CLTRob

Just read an article on OMAAT, posted 3 hours ago, that Delta has given up its PDX to HND slot. Here’s hoping that AA gets that slot. AA currently operates 3 flights from the US to HND while UA operates 5. Love to see this be the start of AA with a SEA TPAC hub; however, not holding my breath. AA from SEA to HND would compliment JAL to NRT. Does AA have an aircraft that can fly nonstop from MIA to HND?

LowValueCustomer

MIA-HND is technically in the operating range for the 789 but in practice likely cutting it too close for comfort

JJeffrey

At ~7,500 mi MIA-Tokyo is certainly a long flight however not crazy long by today's standards, several airlines push their 789's way past that so I doubt it's an airplane/range issue. A 77W should also be able to handle it.

I would be thrilled just to get a Chicago frequency back but I know that's about the last thing the DOT would award.

shd9

HND is interesting - it's great for O&D and domestic connections, but East / Southeast Asia connections are difficult because the onward connecting flights are also similarly slot-restrained and more premium. When JL/NH/CX can regularly sell HND-HKG for $800 roundtrip, why would they want to open up the inventory for spillover US-HND capacity to facilitate connections?

At the moment, HND is VERY well served by all major US hubs, and I struggle to find a place where AA could profitably add a flight. AA's original proposal was LAS-HND, but LAS being a leisure destination and low AA connectivity makes it hard to work. SEA is already served by NH and DL. MIA is somewhere AA's 789 could fly to for sure, but it will be heavily reliant on Latin American connections from Japan, which are probably not the highest-yielding traffic.

If they had to find a hub, I think PHX is a better choice. With AA retreating in LAX, PHX would enable more connections in the Midwest / Mountain Time Zone Area without a backtrack from DFW. And given the mess in JFK nowadays, it might even be an appealing alternative to major East Coast cities like RDU/CLT/PHL/DCA/MIA. If it can support a LHR flight (in addition a BA PHX-LHR), it should be able to support a HND flight.

In the end, AA/UA/DL should come to the reality that no one is going to fly them to premium cities where JL/NH are alternatives. The advantage of US3 is they are able to facilitate connections to deeper parts of the US, and should plan their flights accordingly.

ESpen36

HND is obviously closer to downtown Tokyo for O/D pax, but NRT has better onward connections for Asia/South Pacific. I wish the US carriers were not switching so many flights over to HND.

Steve M

Another problem with that model is that the US doesn't have TWOV (Transit With Out Visa), so unless you're citizen of Chile, if you're from Central or South America, you'd need to have a US visa in order to connect at MIA on your way to Japan. I suspect that the Aeromexico flight MEX-NRT picks up quite a lot of this traffic for this reason alone.

brenc3

It's hard to imagine that AA has a plan for its Asia flying more generally. Even back in the 00s when Japan was the only country in Asia served by AA, they had flights from LAX, DFW, ORD, JFK, which was decent if not adequate. But now JFK and ORD have no service to Japan on AA and many of the Asia destinations AA added in the past 10-15 years were axed in the pandemic and have no indication of returning. In that time JL's coverage of the US has grown, including to a lot of cities that would make sense for AA to serve. So bottom line, it's really hard to get to Asia on AA right now, much harder than DL or UA.

I would like AA to consider serving NRT more than the 1x daily currently. As mentioned, it's great for onward connections, and I find the convenience argument for HND somewhat overblown (Narita Express is very pleasant, especially with luggage). Unlike DL and UA, AA didn't inherit a large Asia network from its predecessor airlines but does have as its partner the #1 airline in Japan. They should be using that more.

It would be nice if they could get PHL-HND to work. Good rail connection to PHL for South Jersey, PA, MD, plus better connections for connecting east coast pax than BOS, JFK, IAD.

I recall some drama 10-15 years ago when slots began opening at HND and AA lost out to DL and some others, but the winning proposals ended up not lasting long. Since then AA dialed back presence at NRT without fully replacing it elsewhere, and compared to the other two they just seem lost.

Antarius

The DOT is more likely to award it than AA is to actually fly it, IMO.

When the going gets tough, AA flies to LHR.

UKtravelbear

A reminder might be in order that these slots aren't for AA/UA/DL to do with what they please and they can't just switch LAX-HND to PHX, DL wanted to switch its Portland flight to another airport and the DOT said no which is why there is now a slot to HND open to bids. Now DL would make a bid to operate from another US airport but AA/UA can also submit bids.

bundubasher

Wasn't there a new airline that intended to fly from Alaska to Japan, but decided to fly in continental US?

The _Banking_Scot

Hi,

Yes,

Looks like it is New Pacific Airlines
New Pacific Airlines - Wikipedia

( seems there was a legal dispute over their original name?)

Regards

TBS

VFR

I still think there's an outside chance of JFK-HND if the timing of the slot isn't terrible. AA got a taste of what the JFK O&D market is like during the B6 partnership, and especially with their JAL partnership JFK-HND should support itself on mostly O&D. It's also possible they re-apply for a partnership with B6 that does not include revenue sharing.

SEA-HND is a possibility with the AS partnership, but that seems more like a "let's dip our feet in the water and return the slot if it doesn't work" deal.

I don't see PHL or MIA happening personally, just due to the low O&D numbers and the relative weakness of the Asia market – there's somewhere else the planes could be deployed more profitably.

shd9

Narita Express is pleasant, and so is the Keisei Skyliner+taxi or the cheap limousine bus to Tokyo station. NRT really isn't that bad for large parts of Tokyo!

If AA considers adding another NRT flight, I hope they do not overlook the fact that currently there are no direct flights between the two very important airports of JFK and NRT. That and the lack of AA*CX codeshares on east coast flights, it's quite hard to get to large parts of Asia on AA

N830MH

Please let be PHX-HND or PHX-NRT!!! Come on AA!!

Antarius

It's finally happening. LIT-HND.

As for NRT - it's the Montreal Mirabel or Washington Dulles of Tokyo. Unwanted and inconvenient.