Etihad has announced that they’ll be discontinuing flights to Dallas as of March 25, 2018. They’re suggesting that this is a service ”suspension,” but in reality I think we can all read between the lines.
Continue reading: Etihad Is Canceling Flights To Dallas, Blames American
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
I find it funny how Etihad says that the code share benefitted AA. AA doesn't need them, they need AA
Another one bites the dust. Coincidentally I just sent a question to the Ask Lucky section about Qatar Qsuites routes potentially being cut. Etihad was a potential fallback for getting to the ME and Dallas I figured being a bit more beleaguered compared to other US Cities to ME would be a great spot for award redemption.
Smart on EY's behalf given the circumstances and further fueled the fire by Dallas not being a huge market for International carriers other than AA. As busy as it might be, it is no ORD, LAX, or JFK given number of carriers serving the area.
AA and BA are tight, obviously given the fact that they are both OW partners and have the TATL Joint Venture. OneWorld flyers will likely fly to LHR to connect further to their destination, and LH offers many destinations if people will not fly OW.
Qatar has consistently cheaper fares than Etihad does out of DFW.
I can see EY pulling out of more markets in the future, since they are not exactly doing well financially (See AirBerlin, Alitalia)
I can also see Emirates purchasing Etihad and consolidating operations. This will be interesting to watch
I find it funny how they call out American but buried at the end it says they are making adjustments to improve profibility. Obviously there isn't value for American. The point of a codeshare is reciprocity. Sounds like Etihad is in for a major crisis. Can all 3 ME carriers last if they need to be profitable and have so much capacity to the region?
@Nick in Chicago: I doubt QR will be cutting Qsuites to JFK. I just rode in J on the A350 DOH-JFK two days ago and it was 100% full, mostly with Americans. Both the soft and hard product we're phenomenal, and the service was beyond reproach. I had my doubts about QR being *that good* before flying them for the first time last week. Now I'm hooked. Pajamas and mattress covers on every J sector. I'll take them any day over AA.
How much longer before AA and EY cut ties completely? That'll make the AA miles even more worthless.
Whatever you say, Etihad. Lower oil prices means less funny money flying around in Abu Dhabi, which means Etihad's robed overlords are now demanding the airline make actual business decisions. That's why SFO and DFW are gone (and it's probably why LAX is next), it's why almost no new routes have been launched in the last two years, it's why no new aircraft have been ordered, it's why you're seeing dozens of little cuts made to their formerly extravagant service, and it's why the plug was (mercifully) pulled on James Hogan's strategy of buying up poorly run airlines. We'll see how much longer The Residence lasts.
Among the ME3, the reckoning came to Etihad first.
What I find funny is that the ad placement for this particular blog is from the "US Airlines for Open Skies" -- not to be confused with the "Partnership for Open and Fair Skies."
"Obviously there isn’t value for American. The point of a codeshare is reciprocity." (@Marsh)
The value for AA was being able to sell AA-coded tickets to Africa, the ME and Indian subcontinent, for which AA got a cut without having to do anything. Also AAdvantage awards to these destinations, which have now been discontinued except in Y.
I never understood why AA had such a hissy-fit about the ME3 when they don't compete on most routes. BA does, and apparently AA went to bat for BA rather than for itself.
The EY statement includes an explicit plea for AA to restore the codeshare. Probably won't happen, but Barkis is willing.
Though there is a large local South Asian population locally, the potential traffic was never large enough to support three daily flights from the ME3. It's likely than none of these flights have ever made a dime. Both Qatar and Etihad had either code sharing or alliance relationships with AA. Now AA isn't providing that feed and there's certainly no reason for two of these flights. Emirates was running a more than half empty A380 and downgraded that to 777. I don't think that the fallout from DFW on flights to the Gulf is over.
@TFTC I'd be surprised if Abu Dhab would allow Emirates to "purchase Etihad". While it might make sense, and the UAE (especially Abu Dhabi) is on a huge consolidation push (Mubadala/IPIC, NBAD/FGB, ADNOC/ADCO/ZADCO) the two competing families would have to do it in such a way that neither side looks weak. Possibly creating an entirely new brand. Which considering the name recognition of Emirates all over the world wouldn't be easy to pull off.
The biggest risk with this AA-Etihad issue is reward redemptions.
Just imagine if US airline frequent flyers couldn't use their miles on ME and Asian airlines?
James Hogan disastrously managed Gulf Air before heading off to Etihad with his "Sky Chefs" and doing it all again.
Lucky,
Does AA award tickets still entitle chauffeur services in Abu Dhabi? If I am connecting there for 23 hours can I get a ride to Dubai?
TIA!
I'm booked in F from DFW->AUH->BKK in June with AA miles. What responsibility does AA have in rebooking me? Am I stuck with whatever award space is left at this point? I'm open to going TPAC, but want to know what AA's responsibility is before I call them.
I wonder if any of the ME3 will start flying from DTW. It seems to be a big market. DL and LH have decent connections to India from DTW, but it would be nice to see more choices, as Indians need a valid visa stamp to transit via Germany, while flying from US to India.
(Due to complexity of US visa system, it is taking really long for visas to be renewed)
Wow! I was booking my relative's flight from India to DFW, and my family insisted on booking her flight with Etihad airways. She would return in April. We went to the Etihad website, but I quickly changed my mind and ended up booking the flight with Qatar Airways. A week later I saw this. I'm SO glad I didn't book with Etihad! It may have been a waste of money.