Comments

1. Only a government sourced product would be named analogic.

2. How come United can make a huge foreign set of destinations work – expanding every year – when apparently American cannot? What is United’s secret to financial success when they both have a similar cost base. Gary can you please explain.

3. If they do away with wide bodies, especially on international flights, I will not be flying AA anymore! I’ll be damned if I will pay $9500 for a ticket to LHR to sit on a narrowbody!

4. @William Jones, it is debatable whether UA is truly profitable on its vast intercontinental network. Yes, it is big. Yes, parts of it have made money since the pandemic reopening, TATL in particular, but the Asia ramp up is restoring capacity that has been depressed since 2020 and there is massive discounting of fares and awards on the Australia/New Zealand network, notably via LAX, which is revealing. United has a more balanced network globally than the US3. It is far less reliant on one international region (Delta skews TATL, AA skews LHR/Latin America).

   The bigger question is how long will the soaring demand for overseas travel last? It all depends on the economy, global issues, etc….

   AA’s debt is high, though they are managing it down, but it is far from “managed”. UA will soon face the same situation. It placed massive orders to re-fleet its wide body sector and has a lot of narrow bodies also coming on line. AA did the same, in 2011 and is paying the price for that much needed modernization then, today.

5. shoeguy,
   good comments but a few corrections.
   UA’s Pacific network is NOW profitable because they were forced to drop so much China and HKG flying which, like AA, is why UA lost money flying the Pacific in the late 2010s – before covid. UA is very much in the market share game on its international network and they stuck in markets that were costing them, including trying to make AA blink first – which did happen.
   UA’s most recent Pacific revenue is 2X DL’s and DL’s is 2X AA – or UA’s Pacific revenue is 4X AA’s.
   DL and UA generated almost identical amounts of revenue across the Atlantic in the 2nd quarter of 2023 but DL generated 60% more profits in part because UA’s “need” to hold onto older aircraft means that the 777-200ER is a big part of its transatlantic capacity, Even the A330-300 at DL – its largest transatlantic fleet by capacity – is 15% more fuel efficient. the A330 is ideally suited for TATL routes. DL generated 1.8X more profits per seat mile across the Pacific than UA. AA has yet to turn its TPAC network around in terms of profits.
   AA is the king of Latin America and they dominate S. Florida to Latin America, something that will only get better with the B6/NK merger where there is considerable overlap from FLL to Latin America.
   AA has simply realized over a decade after the merger with US that they do not have the network do compete w/ DL/Skyteam and UA/Star to continental Europe or across the Pacific where DL and UA both bought into the region and have turned their presence there into decent profitability. DL will likely overtake UA in revenue to Latin America this winter because of the Latam joint venture but it gives DL the best chance to challenge AA’s unique position from MIA to S. America. It will not happen tomorrow – DL does everything on their own timeframe which is never the scale or as soon as the internet expects – but DL in time will fly its own metal from MIA to S. America.
   AA will simply be a much less global airline that DL and UA but AA has a very strong southern US focus which is driving their profits right now.

6. I wish more 787’s would fly transcon. Took one from LAS to PHL last January, and you can really feel the difference with the lower cabin altitude. Much less groggy and tired after landing.

7. As for me, I’ll search for a wide body aircraft before I fly a tight a321xlr or whatever they call it. The flight attendants must love that they have to feed 200 people out of their tiny galleys. Why did they make wide bodied aircraft with more room and comfort that are designed to fly people great distances for? As for American Airlines, they simply suck.

8. @Tim Dunn,

   Yes, we know, you are a Delta apologist.

9. larry,
   how about you let us know what facts that I cite you wish to debate – with facts?
   AA has simply done a poor job of building its international route system organically and has not closed the gap between itself and DL and UA.
   DL and UA are both more global in their focus w/ the big difference is that DL operates its international network – just like its domestic system – for profit reasons and not unprofitable “strategic” reasons.
   DL simply used the pandemic to retire widebody aircraft, has already replaced them with new A330s and A350s and is now expected to be in a position to significantly grow its international network in 2024 and do so on a much lower cost basis.
   AA also retired widebodies but is not replacing them; that is the point of CF’s article.
   UA retired nothing and will have a bigger bill than AA or DL to replace its older aircraft – the oldest fleet among US airlines. UA is operating its international network on a higher cost basis. UA did have aircraft to quickly respond to surging demand but didn’t turn that into a higher profit advantage than DL.

   Those are facts whether you like them or not.
   Pointing them out doesn’t make anyone an apologist.

10. Whilst I think we all look towards a widebody for long haul international flights I think it’s worth remembering the Mint Suite’s that fit just fine onto a 321XLR in a 1-1 config.

    Single aisle or not it’s a reasonable argument to say it’s a notably better product than anything AA can offer on any aircraft type.

    I will admit that if I was flying TATL on a narrow body I’d only consider doing so if at the pointy end with a lie flat bed. Wouldn’t have to be Mint persay but it would have to be a fully flat bed especially for the red eye I tend to take when travelling from the US to the UK

11. TPAC flights are much more profitable without the Chinese carrier capacity dumping and yield trashing that existed in the past. Without round trip fares of $350 from Chicago to Beijing, like there were in 2019, UA yields on all other routes are up dramatically.

    I’m not sure why AA and DL aren’t taking advantage of this period to establish themselves on few routes.

12. Mark,
    the reason why there is little Chinese carrier capacity is because the Chinese government capped the amount of travel between the US and China – as well as some other countries but no place is harder hit than the US.
    The Chinese government subsidized its carriers’ int’l networks pre-covid and don’t want to do it again.
    The Pacific is doing better for everyone else as a result.
    Airlines are adding as much capacity as they can but there is strong demand over the Atlantic too.

13. I guess I’ll be flying some old beat up 777s and aging 788s to Asia and Oceania for the foreseeable future.