USA/Australia announce "OPEN SKIES PACT"

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

AA's pilots should thank their luck AA didn't go Ch 11 and their pension are still the right size, not the PBGC reduced size.

Qantas wanted to SYD-AKL-DFW with their 744ER 6 years ago, it didn't happen. AA has a great fleet of 777's and 777-200LR/300ER should be part of the fleet, GE engines welcome. DFW to Australia should be part of the program and pilot resistence to operating long haul fights is wrong. It only hurts themselves. AA to Australia from DFW and South Africa from Miami & JFK should part of the rpogram.

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Thank you JFK777..(obviously, I concur) !!

I would'nt be against DFW/SYD, but lets think "outside the box" just for a second.

With a/c now that can connect any 2 city pairs in the world, JFK/SYD are two of THE most dynamic cities on earth.
I honestly believe, Qantas would be flying the route already,EXCEPT it doesn't have the "horse" to do it, and since(so far), DL(WHO IS THE ONLY carrier with a HUB/focus city in the NY region that HAS the 777-200LR has'nt hinted at flying the route(WATCH IF DL/NW gets shot DOWN), then QF isn't worried.

But WHY wait for QF, or CO, or DL to jump in first.
Since( MAYBE), AA's present 777's could fly DFW, or possibly ORD to SYD, it WOULD'NT KILL AA to order 3 200LR's, to operate JFK/SYD...FIRST, before anyone else.
The greater BOS/PVD/NYC/PHL/BDL area ALONE could provide the O + D traffic for the route. Anything else(connecting) from A/E would be EXTRA.

In summary,...Nobody ever talked about "it", because QF had a stranglehold on the SYD market, and it's just been recently that the A/C has become available to make the NS trip. Open(SYD) skies are NOW here,.........so,.....................Why Wait ???


When AA got the OK to fly to NRT, AA didn't have the "horse" in the "stable" to make the trip.
AH,...but that didn't stop CRANDALL,..................he went on a Rummage sale, and came up with a pair of 747SP's, in a NY minute(shortly after, the MD-11 came along) and the rest(NRT) was history !

I've always been a BIG fan of Nike's slogan........................."Just DO IT" !

If JFK/SYD didn't work, and AA bought 3 200LR's, as you say, they could always run them JFK or MIA to JNB/CPT !

 

[jimntx]

Bears, admit it. You want to go to Australia on AA metal and you don't want to fly all the way to DFW to get on.

Actually, I do take exception to your comment about the service. No matter how good the JFK flight attendants are, the company's cutbacks on food and amenities would make us run a poor second to Qantas. A friend of mine who is an EP flew from MIA to CDG last Fall in B/C. The PIZZA was one of the entree choices. He said to the flight attendant, "Do you have any idea how sick I am of that pizza?" Flight attendant: "Sir, you can't possibly be as sick of it as we are."

 

[AAviator]

AA's pilots should thank their luck AA didn't go Ch 11 and their pension are still the right size, not the PBGC reduced size.

Ummm, the majority of our pension $'s are defined contribution $'s. I'm not sure our union ever put anything out about it, but I suspect the PBGC would have covered a good portion if not all of the A fund portion. (consider that dead horse beaten enough)

pilot resistence to operating long haul fights is wrong. It only hurts themselves. AA to Australia from DFW and South Africa from Miami & JFK should part of the rpogram.

Pilot resistance? Resistance? We aren't doing it for free. I hope that clears things up.

 

[FWAAA]

Bears really wants to see AA fly nonstop from JFK to Australia. Understandably proud of that new terminal investment (cheap-ass as it appears from some angles).

But isn't flying from the far east coast of USA to Sydney a little like flying from the far west coast of Australia to the USA? Connecting opportunities are limited.

To get to Perth from this country you have to connect somewhere on the east coast of Australia. Sure, NYC is larger in relative terms than Perth, but not every Aussie gets off the plane in Los Angeles and steps aboard a JFK flight. Not even QF flies PER-LAX. And I doubt that QF is gonna fly SYD-JFK nonstop anytime in the future. A few times a week they shuttle one of those big birds to NYC to accomodate some of those who want to see the Big Apple.

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

Well all I can say, my fellow posters is;

Just when we think we've "seen it ALL, or Know it ALL"(myself Included), Bingo........something comes along...to shoot holes in those theories !.!.!.!

 

[JFK777]

"Flying from the US east coast is like flying from Perth to the USA"

Well, most Americans live east of the Mississippi River like most Australians live on their east coast in Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane. JFK, Chicago, DFW, Atlanta, or Miami are now capable from the eastern USA. Some USA airline should have the vision to fly to Sydney NONSTOP from one of the mentioned cities. Delta has the planes in 2008 and should, Continental could get them, and AA could order them. AA's sudden allergy to non RR powered 777 is surprising since their entire 767, A300 and MD-11 fleets were/are GE powered as are the 777-200LR/300ER.

 

[PHL]

QF serves JFK-SYD already(QF#107 and #108), albeit with a stop in LAX. But at least passengers can book one single flight number, and remain on the same plane. It's the perfect flight. Have dinner and watch a movie or two from JFK-LAX (since it is a dinnertime flight). Then sleep for the LAX-SYD route. If the skies truly become "open", then wouldn't it be great if I could book just JFK-LAX on QF?

There is also the question of how many people would want to book and fly a 19 hour flight? AA would have to basically have 2 crews and LOTS of food. Add that to the likely passenger limitations, this might not be as much of a money maker as some think.

You say AA owns JFK? What's that make DL, who has the 777-200LRs to run the trip and a decent international route network.