AA closing LGW

[FA Mikey]

story here

American Airlines Inc. will move all its London service, including its Dallas/Fort Worth service, to London Heathrow Airport this year, the carrier said Monday.

American previously said it would keep one of its two daily D/FW-London flights at London Gatwick Airport after a new international air treaty in late March opens up Heathrow to more routes.

But American spokesman Tim Smith said American has secured the landing and takeoff slots it needs to move its remaining Gatwick flight to Heathrow as of April 13. It made no sense to keep its station open at Gatwick for just one flight, Mr. Smith said.

But he also noted that American also wanted to beef up its Heathrow service.

story here

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

story here

American Airlines Inc. will move all its London service, including its Dallas/Fort Worth service, to London Heathrow Airport this year, the carrier said Monday.

American previously said it would keep one of its two daily D/FW-London flights at London Gatwick Airport after a new international air treaty in late March opens up Heathrow to more routes.

But American spokesman Tim Smith said American has secured the landing and takeoff slots it needs to move its remaining Gatwick flight to Heathrow as of April 13. It made no sense to keep its station open at Gatwick for just one flight, Mr. Smith said.

But he also noted that American also wanted to beef up its Heathrow service.

story here

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I wonder exactly what he meant by...."Beef Up" ??

 

[flyhigh]

I think he's just saying they wanted to concentrate as much as possible on LHR instead of the split service. It will be interesting to see if they lose any customers. Also, with everyone leaving LGW, does this leave room for the new entrants who've been using STN as an alternate to move to LGW which is much more appealing, and equal to LHR in some cases, than STN? Could be interesting.

 

[JFK777]

Deep pockets AA wants to beef up their operations at LHR, why not. LGW was a waste land, it served its purpose for AA when AA had only a handful of London flights, but was a necessary outpost following the TWA LHR route purchase for DFW and RDU flights. Now that Open Skies are coming AA is trying to keep out as many Delta, NW and Continental flights as it can. Alitalia, GB Airways and Gulf Air have sold slots( not only to AA), Continental purchased some slots and is hunting for all it ca get too. I can't wait for the end of March.

 

[eolesen]

I'm glad to see DFW-LHR, but having flown thru LGW quite a bit over 20 years, I wouldn't say it's a waste land...

In some ways, it is an easier airport to transit.

Now.... if AA is closing LGW, and moving "all its London services to LHR" then what's happening with STN?... I still see availability on JFK-STN going beyond June....

 

[FWAAA]

Now.... if AA is closing LGW, and moving "all its London services to LHR" then what's happening with STN?... I still see availability on JFK-STN going beyond June....

Good point. Did AA start JFK-STN simply to kill Maxjet or is it a profitable flight?

A related question - are the employees at STN employees of AA or does AA contract the ground handling/check in services like at DUB? I realize it takes a lot of ground employees to support any flight, but 78 employees at Gatwick sounds like a lot of staff for what had been three daily flights, and of course far too many bodies to keep just one flight.

 

[FrugalFlyerv2.0]

Did AA start JFK-STN simply to kill Maxjet or is it a profitable flight?

I don't know how long flights to the STN bus station will last, but maybe it was just AA's way of maintaining its frequency of flights to London?
Also, perhaps it was faster and easier for AA to temporarily switch a few New York - London flights to STN from LHR, using those freed up LHR slots for the flights transferred from LGW, while at the same time shopping for more (& better?) LHR slots so that eventually even the STN flights will come back to LHR.
And if at the same time the AA JFK-STN flights killed a competitor, well that's just a plus.

 

[MAH4546]

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I wonder exactly what he meant by...."Beef Up" ??

One extra daily each to Miami and JFK.

 

[eolesen]

Or maybe a LHR-DEL/MAA/BLR? India is just begging for more service. Or maybe something like LHR-JNB? Open skies means a lot of opportunities out of LHR that don't necessarily have to be to the US.

These routes would be available for unlimited codewhoring with BA, too.

 

[FrugalFlyerv2.0]

Or maybe a LHR-DEL/MAA/BLR? India is just begging for more service. Or maybe something like LHR-JNB? Open skies means a lot of opportunities out of LHR that don't necessarily have to be to the US.

These routes would be available for unlimited codewhoring with BA, too.

Are you sure AA could fly LHR-India? I didn't think USA-EU open skies agreement allowed this.

 

[eolesen]

DL was flying JFK-CDG-MAA from some point in 2005 until Jun 2006, so I don't know why it wouldn't be allowed. AF codewhored on the CDG-MAA leg.

I don't think it is the EU bilateral which matters -- it's the US/India bilateral. AI has had local rights on ORD-LHR and JFK-LHR for years. If an Indian carrier can fly local rights between the US and UK, surely a US carrier can fly between the UK and India....

 

[Veritas]

I don't think it is the EU bilateral which matters -- it's the US/India bilateral. AI has had local rights on ORD-LHR and JFK-LHR for years. If an Indian carrier can fly local rights between the US and UK, surely a US carrier can fly between the UK and India....

Wouldn't that depend on which airline has Fifth Freedom rights?

 

[eolesen]

Not necessarily. The 2005 agreement between US and India removed the restrictions on fifth freedoms (i.e any US or Indian carrier can serve the other's country via intermediate points), and I'm fairly certain the US/EU agreement does as well.