AA A321T 3 class Flagship 2x a day BOS-LAX 2 Apr - 5 Sep 2019
May 5, 2019, 5:32 am
#122
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: FL400
Programs: AA 5MM EXP, UA 2MM 1K, HH LT DIA, MR Plat, NRAC EEV, AMEX Plat
Posts: 682
May 5, 2019, 10:13 am
#123
Ambassador: Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: BWI
Posts: 7,390
May 5, 2019, 11:55 am
#124
Ambassador: Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: BWI
Posts: 7,390
Probably less about being too big and more about availability of the 752s. AA only has 24 in the fleet and in the summer the 757s are all prioritized for TATL and South America missions. They do some short turn trips in between (i.e. up and down the east coast) but they absolutely can't reposition those birds to say BOS to fly BOS-LAX and return then back to PHL/MIA/DFW to fly the missions they need to fly.
AA certainly could use the 752s from Nov-Apr, but this means they will be bringing in an inconsistent product to the market if they keep switching equipment type during the year.
AA certainly could use the 752s from Nov-Apr, but this means they will be bringing in an inconsistent product to the market if they keep switching equipment type during the year.
May 6, 2019, 3:45 pm
#125
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 143
Thanks for the data point!
I am fairly sure op ups are happening.
On a recent BOS-LAX on the A321T I was upgraded T-24 hrs Y to J as plat. At T-48 hrs, all F seats were open, all J seats unavailable, same number of J and F seats (6 or 7) for sale. After I was upgraded there was still the same number of J and F seats for sale (but only 1). I was assigned a seat at the gate. It seems like J and F were almost treated jointly for availability and a cabin roll had everyone seated. Maybe this route is managed differently from JFK routes due to insufficient F demand.
On a recent BOS-LAX on the A321T I was upgraded T-24 hrs Y to J as plat. At T-48 hrs, all F seats were open, all J seats unavailable, same number of J and F seats (6 or 7) for sale. After I was upgraded there was still the same number of J and F seats for sale (but only 1). I was assigned a seat at the gate. It seems like J and F were almost treated jointly for availability and a cabin roll had everyone seated. Maybe this route is managed differently from JFK routes due to insufficient F demand.
May 6, 2019, 8:27 pm
#126
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: Alaska Gold 75K, AA EXP, United 1K
Posts: 472
It’s interesting they think they can get a better yield on LAX/BOS than adding a frequency to LAX or SFO/JFK. Seems like the yields on the other routes would still have more premium demand willing to pay the much higher fares for J/F on these birds. I wonder how much of the LA based entertainment flyers need to go to BOS...
May 7, 2019, 4:35 am
#127
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 691
It’s interesting they think they can get a better yield on LAX/BOS than adding a frequency to LAX or SFO/JFK. Seems like the yields on the other routes would still have more premium demand willing to pay the much higher fares for J/F on these birds. I wonder how much of the LA based entertainment flyers need to go to BOS...
May 7, 2019, 10:14 pm
#128
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: Alaska Gold 75K, AA EXP, United 1K
Posts: 472
it was my understanding a healthy amount of the F demand is filled by the entertainment industry for which NY is a logical top tier destination
As for Boston based flyers:
1) wouldn’t have imagined it is a market that would better monetize three class aircraft any more than some of the other large metros that AA serves and less than LA based flyers
2) isn’t a hub for AA like LA is and hence I would imagine would have much less Origin flying on AA than vice versa.
3) not sure why LA would be a top destination for Boston over say SF that would connect the tech and pharma industries that have presence in both cities
4) with B6 strong presence in Boston I imagine Boston based flyers wanting to fly west in premium cabins have some good choices already on B6
As for Boston based flyers:
1) wouldn’t have imagined it is a market that would better monetize three class aircraft any more than some of the other large metros that AA serves and less than LA based flyers
2) isn’t a hub for AA like LA is and hence I would imagine would have much less Origin flying on AA than vice versa.
3) not sure why LA would be a top destination for Boston over say SF that would connect the tech and pharma industries that have presence in both cities
4) with B6 strong presence in Boston I imagine Boston based flyers wanting to fly west in premium cabins have some good choices already on B6
May 7, 2019, 10:57 pm
#129
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: NYC, SLC, LAX
Programs: AA EXP, UA Plat
Posts: 3,951
Another day, another upg.
T-101, J had 13 unoccupied seats, F had 8. Cleared at T-100 into J.
Day of departure both J and F full. F appeared to be rolls from J, J had at least a few D1 pax. Y not full.
T-101, J had 13 unoccupied seats, F had 8. Cleared at T-100 into J.
Day of departure both J and F full. F appeared to be rolls from J, J had at least a few D1 pax. Y not full.
May 8, 2019, 7:35 am
#130
Join Date: May 2010
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May 8, 2019, 7:47 am
#131
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Austin
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Posts: 6,086
May 8, 2019, 11:24 am
#132
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: NYC, SLC, LAX
Programs: AA EXP, UA Plat
Posts: 3,951
It's the wrong plane. They need a 16J aircraft.
That being said, my upgrade rate was also 100% on the normal domestic 321S they have been running otherwise - before, they had the wrong product and were too expensive, now they're just too expensive.
UA has no problem filling a 16J 752 on BOS-LAX and BOS-SFO and occasionally a 28J on BOS-SFO, albeit with some of the aggressive discounting mentioned upthread.
That being said, my upgrade rate was also 100% on the normal domestic 321S they have been running otherwise - before, they had the wrong product and were too expensive, now they're just too expensive.
UA has no problem filling a 16J 752 on BOS-LAX and BOS-SFO and occasionally a 28J on BOS-SFO, albeit with some of the aggressive discounting mentioned upthread.
May 8, 2019, 11:29 am
#133
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Anywhere
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 674
I think the issue for AA is the lack of a 2-class narrowbody where J is full-flat (edit: other than the 752s that are used elsewhere). The F cabin in the A321T is under-utilized in BOS-LAX, but the recliners on the 737 or A321S are dreadful compared to the Mint seats for a 6 hour flight. So paid J business goes to B6 based on the hard product unless AA gets the flat seats in there.
May 8, 2019, 12:59 pm
#134
Join Date: May 2010
Programs: AA Pro;Ritz Carlton Ambassador;Hilton Silver: SPG Gold
Posts: 111
It's the wrong plane. They need a 16J aircraft.
That being said, my upgrade rate was also 100% on the normal domestic 321S they have been running otherwise - before, they had the wrong product and were too expensive, now they're just too expensive.
UA has no problem filling a 16J 752 on BOS-LAX and BOS-SFO and occasionally a 28J on BOS-SFO, albeit with some of the aggressive discounting mentioned upthread.
That being said, my upgrade rate was also 100% on the normal domestic 321S they have been running otherwise - before, they had the wrong product and were too expensive, now they're just too expensive.
UA has no problem filling a 16J 752 on BOS-LAX and BOS-SFO and occasionally a 28J on BOS-SFO, albeit with some of the aggressive discounting mentioned upthread.
May 8, 2019, 6:53 pm
#135
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: NYC, SLC, LAX
Programs: AA EXP, UA Plat
Posts: 3,951
Speculating, it is also possible that AA knows they will never sell F and knows that 30 seats is too many, and they're merely using this as an experiment (because they have no spare 75Ls) to test revenue premiums in the J cabin on the route to explore viability of a 321 16J subfleet for this route and others (JFK-SAN/SEA/LAS, etc).
