LGA-CVG/IND/MCO/MSP

[commavia]

Exactly as predicted - AA appears to be leveraging the combined strength of the merged airline in NYC to better utilize its substantial pool of slots to cater to the local O&D market.  From 1/5/16, AA is starting/resuming LGA-CVG, LGA-IND and LGA-MSP, all 3x daily with 2-class RJs (Republic EMB170s) and restarting LGA-MCO 1x daily with a 737, by consolidating and reducing frequency on other higher-frequency (mostly hub) routes like CLT, PHL and ORD.  As a reminder, this also follows the upcoming resumption of LGA-MEM (starting 11/5/16) and LGA-JAX (starting 12/17/15), among others.
 
In addition - this should further increase AA's competitiveness and relevance in CVG (another former Delta hub, like MEM, where NYC is one of the largest O&D markets) and IND (another midwest market, like CMH, where AA is now the largest network carrier and second largest carrier after Southwest).
 
Good stuff - hope the new routes work out.

 

[1AA]

Sounds good but when you have RJ's flying these routes it is not AA. It's either Eagle or Envoy or whatever it's called these days. The 737 flying obviously is AA.

 

[jcw]

Great to see AA flexing it's muscle
 
funny this generates revenue to pay employees salary and benefits

 

[700UW]

And they are also adding CLT-SMF, more long haul flying out of CLT.

 

[FWAAA]

Sounds good but when you have RJ's flying these routes it is not AA. It's either Eagle or Envoy or whatever it's called these days. The 737 flying obviously is AA.

None of these routes features enough traffic to support a mainline plane by AA, so it's these large 2-class RJs or nothing. DL flies LGA-IND six times a day with 2-class RJs and gets decent fares. Until these new Eagle flights, the only way to get between LGA and IND is to connect at PHL, CLT or ORD, which is a nonstarter.

The good news is that AA isn't cancelling lots of mainline flights at LGA to start these flights - mostly, it's further reduction of the PHL-LGA Dash-8 and CRJ flights. There is zero air O&D between PHL and LGA, as about 98% of the O&D takes Amtrak.

As mainline planes now feature lower seat-mile costs than RJs, there is no longer the huge incentive to cancel mainline planes in favor of RJs unless the route just can't support mainline capacity.

 

[topDawg]

Exactly as predicted - AA appears to be leveraging the combined strength of the merged airline in NYC to better utilize its substantial pool of slots to cater to the local O&D market.  From 1/5/16, AA is starting/resuming LGA-CVG, LGA-IND and LGA-MSP, all 3x daily with 2-class RJs (Republic EMB170s) and restarting LGA-MCO 1x daily with a 737, by consolidating and reducing frequency on other higher-frequency (mostly hub) routes like CLT, PHL and ORD.  As a reminder, this also follows the upcoming resumption of LGA-MEM (starting 11/5/16) and LGA-JAX (starting 12/17/15), among others.
 
In addition - this should further increase AA's competitiveness and relevance in CVG (another former Delta hub, like MEM, where NYC is one of the largest O&D markets) and IND (another midwest market, like CMH, where AA is now the largest network carrier and second largest carrier after Southwest).
 
Good stuff - hope the new routes work out.

still is

 

[commavia]

still is

 
It's not.  Delta's creative (and selective) marketing aside, CVG isn't a Delta hub (or "key hubs and market") anymore.  Just ask Delta.

 

[nycbusdriver]

Sounds good but when you have RJ's flying these routes it is not AA. It's either Eagle or Envoy or whatever it's called these days. The 737 flying obviously is AA.

Yeah.  Remember several years back....maybe a decade...when American decided to jump into the DCA-LGA-BOS shuttle markets with American Eagle flights?  That went over like a lead balloon.

 

[Kev3188]

Curious to see what (if any?) reaction DL will have....

I remember when AA tried MSP-LGA about that same time, and NW responded by launching DSM/GRR/MSN-LGA flights. They were also going to try DFWLGA, but ultimately didn't...

 

[topDawg]

 
It's not.  Delta's creative (and selective) marketing aside, CVG isn't a Delta hub (or "key hubs and market") anymore.  Just ask Delta.

Some PR thing that means nothing. 
 
or
 
DALPA contract.
 
 
 
Which matters in real life? 

 

[commavia]

Some PR thing that means nothing. 
 
or
 
DALPA contract.
 
 
 
Which matters in real life? 

 
Neither.  What "matters" is operational and network reality.  Whether it's defined as such by Delta's P.R. department (it's not) or Delta's pilot contract (it apparently is) is meaningless.  What matters more is the scope, scale and network role of the operation itself - and in that respect, CVG is not a hub.
 
It is true that CVG does cater to some connectivity, in specific instances, between certain markets, but these markets seem to be continually getting fewer and fewer, and frequency thereof less and less.  Realistically, Delta's still-relatively-large (by non-hub standards) schedule at CVG is likely driven more by O&D - specifically corporate demand from customers like P&G - than any connectivity which, in the scheme of things, is less than a blip on the radar compared to DTW, ATL, etc.

 

[eolesen]

Sounds good but when you have RJ's flying these routes it is not AA.

Who gets the revenue? That's ultimately what matters.

I'll give you a hint, it's not Envoy, Republic, or whoever else is providing the service.

 

[MAH4546]

Curious to see what (if any?) reaction DL will have....
I remember when AA tried MSP-LGA about that same time, and NW responded by launching DSM/GRR/MSN-LGA flights. They were also going to try DFWLGA, but ultimately didn't...

  

The service operated for quite a while. In fact BOSLGA only ended after Eagle was forced to end Logan flying due to pilot union contracts. Would hardly call it a lead balloon.

And they are also adding CLT-SMF, more long haul flying out of CLT.

US has flown CLTSMF seasonally for many years. It is not new flying.

 

[topDawg]

 
Neither.  What "matters" is operational and network reality.  Whether it's defined as such by Delta's P.R. department (it's not) or Delta's pilot contract (it apparently is) is meaningless.  What matters more is the scope, scale and network role of the operation itself - and in that respect, CVG is not a hub.
 
It is true that CVG does cater to some connectivity, in specific instances, between certain markets, but these markets seem to be continually getting fewer and fewer, and frequency thereof less and less.  Realistically, Delta's still-relatively-large (by non-hub standards) schedule at CVG is likely driven more by O&D - specifically corporate demand from customers like P&G - than any connectivity which, in the scheme of things, is less than a blip on the radar compared to DTW, ATL, etc.

meh whatever you say. not trying to WT this thread. 
 
internally CVG is a hub. Call it what you want. 

 

[commavia]

AA continues to leverage the synergies of the merger to strengthen its presence in NYC.  In addition to the recently relaunched LGA-MEM, and the upcoming launch/relaunch of LGA-CVG/IND/JAX/MCO/MSP, AA is also bolstering its transcon presence out of JFK, having this week loaded additional frequencies starting nest spring on JFK-LAS/SAN/SEA/SFO.