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)
Aug 23, 2017, 12:10 pm
#706
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: New York
Programs: AA EXP 1.0mm, not sure where I am with hotels these days
Posts: 2,795
Skip Milan and just spend your time in the lake region ^
Aug 23, 2017, 5:17 pm
#708
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: AA 1.6MM EXP; UA GS; SPG LTG,Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,477
Looks like we're getting quite a ways off this thread topic with all the discussion about how best to get from MXP and VCE to various points in northern Italy.
Back to the point of new routes and sAAver J availability from PHL. That's nice and all, but connecting to these particularly for award flights is so difficult that it's more or less worthless for those of us not immediately in the PHL catchment area. (replace PHL with any other hub; domestic award availability is really frustratingly hard to find at the sAAver level). I've given up and booked an upcoming trip with *A instead.
<insert generic BA YQ and UK APD rant>
There's a part of me that wants to stick it out to 2MM for LT PLT, but the guy on the other shoulder is urging me to jump entirely. We will see; let's see what other wonderful things discount Dougie and his team bring to the table.
Back to the point of new routes and sAAver J availability from PHL. That's nice and all, but connecting to these particularly for award flights is so difficult that it's more or less worthless for those of us not immediately in the PHL catchment area. (replace PHL with any other hub; domestic award availability is really frustratingly hard to find at the sAAver level). I've given up and booked an upcoming trip with *A instead.
<insert generic BA YQ and UK APD rant>
There's a part of me that wants to stick it out to 2MM for LT PLT, but the guy on the other shoulder is urging me to jump entirely. We will see; let's see what other wonderful things discount Dougie and his team bring to the table.
Aug 25, 2017, 11:34 am
#709
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHX & AGP
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,456
IF the stars are all aligned but to get to Lecco from Milan you are talking at least 90 minutes, and add another 45 if you are going to Varenna. You might be able to make Bellagio in about 2 hours IF you are lucky.
Aug 25, 2017, 12:57 pm
#710
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
Posts: 12,809
Are you talking by car or train? Personally I would take the train to the lakes from Milan which doesn't take quite that long. From Milano Centrale to Lecco is a little under an hour and on the faster Trenord services from Lecco to Varenna the trip is just about 20 minutes.
Aug 26, 2017, 7:03 am
#715
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Aug 26, 2017, 10:08 am
#717
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
Posts: 12,809
Aug 26, 2017, 10:19 am
#719
Suspended
Join Date: May 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: DL Diamond, AAdvantage EXP, Hyatt Explorist, HHonors Diamond, Avis First
Posts: 7,344
Aug 29, 2017, 7:06 am
#720
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
I just read elsewhere, meaning FlightGlobal, that AA is planning on starting service to CAN to connect to their newest partner China Southern. To clarify there are only two weekly slots available to US carriers to fly to PEK/PVG. I assume HAL is the only airline who will consider picking up those two weekly slots in the future in order to increase HNL-PEK to five times weekly. There are seven weekly slots specifically allocated to CAN. UA was awarded SFO-CAN almost ten years ago but never started the route due to the market crash. With AA taking the last daily slot to PEK and Delta finally moving their NRT-PVG slot to ATL-PVG, it can be considered that flights to the PRC are being fully utilised for US fliers. Its only a matter of time before any of the US3 apply for a CAN slot. Since UA never acted upon their original award, I am sceptical they would receive approval, again. After all, UA has turned their attention to secondary cities in the PRC, where slots are unlimited. With over 30 787s in their fleet, if UA was going to try for SFO-CAN again, it likely would have done so. Which leaves Delta and AA likely fighting over it. And again, should Delta decide it wants to apply, it will be over LAX-CAN. Delta has repeatedly stated it cannot more Int'l flights out of SEA until the IAF expansion is complete. But, more importantly, the only relatively big market to CAN is LAX, even with China Southern operating a once daily A380 flight on the route. If there is a competitive process to snatch up the seven weekly slots to CAN, you're guess is as good as mine to what way the DOT will go.