ISTFlyer

While I was browsing around schedules, I have realized that AA has permanently suspended their IAD-MIA & IAD-LAX services.
These routes are not available for sale with the exception of the IAD-LAX route for 4-27 March 2020. Both of the routes have no inventory for S21 and W21-22.
I am not sure how the loads were for the IAD-MIA route but the IAD-LAX route was not performing that well and the loads were low and it was highly likely for a status passenger to get an empty MCE seat next to them on this route. Also, IAD-LAX was one of the routes that AA significantly reduced frequency after the 737-MAX crisis.

With the removal of these two routes, AA would only operate service to DFW and CLT from IAD.
AA would continue to operate their DCA/BWI-MIA & DCA-LAX services.

If I'm not wrong AA has 4 jetbridge positions at IAD ( B69, B71, B73, B75 ) and it's unlikely that they would keep leasing all 4 jetbridges for flights to two destinations and 4 daily flights in total from the airport ( 10 daily AA flights out of IAD are scheduled for S21 but subject to change )

dls25

IAD-MIA was discontinued in December 2018.

IADCAflyer

IAD-LAX was always a good route for upgrades at the plat level midweek and saturdays. still wasn't easy on prime travel days, but compared to DCA, it was doable.

CLT

I'm waiting for an official announcement to see if IAD-LAX is actually canned. Something seems odd about it coming back in March only.

Cutting IAD-LAX would represent a significant capacity reduction for AA on WAS-LAX. I was always under the impression that IAD-LAX did well simply because of paid F traffic (I almost never got an upgrade on the route as an EXP) however Y loads were always terrible. Last time I flew the route (Jan 2020) everyone in Y essentially had a row to themselves.

If true, sad, because the route was the only AA redeye into DC from LAX. AA's DCA-LAX as it is now isn't that convenient for me, although I liked how they seemed to space out their IAD/DCA schedules to give somewhat of an option. May have to switch over to UA for LAX travel.

Often1

Pandemic RM/IM is not the future of route scheduling. Whether a route is cancelled, suspended or on hold is all a matter of semantics. Nothing is permanent. Even if not operating, I have a suspicion that the route returns when an if paid premium business travel picks up. That may not be for a good while.

IADCAflyer

This is very true. I often made a point of taking the redeye as it put me back into Washington for the day (regardless of how useless I was in DC that afternoon). EIther fly back to DC for $350 more than coach (paid F) or spend the money on a hotel and the rental car. Was often a wash cost wise.

xliioper

While they generally put out some sort of PR when adding new routes, the legacy airlines often do not bother to make "official announcements" about route drops. The IAD-LAX route has not operated since Covid hit and I strongly suspect that the only reason it is still showing for March, is that AA has yet to significantly chop it's March schedule (currently, the schedule has only been mostly solidified through March 3rd). AA loaded it's February schedule cuts back in mid-December, and the March schedule cuts will probably be loaded this weekend or next -- https://www.airliners.net/forum/view...?f=3&t=1455253

JJeffrey

There are tons of routes that have been cut/suspended/cancelled/on-hold/whatever during this mess, and there are probably tons of airports where AA currently has excess gate capacity compared to the schedule they're currently running.

I don't see IAD-LAX as being any different from most of the others, it will probably come back once things pick up. These days I read zero into any schedule that AA has published outside of about 30 days.

Antarius

In most cases, I agree. But IAD has been a frequent underperformer, so it's been chopped from hubs before.

IAD is the US version of NRT or YMX. You only use it if you can't fly to the other airport.

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IADCAflyer

I'm wouldn't say that. For a lot of people, IAD is much closer than is DCA and they base their preferences on the proximity factor. NRT is well out in Chiba prefecture - a good 45 miles west of the heart of Tokyo Dulles is a little more than half that (27 miles from downtown DC) but has some significant development around it.

Closer comparison is probably Midway versus Ohare or Hobby versus IAH.

Mirabel might as well be on Mars as far as Montreal is concerned.

dls25

AA is not going to get any more beyond perimeter slots at DCA so if they wish to run a robust WAS-LAX schedule they have to operate IAD-LAX. It will be back when business travel returns.

Mister Nice

If my aging memory is not failing me , wasn’t IAD -LAX , many years ago , a 3 class DC-10 with a Qantas codeshare ?

HNL

Yup. 3x DC-10s as I recall.

ESpen36

IAD is a fortress hub for UA, whereas AA has plenty of connectivity/gates/slots at DCA thanks to the US merger. Makes sense for AA to reduce IAD flying at a time when demand is reduced. I would never want to fly to IAD when DCA is an option for getting to WAS, especially now that there are plenty of exemptions in the DCA perimeter rules.

Tack

I’m wondering aloud if maybe LAX-IAD is a route we’d see AS start? They just announced SAN-JFK and I know they’re looking at east coast destinations where their cost structure helps them out. While AA/AS can’t coordinate schedules, could there be an opportunity to keep AA FF’ers in play with AS doing the flying.