Nov 26, 2014, 4:51 am
Last edit by: IADCAflyer
Speculation: New Routes, Hubs, Flights (2017 Onward)
Because there is community interest in having a purely speculative discussion about whether other airports will pop up to become focus cities or hubs, new routes, etc. the following new thread has been amalgamated on this topic.Note:
Going: 9 A330-300, ER190, some older 757-200 and 8 767-300ER (leaving 17), MD-80
Coming: Remainder of 16 Boeing 26 787-8, 22 Boeing 787-9 (began later 2016). A320 family - 100 A321neo, and B737-800 (100 737-MAX8) aircraft.
See Cranky Flier article on 2016 fleet changes, AA-HP-US. Link.
Also see: HELP DESK: General questions about aircraft equipment, fleet, seats, IFE, etc.
Speculation fun time: Will xxx be the next AA focus city / hub? (consolidated)
Obsolete posts from 2015 on have been moved to ARCHIVE: Speculation: Possible Routes (Flights) and Hubs, Discussion - 2015 on
All posts prior to 2015 have been moved here: ARCHIVE: Routes (Flights) and Hubs (Speculation, News and Discussion)
Speculation: Possible Routes (Flights) and Hubs, Discussion - (2017 on)
Oct 31, 2016, 11:32 am
#286
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHX & AGP
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,456
Of the major players (excluding WN), AA seems to be the most averse to putting widebodies on any more domestic routes than they absolutely have to for utilization optimization. I mean the 32Ts are nice and all, but there's something to be said for widebody tcon service.
Unless PHX gets a longhaul route or two (which given LAX I think is unlikely), I wouldn't count on any scheduled (seasonal or otherwise) widebody service. With the merged airline and ongoing route optimization I reckon AA can find better uses for the 33x fleet in the low season than putting them on PHX turns.
Unless PHX gets a longhaul route or two (which given LAX I think is unlikely), I wouldn't count on any scheduled (seasonal or otherwise) widebody service. With the merged airline and ongoing route optimization I reckon AA can find better uses for the 33x fleet in the low season than putting them on PHX turns.
Oct 31, 2016, 11:34 am
#287
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHX & AGP
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,456
Nov 1, 2016, 3:19 am
#288
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: CLT
Programs: AA Platinum Pro, DL UA
Posts: 457
After S17, it will be interesting to see which aircraft is used from CLT to Europe after the A333's are retired. Will another aircraft type fly these routes, or will these routes be eliminated?
Nov 1, 2016, 8:12 am
#290
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Alexandria, Longboat Key
Programs: UA Gold Marriott Gold AA Gold Choice Gold Wyndham PLAT IHG PLAT Avis President's Club Amtrak Select
Posts: 2,263
Specifically for the A330-300 replacement, AA has already mentioned the high density 772 will replace A330-300 routes. As per the A330-300 retirement schedule, unless one of the nine requires heavy maintenance before the end of the summer schedule, they will stay through the summer and start to leave after the completion of the schedule in late August. In summer 2018, with the 777 CIP programme complete and hopefully all 777s having W installed and additional 787s delivered, the 777s should be flying more Trans Atlantic flights, especially heavy destinations like CLT/PHL-LHR. The A330-200s will probably do most of the Trans-Atlantic flying from these hubs, but the heavy lifting will be taken up by the 772.
Nov 1, 2016, 8:39 am
#292
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Arizona
Programs: BA (GGL G4L), AA (Gold), HH (Diamond); Marriott (Gold)
Posts: 3,011
It is, and there's no seasonality to the route from what I can tell. It runs at capacity almost every day of the year, and has some of the highest BA North America to Europe fares, though there are a fare amount of airport upgrades sold on the day of departure. Perhaps when the 744 are retired, BA could offer an A35x and AA a 789, though BA is more likely to run the larger A350-1000 to keep capacity near its current level. I wouldn't mind a second flight departing PHX earlier to get better timed connections, but it seems very unlikely.
Nov 1, 2016, 8:48 am
#293
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Alexandria, Longboat Key
Programs: UA Gold Marriott Gold AA Gold Choice Gold Wyndham PLAT IHG PLAT Avis President's Club Amtrak Select
Posts: 2,263
Nov 1, 2016, 8:55 am
#294
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,148
Nov 1, 2016, 10:39 am
#295
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 167
Rumors having been circulating that CLT will have only LHR and FRA service after the A333's are retired. I think its safe to assume both PHL and CLT will have less T/A in the future with CLT losing most of the seasonal flights. I wouldn't be surprised to see both FCO and BCN pulled for the 2017 flying season with the addition of those routes from DFW.
Nov 1, 2016, 11:36 am
#296
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Signatures
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: London, England
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador, National Exec, AA EXP Emeritus
Posts: 9,765
Hard to imagine PHL losing too much European traffic, given the investments being made and the need to serve Europe without relying too heavily on JFK...
Nov 1, 2016, 1:40 pm
#297
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,148
Next closest is JFK at 10, then CLT at 7. DFW/ORD at 6.
Nov 1, 2016, 4:04 pm
#298
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: UA Million Mile, Mileage Plus Premier 1K, SkyMiles Gold Medallion, AAdvantage Gold
Posts: 875
I think PHX should have a nonstop flight to Tokyo (either JAL or AA) based on its size as a hub. PHX-TYO has about the same O&D traffic as DEN-TYO, which has a nonstop on UA because it offers connections on both ends. PHX-TYO could also offer connections on both ends. UA's DEN-NRT flight is 17% local traffic, 35% bridge traffic, 26% beyond NRT traffic, and 23% behind DEN traffic. I know AA also loses a lot of PHX-Asia traffic to UA, so a flight would really help them out.
Nov 1, 2016, 5:33 pm
#299
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Austin
Posts: 4,629
I think PHX should have a nonstop flight to Tokyo (either JAL or AA) based on its size as a hub. PHX-TYO has about the same O&D traffic as DEN-TYO, which has a nonstop on UA because it offers connections on both ends. PHX-TYO could also offer connections on both ends. UA's DEN-NRT flight is 17% local traffic, 35% bridge traffic, 26% beyond NRT traffic, and 23% behind DEN traffic. I know AA also loses a lot of PHX-Asia traffic to UA, so a flight would really help them out.
Nov 2, 2016, 12:00 am
#300
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: DCA/CLT/HKG
Programs: AA EXP (Former US CP)
Posts: 731
Rumors having been circulating that CLT will have only LHR and FRA service after the A333's are retired. I think its safe to assume both PHL and CLT will have less T/A in the future with CLT losing most of the seasonal flights. I wouldn't be surprised to see both FCO and BCN pulled for the 2017 flying season with the addition of those routes from DFW.
In the future, I wouldn't be surprised to see BCN being dropped. But I see AA keeping DUB, CDG, and MAD around, as both are OW (future OW in the case of DUB) hubs, and I have heard time and time again that MAD eventually will go year round. FCO sticking around wouldn't surprise me as well.