International traffic drops at CLT as American Airlines shuffles routes

[WorldTraveler]

Old news resurfacing with more details.   Many months ago the Charlotte Observer announced that the new "International" A Terminal" is still being built but will be used as a domestic terminal, and the new "international" center runway that was planned is being delayed.

and time will show that CLT cannot be maintained at the size it is now with such a high percentage of domestic connecting traffic including on RJs.

PHX isn't far behind.

AA's NYC regional operation is equally vulnerable.

 

[Crash Pad DCA]

 

[Crash Pad DCA]

 

[end_of_alpa]

Trans-company.  They look like they're kissing!!!  Sorry, must be a carry over from my last post.
 
Going to go mow the lawn, now.

 

[WorldTraveler]

what time zone do you live in that you mow the lawn when all of the Americas is still dark?

since frequent flyer programs have once again been brought up, it is far more insightful as to how AA has to give away so much more of its product for free and still end up with lower yields than DL.

The objective of a company is to maximize profits.

It is hard to imagine how one company can be considered winning for the company by giving away more of its product for free and still end up lower yields.


maybe it's also why AA's int'l network is being pulled down as much as it is, esp. to/from Brazil.

 

[jcw]

If the FF programs are really not important DL should end their program - I'm sure DL can succeed without it just because it's DL

 

[Black Magic]

and time will show that CLT cannot be maintained at the size it is now with such a high percentage of domestic connecting traffic including on RJs.PHX isn't far behind.AA's NYC regional operation is equally vulnerable.

Thats funny! The day that PHX won't be a hub for AA will be the same day SLC won't be a hub for DL. And PHX has a helluva lot more O/D traffic than SLC!

 

[WorldTraveler]

whether PHX will be a hub for AA or not, AA has a strategic hot west from LAX to the east coast.

PHX has space but a small int'l market and temps that are not conducive to long haul flying while LAX is hotly contested.

AA has 4 hubs on the east coast that have long haul int'l flights and CLT, the focus of this thread, has one of the highest connecting ratios of all US carrier hubs and also one of the largest amount of RJs.

AA has yet to reveal how it will rationalize its hubs but it is coming.

as for FF programs, successful companies don't give away more of their product than they have to.

 

[jcw]

Do we have an answer to the question - what market is AA competitive with DL yet?

 

[dfw gen]

Do we have an answer to the question - what market is AA competitive with DL yet?

Absouloutly none. AA did not run delta out of dfw it was a strategic profit generating move matched by no one ever

 

[LD3]

CLT is still planning the 4th parallel, the EIS is going to be filed at the end of the year and is expected to take up to 5 years to complete.The elevated roadway and terminal front expansion is set to start soon, and that really is for the local traffic. The AD was asked in a business meeting last week if there was any guaranttee from AA about the future of the hub, he said no guarantee.  AA has given their blessing on the budget increase that the city passed for aviation, so hopefully CLT will play some part in the success of AA....

 

[1AA]

When all is said and done CLT will be the largest domestic hub in the system. You need to feed international traffic in the AA system where the demand is. JFK in the north east to Europe, Miami in the Southeast to Latin America, DFW and ORD in both directions including international to Europe and Latin America. CLT was good for USAir before American. I don't know how PHL will end up in the future. PHX was America West HDQ. Long gone now. Too close to DFW. LAX and SFO are perfect gateway cities to the Pacific and beyond. Right now AA has too many hubs serving multiple regions with overlapping destinations. To feed all these hubs you need domestic feeds from smaller aircraft. Early retirements of the MD80's and the 757's plus the recent deferrals of some airbus aircraft does not support all these hubs. One has to realize that CLT, PIT, PHX and PHL worked for USAir, but now we are a different company. JFK, Miami and LAX are prime cities that USAir never had as hubs and finally they are part of the new American. CLT, PHX and PHL will no longer be what they once were because we now have hubs in prime locations. All this is my opinion. What will actually happen in the future? You never know in this crazy world of commercial aviation.

 

[WorldTraveler]

CLT is not the largest domestic airport on AA's system. DFW is.

DFW has about 80K seats per day just to/from the US compared to 60K for CLT - on about 100 flights/day more from DFW>

CLT is a big market but airline history shows that no large hub has survived long-term by being almost entirely a domestic airport - where AA will have to compete heavily with low cost carriers in many flow markets.

CLT still has one of the highest connecting percentages of all US carrier hubs.

CLT is a hub but those who think it is guaranteed the same size in AA's combined network might well be disappointed.

 

[LD3]

CLT and AA are working on a new long term lease, if it is favorable to AA like the last lease, AA will remain committed to CLT...

 

[commavia]

When all is said and done CLT will be the largest domestic hub in the system.

 
Larger than DFW?  No way.  DFW is and naturally ought to always be the largest hub - both domestic and overall - in the AA system.