AA.com needs a button to "Ignore This Connection"
 

When booking by fare, AA.com often lists the most ridiculous connection first. (When booking by schedule it normally list the most sane connection first.) For example, if connecting to an intl flight at JFK, often the first listing by fare involves changing airports. I don't want to change airports in NYC. I want to look at all possibilities EXCEPT that ridiculous connection.

But that ridiculous connection shows up multiple times in the "Search by fare" listings. AA.com pairs the ridiculous connection wth every valid return flight. It would save so much time if there were a way to tell AA.com "I don't want to even consider this connection". Then, the display would be refreshed but WITHOUT the ridiculous connection interspersed among the offerings.

Will it happen in our lifetime?

No. :D

Maybe just a button that would eliminate airport changes would do, such as the one available with the ITA software.

I like the expedia style search-by-fare where it shows all the outbound options with an "as low as $xx R/T" price, corresponding to the R/T fare if that particular outbound is paired with the cheapest return.

United.com does something similar when searching by schedule, where outbound and return flights are shown side-by side and the fare updates when the radio button next to each flight option is selected.

That would certainly get 'er done! C'mon AA, are you gonna let bankrupt UA have a better booking engine than you? :D

Are they going to let UA have better first-class service than AA?
Are they going to let UA have better economy seating than AA?

Similar, I use Orbitz to do most of my research on segments and connections. I like how you can pick any leg first, and then see the rest of the possibilities for the other leg(s) by price/departure time/shortest trip. Then, I use AA to book by schedule (with very specific departure times entered) to get these same flights.

Have you ever tried to book a ticket on united.com? Try to book by schedule, and half the flights you get to choose from are "operated by USAirways." Even worse, try to change your seat assignment on a purchased or saved itinerary at united.com. It's not going to happen.

There are many things I love about UA, but united.com ain't one of them. AA.com beats united.com, hands down.

I CERTAINLY did not mean to suggest that UA.com is superior to AA.com in ANY worthwhile way. The search by schcedule with fare is a bit better, but AA.com blows UA.bomb out of the water ANY day of the week.

And don't get me started about the AA vs. UA call center agents...

The OP is right.
Often when looking at flights ORD -> Europe the most connections come up LHR->LGW, even when searching by schedule.
The button like ITA has would be great!!!

Second this. Orbitz is killer for this particular purpose, especially on multi-city itins. You look at your long list of flights, choose the obvious return (say that's your critical one time-wise) then it'll match it with all possible outbounds and report the associated fare.

AA is fine for some things but I typically find the itin elsewhere and then book it there already knowing what I want.

ITA has this? or orbitz has this??

If you use the ITA matrix, you can prevent co-terminal airports from showing up by deselecting the 'Allow Airport Changes' checkbox. If the option isn't displayed initialy, select 'more options'.

I was refering to the option of selecting the 1st segment and then seeing all the possibilities after that. Not the "Airport changes" option....

This is one of the more overlooked features of our site. After doing a search, try clicking on the "choose flights (text)" or "choose flights (graphical)" at the top of the page. It does exactly what you're asking for.