American Airlines' CEO Says the Least Important Customers Get the Worst Planes
#76
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: ORD / MDW / FLL
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Correct about PHL.
MIA / FLL. Think of the reverse. The presence of FLL siphons local traffic that would have originated in the north metro - plenty of DL/UA options there - it also served to dampen the market overall - one of many challenges Eastern faced. Not as much of an impact as a DAL, HOU, DCA, or MDW which are all closer to the city center, but MIA would be an even better operation for AA without FLL.
MIA / FLL. Think of the reverse. The presence of FLL siphons local traffic that would have originated in the north metro - plenty of DL/UA options there - it also served to dampen the market overall - one of many challenges Eastern faced. Not as much of an impact as a DAL, HOU, DCA, or MDW which are all closer to the city center, but MIA would be an even better operation for AA without FLL.
#77
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Chicago
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Not really sure what the problem is. If you book a flight in J on an 787 to LHR for example its 30-50% more adjusted for mileage compared to MIA-LIM. And while I think it is a ridiculous that Y has no personal IFE on the 767 (and the electrical excuse is a flat out lie), many trans-con flights similar in flight time don't have in seat IFE or power either, so LATAM is not being singled out here. Sorry but how many passengers complaining about the 767 would actually pay more to fly on a newer aircraft? Not many.
#78
Join Date: Mar 2018
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Really stupid thing for a CEO to say. Doesn't matter if it's right (of course it is) - wonder if someone will say his brain was hacked.
#80
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No one suggested that. However just because they're safe to fly doesn't mean it's operationally sound plane to operate. I loved the 747 that DL just retired. However by the end of their service operationally they could not be counted on. They would break down and you had to worry constantly about multi hour if not day long delays. It doesn't mean the plane was unsound to fly. In same regard the FA seemed to be alluding to fact that AA 767s are having the same issue.
#81
Join Date: Jul 2007
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In a shining example of what NOT to say to earn the loyalty of your customers, AA's CEO stuffed not one, but both feet in is mouth recently by admitting that AA intentional places crap planes and certain routes and that he has never had the pleasure of the sardine can known as the AA 737 MAX.
American Airlines' CEO Says the Least Important Customers Get the Worst Planes
Can't say anything in this article really surprises me given what I've witnessed on AA of late. Maybe Parker is banking on the fact that UA will keep messing up enough to make AA look better. It's a shame that Parker's version of "Going for Great" appears to be all about money and not about creating a (profitable) brand that is the envy of the industry.
American Airlines' CEO Says the Least Important Customers Get the Worst Planes
Can't say anything in this article really surprises me given what I've witnessed on AA of late. Maybe Parker is banking on the fact that UA will keep messing up enough to make AA look better. It's a shame that Parker's version of "Going for Great" appears to be all about money and not about creating a (profitable) brand that is the envy of the industry.
#82
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,485
This is not a correct statement, PHL and MIA are both fortress hubs for AA. HVCs living in MIA are not big fans of driving the 30 miles to FLL to fly with a LCC. In PHL, the closest LCC hub is 80 miles down the road at BWI. Yes, there are LCC flights out of PHL but AA dominates the market.
As for PHL, there are a lot of people between EWR/PHL that can choose between the two airports. On the other side, there is BWI airport who can pick off passengers. Although the leakage is a lot more severe for people between NJ and PA. ATL/CLT/MSP/DTW/SLC don't have anything like that to pick off passengers. So they simply can't dominate their local market as those airports.
Delta's hubs are not uncontested. ATL, MSP and DTW all have far above-average fractions of connecting passengers. While it gives them scale it shows Delta's restricted ability to gain outsize profits from locals. A route xxx-ATL-yyy competes with xxx-yyy non-stops as well as every other one-stop offering xxx-zzz-yyy. BTS data show that two of the top five operating carriers at DTW are Spirit (#3) and Southwest (#5). Delta fights B6 at JFK and with UA for the #2 position overall in NYC. SLC fights with DEN for inter-Mountain traffic. LAX...
#83
Join Date: Jun 2015
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Horton was forced in to the bankruptcy route when labor was unwilling to accept concessions required to keep AA solvent during the last financial crisis. At the time, AA was the ONLY full service carrier not to file Chapter 11 to shed its pension responsibilities, labor left no option. Parker was well positioned, quickly worked out agreements with labor and investors, and the rest is history.
From this perspective, I have NO sympathy for AA labor, who have reaped what they have sown.
From this perspective, I have NO sympathy for AA labor, who have reaped what they have sown.
#84
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#87
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#88
Join Date: Oct 2010
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Labor has undermined AA CEOs, going back to Crandall, reasonable to expect it to only get worse under someone like Parker.
#89
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: San Francisco area
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If Doug Parker is speaking the truth, then why do passengers on CLT-SFO route get crappy dirty 321's with old seats and no IFE? I have flown this route for a couple of weeks and have seen nearly full planes, 90%+ F seats sold at RT fares exceeding $1500. Connecting # 2 and # 3 banking centers in US has to be an extremely lucrative route, yet it gets the same planes that I see flying from PHX to BNA.
#90
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
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It’s not the aircraft type - BA has all J seating in their transatlantic A318s, Iberia has the nice Business Plus in their mid-haul A319 - it’s what the airline chooses to do with the cabin interior. AA has gone from MRTC 34” in coach to MSTC - More Sardines Throughout Coach - because it’s truly “Going for great”. But all other factors being equal I’ll choose WN coach and more flexible ticketing if it’s a straight coach choice.