AA Down Under and Trans Pac?

[Dont call me Shirley]

Post merger AA will be very strong indeed on TATL and Latin America routes.  Across the Pacific, however, it will not  be as strong as DL and UA.  What are the likely (or rumored) plans in those markets?
Any chance of AA metal to OZ?
 
 

 

[jimntx]

Doubt it.  Qantas (OneWorld) partner has multiple flights to Oa from all of the gateway cities we might use.  And, the distance is so great that on the DFW-SYD route, they can fly it eastbound to DFW in one leg.  The return flight has to land in Melbourne and refuel before going on to Sydney.
 
Besides that, I don't think Qantas (or any other of our Trans-Pac competition for that matter) staffs their long-haul flights with FAA minimum crews (or near it) as AA does.  Enables them to do a better in-flight service.

 

[eolesen]

Oz is unique. UA's presence there is comical since the death of Star Alliance member Ansett.

DL's presence is marginally better, but only because they've got a decent partner in Virgin Australia.

What AA needs is to expand its presence to and within China, both with more nonstop service and by exploiting what they can with JL and KA into secondary destinations. They can add the service to HKG, but at the end of the day they need to have a stronger ties in the domestic Chinese market, and the way that China manages its airlines, it's going to be a while before there's a fourth major domestic airline to counter CA, MU, and CZ. Hainan is a good start, but they've still got a limited footprint.

 

[BigMac]

Years ago when I flew a Quantas 747 into SYD - MEL..my layover (refuel) stop was Fiji. Coming back was Hawaii. Couldn't fly directly in or out of Melbourne with out going thru Sydney.

 

[Kittyhawk]

Is there a One World pass agreement between QH and AA that that is better then what other airlines would have on QH?

 

[jimntx]

Just ZED fares, and Qantas does not allow ZED fare travelers to book anything except Economy/Coach.  So, I'm guessing they keep their F/C and B/C pretty full most of the time.
 
Just FYI, if you are planning a trip to Australia, a friend in STL went there on a ZED fare.  I don't remember which airline he took to Australia (Qantas, I think), but his return flight was on DL.  They upgraded him to F/C without him even having to ask.

 

[eolesen]

I seem to recall oneworld ZED's having priority over other ZED's. Maybe that was just on certain oneworld partners...

 

[IORFA]

Flying Qantas would give an AA employee a higher boarding priority. Which helps when trying to get in or out. However, flying Delta in first isn't possible, since they only offer Business Elite. But yes, people who non rev on other airlines know, that Delta fills seats from the front to the back. Northwest did the same and might have been the ones to show Delta how to do it.

 

[jimntx]

Well, whether you call it F/C, Business Elite or a ham and cheese sandwich, it's still the very front cabin in the plane with the top of the line service.  Which by the way, my STL friend, who is a senior AA flight attendant (about 30 years), said that Delta's front cabin service, amenities and food beat us all to hell and back.

 

[IORFA]

Her opinion. Others have different ones. Their Business Elite is on par to our business class. Slightly better, yet lesser than First class. Their domestic First is a joke. Absolute joke if you ask me. Flights that I am on that are 2 hours or less receive a snack basket at all times of the day. That is embarrassing! Overall, their service beats no one to hell and back. You should have laughed at your friend. Maybe she should try flying international business and first on her employer. She might change her tune.

 

[737823]

Her opinion. Others have different ones. Their Business Elite is on par to our business class. Slightly better, yet lesser than First class. Their domestic First is a joke. Absolute joke if you ask me. Flights that I am on that are 2 hours or less receive a snack basket at all times of the day. That is embarrassing! Overall, their service beats no one to hell and back. You should have laughed at your friend. Maybe she should try flying international business and first on her employer. She might change her tune.

I would tend to agree. Although DLs offerings are superior to AA on 763/772 old C cabin seats, DL is fully flat with direct aisle access while AA is only angle flat. AA 77W (new) is the best in C IMO. Big jump in quality from before, the new FC while nice is more of a marginal improvement to the original Flagship suite it's the same basic design which as far as I'm concerned is adequate for a US carrier up front. And as an international F/A I'm sure you know what I mean when I say this, AA has many great crews but seriously some flights the service is so abysmal it's ridiculous. But honestly in the past year I've had mostly all positive experiences onboard.

Domestically AA is the clear winner. DL is much better than USAIR but that isn't saying much. You are correct many markets AA would serve a hot meal on a two hour flight DL is all packaged junk. Seats on AA are better too but maybe I'm just most accustomed to them. DL has really stepped up the game in transcontinental service, I believe it's the same catering as international which is good, but not quite on the level of ANA, Cathay, Lufthansa, SWISS, etc.

Josh

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

Has there been any talk of additional flights to Japan or China?

 

[737823]

Has there been any talk to additional flights to Japan or China?

Possibly LAX-PEK I'm told but just the DFW-HKG/PVG flying for now. I doubt AA will take yet another stab at KIX/NGO after multiple unsuccessful runs in the past decade. Probably best suited for 787 once they come online next year.

Josh

 

[eolesen]

Japan isn't likely with the JL JV.

 

[ContUNITEus]

IORFA:
 
What's up with the dissing of DELTA's premium cabin?  First off, Delta was one of the first US carriers to install the new lie-flat business class seats in the US.  International First class is a thing of the past. Impractical for most airlines, as the new business class has replaced it.  If you have ever worked for an airline, you should know that the general consensus is that FIRST CLASS (international that is) does not make money.  Thus, it's being tossed left and right.
 
US Airways doesn't have First Class, and I seriously doubt that they will reinstall it.  There is a reason why they removed it from their A333 to begin with.
 
The other thing you have to consider is that DELTA is the one and only airline that is ecstatic to put employees (and that is any airline employees) ahead of even FFs, and upgrade them to their premium cabin for free.  That's a culture of good-will towards airline employees.
 
You don't have that mentality at US.  For an agent to upgrade an employee to Envoy or domestic FC without that coupon, he/she has to risk his/her job.  Last I remember about UA, they charged for that service as well or it was inaccessible to family members, meaning only the employee can travel or has to travel with them.  I am not sure about AA, but I have heard that there is also a fee for FIRST and even Business.  From what I have also seen, the majority of wide bodies at AA are 767.  Those aircraft have Business Class Seats only, with the first two rows being renamed FIRST.  So in essence no different than most carriers in the USA.  777's have been the exception to the fleet, because there is also space that can be sacrificed for it, and the old First in the 777 is not the same as the new one on the 773.
 
So with all of your boasting about AA's first time ever decent (and only recently installed) IFC, what's the point?  Most employees or OAL staff will likely never see it fully free of charge.
 
You need to take a flight on DL on a 777LR.  I guarantee you that (without you shelling out a dime) you have a great chance of getting in on BE.  But then again, with you probably permeating a negative attitude towards DL while waiting, I could also see you NOT getting into that cabin ever.
 
I always say: When non-reving Internationally, especially to a destination that US doesn't serve, but DL does actually, I prefer to take DL over US - alone for the simple fact that at US I have to shell out money for the upgrade.  At Delta, I get the upgrade for free.  Even a ZED ticket beats the price.  With US I'd have to stop in LHR or FRA, then ZED anyway the rest.