hopes better slots will open up.