For several years American Airlines has said that if they could get their operation running well, everything else would fall into place. But they’ve been running well in 2023 and they aren’t making money. There’s something wrong with the American Airlines business plan.
American Airlines has had a basic model for how to succeed.
- They need to become reliable. If they’re a reliable airline everyone will be happy with them. If they are unreliable nobody will be happy. Reliability matters a lot more than product and service. In fact, CEO Robert Isom frequently says “the food tastes better” when planes run on time.
- The network and schedule are the product. They want to offer the best connections through Dallas and Charlotte, with the most convenient schedule for people all over the country to travel to major destinations – especially across the Sun Belt and Mexico.
- International long haul is a waste. They can fly to international partner hubs (London, Madrid, Tokyo, Sydney) and summer seasonal Europe, but anything else is just too expensive in employees, staff, and fuel to make money. They’re much better off taking an aircraft and operating several short frequencies than one long one (or half of a long one).
In this model the details of the seats, of inflight catering, of the lounges, don’t much matter.
- They need to check the box – seats are necessary, but they did not even bother to build a cabin mockup for their new domestic product that debuted with the Boeing 737 MAX, and then they retrofitted their fleet with.
- It turns out that the configuration of the galleys, the bathrooms, and the first class seats was bad so they had to go and retrofit all the interiors they’d just changed out. Penny wise, and pound foolish.
- Meanwhile if they put three different dishes on a tray with lettuce, it still checks the box of a meal, and they can outsource business and first class wine selection to Intervine and call it good – there’s no need for Australian wines on Sydney flights if sourcing those is more complicated or expensive. It’s a detail no one is going to be rewarded for internally for getting right.
This year customer demand turned heavily international, but American Airlines retired their Boeing 757 and 767 fleet and their Airbus A330s – planes they could have sent to international destinations. With Boeing’s deliveries slowed, American lacked the aircraft to fly what people wanted to buy.
The problem American Airlines now faces is that they have become much more reliable, and they offer a robust domestic route network, but they still aren’t making money. They’re not just financially behind Delta, but also United.
Delta no longer has the operational advantage they once did. American has gotten better and Delta has gotten worse. But Delta makes the most money and they talk over and over about premium, premium, premium. Their seats aren’t really better. Their meals aren’t better. Their club lounge food is better, but the lines are longer to get in and busier once you’re inside (because Amex’s premium cardmembers get in, not just Amex’s Reserve Delta cardmembers). SkyMiles isn’t very good. But they repeat premium like a mantra and it frames their thinking in a way that it doesn’t at American for everything except its own corporate headquarters.
The presentation that American Airlines gave to employees after their third quarter earnings call on Thursday – a quarter in which they lost money – was more of the same. They filled 84% of their seats. They cancelled a smaller percentage of their flights than any other third quarter in their history and outperformed their peers and they’re leading in on-time departures.
The American Airlines operation has improved a lot.. and they still aren’t making money! But their goals are stuck in 2018.
American Airlines is a high cost airline and can only therefore make money as a high revenue airline. That means earning a revenue premium relative to their peers. They need to sell more premium seats at higher fares. For that they:
- Need more premium seats to sell. This management team has removed business class seats from Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft, and has talked for years about adding them to Airbus A319s but has not done so.
- Need to offer a premium product that customers will pay more for. That isn’t just reliability, though reliability is necessary. Reliability is a table stake. Once customers stop ruling you out due to lack of reliability, it becomes hard to earn a revenue premium off of it – Delta used to by going months on end without cancelling a mainline flight. That’s not something they do anymore or that American is likely within reach of.
Another strategy is friendlier service, but cabin crew are uniquely unhappy over lack of a contract. American should be offering more money in exchange for terms which hold employees accountable for service delivery but they are not doing so.
Contra the airline’s recent past, they need to sweat the details from seat comfort to food and beverage, no detail of customer experience is too small, and the workflow of every interaction through the mobile app matters.
They need to stop playing small ball, running away from competitive markets because other airlines offer a more compelling product. They need to offer a more compelling product that customers will choose over competitors, and fly where people want to go. Otherwise managers ought to just go play golf. There’s too much capital at stake to do anything else.
AA management has long maintained that they’re selling a network, not hospitality, comfort, or value, which is in itself fallacious.
And even if there are quantifiable gains in reliability, most customers’ perceptions of same are rooted in personal, anecdotal experience and take time to change.
After a pretty disastrous stint as a (comped) Platinum Pro a few years ago, during which I had Envoy itineraries fall apart, upgrades taken away due to same-day equipment changes, IT snafus, and miserable front-line employees displaying disdain for their jobs and customers, I still think twice about booking AA anytime I have to be somewhere the same day; I just assume high chaos and tension factors.
Am I wrong about today’s AA? Why risk finding out?
My last experience on American was so bad I will not fly them again. My 3 primary options are Delta, Southwest even though it is truly an air bus or my car. Not even a matter of cost.
Poor product . Uncompetitive million miler program . Poor international network . Increasing labor costs
My biggest problem with American is none of what was touched on here. It’s that if you have to connect in Charlotte, you might as well pick a different airline. Because trying to fly through that awful airport with that awful terminal that American uses for all the regional flights makes making a connecting The majority of the time. Try booking any flight with them that connects through Charlotte from a smaller airport. Somehow they have the nerve to want to schedule you on flights that have only a 30-45 minute layover. Who are they kidding with that? Show me the person that can deplane, change, terminals, and still make it to their connecting flight before the gate closes 10 minutes prior to departure. It’s virtually impossible. So now any flight on this airline that connects through Charlotte is a complete no-go for me. That’s when I wind up using Delta. Even if I have to pay more.
I am tall and thus am willing to pay more for a seat upgrade. American Airlines offers a cheap seat upgrade option ($55 on my last flight), but doesn’t guarantee that you will get a better seat, it is a “might get a better seat” option. If I want to play the lottery, I would buy a ticket. Delta actually sells an upgraded seat for more money. I am not sure when AA switched to such a stupid upgrade situation, but it doesn’t make me want to fly AA.
They push Charlotte which is inferior, crappy location. I refuse to fly through there even when the price is significantly better.
They use small regional jets where I’ve been pushed to gate check my carry on even in first class. FC should never be pushed to gate check. Put in decent size overheads.
Awards program poor. I can’t even FIND awards flights even in economy.
American Airlines is a regional airline. They have a great domestic network, sure. But they cannot compete against other regional carriers in the US (aka, Alaska, jetBlue, Southwest), since those carriers offer a much better experience. To compete as a global airline, they need global coverage. That’s hard to do when you don’t have relevant flying partners in your immediate neighborhood (i.e., Canada, Latin America).
AA is a much improved airline in 2023. However, many people won’t know that because of poor prior experiences. Virtually every flight I’m on is full. If they aren’t turning a profit it suggests they need to fix their routes. By hoisting the white flag in Florida and the Northeast they aren’t really positioned to win.
“This management team has removed business class seats from Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft”
Not sure I get this one, Gary.
When did aa take business class seats off the 787? The 77e retrofit a few years back added 2 J (but admittedly removed the F cabin)
Premium economy is basically the old generation J seat from 15+ years ago and if you consider that, aa has added premium seats?
Isom and his entire executive team panicked during the pandemic and scrapped (instead of opting to store) 24 perfectly good A330s, of which 15 were less than 9 years old and could have been used when international demand and pricing surged in 2022 and 2023. Total blunder by the America West guys.
The result was 15,000 daily transatlantic seats gone, leaving Europe to DL & UA the ability to charge a massive premium to just about every destination.
Bobby J
Where are you trying to go that AA’s partners aren’t able to get you there? AA’s own coverage is nowhere near United but their partners can get you nearly anywhere.
I’m surprised you mention Latin America as an example as weak as coverage/partners. AA flies to just about every runway in Mexico and has partners in Latin America, to say nothing of their own coverage to Mexico from dfw or Latin America from Miami.
Oh you’re right. I forgot about the 788 J removal to add W
Good call
As is typical for this site, Gary makes a comparison between AA and DL when the proper and accurate comparison which is AA to both DL and UA. While AA and DL directly compete on more of their network than AA and UA, both DL and UA have benefitted from AA’s strategic and operational mistakes. Other sites like Ben’s accurately made the right comparison.
Two major strategic and executional mistakes have shaped what AA is today. First, AA tried to restructure outside of bankruptcy post 9/11, did it inadequately and refused to file for chapter 11 until its competitors had eviscerated AA’s network and stole its highest value customers after their own successful restructurings.
Second, AMR’s board caved to Doug Parker’s appeals, wholly supported by AA employees, to merge with America West, dba USAirways, instead of AA’s own standalone restructuring plan. Doug Parker and Scott Kirby knew nothing about running a global airline and made mistake after mistake, further wounding AA. Parker “timed out” at AA and blissfully went on to further destroy other airlines – such as Qantas, while Kirby learned all it knows by watching Delta and has implemented many good things at United. He still does not understand many things like finance which is why he is willing to saddle UA with 3X more debt than DL.
AA/US were misaligned in their alliances and BA/IB are simply not a match for DL and UA’s continental European partners. Kirby jumped on Pacific routes “for strategic purposes” they lost loads of money and AA will always play a distant 3rd fiddle even to its Asia/Pacific JV partners. Delta is gearing up to take on AA in Miami to Latin America and that will be the biggest strategic hit UA has suffered so far.
As much as Gary wants to believe otherwise, Delta is STILL at the top of the industry in terms of revenue, profits, and market cap and it is premium because customers are willing to pay more for its products – which is the way premium is defined in any industry. Premium is not dented by a few anecdotal, angry customers or bizarre events.
DL still ranks at the top of the industry in operational metrics that the DOT publishes. AA has improved but DL has not slipped.
AA labor is its biggest liability – the byproduct of hostile relationships with management that goes back to Bob Crandall. Delta people simply deliver a higher quality product with much less drama. Delta keeps them paid more and they earn more profit sharing than AA or UA will ever pay so they have every reason to make the company successful.
AA did outperform UA in the 2nd quarter. Their 3rd quarter performance is undoubtedly due to the end of the NEA and their distribution changes which are having a far more negative significant revenue impact than AA wants to admit.
AA will survive because they are too large to fail but they will never be high quality in anything including financially.
Gary,
It is fascinating to read your analysis and suggestions about AA, and it is obvious that many of us truly would love to see AA succeed. It is very hard to not become exasperated when we see the big picture clumsiness of recent management teams.
Delta banks on a mythology that they are better. Granted: Better motivated flight attendants and front line staff, “happy employees, happy customers,” but the planes are OLD, the lounges are crowded and mediocre. ATL is frequently a nightmare
Was looking at roundtrip business class tickets today from U.S. to South Korea.
American: $11,000
Korean or Asiana: $4,300
Houston, we have a problem!
Airlines, like banks, health care etc have consolidated down to a few players offering universally crappy service and all focused on cutting costs so their CEOs can take home multimillion $ pay packages.
Hey @gary can you write about Deltas expansion in Miami? Would love to hear your takes on it
@MaxPower – AA removed J from 772s even before that, and removed J seats from 787s to add W https://viewfromthewing.com/confirmed-american-removing-business-class-seats-from-boeing-787-8s/
Vasu complained publicly about the lack of 787 J seats even as they were being removed.
Before COVID American serviced multiple destination in Brazil. Perhaps it’s time to restore service to Brasilia and Manaus from Miami. They already have the aircraft.
Paul,
I am sure you are referring to this comment
“Delta is gearing up to take on AA in Miami to Latin America and that will be the biggest strategic hit UA has suffered so far.”
It was no surprise that the alliance world was rocked when DL managed to “steal” Latam away from AA; the AA/Latam partnership was based on trying to completing monopolize a market which the Chilean government said was a bridge too far.
DL has long played #3 to AA and UA in Latin America; they are already seeing very strong results from the Latam partnership. Aeromexico and Latam bookend Latin America. Mexico regaining Category 1 FAA status will pump revenue back into AM and DL. DL is taking on AA and UA in NYC to Latin America with AM and LA this winter. Like everything Delta does, they will proceed orderly and slowly but will end up in a very strong position.
And DL has added back a couple routes from MIA and still basically dabbles in major markets like LAX. Before the decade is over, there will be DL widebodies (plural) flying from MIA to S. America, DL narrowbodies flying to a half dozen non-DL hub cities in the US and that many other markets in Latin America, all alongside LA and AM.
DL doesn’t intend to overtake AA but they will make a big enough dent in the premium market that AA will feel it. UA will be competitively much worse off with DL succeeding in MIA like UA was not able to do with its Pan Am Latin America acquisition.
Where’s Braniff?
Fun reading Gary and all these comments. RDU is my home airport with AA 772 nonstop to Heathrow so I hope we never lose that! I do find DL FAs generally friendlier and more service oriented than AA’s, but on a recent AA RDU to DFW flight, the FA was so attentive to my wife’s food allergies, I slipped her $50 as we deplaned, my first time ever doing that.
Just one beef — in my opinion, the meals on Delta are *infinitely* better and much more creative than what American is offering. Sure–no warm nuts, hot towels, or real desserts on most domestic flights, but the food really is much, much better than the slop American is serving up.
Never forget that present day AA is really USAir wearing AA colors
Jean luc
@jean luc. which traces further back to Allegheny Airlines which we always knew as Agony Air. Once a turd airline always a turd aurline.
Gary, when do you think AA will go bankruptcy and disappear?
Or are they too strong to die but too weak to succeed?
Everyone needs to give American Airlines more time to improve after the mess Parker (Former CEO) left.. Give Robert Isom more time and things will continue to improve.
Tim Dunn and I are on the same page. After America Worst merged with UScare and that morphed into a newer American Airlines, Doogie Howser…er Dougie Parker said (after he got the DUI when the UScare/Delta hostile takeover went belly up) to the “new” American Airlines’ 100,000 employees (I paraphrase here), “You do what we tell you do do and we’ll make money.” Note “tell”! So, Dougie, how’s that workin’ out for ya, huh? Oh, wait…you took your golden parachute and the void was filled by more hostile CEOs. While all of the carriers have their faults, their loyal customers, their haters, their prima donnas, good/bad employees, etc., Delta makes money because, for the most part, the employees are happy. Management doesn’t dictate and micromanage/nitpick every little nuance of the business. The unions don’t have the airline and employees by the cajones. Therefore, instead of bitching all the time…”NOT MY JOB”…the Delta folks go about their business and the company rewards them with handsome profit sharing.
Wow, tim
Such predictions for delta in Miami. It’s almost like delta doesn’t have the gates to do what you’re suggesting in Miami 😉 but why let facts matter, huh?
Being a consistent and distant second place in a large hub market has never been a good place for delta (or any airline for that matter). They already fled from the last second place hub they had where as was larger. hard to imagine what you’re describing but I do get that you live in a passport plum dream world.
@Tim Dunn – “AA has improved but DL has not slipped.”
Delta used to go months without cancelling a mainline flight. They don’t do that anymore. Their reliability is not just on-time statistics and being towards the top. They have absolutely slipped, though they remain operationally better than American and United.
You are correct that not filing bankruptcy earlier was a mistake, and accepting the US Airways takeover deal inside of bankruptcy was ultimately bad for *the company* but it wasn’t a mistake from the perspective of *the creditors’ committee* since US Airways was willing to overpay, and wasn’t seeking to terminate pensions.
As long time AA top tier FF’s (5.5 million miles myself and nearly 2 million my wife) we’ve had the opportunity to witness AA’s sustained fall in quality of nearly all aspects of the travel experience. Until the USAir takeover the loss of quality services was tolerable. From then on, we think it became increasingly bad, to the point that recently we cancelled thousands of dollars’ worth of travel. The much vaunted “loyalty” expressed at every turn by AA is merely loyalty to our money.
It seems that the currently inflated but less available award travel, upgrades, boarding courtesies. and in general, the pleasant contact between the airline and the passengers is a long way in the past. And what is worse, we find that AA charges, in some cases up to three times or even more, for the same routes.
I believe we are not alone in this predicament, judging by many similar comments in the Original EXP web site. Although hard to do and maybe expensive, perhaps AA should consider recovering the trust of their most consistent and loyal customers, the elite FF.’s.
My last flight (connecting) out of DFW. Leave terminal A (on time). Get to #1 for takeoff. We return to Terminal C. Three hours later, back on the same plan (A320), leave Terminal C, get to #1 for takeoff. Pilot announces a technical problem – go back to Terminal A. Flight then ‘delayed” until the next day at 9:30 AM, and we promptly leave at 1PM (different plane). Until they fix their reliability, I’ve abandoned AA.
Gary,
the DOT tracks cancellations and Delta never consistently achieved zero cancellations across their entire network (including regional carriers) because of ATC issues esp. in NYC. They did go for days with zero mainline cancellations because their regional carriers took the cancellations. UA’s cancellation rate is higher than DL’s and AA’s lower system cancellation rate is because they are so small in NYC relative to B6, DL and UA.
Max,
You always manage to forget or fail to note that DL gave up its HUB operation at DFW to transfer its assets used there for HUB operations to NYC where they handedly overtook AA in what was AA’s own home and B6′ home town.
While AA was petitioning the FAA to permanently eliminate some slots “to improve operational performance” DL added flights when slot controls were removed. DL operates more reliably in NYC than AA.
And DL is STILL the 2nd largest airline in revenue at DFW AND at Love Field.
And Delta has told its flight attendants that they will re-open a flight attendant base at DFW and 4 other cities if they get enough interest.
DL not only intends to grow but also improve QOL for its FAs.
And DL can easily get gates and use available gate space in MIA. Check back in 6 years and see if I am right.
@gleff
Gary, “Delta used to go months without cancelling a mainline flight” was… actually some statistical slight of hand. What they would do instead is run empty (or nearly empty) flights with 8+ hour delays. You can’t just beat the cancellation drum without taking delay into account as well. (And it’s not just reportable A14 delay either.) Name a statistic, and there’s a way to game it. Maybe look at D0 as well?
@Tim Dunn – “the DOT tracks cancellations and Delta never consistently achieved zero cancellations across their entire network (including regional carriers) ”
I point out their mainline operational performance and you throw in regionals because you want to say Delta isn’t worse. That’s a sleight of hand. They’re absolutely worse operationally than they were before the pandemic, even if they are still good relative to peers.
“They did go for days with zero mainline cancellations because their regional carriers took the cancellations.”
Oh come on. There can be a contributory element, sure, during weather events when airport throughput is limited most airlines cancel regional flights with fewer passengers first! But Delta went to extreme lengths to ensure they had crew to work flights, while other airlines ran out of crew. They managed their fleet better mechanically, too. Regional cancels weren’t responsible for the lack of mechanicals or for ensuring mainline crew were available. What are you smoking?
“And DL is STILL the 2nd largest airline in revenue at DFW AND at Love Field.”
Ok, suggesting there is some meaning here is funny really funny.
@Dan – for sure Delta went to some extreme lengths to game not cancelling flights especially over holiday weekends so they could make the marketing claim of zero cancels. But there’s no question that Delta really had virtually no controllable cancels over long periods of time, and that’s not a feat they can come close to today.
Stop being so childish, Gary.
MOST US airline cancellations – other than Spirit this weekend – are weather and ATC related.
Have you bothered to actually read the DOT’s Air Travel Consumer Report which is where the DOT publicly reports cancellations.
If you don’t realize that airlines have long used regional airlines as the “buffer” to take cancellations when ATC constraints limit flights, you are far less of a leader of anything than you think.
the ENTIRE US airline industry is cancelling more flights than they historically have; Delta cannot avoid all of the forces that the rest of the industry is facing and UA is facing to a far greater degree
And Delta lost absolutely nothing competitively in N. Texas by moving its CONNECTING PASSENGERS out of DFW and to other hubs while keeping its local market presence. DL’s local market share in N. Texas is just about the same now as it was when Delta operated a hub there. I’m not sure why the concept is so hard for you to grasp.
and DL managed to successfully fight to gain its own gate at Love Field and is the only carrier that serves all 4 of the commercial Houston and Dallas airports.
and Gary works ENDLESSLY to try to find fault with Delta because he can’t accept that Delta really is still at the top of the industry.
and he still is an outsider staring in at Delta’s beautiful SkyClub in Austin.
AA need to bring back meals to business heavy routes like ORD>LGA.
@Tim Dunn: DL fly its own wide bodies from MIA to South America?? Lol… you definitely live in your own world. If you want to know how DL’s mega hub at MIA is going so far – go and take a look yourself at the loads for MIA-MCO next week – Most flights hardly have first class and 3-5 economy seats sold. Yeah, why not launch some MIA-South America with same loads?
Give it a few more seasons, you will see LA shift one daily from MIA to ATL from LIM and SCL and GRU. And we will see the usual PR bluff on DL’s website saying how they have added even more options for travelers between US and South America; while the reality is they haven’t.
When you give everything away for free to anyone with your credit card. Your company is bound to lose money, alot of it. They need to limit complimentary upgrades to 24 hours before departure. That way instead of giving away every business seat they can sell them. Bringing back change fee’s would also help that bottom line significantly.
@Tim Dunn – as always you change the subject when there’s a valid criticism of Delta, and then get personal (“and he still is an outsider staring in at Delta’s beautiful SkyClub in Austin”) with claims that aren’t even true, I’ve taken numerous Delta flights out of Austin and I have an Amex Platinum card. Heh. I even previewed the lounge before it was open to the public.
I know you HAVE BEEN in the AUS Sky Club but it isn’t your usual stop because you can’t get in unless you fly DL which you rarely do.
nobody is changing the subject. EVERY AIRLINE has seen an increase in cancellations. AA is doing better but other airlines aren’t worse by their own doing. IN the big picture (which you are never capable of seeing), AA would love to cancel a few more flights on the worst days and have a larger presence in NYC – which is where most of the industry’s cancellations happen.
And DL’s mainline cancellation rate is STILL better than AA’s. Other people have told you that but you would rather throw stones. Delta never achieved ZERO cancellations on a monthly basis even w/ their “we’ve cancelled cancellations” motto.
And the topic, you remember, is about AA. So why did YOU bother to drag anyone else’s operation into the mix?
Don’t you DARE talk to me about changing the subject.
@ Gary — As is typical for this site, no on reads Tim Dunn’s drivel.
Oh tim
You don’t even write anything intelligent enough to respond to lol
Delta left dfw with their tail between their legs.
But your recreation of fact and history is always fun.
Again. Miami is an airport that is gate constrained since they changed their financial model. Delta can’t do what you desperately want them to, for now
No airline has ever been consistently profitable with a business model based on a plan of second place in a hub. But your nonsense is always cute to read.
But since your new thing is six years… sure
A lot can happen in six years 🙂 hell, six years before delta’s last bankruptcy, you would’ve been preaching the beauty of the dfw hub and how it was bound to defeat AA 😉
Keep climbing those dreams, Timmy
except you do because you have replied to me multiple times. Which means you lie.
And there is nothing wrong with legitimate criticism as part of true analysis. Gary could have easily said that AA’s operation has improved and no one would have argued differently.
But if he wants to make a comparison, then do it based on facts and a comparison of AA against all competitors or even use facts and data if he wants to make a AA/DL comparison. But Gary doesn’t know how to or refuses to quote facts or data because he relies on anecdotes and childish cutdowns – exactly what he experienced as a kid in school. Gary was bullied and so he bullies others. and that is obvious to anyone that watches him for more than about 10 nanoseconds.
Everyone else can manage to talk about AA’s strengths and weaknesses without slamming them or anyone else. But not Gary.
Delta – the world’s only PERFECT airline. Just ask Tim Dunn.
I still wonder why both Tim and Gary apparently (based on their posts) want to see American liquidated. They seem to disagree about almost everything else.
“ DL’s local market share in N. Texas is just about the same now as it was when Delta operated a hub there. I’m not sure why the concept is so hard for you to grasp.”
It really is amusing you’d even say this since, as read, reads at how awful delta’s dfw hub was and why they left dfw crying lol. Are you really saying delta’s local o&d was this tragic in their dfw hub days? lol
Delta is a good company, Tim. They do so much right but you make them look so awful with your sycophancy
Stop trying to be so dogmatic and absolutist
It makes you look ridiculous
You’re defending a public company that fired you and you don’t work for.
Just chill for a bit
“ Everyone else can manage to talk about AA’s strengths and weaknesses without slamming them or anyone else. But not Gary.”
Begs the question why you hide in Gary’s comment section? With a sad desperation to be relevant and for Gary to respond to you
You do realize that YOU use the same comments section, Max, don’t you?
And if you can’t understand that Delta is no different competitively as #2 in the local N. Texas market now than they were when they had a hub in DFW and were still #2, then you should just walk away from commenting on the airline industry.
You have proven over and over again that all you can do is trash other people and contribute nothing to the actual conversation.
Let me make it abundantly clear to you: Delta didn’t gain anything in the N. Texas market by having a 250 flight/day hub at DFW and didn’t lose anything by not having a hub there now. Delta moved the aircraft that supported ALL of those connections that flowed over DFW – with no benefit in the local market – and moved them to NYC where it handedly outstrategized American – which is what you fundamentally can’t accept.
DL has outsmarted AA for more than 2 decades and they will do it again in S. Florida to Latin America.
And no, Ghost, Delta isn’t perfect. They’re just better run and strategically better off.
And it is precisely because of how strong Delta is that American has fallen and continues to fall further nationally. United is just now figuring out how to adopt many of the strategies that Delta perfected and is doing the same thing. AA and UA have long had an up and down relationship; one has done well while the other has lagged only for the cycle to reverse in a few years. UA has learned how to consistently win against AA like DL has been doing for 2 decades.
As hard as that truth is for some of you to accept, that is the truth. AA’s mgmt is just not as sharp or strategically fine-tuned as DL or even UA’s is now.
You might be the only person that loves Ed Bastian and his arrogant style
But sure. Let’s throw out random stats
American and partners are #2 in atl. Because that means… anything? You’re so ridiculous sometimes and it’s why no one respects you.
Delta left dfw with their tail behind their legs. In your terms, “as much as you hate to accept it…”, delta, or any airline, never does well planning a future as a second place in a hub. Dfw or Miami.
Last I checked, delta was also a solid #2 in charlotte, but that also means little to anyone that cares about data.
I have a real job, Tim. My universe doesn’t revolve around Gary’s comment section. He’s a good guy as much as you try to trash him… in the comment sections 😉
You live in the shadows of better writers and better minds. Accept that you’re a troll living in the shadows of your betters and life will be better for you