While this service has been suspended for several months due to the Iran conflict, it now looks like this is no longer a suspension, but a cancellation.
Continue reading: American Airlines “Permanently” Cancels Doha Flights, After Four Years
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
These routes (AA from PHL, AY from HEL, JL from TYO) are essentially wetleases. Most seats are sold by QR, and eg on the HEL route, AY had a quota of about 10 % of the total seat count on the plane, the rest were QR seats.
AY is unwilling to operate to DOH at the moment and QR is taking over that route as well, starting next month.
QR paid good money to these airlines for the wetleases, so AA has not been operating at a loss. Having said that, it could be that the planes can make more money elsewhere.
Hello. You use the word 'conflict'. It is a war with US and Iran, A war with Isreal and neighbors. A war with Russia and Ukraine. It's not a conflict. This helps to explain why leaders are shifting on so many levels. This post is regarding air travel. The other post is regarding the price of gas,
"AA is a better domestic airline than it is an international airline." In spite of this statement by the CEO, AA engages in network planning that includes such a route. And, even entertains Singapore.
Good move by AAL. Not worth the risk (not for a while). QR can handle it. (Now, if they’d please bring back partner award availability… we want our 70K AA points for Q-Suite!)
But, but… wars need congressional approval within 60 days… *facepalm*
(It sure ain’t just a ‘special military operation,’ that’s for sure… 1.5 million casualties later…)
Remember United and Air Canada have both already failed at Doha
The former ran into issues when Jetblue put their flight numbers on EK fligths thus taking OPM FlyAmerica crowd
The latter id garbage that laughably tried to compete against QR.
Steady now … wait for it, wait for it!
It is Sunday so we will either have to wait for the Godbotherer’s ’chucking time’, or, the Shepherds to steer the Campus flock, though the turbulence of the supernatural.
"The issue was, it’s not clear why someone would fly American over Qatar Airways; Qatar Airways has a much better passenger experience, and a massively lower cost structure"
Biggest things I could see is
1) Premium Economy is available with AA but not QR. QR is definitely much better than AA inflight, but if my company limited me to Premium Economy on long haul, I would take AA's PE over QR Y. Funnily enough, AA operated the standard 789 cabin there with only 21 PE seats, the fewest of their widebodies.
2) Ability to use a SWU to upgrade to business, albeit not a guaranteed way to do it unless you find the rare advance availability at booking..
I’m Surprised AA will start a new route. I figured they use the 789s on current routes as the 772s start being reconfigured.
let's keep in mind that UA is not flying to DXB either and, given the continued interception of Iranian drones which are targeted to Persian Gulf major cities close to the Strait of Hormuz, it is doubtful the US will allow US carriers to return to DOH or DXB any time soon.
The real question is whether Riyadh will develop faster than planned due to security threats to Gulf countries.
and as AA removes another city from its route map, DL's first A350 from LAX-HKG is enroute.
It’s all about the crews and the unions. AA gave PHL the Doha flight because it’s the only ultra long range for the PHL crew base. JFK has HND and DEL, while the most other AA bases have great high credit 3-day trips to Asia and Latam (maybe not PHX and CLT, but they’re have their doozies like random transcons and Caribbean layovers). Now that DOH is not a “trendy” layover location due to potential unrest, the crews don’t care anymore about the 30 hour credit 3-day trip, so Qatar can have it.
"and as AA removes another city from its route map, DL's first A350 from LAX-HKG is enroute."
let's see how DL does against the 3x frequency from all the AA folks earning loyalty points on CX.
you seem so optimistic.
"The real question is whether Riyadh will develop faster than planned due to security threats to Gulf countries."
It's not really a question. Riyadh has been targeted and hit numerous times during the 2026 war with Iran. Google is your friend.
you still can't seem to grasp that AA does not have a joint venture with CX.
AA is insignificant in LAX TPAC now against DL and UA. AA gave up on HKG altogether, even from its massive DFW hub. It speaks volumes about the ability of AA to compete that it doesn't serve an alliance partner hub with its own metal.
As for RIX, the war has been reduced to drones which the US and the UAE and Qatar among others are becoming successful at shooting down. And yet Kuwait recently got hit.
Saudi Arabia is much less subject to Iranian aggression than other Gulf countries right now.
I asked a question not proclaimed anything with certainty. War is fluid but I strongly bet that Riyadh will develop faster than planned
"you still can't seem to grasp that AA does not have a joint venture with CX."
Your understanding of how codeshares vs JVs work is fascinating and idiotic.
No one said it was a JV. But do aA customers really care? Not really... they're still earning the same type of loyalty points and AAdvantage miles on CX.
Your obsession with something being Delta-like is funny but ignorant.
"As for RIX, the war has been reduced to drones which the US and the UAE and Qatar among others are becoming successful at shooting down. And yet Kuwait recently got hit."
the guy obsessed with a sober airline flying with hijabs and he doesn't even know the Riyadh airport code. that about sums up your knowledge level on just about everything. I'm sure the people of Riga are quite excited about the Saudi investments though
just show us the data on the percentage of CX passengers are on AA tickets and the value of those if you are so convinced you are right.
Nowhere have I said here or anywhere anything about Saudia. You are pathologically fixated w/ me - and it is perfectly obvious to everyone.
You, not me, mentioned me before I ever showed up.
YOU
ARE
SICK
Get help.
Yeah I flew this route once. It was on a QR ticket, I would have avoided it but the timing was great for my plans.
Anyway the 787 was in great shape and it was one of the best crews that I've seen on an AA flight.
Max, it must have been an easy morning shepherding the Campus flock, through the turbulence of the supernatural in GA. Either that or ‘our friend’ has taken time off from his Godbothering duties just to amuse the troops. Oh! Also, boost Ben’s click count too.
AA's Premium Economy on this route was great. Didn't cost much like emirates PE on north American routes. I will have to try Cathey Pacific Or Singapore PE on US routes.
lol. are you saying I need to show you internal AA data about Advantage customers flying LAX-HKG? lol.
Delta is the only airline in LA that couldn't get their customers to HKG with a nonstop. AA has long been able to do that.
You're so incredibly ignorant and stupid. The irony of you telling someone else to get help 😉
Who knows why you're talking about Saudia. I wasn't. But try to learn where RIX is before commenting about Riyadh Air 😉 Riga isn't getting any Saudi investments 😉
"You, not me, mentioned me before I ever showed up."
remind me again where I mentioned you? I'm looking for it...
how can someone be this stupid?
United flew it as a tag on from DXB. But that was many years ago.
Have you ever been to Doha? It is a tiny place. Doha is only about connections.
This will never happen, but I'd like more capacity from LAX to AKL so I can get business award seats for less than 300K miles one way.
just as I was certain would be the case, Max.
You can't produce data - public or internal to AA - but you boldly proclaim how well AA competes to HKG.
AA very likely at best puts passengers on CX to HKG to burn miles.
and the time stamps are pretty clear, Max. You are a pathological liar is you deny that you didn't mention me in today's discussions before I ever showed up.
none of which changes that AA is not likely going to serve the Arab Middle East while DL and UA likely will.
AA might commit to TLV when DL and UA can serve it but that hasn't happened in the past.
lol. you're such an idiot lol.
You are correct. I can't prove to you in a comment section that AA loyalists in LAX fly. nonstop accruing AADvantage miles and loyalty points flying Cathay...
you are hilarious.
But again. Feel free to point to where I mentioned you. Aero brought you up and I replied to their comment.
nice try
AA, Robert Isom and his HDQ team are extraordinarily pathetic. AA drops Doha and Qatar restarts service. And as noted why would ANYBODY fly AA over a Middle East or Asian carrier?!
Cannot wait to hear about the demonstrations inside the building at their DFW headquarters during the shareholders meeting 10 June.
Reality TV stuff.
Tut, tut, Wayne, even for a Walter Mitty character and a believer in the supernatural, your response to Max is nothing less than hypocritical. Whenever have you ever produced data after being asked? Furthermore, calling someone “A pathological liar”, is hardly Christian, old sock.
Again, although it is recorded that you served at least four years during the 1960’s in the USAF, there no documentation to support your pilot qualification. Did you lie about that when you posted such? Not a good look for such an apparent upstanding pillar of the community, yes?
Really? It seems more likely that the route is hemorrhaging money like a cut jugular and they're getting out now because the situation is hopeless.
it's not hard to back up Max' statement of categorize it as just an opinion.
If he is certain that AA puts so much revenue on CX, then he should be able to prove it.
and, again, DL has no partner at HKG but they are starting a flight.
Even w/ an alliance, AA isn't serving HKG at all.
The reputation AA has earned of not being able to compete outside of its JV partner hubs - which CX is not part of - is accurate.
Lots of demand for direct US-India flights. I believe AA already serves JFK-Delhi so a PHL-Delhi or Mumbai service makes a lot of sense.
Once again Walter Mitty Dunn, you have failed. You have systematically failed to address the myriad of questions asked of you on this website. Also, you insist upon spouting gobbledygook just like a politician and avoid answering questions like a demented ex Lilburn City Councillor, which you are of course, yes?
AAL typically starts and then stops flying the route. The DFW to HKG was full daily as I was flying to HKG regularly had a difficult time getting a business class seat or even first class. If those two sections of the airplane were full and then economy I saw each flight was 95-98 percent full. Same for India and Moscow. They pull the route before they can become known/mature. I worked for an airline for years and we gave a new route at least 2years before we gave up on it. AAL gives a rote months. So I gave up on AAL - afraid they would cancel the flights and other airlines would be full in business and first class so I would totally screwed. Management has no idea what they want to be, period
American's international flying is a joke. Start/stop. Start/stop. Start/Stop. Essentially irrelevant Intl carrier except to LHR. The entire "leadership" needs to be canned since they had head up backside, cramming seats into planes, taking out IFE, retiring aircraft and being flat footed post pandemic, losing NYC flying, losing LAX/ORD flying...how can these dolts still be called "leadership"? Nothing "premium" about this airline.
@Ben. You wrote "Qatar has been offering massive incentives for foreign airlines to fly to Doha". Can you please explain this, because I pretty much see the opposite! Over the years, DOH has lost Lufthansa, KLM, Cathay, American, Emirates... If anything, it looks like DOH/HIA has successfully strangled the competition into and out of DOH.
In the past, I had two flights booked on the AA DOH service. Both canceled, causing a lot of disruption and hassle for me.
Philadelphia to Doha? Umm, okay. Maybe they'll use the plane for El Paso—Doha.