imapilotaz

Nailed it. The LAXHKG will slide in perfectly with the DFWHKG and LAXSYD or LAXLHR. Essentially scheduled this would be just 1 extra frame (not 2) and actually slide into a gap in the CX schedule

ashill

Emphasizing that MAH4546 described those as guesses, not implying any inside knowledge, but....

I don't think AA flying their own metal to nearby major cities from one of their major hubs could fairly be interpreted as a middle finger at all. AA and AS remain, by law, competitors, and AA can't coordinate schedules with AS to make long haul connections at LAX optimally timed. LAX-SEA and LAX-PDX are rather glaring holes in the AA network out of one of their major hubs, a hub which serves a very large O/D market and has at least a few unique long haul connections in the AA network (SYD and AKL being obvious current or near future ones). Of course, I said that about DL when they started their own LAX-SEA flights, which of course did presage major middle fingers to come, but I think it's pretty safe to say that AA won't start a hub/focus city operation in SEA or otherwise robustly compete with AS.

AS started SEA-DFW service a few years ago, and that certainly wasn't interpreted as a middle finger to AA; ditto for AS starting SEA-JFK. And AA and AS have long had overlapping service on SEA-ORD.

Djokison

Indeed, utilization wise, this could be very interesting. They could do a DFW-HKG-LAX-LHR-JFK with minimal ground time.

JonNYC

I have SO little understanding of these things-- but I know that you certainly do-- I was only told "very impressive utilization!" but that sounds even more complicated (in a good way) than I would have guessed! Interesting!

Wow, I don't even know how people figure this stuff-- but, yeah, sounds like something like that!

SJC AA

Makes sense given how long the current 77W sits on the ground at HKG (~19 hours).

So this might be something like:

depart HKG 9pm
arrive LAX 6:30pm (then on to LHR)

depart LAX 1:30am
arrive HKG 9am

Then HKG would see 2 AA 77W planes, one from 9am-1pm and the other from 6pm-9pm.

bdhaliwa

Timing would be perfect for US-based travelers who finish the working day and head out to HK, count me in for my 1-2 paid J travels to HK, would be an excellent use of SWU's. The AA Asia network is really coming along, gone are the days when NRT was the only outpost.

AlwaysAisle

LAX was my home airport for 12 years and good to see AA is expanding LAX operation, eventually expanding to T5. AA was always weak in West Coast. Acquired AirCal to expand West Coast presence, but as Southwest grew West Coast operation what once was AirCal quickly disappeared. AAdvantage program partner with Reno Air filled that gap after that and eventually acquiring Reno Air.

But once what was Reno Air has disappeared again and become weak on West Coast. Alaska Air being AAdvantage partner sure filled that gap. When I lived at Los Angeles I took vacation to Alaska by cashing my AAdvantage miles on Alaska Airlines first class, that was good use of my miles.

Take this conversation of LAX expansion one step further, then in long term what will happen to PHX hub which is located close to LAX?

UA-CO merger, ORD and CLE were close to each other and eventually CLE hub was closed. Large operation at EWR and UA decided to completely move out of JFK.

DL-NW merger, DTW and CVG were close and CVG hub closed, and also ATL and MEM were close and MEM hub closed down.

In long term, will AA focus more on LAX than PHX? Will LAX and PHX co-exist as LAX as international connection point with OneWorld partners and PHX as connection point for domestic passengers? I guess same argument as will JFK and PHL can co-exist?

JonNYC

Well, yes!

Austin787

787 makes more sense for LAX-HKG. Maybe this could be the first route for the 787-9. 787 is less expensive than a 77W, and its lower capacity is smaller risk for AA.

LAX doesn't have enough space to absorb the PHX hub, so I think they co-exist. LAX serves as a Trans-Pacific gateway, prioritizing domestic-international connections. PHX handles domestic connections in the western USA.

teemuflyer

That would be nice. From Austin, I could catch an evening flight to LAX, and easily make the connection. On return, use the HKG-DFW option to get home at a reasonable time..

JonNYC

It's a 77W

akcae

Yeah, the HKG route needs F to be competitive.

DWFI

When the T4-TBIT bridge opens, AA will be able to run departures ex-TBIT starting around 5am. Right now they can only start around 8am due to security opening times. This will enable up to 10 new daily departures across 5 gates.

2 new gates at T4 will enable as many as 18 new daily departures.

1 new gate at T6 (to compensate for the loss of the one eagle remote gate), bringing the total to 5 gates there, will add up to 8 new departures.

The balance, about 15, is supposedly expected to come from better utilization of the Eagles Nest.

Piedmont767

Interesting, well if its not announced this week then definitely next week. If you are right, then maybe the person I was speaking to meant next Thursday?

But I can confirm a LAX expansion and LAX-HKG is a go.

May-June start for LAX-HFK I'm hearing, can't confirm.

3Cforme

You're taking it way too far. Compare the size of PHX origin and destination traffic to CLE, CVG, or MEM. PHX is #12 for domestic O&D passenger count; CLE, CVG and MEM don't make the top 30. #12 has more than twice the passenger count of #27, SLC by the way. There is far more to the economics of geography as they apply to airlines than your comparison can manage.

http://www.orlandoairports.net/stati...OandD_Rank.pdf