Hey, here’s something to be genuinely excited about, as it points towards the cat fight between the US carriers and Gulf carriers coming to an end. Or perhaps it just points to American’s lack of strategy and follow-through.
Continue reading: American Airlines & Qatar Airways Announce Strategic Partnership
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
No chance AA adds service to DOH. The sheer volume of connecting traffic already on the QR flights makes competing on an O&D basis impossible and it doesn't make sense to add a route solely to provide longhaul feed to longhaul connections (longhaul fares are cheap enough and now you want to split the fare 50/50 on the same operating cost base). I think Delta tried to fly to DXB a while back and got crushed on it.
I guess that a multitude of considerations factored into AA's change of heart towards Qatar. I wouldn't be surprised if the Delta-Latam tie-up played a role, as well as Qatar's increasing its ownership share in BA.
As far as AA flying aircraft to Doha goes, who in their right mind would fly AA metal in lieu of QR??
Qatar Airways direct flights to the USA are SO expensive.
But that's about the only reason.
Thanks to DL. Its intrusive expansion finally pissed off all bosses in OW.
DL is gonna have a hard time.
SE Asia? Will AA finally remove "Transpacific Only" requirement for awards from USA/Canada-Asia? No way to redeem on Qatar unless they do.
Phl or Boston to DOH makes sense. Those flights are full and from DOH you can go just about anywhere in the world.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Delta and the LATAM deal clearly riled up Dougie.
Either QR or AA should be able to make CLT-DOH work. CLT is a bigger hub than ORD and PHL, and DOH-ORD and DOH-PHL are consistently full, especially during the summer season. QR makes ATL work, and they have no connectivity with DL.
Is there any 2nd tier airline executive that gets more exposure than Vasu Raja?
If AA really does fly to DOH I would guess it would be from DFW. With massive connecting hubs on both ends I have to imagine they could fill two flights a day, especially if AA used a 788 on the route.
You've asked what's changed at AA and Qatar to move them to restart a more closer partnership. My view is that a lot has changed:
Qatar let Air Italy die. The subsidy issue is real but it only really effects AA if Qatar uses those subsidies to fly Fifth Freedom routes or backdoor Fifth Freedom routes to Europe from the US. That was the plan with Air Italy. The bottom line is that Qatar seems to have abandoned that (again).
Qatar may be focused more on a post-subsidy world because of the pressure that the Qatar state is feeling from its neighbors and the fact that all of the ME3 are having to live more within their means.
AA is feeling pressure because Delta pulled off a coup with LATAM and, while the subsidy issue is likely felt to be real in Fort Worth, AA probably felt that it was more Delta's hill to die on and not AA's.
Oneworld in general is likely feeling that it has some uncertainty over both Brexit and the LATAM departure. Neither issue faces the other two major alliances.
I find it funny that you think UA and LH buying TP is bad for consumers while AA and QR partnering closer together is good for consumers. Hm, what is notable about QR? Perhaps their frequent fare sales to faraway places? Perhaps AA would like to get closer to them to encourage them to knock it off with that? Remind me again how that's good for consumers?
Team - has anyone see any info that says this announcement might result in changes to the AA EQM/EQD earning ratios for Qatar - both for codeshare and non-codeshare flights?
Doesn't look like this page on AA site has changed has it?
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/partner-airlines/qatar.jsp
@ Chris -- I'd say zero. Not only is Heathrow heavily slot controlled, but there wouldn't be much upside to that for American based on a codeshare agreement.
@ Bgriff -- There's a huge difference. The North transatlantic market isn't nearly competitive enough, and is now controlled by three mega joint ventures. A very limited amount of the capacity is outside of those joint ventures, and TAP Air Portugal is one of those airlines that's truly competing in that market.
US to Middle East/India/etc. is a totally different story. In my opinion there's not enough cooperation there between airlines. Look at how few nonstop flights there are by US airlines in those markets. A codeshare agreement doesn't harm consumers -- it doesn't lead to price or schedule coordinating, and only improves opportunities to book complex routings on single tickets.
@ Michael Riegel -- Nothing has changed, and frankly I wouldn't expect it to change. American has higher earning on joint venture partners, but I doubt we'll see any change in mileage earning rates just on account of a codeshare agreement.
QR having an increasingly bigger stake in IAG also means AA can't just ignore them either. Working together is much more productive for everyone.
Hah flying AA to DOH? 13-16 hours of torture just for the heck of it? I'm good. I also love how you referred to doug as "American Airlines CEO, His Excellency Mr. Doug Parker"
@ Brian -- No doubt Air Italy is a consideration here, but there are two things I take issue with:
1) The "big three" US carriers were crying foul about the "big three" Gulf carriers long before Qatar Airways invested in Air Italy
2) Air Italy seemed to be more of a vanity project than an actual attempt by Qatar Airways to get around their Open Skies agreement; with Alitalia you have the Italian government funding a money losing airline offering Europe to US service, while with Air Italy you had the Qatari government funding a money losing airline offering Europe to US service, and the only party really winning was consumers
Maybe one thing to think about is that if they are codesharing, the flights for those that are bound to follow the rule that you must fly on a "US" airline (I think its the Safe Harbor act) for government and DOD employees and contractors means that this reopens the Qatar routes for those employees.
@Steve, that's a really good question. That would be awesome. AA leases QR planes with Q Suites and then flies over Saudi again and cuts time off each route.
Would Phoenix be really that unrealistic? It’s the largest metro area in the US that they currently don’t fly to, and it’s an AA hub. I know this hasn’t boded as well for other international flights to Phoenix, but there is a substantial South Asian immigrant population here. Maybe I’m just a dreamer
What's changed? AA realising they can't win and best to get back in bed and little old Dougie want to learn what service is about with airlines. And QR might end up buying more of LATAM etc.
@Gene lol you're not the only one who noticed that. Feels like Vasu Raja gets quoted in every AA route article Lucky writes
Could QR fly to SEA and simultaneously drop PHL which AA could take over?? Or AA try make CLT/PHX/SEA work themselves on a 788 maybe...
Wait what about SFO?? Didn’t realise QR didn't fly there. Even AA could make that work without many US connections
I love Qatar airways-great service & the qsuites far outweigh any AA first class. No way I would fly AA to Doha.
What about the fight between the three major ME companies? Any changes in that fight? Qatar, Emirates and Etihad is only schoolkids here.