Yes, AA is beginning to fix its revenue problem that I spoke about for many years... including cutting poor-performing routes.
Given that no other carrier has reported a RASM increase for Sept. that exceeded 1/2%, yes, it does make sense to believe that AA was in the same ballpark. It is only the aggressive cuts that AA made to its schedule, planned or forced, that helped push its RASM so much higher, even w/ the more aggressive approach to cancelling poor performing service.
WN's RASM growth for Sept. was negative... UA's probably was as well.
AA's Atlantic capacity was off a fairly significant 5%... not sure how much of that was operationally related since AA did have some TATL cancellations in Sept but capacity cuts are exactly what other carriers have used to boost RASM and what AA did not do much before BK.
AA's Pacific network is also maturing... I don't think - correct me if I am wrong - that AA has added any new Pacific flights in over a year so they are beginning to grow into their capacity. That is a GOOD thing. Absent their support for DL's request to move the HND flight w/ a request to do the same for AA if granted to DL, AA's Pacific network is probably generating solid returns.
Once again, though, it is the Latin network where AA continues to be able to add and fill capacity. Latin America fares remain above average compared to other parts of the world for comparable stage lengths so it makes sense for AA to grow where it can - and as long as AA has an advantage in that many Latin markets are still limited access.
AA's total revenue had to have been slightly better than the year before given that RASM was slightly ahead of capacity cuts but AA paid 20 cents more per gallon for fuel than at least one other competitor which means that whatever slight revenue advantage they had was not enough to offset fuel costs which were at least 5% higher. Also, AA's cargo traffic was down enough that it had to create a fairly significant revenue shortfall.
We also don't know how AA's advance bookings look compared to other carriers... much of the bad press about AA's operational problems came later in the month of Sept and into Oct. The operation appears to be recovering again but at the minimum there will be an impact to AA's domestic system that will take several months to recover from based on the decrease in their domestic traffic.