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ARCHIVE: Routes (Flights) and Hubs (Speculation, News and Discussion)

ARCHIVE: Routes (Flights) and Hubs (Speculation, News and Discussion)

 
Old Nov 1, 2015, 6:41 am
  #3391  
 
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Originally Posted by akarneboge
Boston clearly has a few point to point routes, however I've never heard AA call it (or LaGuardia for that matter) a focus city. I know back in the days of the cornerstone, "New York" was combined (as that JFK and LGA were one). Now, neither Boston or LaGuardia has enough routes to be called hubs. I'd be interested to see what they do with Boston. They had some good times there back in the day...it's sad to walk those corridors now.
DL still does not consider LAX a hub even if it has more flights than SEA (a hub). In my point, I am going by what what I feel is defined as a hub (not AA's marketing department considers hubs). A focus city is defined as an airline has service to several destinations other than its hubs. Thus, BOS meets this definition.

With so many hubs in the northeast (JFK/LGA, DCA, PHL), BOS could be vulnerable.
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Old Nov 1, 2015, 6:45 am
  #3392  
 
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Originally Posted by akarneboge
Boston clearly has a few point to point routes, however I've never heard AA call it (or LaGuardia for that matter) a focus city. I know back in the days of the cornerstone, "New York" was combined (as that JFK and LGA were one). Now, neither Boston or LaGuardia has enough routes to be called hubs. I'd be interested to see what they do with Boston. They had some good times there back in the day...it's sad to walk those corridors now.
It is? Boston is better than ever. It's a huge metro area without a legacy hub. Fares are reasonable to pretty much anywhere. International expansion has been incredible. BOS is a great place to fly from if you're not wrapped up in a single airline's loyalty program. I don't see much sadness in the corridors of BOS (except gates C40-42).
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Old Nov 1, 2015, 10:16 am
  #3393  
 
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From 2006 through 2013 I did ORD-BOS at least once a month because that was the only option for AA into the region. One of the benefits to the merger for me has been access on AA/US to MHT and PVD. Those two airports are much closer to where I need to be in the region and while they do require a connection, it sure beats driving to/from Logan. To that end I wonder if you may see a non-stop from either MHT or PVD to a LAA hub such as ORD or DFW? That would be the icing on the cake!
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Old Nov 1, 2015, 10:30 am
  #3394  
 
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Originally Posted by chiil1974
One of the benefits to the merger for me has been access on AA/US to MHT and PVD. Those two airports are much closer to where I need to be in the region and while they do require a connection, it sure beats driving to/from Logan. To that end I wonder if you may see a non-stop from either MHT or PVD to a LAA hub such as ORD or DFW? That would be the icing on the cake!
Considering that WN flies both routes nonstop from MDW, kudos to you for remaining brand loyal! I would possibly have been tempted...
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Old Nov 1, 2015, 1:52 pm
  #3395  
 
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Originally Posted by Xero
DL still does not consider LAX a hub even if it has more flights than SEA (a hub). In my point, I am going by what what I feel is defined as a hub (not AA's marketing department considers hubs). A focus city is defined as an airline has service to several destinations other than its hubs. Thus, BOS meets this definition.

With so many hubs in the northeast (JFK/LGA, DCA, PHL), BOS could be vulnerable.
Originally Posted by PWMTrav
It is? Boston is better than ever. It's a huge metro area without a legacy hub. Fares are reasonable to pretty much anywhere. International expansion has been incredible. BOS is a great place to fly from if you're not wrapped up in a single airline's loyalty program. I don't see much sadness in the corridors of BOS (except gates C40-42).
I guess I should rephrase by talking about all the gates AA used to have and the routes that they have cut or downgauged over the years. For the airport as a totality, it is better than ever, as long as you're airline or alliance agnostic. It is great that AA has picked up many of the LUS routes. I agree that it does meet what most would consider the definition of at least a "focus city".
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Old Nov 1, 2015, 5:33 pm
  #3396  
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Originally Posted by PWMTrav
I don't see much sadness in the corridors of BOS (except gates C40-42).
C40-42 has been Dante's 14th circle of hell since I lived there almost 20 years ago. I think Massport should have to pay airlines to fly out of those gates. At least they stopped the charade of D-1 when they remodeled the old Northwest E1-E2 gates for Southwest.
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Old Nov 1, 2015, 5:35 pm
  #3397  
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Originally Posted by ElmhurstNick
C40-42 has been Dante's 14th circle of hell since I lived there almost 20 years ago. I think Massport should have to pay airlines to fly out of those gates. At least they stopped the charade of D-1 when they remodeled the old Northwest E1-E2 gates for Southwest.
B1-B3 isn't much better.
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Old Nov 1, 2015, 8:01 pm
  #3398  
 
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Originally Posted by ElmhurstNick
C40-42 has been Dante's 14th circle of hell since I lived there almost 20 years ago. I think Massport should have to pay airlines to fly out of those gates. At least they stopped the charade of D-1 when they remodeled the old Northwest E1-E2 gates for Southwest.
I really wish they'd move Spirit over there and move Alaska back to civilization.

Originally Posted by TheBOSman
B1-B3 isn't much better.
B1-B3 is a straight up Greyhound terminal. I've only flown it once, on a BOS-YUL AC flight a few years ago. It reminded me of DCA Gate 35A (sorry, rebranded to 35X because Xs are cool) except with jet bridges.
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Old Nov 1, 2015, 9:32 pm
  #3399  
 
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Originally Posted by Xero
DL still does not consider LAX a hub even if it has more flights than SEA (a hub). In my point, I am going by what what I feel is defined as a hub (not AA's marketing department considers hubs).
I think that we accept that DL's definition of hub does not mean that city pairs always include a hub as DL does interesting flights from LAX to other non hub cities and has significant premium operations there.

AA is a bit more strict. There is something special happening at LGA, but that seems about it. I assume AA dropped BOS capacity and its JetBlue relationship for legitimate profit reasons, but it becomes self-fulfilling. The less important certain cities become like BOS, the less demand that appears to happen with its remaining routes. For example, I am not even finding the regular frequency of PHX-BOS as we get into December. Maybe it is seasonal, but I am not sure.

Qatar is getting nervous that without robust connections in BOS, it will not fill the plane. JetBlue certainly offered more than AA in terms of feeder options.

I don't know why things get troubling when non hub cities have significant AA volume, but either too much happens and causes a meltdown or competition gets very stiff and causes a different type of meltdown. I don't expect the hub term to get added to new locations anymore as it is not needed and the flight commitments are really weak. There is also little patience given to build an audience or customer base so I think we will see flight routes come and go with much more frequency.

Rasheed
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Old Nov 2, 2015, 2:32 pm
  #3400  
 
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As much as I am still wondering about this reported EY announcement, I'll throw out this article.

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelp...-alliance.html

I am not suggesting that PHL will receive any new service, but this partnership certainly can't hurt.
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Old Nov 2, 2015, 5:58 pm
  #3401  
 
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Originally Posted by nova08
As much as I am still wondering about this reported EY announcement, I'll throw out this article.

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelp...-alliance.html

I am not suggesting that PHL will receive any new service, but this partnership certainly can't hurt.
Not too far fetched at all:
http://articles.philly.com/2015-07-0...nited-airlines
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Old Nov 3, 2015, 9:57 pm
  #3402  
 
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DFW-OAK, or CLT-HOU?

With AA now serving OAK, would it likely consider DFW-OAK to augment and complement it's position with the inherited PHX-OAK? DFW-OAK would be a close equivalent to WN's recent new addition of DAL-OAK also. CLT-HOU is only flown by WN. AA only flies CLT-IAH, however, as US was a Star Alliance partner where US didn't service HOU or MDW, but AA already services HOU through DFW-HOU. Maybe a CLT-HOU would provide complementary coverage.

As DFW and CLT are AA's largest hubs with CLT being viewed as a fortress hub, I've thought the AA would match WN's routes into these markets on these routes, but so far it hasn't.

Does HOU offer a preference for some passengers in Houston over IAH or are these airports too close to be different enough for preference?
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Old Nov 4, 2015, 3:10 am
  #3403  
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Originally Posted by arlflyer
Considering that WN flies both routes nonstop from MDW, kudos to you for remaining brand loyal! I would possibly have been tempted...
Even thought WN flys the route, FF programs makes people choose airlines, while WN has a good one for domestic and VERY limited international, sticking with AA/US gives you greater possiblities.
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Old Nov 4, 2015, 7:14 am
  #3404  
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Originally Posted by beyondhere
Does HOU offer a preference for some passengers in Houston over IAH or are these airports too close to be different enough for preference?
IAH is about 15-20 miles north of the city center, while HOU is about 10-12 miles south. IAH is slightly closer to the Energy Corridor (read: where many of the oil company HQs, i.e. money and business travelers work/live), but HOU is closer to Rice University and University of Houston, and also to the coastline.

In short, they are far enough apart that preferring one over the other makes a lot of sense depending on one's downtown destination, unlike DAL and DFW which are in similar north/west directions from downtown Dallas, DFW being further west (and slightly further north) than DAL from downtown Dallas.
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Old Nov 4, 2015, 7:39 am
  #3405  
 
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Originally Posted by beyondhere
With AA now serving OAK, would it likely consider DFW-OAK to augment and complement it's position with the inherited PHX-OAK? DFW-OAK would be a close equivalent to WN's recent new addition of DAL-OAK also.
OAK would be a great place to expand and capture the East Bay market - setting aside the growth of Oakland itself, the East Bay has many well-to-do bedroom communities for whom flying out of OAK would be substantially more favorable than schelpping across a bridge to SFO...and of course DFW offers far more connections than does PHX. If that mindset prevails, LAX would also be a useful and reasonable add.

I do hope that AA looks to expansion in the coming years rather than rationalization. Otherwise what'll happen is that OAK could lose PHX
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