Do you wish AA would leave ORD?
Apr 13, 2018, 9:48 am
#46
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: American EXP; British Airways Gold
Posts: 1,896
Apr 13, 2018, 1:42 pm
#47
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DFW
Programs: UA 1K, AA Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 466
It would be really dumb if AA dehubbed ORD. It's not like they can just choose a different city, such as STL and expect it to perform the same. It's not the 80's or 90's anymore. There's a reason why rustbelt cities like STL, CLE, MEM, and PIT aren't hubs anymore. They just don't have the O&D markets to support a huge hub anymore. Airline economics are different now and in order to operate a successful hub you have to have the local traffic as well. Sure it sucks for the residents of these medium sized cities to loose their non-stop flights, but it has opened up opportunity for other carriers to enter the market and bring airfares down. WN has finally entered CVG and also built a nice small hub in STL. Other LCC's have entered the markets as well. AA does have a big hole in the PNW, but the other legacies have their own holes in the domestic market as well. DL saw opportunity in SEA and went for it when UA started pulling out.
Apr 13, 2018, 2:26 pm
#48
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: CoUniHound 1K 1MM, AA EXP 2MM, DL Plat, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,625
ORD's OW presence isn't insignificant. Unless AY, BA, CX, IB, JL, QR, and RJ want to move or add flights to the US, AA isn't going anywhere soon.
Apr 13, 2018, 3:04 pm
#49
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: MSY
Programs: AA Plat Pro, UA Plat, VS Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 2,531
I think AA should open a new hub in LIT to go with the new hubs in PDX and SEA, once they withdraw from ORD, and then buy A380s to start hourly SEA/PDX/LIT-NRT shuttle service. They can convert the entire upper cabin to multiple EY-style cabins with showers, full beds, couches. Then have 12 across Y in the lower cabin with 28" pitch.