Speculation: Will AA continue to pull back in NYC?
Aug 21, 2017, 8:37 pm
#61
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 5,451
Well ... as I was looking at a flight from LAX to Europe recently ... options were to connect at PHL, CLT, ORD, or JFK. Apart from avoiding the A332, JFK has a Flagship lounge while PHL and CLT don't. It also has the romance factor that PHL just doesn't have. All that being said, I find the PHL international experience to be fine. In comparison, my priority bags at JFK seem to come out last. Then again, my first few hundred thousand miles were on TWA, when they were failing and giving away status like crazy, even to college students who flew a lot!
I wonder if I'm not the only one on the West Coast who still thinks that connecting at JFK is the preferred connection even if reality suggests that connecting at PHL is fine and efficient, even if it lacks the romance of JFK.
I wonder if I'm not the only one on the West Coast who still thinks that connecting at JFK is the preferred connection even if reality suggests that connecting at PHL is fine and efficient, even if it lacks the romance of JFK.
Aug 21, 2017, 9:54 pm
#62
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,894
I'd agree, if originating in LAX and to a slightly lesser extent SFO. The key there being frequent A321T service (vastly superior in-flight experience than the nasty LUS A321s to PHL and CLT or a ho-hum 737 to ORD, especially up front). LAX has almost hourly service to JFK in the morning to connect to the European flights, and SFO has hung on to two morning flights (8am and 11am, IIRC) that can connect as well.
I just got off of LAX to JFK, AA does offer a nice product on many routes to NYC. The fact they added JFK to DEN seems to suggest they will maintain key O&D routes from NYC. Ultimately in NYC it may be better to fly multiple airlines anyway
Aug 21, 2017, 10:24 pm
#63
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Over the North Atlantic
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 494
Apparently, JFK-LHR alone may be enough to make AA a viable competitor in NYC.
How do we know that? Delta told us. When Delta acquired its stake in VS, it explained that despite its NYC network advantage, AA still had an edge with corporate customers because of its BA JV on JFK/LHR.
How do we know that? Delta told us. When Delta acquired its stake in VS, it explained that despite its NYC network advantage, AA still had an edge with corporate customers because of its BA JV on JFK/LHR.
Aug 22, 2017, 6:54 am
#64
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
Hahaha, Trenton indeed also works. Just saying, it shouldn't come as a big surprise that AA is regressing in NY. In fact, the biggest surprise is that it took this long to be honest. If AA really is going to use PHL as a TATL gateway for people arriving in the US though, the airport needs to go through a serious rehab project.
Aug 22, 2017, 7:59 am
#65
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
If you have to connect TATL from the West Coast, isn't the better option just to connect at LHR after flying BA?
I just got off of LAX to JFK, AA does offer a nice product on many routes to NYC. The fact they added JFK to DEN seems to suggest they will maintain key O&D routes from NYC. Ultimately in NYC it may be better to fly multiple airlines anyway
I just got off of LAX to JFK, AA does offer a nice product on many routes to NYC. The fact they added JFK to DEN seems to suggest they will maintain key O&D routes from NYC. Ultimately in NYC it may be better to fly multiple airlines anyway
Aug 22, 2017, 8:06 am
#66
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
For those who aren't adverse to connecting at LHR getting to Europe (and I certainly am, when given any choice,) there will soon be at least one more option to get to LHR from the U.S. on AA so that will, to a small degree, even further give folks option to "overfly JFK" (as it were) where they might connect at JFK now or have historically when flying AA.
Aug 22, 2017, 8:12 am
#67
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,894
For those who aren't adverse to connecting at LHR getting to Europe (and I certainly am, when given any choice,) there will soon be at least one more option to get to LHR from the U.S. on AA so that will, to a small degree, even further give folks option to "overfly JFK" (as it were) where they might connect at JFK now or have historically when flying AA.
Aug 22, 2017, 8:13 am
#68
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: AUS, GVA, and in between
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 178
Aug 22, 2017, 9:10 am
#69
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,485
Some things are more multi-dimensional than two words. This, in my view, is one of them.
For the time being, I'll place more weight on the (more than two) words of AA's own executives on this matter, along with the "track record" of major investments AA has made, and is continuing to make, in the NYC market.
For the time being, I'll place more weight on the (more than two) words of AA's own executives on this matter, along with the "track record" of major investments AA has made, and is continuing to make, in the NYC market.
Aug 22, 2017, 9:38 am
#71
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
Outside of the flagship first dining, what other investments has AA made in NYC recently? Every time I fly out of terminal 8, I keep wondering why it has so few shops and restaurant options that I want to use compared to T5. And also have to go such a long way to reach Concourse C.
Have you been to T-C @ EWR lately, I wish it was like T8 @ JFK. They removed all the moving sidewalks and put in 1 heck of a bar/.restaurant thingy in both the A and C concourses, so not only is the trek harder but you have all these folks trying to get into and out of the bar and their carry-ons protrubing at times greatly reduced the walking area. I used to be able to do the walk alot faster even if I didnt use the moving sidewwalks then what is possible most times now
Aug 22, 2017, 10:04 am
#72
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 698
I had an AA departure out of JFK yesterday around 5pm and time from pushback to takeoff was a few minutes over an hour. 
Ignoring the O/D side, it makes more sense to push connecting passengers through a less congested hub.
JFK can be for the bigger cities in Europe and if no direct service then maybe a connection at LHR or MAD (or DUB, I suppose).
PHL could take passengers from smaller US cities with one connection to the smaller Euro city of their choice.
Ignoring the O/D side, it makes more sense to push connecting passengers through a less congested hub. JFK can be for the bigger cities in Europe and if no direct service then maybe a connection at LHR or MAD (or DUB, I suppose).
PHL could take passengers from smaller US cities with one connection to the smaller Euro city of their choice.
Aug 22, 2017, 12:24 pm
#74
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,894
Aug 22, 2017, 1:45 pm
#75
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,231
For those who aren't adverse to connecting at LHR getting to Europe (and I certainly am, when given any choice,) there will soon be at least one more option to get to LHR from the U.S. on AA so that will, to a small degree, even further give folks option to "overfly JFK" (as it were) where they might connect at JFK now or have historically when flying AA.
I guess unless you're going from small-city-USA to small-city-Europe, there should be a 1-stop option on some other carrier!