Speculation: Will AA continue to pull back in NYC?
#241
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP, B6 Mosaic, UA Platinum, others
Posts: 1,270
The power of the AA/BA NYLON route is substantial. And it's been said in a number of places that it's the most valuable premium int'l route in the world by a significant margin. Cutting back doesn't necessarily directly impact that golden goose... but if AA shrinks too much out of NY, it will have a secondary effect. Those premium cabin ticket buyers flying on finance company dimes are accumulating a ton of AAdvantage miles -- easily 50k a trip.
If they can't spend them for leisure redemptions, it'll annoy them. I know it has come up at my company quite a bit lately. And if it inspires people who'd been using those miles for their family winter holiday trip every year to, say, try flying another airline, it could really have an impact. British Airlines' fleet of wifi-free 747s with 2006 biz class seats might not look so good after trying a Polaris equipped United flight... or the seriously great Virgin Atlantic lounges....
It's a risk, but I suppose it's one American has decided to take.
If they can't spend them for leisure redemptions, it'll annoy them. I know it has come up at my company quite a bit lately. And if it inspires people who'd been using those miles for their family winter holiday trip every year to, say, try flying another airline, it could really have an impact. British Airlines' fleet of wifi-free 747s with 2006 biz class seats might not look so good after trying a Polaris equipped United flight... or the seriously great Virgin Atlantic lounges....
It's a risk, but I suppose it's one American has decided to take.
#243
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,950
- 0.7*0.64 = 45% of the traffic is AA connecting
- 0.7*0.36 = 25% is AA O&D
- 30% is other airline (presumably mostly O&D)
Getting back on topic, it looks to me like AA actually isn't hugely more dominant in the O&D numbers at PHL than they are in NYC, and the PHL traffic is much more optimized for connections. PHL can presumably relatively easily handle a few more connections that currently go over JFK.
ETA: Oops; misread what that 14% means. Looks like, as of 2010, 64% of US's PHL traffic was connecting. Updated numbers to reflect that, for posterity.
Last edited by ashill; Sep 14, 2017 at 11:49 am
#244
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,372
Carrying 70% of the passenger traffic at a major connecting hub is actually not that crazy or unusual. Remember that only 14% of that is O&D, as you say. I don't think that's unusual for a connecting hub; what's unusual is JFK, where the O&D fraction is much higher. So of the total PHL traffic (assuming your numbers are right):
Getting back on topic, it looks to me like AA actually isn't hugely more dominant in the O&D numbers at PHL than they are in NYC, and the PHL traffic is much more optimized for connections. PHL can presumably relatively easily handle a few more connections that currently go over JFK.
- 0.7*0.86 = 60% of the traffic is AA connecting
- 0.7*0.14 = 10% is AA O&D
- 30% is other airline (presumably mostly O&D)
Getting back on topic, it looks to me like AA actually isn't hugely more dominant in the O&D numbers at PHL than they are in NYC, and the PHL traffic is much more optimized for connections. PHL can presumably relatively easily handle a few more connections that currently go over JFK.
#247
Join Date: May 2009
Location: PHL
Posts: 2,842
ETA: Oops; misread what that 14% means. Looks like, as of 2010, 64% of US's PHL traffic was connecting. Updated numbers to reflect that, for posterity.
~62% of PHL's total traffic is O&D
59% of PHL's international traffic is connecting
Not the raw data, but a city source
http://www.phila.gov/rfp/PDF/PHL_REI...ions_final.pdf
#250
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: NYC
Programs: AA, Marriott
Posts: 210
Interview with AA's VP of planning. Definitely a confirmation that only business markets are getting served from NYC and smaller European markets from PHL.
See "American Has Not Given Up in New York":
https://skift.com/2018/02/12/america...-long-flights/
See "American Has Not Given Up in New York":
https://skift.com/2018/02/12/america...-long-flights/
#251
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AA EXP Plat, Mariott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 165
As an NYC AA Plat I feel AA has given up on me. Seriously thinking about going to DL.
Interview with AA's VP of planning. Definitely a confirmation that only business markets are getting served from NYC and smaller European markets from PHL.
See "American Has Not Given Up in New York":
https://skift.com/2018/02/12/america...-long-flights/
See "American Has Not Given Up in New York":
https://skift.com/2018/02/12/america...-long-flights/
#252
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,107
Interview with AA's VP of planning. Definitely a confirmation that only business markets are getting served from NYC and smaller European markets from PHL.
See "American Has Not Given Up in New York":
https://skift.com/2018/02/12/america...-long-flights/
See "American Has Not Given Up in New York":
https://skift.com/2018/02/12/america...-long-flights/
Interesting read. Thanks for sharing.
#253
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2012
Programs: AAdvantage Executive Platinum, Delta Silver Medallion, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador
Posts: 14,103
Interview with AA's VP of planning. Definitely a confirmation that only business markets are getting served from NYC and smaller European markets from PHL.
See "American Has Not Given Up in New York":
https://skift.com/2018/02/12/america...-long-flights/
See "American Has Not Given Up in New York":
https://skift.com/2018/02/12/america...-long-flights/
In any event, at this point, count my husband and me among those who have shifted business over to DL, and will continue to do so. AA out of NYC no longer makes sense.
#254
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: LAX/BUR, RDU
Programs: DL SM, AAdvantage, SPG
Posts: 1,360
Interview with AA's VP of planning. Definitely a confirmation that only business markets are getting served from NYC and smaller European markets from PHL.
See "American Has Not Given Up in New York":
https://skift.com/2018/02/12/america...-long-flights/
See "American Has Not Given Up in New York":
https://skift.com/2018/02/12/america...-long-flights/
I mean, I guess I understand the desire to go after business markets, but I think we're getting to the point where the everyday traveler doesn't think of "American Airlines" when they think of JFK. Delta's had relative success out of JFK, and unfortunately, AA never really capitalized on leisure/"smaller" markets out of JFK.
I wouldn't be surprised if they transfer the remaining JFK-MAD flight to IB -- provided that a 777 isn't viable.
My biggest issue is I've seen a significant scale-down of RDU-JFK flights. There were some E-175s mixed in with E-145s through last year, but now they've moved to E-140s and the occasional E-145. Now, it's fewer seats per day than in the early 2000s IIRC. To me, this means they've "given up" on JFK as a connecting point and are trying to route traffic through PHL.
#255
Join Date: May 2010
Programs: AA Pro;Ritz Carlton Ambassador;Hilton Silver: SPG Gold
Posts: 111
Slightly off topic, I am surprised they haven't gone into detail about the 757L being deployed on those other mentioned routes, SAN, PHX, etc.
Last edited by jacca83; Feb 14, 2018 at 6:49 pm