Update: American Airlines has now confirmed their new routes, including a year-round Dallas to Tel Aviv flight, and seasonal flights from Philadelphia to Casablanca, Chicago to Budapest, Chicago to Krakow, and Chicago to Prague.
Yesterday American Airlines posted an 11 second teaser video on their social channels that’s supposed to give clues as to a big announcement that’s coming. Then there’s a commentator who says “announcement coming soon, stay tuned.”
👀🎧 Stay tuned… pic.twitter.com/F2vCTYzVem
— americanair (@AmericanAir) August 6, 2019
By the way, am I supposed to know who that is? I’m extremely exhausted from flying so forgive me if I’m missing something obvious. He looks familiar but I can’t quite figure out who it is. (Update: That’s American’s SVP of Network Planning… alrighty then).
As someone who loves a good riddle, I appreciate how nowadays some airlines post clues online before they make announcements, which can be fun for those of us who otherwise lack hobbies in life.
Of course I guess we don’t really need many clues when we have @xJonNYC, who has been hinting about this upcoming announcement for quite a while. What has Jon shared so far about the new routes?
I did, in fact, mean to write that as:
"Morocco? and Krakow? and?"
— ˜”*° JonNYC °*”˜ (@xJonNYC) August 6, 2019
I consider it confirmed that this will be an all-encompassing and "very large" announce "covering everything."
— ˜”*° JonNYC °*”˜ (@xJonNYC) August 6, 2019
I’m not sure exactly when the announcement is coming — it could be today, it could be at the end of the week, or it could be next week, I suppose.
My initial thoughts are:
- It sounds like a Morocco flight is happening, which makes sense both given that it’s increasingly a tourist hotspot, and also given that Royal Air Maroc is joining oneworld
- The Krakow rumor is a fascinating one that I would have otherwise never expected
- The sunscreen and water aren’t exactly obvious clues in the above video, as that could refer to any of a number of destinations
- I also wouldn’t be surprised to see another Australia or New Zealand flight, as part of the joint venture between American and Qantas
- I wonder what we’ll see for Japan, especially in light of the recent Haneda slot allocation
Anyone want to get in any more guesses before the announcement happens?
Route changes are not "huge" news.
Just Maybe they're finally going to settle the mechanics contract after 5 years of negotiating.
you lost my brother in laws bag, ruined his VC, won't reimburse him for $132 worth of clothes that he purchased and told him he's getting a $150 voucher to use on your airline that he doesn't care to fly on again…. and said "Case Closed"...….
Screw You and your Airline!!!
I had hoped AA management was going to announce they will no longer send their Airbus to El Salvador for heavy overhaul, keep scheduled aircraft maintenance in the USA, and settle the mechanics contract. But NOOOO . . .
All American airline does is cancell your flight and keep your money. This airline is very uncaring and a piece of shit. Fly Delta..
Marketing bilge. It's a s**t product. Who cares where it flies?
American to purchase Alaska Airlines?
Chicago to Krakow will be big, hard to get direct flight to Krakow because LOT Polish Airlines is only direct airline and is always sold out. Krakow is so popular so all airlines have flights to Krakow every day but no one flight direct
Summer 2020
Philadelphia (PHL) to Casablanca, Morocco (CMN) begins June 4
Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Tel Aviv, Israel (TLV) begins Sept. 9
Chicago (ORD) to Krakow, Poland (KRK) begins May 7
ORD to Budapest, Hungary (BUD) begins May 7
ORD to Prague, Czech Republic (PRG) begins May 8
Maybe they're introducing ASMR content on their inflight entertainment systems? The combination of sounds and whispering into the microphones sounds very much like an ASMR video.
Maybe they should first figure out how to fulfill a direct flight from Pittsburgh to New York. This is American Airlines way: delay and then cancel flight: offer to send passengers to Charlotte the next evening; then fly passengers to New York on third day.
While American Airlines is horrible in general I have to say that my last two flights to and from Europe were fantastic and quite a surprise. While I dislike the legacy USAirways A330 business class, the crew I had were friendly and proactive and the food was really good. I was totally shocked as most of American's food is usually inedible. The outbound from Philly took off on time and arrived early and the return...
While American Airlines is horrible in general I have to say that my last two flights to and from Europe were fantastic and quite a surprise. While I dislike the legacy USAirways A330 business class, the crew I had were friendly and proactive and the food was really good. I was totally shocked as most of American's food is usually inedible. The outbound from Philly took off on time and arrived early and the return had a delay of a half hour for boarding but still arrived 10 minutes early. On the return, I was one of the first to clear customs at Philly using Global Entry and figured I would have to wait the typical 30-45 minutes for my bag to arrive but they started unloading bags within 5 minutes of my arrival so about 15 to 20 minutes after the flight arrived. This was a first for me.
I am presuming that I just got lucky with the above experiences but am really hoping that American Airlines have actually started to turn a corner. Most of the employees I interacted with were actually friendly and appeared happy which is a change from the surly attitudes I usually see at the airport. I still really wish that all employees including those at the Executive Platinum desk who are supposedly all managers were empowered to fix problems as well.
Thanks for all the great comments. It's better to laugh than to cry. I miss the real American Airlines. Maybe someday . . .
Can it be flight to India announcement, since delta is going to launch in December JFK to BOM, I guess AA can fill Texas gap for Indian subcontinent and gets good traffic from Miami, CLT
Maybe an explanation as to why my flight to Germany was canceled
I actually flew out of Fukuoka once...has American got dynamic awards yet? That could be the announcement
Casablanca and Tel Aviv are coming.
Bug announcements- Doug Parker is retiring :) because of converting AAdvantage to Disadvantaged
I'm hearing DFW-TLV. Fingers crossed.
@Dan and @Dwonderment. I completely agree with you, but seriously doubt that will happen. Their overall customer service won't improve until they get rid of Dougie and crew. Too many unhappy employees in all workgroups especially airport agents, f/as, and mechanics. Am rethinking my airline options despite being PLT for almost 5 years.
AA = Always Awful even for basic announcements for improved service.
Fresno - Fukuoka
Krakow not happening. Not a heavy business destination, and as for leisure, when I went there this spring it was hard to even find Poland guidebooks in US bookshops. Star Alliance has a lock on what USA-Poland business there is.
Southeast Asia, specifically Thailand.
Clues:
-water
-beach ball
-mortar & pestle
-puppetry
-pepper grinder
-mixed drink
-sunscreen
They are going to replace the lavatories with more seats. Catheters and adult diapers will be available for a small fee
Hide your miles in other codeshare airlines... If you were going to die.. Would use up all your credit limit (look at their debt.. Over $25 billion).. They don't want new contracts sign yet.. They are just trying anything to raise revenues to raise stock price.. How do companies hide legal problems.. Reorganization.. Will they close the PHX hub like they did with the Las Vegas hub by not renewing the gate leases.. When do...
Hide your miles in other codeshare airlines... If you were going to die.. Would use up all your credit limit (look at their debt.. Over $25 billion).. They don't want new contracts sign yet.. They are just trying anything to raise revenues to raise stock price.. How do companies hide legal problems.. Reorganization.. Will they close the PHX hub like they did with the Las Vegas hub by not renewing the gate leases.. When do the aircraft leases come up.. What assets do the company own.. Hide your miles...
India?
Wouldn't it be nice if AA restored real service to SFO, especially the historical SFO-HNL service?
who......
cares........
American Airlines is partnering with SpaceX to book one way fares to the Moon. No returns, just to the Moon.
I’m guessing that AA gets new LAS-HND flight after DOT tentative decision in May. And then, AA has a new base at LAS.
What about Miami, I guess the new center of the universe is Philadelphia
The really big money is on AA going head to head with United on the DEN- COS route.
Naming rights to LA Stadium is prob the “big news”
they are going to distribute FREE and COMPLEMENTARY Altoids
I suspect new service will include DFW-MEL. When you search for award space on that route on March 24, 2020 (only), there’s a warning message that says DFW MEL is pending government approval, even though the itinerary routes through LAX. Could be an accidental slip.
@ JDS
Finally someone brought up the ASMR. What is with it seriously?
@GRUSA I completely agree with you and I'm catching AF on the way home from this trip FCO:CDG:ATL in J using FlyingBlue miles (53,000 miles each).
The problem is going over to ATH on SkyTeam is that Delta/FlyingBlue want 350,000+ one-way in J. My wife and I are both trying to burn ~100,000 AA miles each which we can top-off using Bonvoy points to book the AA flights I mentioned for 175,000-180,000 miles each....
@GRUSA I completely agree with you and I'm catching AF on the way home from this trip FCO:CDG:ATL in J using FlyingBlue miles (53,000 miles each).
The problem is going over to ATH on SkyTeam is that Delta/FlyingBlue want 350,000+ one-way in J. My wife and I are both trying to burn ~100,000 AA miles each which we can top-off using Bonvoy points to book the AA flights I mentioned for 175,000-180,000 miles each. Still a large number of points but seems like a better deal than SkyTeam.
Another option is to fly Turkish through IST for 55,000 Aeroplan miles each, but flight times are sub-optimal on both ends and the thought of being stuck at IST without a visa and unable to leave the airport is a turn-off.
What's with the ASMR?
@DLPTATL honestly you'd be much better off flying from ATL to AMS or CDG and connecting to ATH from there on AF or KL. I myself am a SkyTeam loyalist and I go back to Greece every summer. I find AMS to be a better airport than CDG but the planes that KL flies to ATH are older with less overhead bin space compared to the ones AF flies. Connecting thru JFK during the summer...
@DLPTATL honestly you'd be much better off flying from ATL to AMS or CDG and connecting to ATH from there on AF or KL. I myself am a SkyTeam loyalist and I go back to Greece every summer. I find AMS to be a better airport than CDG but the planes that KL flies to ATH are older with less overhead bin space compared to the ones AF flies. Connecting thru JFK during the summer season is even better because you will be on DL metal the entire way, but this option tends to be much more expensive in my experience.
@Dan, Vasu gets almost more face time than Discount Dougie does. Ben's comrade, Gary Leff, writes about Vasu all the time. Just surprised Ben didn't know who he was, especially in light of a ROUTE announcement.
TPG also has done some interviews with Vasu.
Its the guy that sets your $ fees when you use your points to buy a ticket! He's gonna tell us how great it is that you have to pay $53 in order to use 20k mi to buy a domestic tix. :0
Defining PHX as a major hub where they have enough gates available and no weather cancellations.
@Econometrics
I'm sure he knows the name, but the face? Nobody below the CEO rates as "AvGeek 101". Not even all CEO faces are AvGeek 101.
Who cares, AA No Way! Domestically I'd rather fly Allegiant, seriously.
@ DLPTATL - AA 160, 787 Flagship Flight out of ORD is the best option in my experience.
Miami-Africa
DLPATL - Just don't do it. Find another way to get there without AA. I just got back from Europe and my outbound in AA J was a disaster with missed connections due to the mechanics and rude employees. Return was in Delta One and was as perfect as can be.
Free high speed WiFi on every flight - that would be big news worthy of the hype.
Ben, how do you not know Vasu Raja? That's like Avgeek 101, bro.
Hoping to solicit feedback from the host of AA posters on this thread as I'm no AA expert as a Delta/Skyteam loyalist.
Need to get from ATL:ATH and debating two AA options
ATL:ORD:ATH or ATL:PHL:ATH in J
or
ATL:MIA:LHR:ATH in F, not convenient and more expensive (have to pay cash for LHR:ATH) but would get to try Flagship first lounge/dining in MIA and BA lounges at LHR for the first time.
Thanks in advance for any advice
YAWN to all the guesses at possible new routes
A really big announcement would admit AA's latest 737 interior is a big mistake and will be replaced by something more comfortable and oh yeah we are going to put in seat-back monitors.
I was hoping they were going to say they are retrofiring those Oasis Project Max's on the ground. But an AA direct flight to Morocco sounds nice too.
JFK seems to continue to be ignored...
AA needs to realize that most people don’t want to spend any more time on their aircraft than they need to. So “teasing” long hours of misery doesn’t do a whole lot for “buzz”.
I have a feeling after how well AA's new PHX TO LHR route is doing so well, some of the new destinations, especially Japan will be from PHX. It's been talked about for a few years now.
This is so American Airlines.
You just can't make the announcement right away.
YOU JUST DO NOTHING BUT DELAYS AND GIVE US FALSW HOPES. MAYBE AA CAN'T ANNOUNCE YET BECAUSE THEY ARE TRYING TO FIND A REPLACEMENT PLANE AND CREW FOR THE NEW ROUTE.
LOL.
SO THE DELAY IS NOW NOT JUST UNIONS BUT AT CORPORATE LEVEL.
This just shows the company culture. I'm not surprised anymore why AA has bunch of delays.
In a...
This is so American Airlines.
You just can't make the announcement right away.
YOU JUST DO NOTHING BUT DELAYS AND GIVE US FALSW HOPES. MAYBE AA CAN'T ANNOUNCE YET BECAUSE THEY ARE TRYING TO FIND A REPLACEMENT PLANE AND CREW FOR THE NEW ROUTE.
LOL.
SO THE DELAY IS NOW NOT JUST UNIONS BUT AT CORPORATE LEVEL.
This just shows the company culture. I'm not surprised anymore why AA has bunch of delays.
In a time when AA needs to show the public they can act fast, they just did the opposite.
And Ed Bastian just had another big laugh.
I’m sure that Chicago will continue to be ignored with any route expansion. The ongoing cutbacks have led many Chicagoland fliers to Star Alliance and I’ll gladly take LH or OS or LX or even UA over most AA flights. My last TATL flight on AA was awful as everything is routed through Charlotte or Philly. Most of the FAs appear to have been recruited from North Carolina trailer parks. Unprofessional crews, crappy connecting experiences...
I’m sure that Chicago will continue to be ignored with any route expansion. The ongoing cutbacks have led many Chicagoland fliers to Star Alliance and I’ll gladly take LH or OS or LX or even UA over most AA flights. My last TATL flight on AA was awful as everything is routed through Charlotte or Philly. Most of the FAs appear to have been recruited from North Carolina trailer parks. Unprofessional crews, crappy connecting experiences at PHL and CLT, and deplorable food. No thanks- I’ll gladly take the connection via MUC on Lufthansa.
Big news would be a change in management and/or contracts with maintenance workers.
@Mark I thought they have loads of 788s slated for 2020, although most are for 763s replacement iirc
Tel aviv
They don’t have incremental widebodies coming into the fleet next year, so adds/removals need to equal 0 more or less aside from the domestic 787 trips. I’d imagine a swap of some of the seasonal PHL to Europe routes to new places on the dartboard (Morocco), LAX MEL being new and then their HND flight times being announced.
I expect Bucharest / OTP is on the list
I'll bite. How about PHL-WAW and JFK-TLV
Actually, I'm just waiting for the next devaluation / dynamic pricing announcement and how they will spin it to sound like they are doing us all a favor.
is "Vasu Raja" the same stable genius who told us it's impossible to make money to TLV from ANY single AA hub despite DL and UA doing exactly the opposite, both totally having a field day with new TLV frequencies ?
Is this what you called huge?
Wondering what else is huge for you...
As for Krakow, they will most likely fly there from their PHL hub.
ORD-KRK could make sense with the large Polish population, but LOT already runs the route.
Where are you flying? In the weekly review, you said you would share details on Sunday.
Love the friendly comment above lol
Perhaps that American will announce that it will
start offering helpful friendly customer service that is empowered to assist customers
And recover from problems
Offer a frequent flyer program that is fair and balanced that will no longer rip off the customer with a large inventory of saver awards that offer desirable flights and connnections without forced married segments
And a brand assurance of...
Love the friendly comment above lol
Perhaps that American will announce that it will
start offering helpful friendly customer service that is empowered to assist customers
And recover from problems
Offer a frequent flyer program that is fair and balanced that will no longer rip off the customer with a large inventory of saver awards that offer desirable flights and connnections without forced married segments
And a brand assurance of a quality experience each and every time you fly
Except that I woke up from the dream and it was American being abusive as normal to its customers
Unrelated: HiFly's A380 is currently operating MAD-CCS for Estelar. Pretty weird this actually came to fruition.
Silly me - I was hoping for something far more simple - like, "we're going to start treating our customers better: with less cancellations, friendlier flight attendants, and more personal space on our planes"
You can shove this hyperbole up your butt. Honestly so tired of being baited into reading articles here.
MIA-NRT
What the airline PR people think is a "huge" announcement and what everyone else thinks are entirely different things
Rumor has it HNL-LHR on a 788, BA have talked about it for several years but have a feeling it will be AA who get there first.
Maybe resolving their labor disputes. Aside from the mechanics, there are other labor contracts that have been held up for years.
That’s the VP of network planning vasu raja
Vasu Raja
"Vice President - Planning
- Lead a division responsible for improving the profitability of American's $40B global business
- Lead the development of American's worldwide network strategy as well as the planning and scheduling of American's ~6,500 daily flights"
Aka a frat bro who loves to brag how smart he seems to be, who is responsible for chopping flights out of ORD/JFK with the short-term focus on balance sheets.
I am not sure that the announcement of two destinations that are within or immediately adjacent to their existing route network counts as a "huge announcement." That being said, I am always curious as to the news and will check back to see what they have to say.
@ Derek -- As mentioned in the post, this apparently goes way beyond a couple of routes, and includes Oceania and Japan routes as well.
TLV and Malaga I think are in the running.
I want DC - Warsaw direct...
HUGE? Give me a f’n break.
US airlines abandoned Central and Eastern Europe. They could have built a strong brand-value here but weren't interested. Now that national, "home-town" airlines like LOT Polish are doing pretty well and expanding rapidly (LOT has hubs in WAW and BUD, with additional transatlantic services from two other Polish cities as well - Krakow and Rzeszow), I don't foresee a spectacular success for AA.
Helsinki to PHL.
DFW-BCN.
More Miami flights.
PHL-TLV cud also be in this announcement
GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN!
Who cares?