American plans hourly flights on New York-LA route

[WorldTraveler]

thanks for the analysis, E, but I don't think my post said anything about AA causing overcapacity. I did say it was overkill... as in does either EWR or JFK-LAX need more than 10 flights per day on any airline? ie what is the real incremental revenue benefit from adding more flights than competitors when you already operate 10....

There is a limit to the benefit of additional flights in a market.... and it still comes down to whether it is really necessary to operate at levels that high... but then AA has operated close to 20 flights per day in DFW-ORD which would seem like overkill too.

also, "the low teens" is probably more like 12 flights per day, not 15 so there may still be fewer seats than today.

Finally, it was suggested that AA might have to shed other JFK flights - perhaps Eagle - in order to increase frequencies in the transcons.
While AA might gain more revenue as a result of a larger presence in the two transcon markets, that benefit could be offset by a smaller overall size in NYC.

 

[eolesen]

Yep, that's an error on my formula, thanks for pointing it out.

The end result is still the same, though: fewer FA's with 15 flights a day than there are with the current 9. Staffing 5 on the A321 would require 75 FA's; 81 are required on the current 9x with the 762.

 

[LD3]

Sure there were gates like that. Problem is if the crew overshoots the line they cant see you have to reposition the plane with a tractor. That can take up to 1/2 a hour. What happens is as soon as he stops everyone moves in and starts doing their thing, loaders, catering etc then you have to locate a tractor and bar, get everyone clear, get all the passengers reseated and move the plane a foot or two back.

Possible, not practical.

I think they are called radial jetways...and your right they are a pain in the ass...I remarked the stop bar on one gate probably 5 times over the course of 2 years and there are still problems time to time....And the 1/2 hour wait is pretty accurate...

 

[FWAAA]

Just a WAG on my part, but I'm guessing that the 3-class A321s will fly with six FAs; two in F, two in J and two in Y. Last time I posted that prediction (I may have said seven, with one extra to float between F and J as the workload demanded), the US Airways employees said I was crazy. Of course, some of them don't think the 102-seat A321s will ever become reality with DP in charge.

Don't AA's FAs now fly transcon turns? Someone posted a while back that FAs are doing back to back transcons. If so, would that help reduce the total number of FAs needed?

 

[FWAAA]

Today, a reporter from the Daily Breeze registered at Flyertalk to post his news that a spokeswoman for AA had told him in an email that no decisions had yet been made about JFK-LAX frequencies; Essentially, Virasb Vahidi was speaking out of turn and let the cat out of the bag prematurely:

http://www.dailybree...equency-lax-new

Whoops! Virasb Vahidi keeps this up and he may not make the cut when DP decides who stays and who goes.

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

Some European carriers use L2 at certain stations. I believe it requires a different, thinner style jetway. Perhaps AA is planning to install some of those at JFK and LAX?

It can be done, it just requires great care. Maybe a guide person on the ramp? (that was PI procedure for all loading bridge movements back in the day) Or maybe some fancy proximity detector.

 

[eolesen]

Virasb Vahidi keeps this up and he may not make the cut when DP decides who stays and who goes.

Considering Virasb followed Tom from AT&T, I think it's a foregone conclusion that Andrew Nocella will own marketing at the combined airline.

 

[wings396]

Nocella is top notch, and will do an excellent job at the merged airline.

 

[T5towbar]

BTW: When are AA going to get their first A321's?

 

[IORFA]

Just a WAG on my part, but I'm guessing that the 3-class A321s will fly with six FAs; two in F, two in J and two in Y. Last time I posted that prediction (I may have said seven, with one extra to float between F and J as the workload demanded), the US Airways employees said I was crazy. Of course, some of them don't think the 102-seat A321s will ever become reality with DP in charge.

Don't AA's FAs now fly transcon turns? Someone posted a while back that FAs are doing back to back transcons. If so, would that help reduce the total number of FAs needed?

The few transcontinental turns we do now are all going away with the bridge agreement. I too think 6 f/a's is what it will get. The galley will have to work the aisle in business and coach. Business is mobile carts anyway, no reason the cart can't be worked on both sides.

 

[AANOTOK]

Yep, that's an error on my formula, thanks for pointing it out.

The end result is still the same, though: fewer FA's with 15 flights a day than there are with the current 9. Staffing 5 on the A321 would require 75 FA's; 81 are required on the current 9x with the 762.

Yep E, in your over-exuberant effort to prove someone wrong, you made a mistake. tsk tsk!

 

[FWAAA]

Sure there were gates like that. Problem is if the crew overshoots the line they cant see you have to reposition the plane with a tractor. That can take up to 1/2 a hour. What happens is as soon as he stops everyone moves in and starts doing their thing, loaders, catering etc then you have to locate a tractor and bar, get everyone clear, get all the passengers reseated and move the plane a foot or two back.

Possible, not practical.

Thanks. Someone on Flyertalk is posting that at LAX, the plan is to use gates 40 and 42A (across the hallway from the Admirals Club/Flagship Lounge) for the JFK flights. Gate 40 is a tow-in only gate (at least every time I've arrived there), so maybe the plan is to hook up a tractor to all JFK arrivals (or scoop up the nosewheel with a Goldhofer) to speed things up a bit. That would enable faster adjustments to match the jetway location and place all of that responsibility on the ground crew. Of course, AA would have to schedule more fleet service personnel to minimize the wait time for that tow-in to arrive.

 

[IORFA]

It's only a tow in when the plane is too big. The S-80 doesn't need to be towed in. I think the 737 is ok as well.

 

[FWAAA]

BTW: When are AA going to get their first A321's?

Latest word from AA is that the first one enters service in November of this year and by 12/31/13, there should be five of them. The first 2-class A321s (to replace older 757s) begin arriving in the third quarter of 2014, and the remaining 10-15 additional 3-class A321s will probably be delivered in Jan-May of 2014. Unless there are delays, I expect the last AA 762 flight before the end of June, 2014.

 

[FWAAA]

It's only a tow in when the plane is too big. The S-80 doesn't need to be towed in. I think the 737 is ok as well.

Thanks. Seems like when I arrive at 40, it's usually onboard a 762 or 757, and we get towed.