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DCA-JFK service reduction affected my trip

DCA-JFK service reduction affected my trip

Old Feb 12, 2020, 8:04 am
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DCA-JFK service reduction affected my trip

I just got an email from FinnAir that the DCA-JFK segment of my trip on AA (DCA-JFK-HEL-TYO) has been cancelled. Looking at the schedule, there are now only two AA morning flights on my departure date, meaning a way too long layover. This is the second time this has happened to me, first was in November TYO-JFK-DCA on JL, final segment cancelled, no late afternoon or evening flights between JFK and WAS. How likely is it that some service might be rescheduled for early to mid afternoon, or is AA pretty much eliminating that route? Obviously, lots of connections to international destinations through JFK on partner airlines, don't understand why this is going on. Thanks, would like some feedback before I call FinnAir to reschedule.
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Old Feb 12, 2020, 8:12 am
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Originally Posted by FromDC
I just got an email from FinnAir that the DCA-JFK segment of my trip on AA (DCA-JFK-HEL-TYO) has been cancelled. Looking at the schedule, there are now only two AA morning flights on my departure date, meaning a way too long layover. This is the second time this has happened to me, first was in November TYO-JFK-DCA on JL, final segment cancelled, no late afternoon or evening flights between JFK and WAS. How likely is it that some service might be rescheduled for early to mid afternoon, or is AA pretty much eliminating that route? Obviously, lots of connections to international destinations through JFK on partner airlines, don't understand why this is going on. Thanks, would like some feedback before I call FinnAir to reschedule.
AA has made of tons of reductions with JFK service over the past year, some of it has to do with runway construction and some has to do with AA's general pull down of JFK.

When is your flight? If it's next month, then it's probably not likely you will see any additional additions before then. But if it's not till later in the year, then always a chance AA could add some frequencies back.

Speculation: Will AA continue to pull back in NYC?
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Old Feb 12, 2020, 8:12 am
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I agree that the flight timings on this route make no sense and I'm not sure what purpose AA thinks they serve. Unfortunately, AA has been steadily retrenching on this route, so I wouldn't count on them adding any flights back. You're stuck either transferring from the shuttle from LGA, buying a separate ticket on DL, or taking Amtrak to Penn Station and then heading ot JFK from there. Personally, I'd probably just buy a ticket on DL.

Note that there's a somewhat later flight from BWI, but only by a couple of hours.
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Old Feb 12, 2020, 8:18 am
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How long is too long of a layover? To me, preferable to having to sprint to the next gate.
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Old Feb 12, 2020, 8:23 am
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Thanks for the quick replies. My flight is in mid-May. Last time I just booked the Delta flight back but we ended up having to change the itinerary because of a family emergency so I ended up having to reschedule the return trip anyway.

I think an option might be a schedule change: DCA-ORD-HEL-TYO. The times for this set of flights are almost identical, 2 hour layover in ORD so I think this might be a better alternative. I don't normally make connections in ORD but this seems reasonable for mid May. We're doing a one night layover in HEL, if that makes a difference, and there's a daily flight schedule ORD-HEL-TYO

Thanks again
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Old Feb 12, 2020, 8:27 am
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Originally Posted by Abidjan
How long is too long of a layover? To me, preferable to having to sprint to the next gate.
8 hour layover in JFK if they want to reroute my on the "last" flight of the day at 10am....that's why it's do hard to understand this schedule change
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Old Feb 12, 2020, 9:04 am
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Schedule changes are for a variety of reasons some of which may or may not make sense (at least to the traveler). I'd ask for your choice of backtracking to ORD and going direct from there. I'd prefer that over a land transfer in NYC or the risk of 2 different itineraries using DL to get to JFK.
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Old Feb 12, 2020, 9:19 am
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I dislike short connections to JFK international because the micro hops from DCA (and IAD) are the first to cancel or be delayed when the wind shifts, it rains or anything else happens. On the other hand, long connections make long-haul travel too long. My preferred alternative is train to NYP followed by either train to JFK or Uber.
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Old Feb 12, 2020, 9:20 am
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Runway construction has been complete for months so AA cant use this excuse anymore.
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Old Feb 12, 2020, 9:27 am
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Originally Posted by MiamiAirport Formerly NY George
Schedule changes are for a variety of reasons some of which may or may not make sense (at least to the traveler). I'd ask for your choice of backtracking to ORD and going direct from there. I'd prefer that over a land transfer in NYC or the risk of 2 different itineraries using DL to get to JFK.
I agree but I'd recommend a longer layover in ORD. MCT from AA to AY is 1:15, so you're in theory OK but a bit of weather on the east coast or in ORD will make that seem very short. In addition, you'll need to make the transfer from terminal 3 to terminal 5, which you can do via an airside bus now. DCA-ORD flights are fairly frequent so you should be able to find something with more breathing room but well under the 8 hours you're looking at in JFK.
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Old Feb 12, 2020, 9:30 am
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Originally Posted by FromDC
8 hour layover in JFK if they want to reroute my on the "last" flight of the day at 10am....that's why it's do hard to understand this schedule change
Maybe AA found a better use of the later slots either at JFK, DCA, or both........or the planes.
I expect a lot of changes domestically once MAX is available
There are other ways to get from DCA-TYO on OneWorld that don't require 2 connections like DCA-JFK and taking the 12:50 PM JL flight to HND
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Last edited by mvoight; Feb 12, 2020 at 9:37 am
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Old Feb 12, 2020, 9:41 am
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Originally Posted by mvoight
Maybe AA found a better use of the later slots either at JFK, DCA, or both........or the planes.
I expect a lot of changes domestically once MAX is available
There are other ways to get from DCA-TYO on OneWorld that don't require 2 connections like DCA-JFK and taking the 12:50 PM JL flight to HND
True, but the OP already booked through/on AY and presumably needs to stick with AY on the long haul segments, so that's kind of a moot point at this stage. AY can offer some great deals between the US-Asia, so I'm guessing that's in play here.
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Old Feb 12, 2020, 9:43 am
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This.

DCA is slot controlled. It runs roughly hourly Shuttle service to LGA and that is a hgh PRASM route. The question isn't whether there is demand for JFK, it is whether there is a better use for its limited slots elsewhere.
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Old Feb 12, 2020, 10:32 am
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This post made me check my wife & daughter's July itinerary. They are booked on an AA flight DCA-JFK. It is in the evening, and they are connecting to an AA JFK-LHR flight. So far their DCA-JFK flight is still intact.
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Old Feb 12, 2020, 10:47 am
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Originally Posted by Stripe
I agree but I'd recommend a longer layover in ORD. MCT from AA to AY is 1:15, so you're in theory OK but a bit of weather on the east coast or in ORD will make that seem very short. In addition, you'll need to make the transfer from terminal 3 to terminal 5, which you can do via an airside bus now. DCA-ORD flights are fairly frequent so you should be able to find something with more breathing room but well under the 8 hours you're looking at in JFK.
May is probably one of the months least likely to experience major weather disruption -- no snow and before T-storm season. If there is a misconnect, OP can still probably get to TYO on time by going direct from ORD, they'd just miss the HEL stopover (they could maybe schedule that on the return instead). And if for some reason there's bad weather in ORD, they could always try for DCA-LGA/JFK-HEL-ORD as a backup. Or maybe even day-of IRROPs would let them do DCA-JFK on DL.
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