Fanjet

There is also a summer seasonal flight to AMS from DFW in addition to the year-round flight from PHL. But I agree with you about BRU. As for possible service to FLR (I think that's what you meant with FLP)... I'm not implying that PSA (the airport in Florence cannot handle widebodies) is a great suggestion. Just that I think that Tuscany receives more American tourists than Naples and its surrounding areas. So that is why I think it would be a better venture If AA was looking to open another destination in Italy.

C46

LH408 DUS-EWR will be gone in 2019.
EW only serves tourist-heavy destinations from DUS, like JFK, MIA & RSW - without offering connections in the U.S.!

Keeping that in mind, there should be enough potential for another route, aimed at business travelers & cargo shippers, besides DL's ATL-flight.

PHX_Flyer

Few months ago I heard a rumor from PHX based flight crew that BA was pulling out of PHX. Presumably, that would be replaced by AA metal to LHR. Then came the BA (contract) lounge's lease is expiring, and airport is looking for a new operator.

With the deferred retirement of the A333's might leave a little slack in the wide body fleet (LHR-PHX-HNL turn?). Reading JonNYC's tweet tonight about premium seat overcapacity makes a good point too. Plausible or wishful thinking?

econometrics

FlightNurse

If AA uses the 333's that is mix blessing since the plan was not to retrofit them with PE, But it would be nice to have a direct PHX-LHR flight on AA metal without paying the horrible fuel surcharge that BA imposes.

bridge29

Very curious as to what this means for PHL. AA connected the dots with several new flights this summer that connect to the transatlantic bank, as well as beefed up service to LAX and SFO with A332s. However, Terminal A-West is now completely full at peak with no more room for additional flights unless they are spaced out a bit more.

Even more secondary Europe from PHL?

lowfareair

AA has 3 hardstand gates West of A that they can use (H1-H3) although it is not a fun option. What they really should do if they want to add more TATL from PHL is 1) Make the remaining Terminal A gates FIS-accessible for narrowbodies from the Caribbean, 2) switch the LAX/SFO flights to 752/321neos with lie-flats (I know there is no official plan for the neos to get them, but I believe a subfleet of them eventually will), and 3) put in 2 distinct TATL banks and try to get a handful of flights to arrive after the first bank departs around 5-6pm. Not easy, but should be doable, especially from leisure destinations.

3Cforme

If you're complaining about BA fuel surcharges you're thinking award tickets. 'Let's improve saver award availability,' said no Parker sycophant ever.

millionmiler

True. If people are hoping even for the same amount of award availability if the route switches to AA then they are fooling themselves.

perseus11

As I vaguely recall, US did the hardstand gates/IAD buggies in the past, as well as the 2nd international Bank. They also moved several departures to "B". People hated the "hardstand" thing, although it's not that unusual during peak times at several other large airports. The 2nd Bank could present a challenge though, as many prospective connecting domestic flights may have to be rescheduled across the network. @:-) If Parker is going to significantly grow international from PHL, he should open his wallet, pay to move the airport vehicle charging stations and extend A-West south, which was a long ago plan anyway. PHL is stuck with the ultra conservative US Airways/Parker mindset, while the pre-merger AA hubs bask in their Taj Mahal glory days.

Fanjet

IIRC, there were a couple of gates at PHL (in either B or C) which could handle the 762s. Couldn't those gates also handle the 763s? As for flight banking and gate space... there could easily be 3 banks of TATL flights at PHL: 6pm/8pm/10pm. Even the longer flights to FCO and ATH, for example, could depart around 4pm. Moreover, this is really only an issue in the peak summer months.

iadisgreat

​​​​​
Who's connecting to those 4 pm flights?

Fanjet

Is there no longer a bank of flights arriving in the 2 o'clock hour at PHL?

I think even the first flight from LAX arrives in that block.

nova08

My understanding is that gate space at PHL is at a premium for the arriving TA flights between noon and 4pm, especially between 2:30-4:30. I am not aware of immediate issues for the departing banks with a need to board using remote stands

dkc192

This is my understanding as well. That said, AA could work around this by scheduling a ~10-11pm departure bank to closer European destinations (LIS, MAD, etc.) and having the corresponding planes turn around for an afternoon departure from Europe and early evening arrival back into PHL, after the present 2-4pm rush.